Listening Room – “Cool Struttin’”

Posted on April 10, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Blue Note released this beyond classic Sonny Clark record in 1958. Featuring a group of young players (including a then relatively unknown Jackie Mclean) “Cool Struttin’” is considered by some to be one of the best examples of Hard Bop ever made. The two Clark compositions – the title track and Blue Minor – have both entered the jazz repertoire, and the two remaining tracks Miles Davis’ Sippin’ at Bells and Henderson & Valle’s Deep Night are just as classic. A legendary record from the very underrated talent of Sonny Clark, all of whose records are well worth checking out.

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Released 1958 : Blue Note Records : Catalog # BLP 1588

Players:
Sonny Clark – Piano
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Art Farmer – Trumpet
Paul Chambers – Bass
Philly Joe Jones – Drums

Sonny Clark – Blue Minor from “Cool Struttin”

Sonny Clark – Deep Night from “Cool Struttin”

Listening Room – “Brown Sugar”

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

This 1964 album marked a bit of a change in the sound of Freddie Roach in that he fully embraces the soul-jazz sound. Joe Henderson is masterful on the recording as is guitarist Eddie Wright and Roach’s longtime drummer Clarence Johnston. Very bluesy at times, Roach and company find the groove and stay in it. This record keeps going in and out of print, as far as I know the great re-issue label Water was the last to bring this gem (and it’s classic cover) back into circulation.

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Released 1964 : Blue Note Records : Catalog # BP-4168

Players:
Freddie Roach – Hammond B3
Joe Henderson – Tenor Sax
Eddie Wright – Guitar
Clarence Johnston – Drums

Freddie Roach – Brown Sugar from “Brown Sugar”

Freddie Roach – All Night Long from “Brown Sugar”

Listening Room – “Oblique”

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

The great vibes virtuoso Bobby Hutcherson, one of my personal favorite jazz players, recorded “Oblique” in 1967 but the album was not released until 1980. While this was not unusual for Alfred Lion to do with Blue Note recording sessions, this record was particularly welcome upon its release as it is stands as an equal to all the great albums Hutcherson released on Blue Note in the 1960′s. This was his second quartet recording and shares Herbie Hancock and Joe Chambers from the first (“Happenings”), but this time he adds Albert Stinson on bass. The music is complex post-bop jazz and is worth checking out for anyone interested in sophisticated forward thinking music.

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Released 1980 (Originally Recorded 1967) : Blue Note Records : Catalog # CDP 7 84444-2

Players:
Bobby Hutcherson – Vibes
Herbie Hancock – Piano
Albert Stinson – Bass
Joe Chambers – Drums

Bobby Hutcherson – Oblique from “Oblique”

Bobby Hutcherson – Theme From Blow-Up from “Oblique”

Listening Room – “Workout” & “Another Workout”

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Workout

Another Workout

Hank Mobley – Uh Huh

Hank Mobley – Smokin’

From “Workout” : 1961 : Blue Note Records

Hank Mobley – Out of Joe’s Bag

Hank Mobley – Gettin’ and Jettin’

From “Another Workout” : 1961 : Blue Note Records

One of my all-time favorite jazz records, “Workout” was recorded for Blue Note in 1961 when Hank Mobley was coming into his own as a player and composer. Mobley assembled a young group of players including Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers, as well as the young guitarist Grant Green who added a great sound to Mobley’s four originals on the record. Highlights include Uh-Huh and Smokin’.

“Another Workout” was recorded later in the year in 1961 and has the same players as “Workout” with the exception of Green. For whatever reason, and not uncommon for Blue Note sessions in the 1960′s, “Another Workout” didn’t see the light of day until 1985 and didn’t really get a proper release until the RVG Edition was released in 2006.

