Another Stupid List: Favorite Blue Note Tracks
This will be fun. Last night I had another one of those very pleasant listening sessions up in The Berkshires, fueled by a few beers, a few vapes and the knowledge that I could play my music as loud and late as I pleased with no neighbors or anyone else to complain. I was watching politics on television as I do so often these days, taking particular delight in the latest polls showing that the blowhard, maniac, crazy man at the top of the Republic ticket is in steep decline and, IMHO, may not even make it to election day without having some kind of collapse/mental breakdown, if, indeed, we could even tell the difference between a nervous breakdown and the behavior he exhibits every single day on the campaign trail. After a couple of hours of this I had enough and decided to enjoy some music.
It was a weird progression for me, starting with the Beatles because last weekend I had the good fortune to see a great Beatles cover band called the Fab Faux, whom I would highly recommend. But eventually I found my way to jazz, per usual, starting with Les McCann and Eddie Harris on “Compared to What,” then moving on to several Cannonball Adderley tracks and then “Giant Steps,” which never ceases to awe and inspire. Giant Steps is a tough act to follow so I put on another track that always blows me away, “Thespian,” the first song on side one of Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045. Regular readers will know all too well that I have never owned an original pressing of Shades of Redd, but I do have two Japanese copies (one in each place of residence), both of which work quite well under any circumstances and particularly in circumstances abetted by the addition of controlled stimulants.
Anyway, I was thoroughly enjoying Thespian, the ensemble passages where they double the tempo, the great solos by Jackie McLean and Tina Brooks (what a loss) and the terrific team of Paul Chambers and Louis Hayes, both of whom were really young and incredibly talented at the time of this recording, when I got to thinking: “Is this actually my favorite Blue Note track?” And, of course, that thought led to this post, wherein I will attempt, pretty much off the top of my head, to list my 10 favorite Blue Note tracks. I will be honest and state up front that I have a strong prejudice towards the swinging records that my dad played when I was growing up because they have been with me all of my life and have a special meaning because they always connect me to him in a positive way. So, I’m sure my list will turn out to be very pedestrian and perhaps somewhat predictable. But, then again, we all have our prejudices, don’t we? Here are mine:
- Thespian, Freddie Redd, Shades of Redd, Blue Note 4045
- Sister Sadie, Horace Silver, Blowin’ the Blues Away, Blue Note 4017
- Moanin’, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blue Note 4003
- Cristo Redentor, Donald Byrd, A New Perspective, Blue Note 4124
- Song for My Father, Horace Silver, Song For My Father, Blue Note 4185
- Moment’s Notice, John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577
- Backstage Sally, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Buhaina’s Delight, Blue Note 4104
- Autumn Leaves, Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’ Else, Blue Note 1595
- Blue Bossa, Joe Henderson, Page One, Blue Note 4140
- Who Can I Turn To?, Dexter Gordon, Gettin’ Around, Blue Note 4204
Don’t shoot me for this. I know, no Mobley, Monk, Rollins, Donaldson, Hancock and many more. It’s my list, so I have to live with it. You can create your own, which, of course, you are all invited to do.
One of my all-time favorite Blue Note tracks (in fact, one of my all time favorites, period) – “It Never Entered My Mind,” Mile Davis 1502. x Caroline
I can’t resist listing a few tracks off the top of my head, but I’m sure this list would change almost daily if I was asked to do it again. Here are some in no particular order:
1. The Natives Are Restless Tonight – Horace Silver – Song For My Father 4185
2. Caravan – Lou Donaldson – Wailing With Lou 1545
3. It Never Entered My Mind – Miles Davis – Volume 2 1502
4. Double Exposure – Hank Mobley – Self-Titled 1568
5. Deacon Joe – Duke Jordan – Flight to Jordan 4046
6. Idle Moments – Grant Green – Idle Moments 4154
7. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top – Sonny Rollins – Newk’s Time 4001
8. The Way You Look Tonight – Johnny Griffin – A Blowing Session 1559
9. Misterioso – Sonny Rollins – Volume 2 (with Monk and Horace Silver playing together!) 1558
10. A Night In Tunisia – both versions from Lee Morgan – The Cooker 1578 and Sonny Rollins – Village Vanguard 1581
Plus every track off of Hank Mobley’s Hank 1560…I could list another 10, but I’ll stop for now!
Talk about a poverty of riches!
Incomplete — to say the least — and not in order of preference:
Jackie McLean & Freddie Redd — “Who Killed Cock Robin” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqFciNtg0f8
Lee Morgan — “Ceora” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECw3WAX41OA
Joe Henderson — “Mode for Joe” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR4ZcTHDJ7Q
Grant Green — “Idle Moments” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwaFDFP7m_E
Herbie Hancock — “The Maze” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK-4p2Fbn80
Herbie Hancock — “Cantaloupe Island” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B1oIXGX0Io
Blakey/Messengers — “Pensativa” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Basdf1k6qA
Pete La Roca/Joe Henderson — “Lazy Afternoon” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFFs9XsZKvw
McCoy Tyner — “Passion Dance” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvmJHprG_Fg
Freddie Hubbard — “You’re My Everything” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7XTRnfJa-8
Wayne Shorter — “Speak No Evil” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvRkGglLe-U&list=PLxdOFfQtAfT25AmQRtfP61zlENplqgCHP
Wayne Shorter — “Infant Eyes” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StvcY4xwHIg
Booker Ervin/Woody Shaw — “Lynn’s Tune” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH2BO6tVuMI
Sheila Jordan — “Laugh, Clown, Laugh — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRhQs7IjwUM
For starters.
