Bobby Hutcherson

This CD was the first of the "Trip Tease" collections, of which there are three volumes. This is not to be confused with the "Blue Note Trip" series which does include remixes of songs. So, these are the originals, not remixes. The earliest track on here is "I'll Remember April," a 1953 piece by Lee Konitz & Gerry Mulligan. There are a handful of other tracks from the mid to late 1950s, including Kenny Dorham's fabulous "Afrodesia" from 1955 or Chet Baker's & Bud Shank's "Jimmy's Theme" from 1956, but most of the material on these discs comes from the fertile 1960s and 1970s era, when many Blue Note artists fused elements of soul and funk along with traditional jazz.

Mode for Joe is the fifth studio album by American jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson, recorded and released in 1966. It would be the last Blue Note studio album to feature Henderson as a leader. Mode for Joe has been reissued on CD several times over; the 2004 Blue Note reissue remastered by Rudy Van Gelder is recommended, although the difference in sound is minimal and the bonus version of "Black" has been placed at the bottom track list instead of as an alternate in the middle.

The third of three sessions Grant Green co-led with modal organist Larry Young and Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones, I Want to Hold Your Hand continues in the soft, easy style of its predecessor, Street of Dreams. This time, however — as one might guess from the title and cover photo — the flavor is less reflective and more romantic and outwardly engaging. Part of the reason is tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, who takes Bobby Hutcherson’s place accompanying the core trio…

Warren Wolf - Convergence (2016) {Mack Avenue Records MAC1105}
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© 2016 Mack Avenue Records | MAC1105
Jazz / Post Bop / Vibes

For years, I have known a certain truth– don't sleep on Warren Wolf. the master vibraphonist has snuck up on me one too many times on releases of his own. He rolled through San Antonio three times in 2015 and never failed to impress. His work with Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah's large ensemble is a surprise and not a surprise at the same time. He has maintained a beautiful melodicism in his playing that would seem obvious for his instrument but he surpasses such expectations again and again. He's an unmistakable talent. He shouldn't be slept on. This is no more apparent than in his latest album, Convergence on Mack Avenue.

As part of Blue Note's 60th anniversary gala, Benny Green was invited to record a selection of his favorite tunes from the label's venerable catalog. Green picked eight songs previously recorded by the likes of Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Joe Henderson, and Dexter Gordon, then he recruited bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Russell Malone. Together, they recorded These Are Soulful Days, a splendid tribute to the glory days of Blue Note, when excellent hard bop musicians ruled the roster. Like the classic albums from the late '50s and early '60s, These Are Soulful Days clocks in at an economical 45 minutes and feels intimate. All eight songs were recorded directly to two-track, giving the music an immediate, vibrant feel.

Grant Green - Retrospective 1961-1966 (2002) {4CD Set Blue Note}
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© 1961-66, 2002 Blue Note / Capitol | 7243 5 40851 2 3 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Hard Bop / Jazz Funk / Soul Jazz / Guitar

Simply put, this is a very decent four-disc collection of the work of guitarist Grant Green. It features tracks from his many albums as a leader and some as a sideman with others, such as Lee Morgan, John Patton, Baby Face Willette, and Sonny Clark. His early-'60s sides are here along with most of his defining cuts from the '60s, from hard bop to soul-jazz to ballads to gospel – everything most fans would ever want is here, including his late blues sides recorded in the bars of Detroit in 1970. While Green's own albums can never be replaced, this is a solid portrait of one of the most influential jazz guitarists in history.