Players:

On “Workout”

Hank Mobley – Tenor Sax
Grant Green – Guitar
Wynton Kelly – Piano
Paul Chambers – Piano
Philly Joe Jones – Drums

On “Another Workout”

Hank Mobley – Tenor Sax
Wynton Kelly – Piano
Paul Chambers – Piano
Philly Joe Jones – Drums

Listening Room – “Along Came John”

Posted on February 25, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Along Came John

John Patton – Along Came John

John Patton – Spiffy Diffy

As much as this album grooves, it’s hard to believe that this was “Big” John Patton’s debut album as a leader of his own group. Released in 1963 on Blue Note and featuring the soul-jazz powers of Grant Green, Fred Jackson, Harold Vick and Ben Dixon this is as fine an example of Hammond B3 driven jazz that you will come across.

Players:
John Patton – Hammond B3 Organ
Harold Vick – Tenor Sax
Fred Jackson – Tenor Sax
Grant Green – Guitar
Ben Dixon – Drums

Listening Room – “Back At The Chicken Shack”

Posted on February 25, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith – Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith – Messy Bessie

Recorded for Blue Note in 1960, “Back At The Chicken Shack” set the bar for Hammond B3 driven soul-jazz records. A young Stanley Turrentine is in top form, as is Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. Smith wrote two songs for the album, the classic title track as well as the groover Messy Bessie.

Players:
Jimmy Smith – Hammond B3
Stanley Turrentine – Tenor Sax
Kenny Burrell – Guitar
Donald Bailey – Drums

Listening Room – “Peckin’ Time”

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Peckin' Time

Hank Mobley / Lee Morgan – Peckin’ Time

Hank Mobley / Lee Morgan – Stretchin’ Out

“Peckin’ Time” was released in 1959 on Blue Note and featured the young talents of tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley and trumpeter Lee Morgan, both of whom would go on to record many classic albums for Blue Note in the coming decade.

Players:
Hank Mobley – Tenor Sax
Lee Morgan -Trumpet
Wynton Kelly – Piano
Paul Chambers – Bass
Charlie Persip – Drums

Listening Room – “Demon’s Dance”

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Demon's Dance

Jackie McLean – “Demon’s Dance”

Jacke McLean – “Floogeh”

From “Demon’s Dance” : 1967 : Blue Note

Jackie McLean recorded “Demon’s Dance” for Blue Note in 1967. The title track is a classic and the up-tempo Floogeh is one of many highlights of a great record. Amazingly, this was McLean’s final Blue Note recording, ending an amazing streak of nearly ten years and over twenty consistently high-quality records for the label.

Players:
Jackie McLean – Alto Sax
Woody Shaw – Trumpet
Lamont Johnson – Piano
Scott Holt – Bass
Jack DeJohnette – Drums

Listening Room – “Sunburst”

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Sunburst

Eddie Henderson – “Sunburst”

Eddie Henderson – “The Kumquat Kids”

From “Sunburst” : Released 1975 : Blue Note Records

This was trumpeter Eddie Henderson’s first album for Blue Note, originally released in 1975. Featuring a good number of players from Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi group (of which Henderson was a member) Sunburst is a fine example of the hard driving jazz-funk that Hancock and Miles Davis were pioneering at the time.

Players:
Eddie Henderson – Trumpet
Julian Priester – Trombone
Bennie Maupin – Tenor Sax, Bass Clarinet
Bobby Hutcherson – Marimba
George Duke – Electric Piano, Clavinet, Synth
Buster Williams – Bass
Alphonso Johnson – Bass
Harvey Mason – Drums
Billy Hart – Drums

Listening Room – “Blue & Sentimental”

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Ike Quebec – “Blue & Sentimental”

Ike Quebec – “It’s All Right With Me”

From “Blue & Sentimental” : 1962 : Blue Note Records

Another piano-less session, this 1962 Blue Note album by Ike Quebec is considered one of his finest. This was considered somewhat of a comeback period for Quebec and he couldn’t have picked a better group to help him interpret his signature mix of blues and ballads, with Grant Green in great form and one of the best rhythm sections of the day.

Players:
Ike Quebec – Tenor Sax
Grant Green – Guitar
Paul Chambers – Bass
Philly Joe Jones – Drums