A Sure Thing by Sam O’brien

Blue Mitchell - A Sure Thing (1962) {Riverside OJCCD-837-2 rel 1994}
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© 1962, 1994 Riverside / Fantasy | OJCCD-837-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Trumpet

A hip session from Blue – one that points the way towards some of his later work on Blue Note, and which features a larger than usual group arranged by Jimmy Heath. As on some of Heath's other projects from the time, the groove is tight and soulful, but never so dominant as to overwhelm the soloists. Mitchell's the main player, of course – but the rest of the group features work by Heath, Pat Patrick, Jerome Richardson, and Wynton Kelly. Tracks include "A Sure Thing", "West Coast Blues", "Hootie Blues", and "Hip To It".

Trevor Haddix continues to release quality music filled with innuendos and humor in a vocal style reminiscent of Bobby Bland. "I Got a Sure Thing," originally done by Ollie & the Nightingales, gets a smoldering update, while on "A Day Late and a Dollar Short," Haddix's vocal is as gritty and gutbucket as the painful lyrics. Upbeat blues gets represented by "Funny Bone" and "Expletive List," and "Caught in the Middle" is a good rolling blues number featuring a sultry guitar. Haddix wrote nine of the ten top-quality songs.