Lest I forget:
Hank Mobley — “Remember” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV0HX9sk_04
I couldn’t list them in order, but without checking to see if I am forgetting any, off the top of my head, here are some favorites:
Lou Donaldson – “Blues Walk”
Horace Silver – “No Smokin'”
Art Blakey – “Moanin'”
Hank Mobley – “Mighty Moe and Joe”
Jimmy Smith – “Caravan”
an impossible task, but here we go (without any comment or justification):
Soft Winds – Jazz Messengers 1507
Speak Low – Sonny Clark 1576
Misterioso – Rollins/Monk 1558
Minors’ Holiday – Kenny Dorham 5065
Old Devil Moon – J.J. 5057
Just one of those things – Lee Morgan 1578
Dear Old Stockholm – Miles 5013
Surrey with the fringe on top – Rollins 4001
Autumn Leaves – Adderley 1595
Moments Notice – Coltrane 1577
Ceora – Lee Morgan, Cornbread
Boy, What A Night – Lee Morgan, The Sidewinder
Zambia – Lee Morgan, Delightfulee
Moment’s Notice – John Coltrane, Blue Train
Little Johnny C – Johnny Coles, Little Johnny C
Dexi – Horace Parlan, Back From The Gig
Ruby My Dear – Thelonious Monk, Genius Of Modern Music, Vol. 1
Calling Miss Khajida – Art Blakey, Indestructible
Driftin’ – Herbie Hanock, Takin’ Off
If Someone Had Told Me – Thad Jones, The Magnificent Thad Jones
Night Dreamer – Wayne Shorter, Night Dreamer
Blue Minor – Sonny Clark, Cool Struttin’
Many great choices; too many to list. I’ve always loved “thespian” too. I’ll just add one track that has always resonates deeply with me whenever I hear it:
“Love and hate” from Jackie McLean’s “destination out” album.
I’m sorry, I love Art Blakey so much, my list would start with Art and end with Art. Although, Sonny Clark might crack that top 10…………………………
Word has it should The Donald be elected President he is going to build his cabinet around his family–all of them. How ’bout a grandson as Secretary of State. He can work at home with his own private e-mail server!
Some favourites….not in order
Amanda (Duke Pearson, Wahoo)
Uh uh (Hank Mobley, Workout)
Eclypso (Lee Morgan, Rumproller)
La Mesha (Joe Henderson, Page One)
Love for Sale (Dexter Gordon, Go)
Tanya (Dexter Gordon, One flight up)
Avila and Tequila, (Hank Mobley quartet)
No room for squares (Hank Mobley, same)
Free Form (Donald Byrd, same)
Beyond all Limits (Larry Young, Unity)
Well Blakey’s Moanin’ is my favorite, but I’ll add a couple more that i didn’t see mentioned:
Hat and Beard – Eric Dolphy’s Out to Lunch
Just a Closer Walk with Thee – Grant Green’s Feelin’ the Spirit
Here’s 12 – In no particular order…
Polka Dots & Moonbeams / Lou Donaldson
Soul Lament / Kenny Burrell
Riot / Herbie Hancock
Love Song / Tony Williams (w/Shorter)
Maiden Voyage / Bobby Hutchinson
Midnight Special / Jimmy Smith (w/Turrentine & Burrell)
Cantaloupe Island / Herbie Hancock
Cyclic Episode / Sam Rivers
Adams Apple / Wayne Shorter
The Collector / Wayne Shorter
Speak No Evil / Wayne Shorter
Ain’t No Use / Sonny Clark
Hey Al, let’s do favorite Prestige tracks at some point in the future.
Here’s 10 off the top’a my head, with only a vague sense of order, mostly 4100 series post-bop / avant garde:
1 Eric Dolphy – Hat and Beard
2 Jackie McLean – Love and Hate
3 Andrew Hill – Cantarnos
4 Thelonious Monk – Ruby My Dear
5 Wayne Shorter – Deluge
6 Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers – Down Under
7 Grachan Moncur III – Air Raid
8 Herbie Hancock – The Egg
9 Grant Green – Idle Moments
10 Bobby Hutcherson – Ghetto Lights
Funny that while I’ve not heard most of the Blue Note catalogue yet (only seriously got into jazz end of last year) I still found it hard to narrow it down to ten! Will have to give some of the other selections here a try too …
Very tough exercise. I needed 20. And couldn’t order them, so here they are in catalog order:
April in Paris – Thad Jones, The Magnificent Thad Jones, Blue Note 1527
Afrodisia, Kenny Dorham, Afro-Cuban, Blue Note 1535
Whisper Not – Lee Morgan, Volume 2, Blue Note 1541
Blue Lights – Clifford Jordan, Blowing In From Chicago, Blue Note 1549
Funk in Deep Freeze – Hank Mobley, Blue Note 1550
Speak Low – Sonny Clark, Sonny’s Crib, Blue Note 1576
Blue Train – John Coltrane, Blue Train, Blue Note 1577
Love For Sale – Cannonball Adderley, Something Else, Blue Note 1595
Asiatic Raes – Sonny Rollins, Newk’s Time, Blue Note 4001
Gypsy Blue – Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame, Blue Note 4040
Good Old Soul – Tina Brooks, True Blue, Blue Note 4041
Flight To Jordan – Duke Jordan, Flight to Jordan, Blue Note 4046
Ghana – Donald Byrd, Byrd in Flight, Blue Note 4048
Out of the Night – Joe Henderson, Page One, Blue Note 4140
Love and Hate – Jackie McLean, Destination Out, Blue Note 4165
Tanya – Dexter Gordon, One Flight Up, Blue Note 4176
Speak No Evil – Wayne Shorter, Speak No Evil, Blue Note 4194
Maiden Voyage – Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage, Blue Note 4195
Lazy Afternoon – Pete LaRoca, Basra, Blue Note 4205
Empathy – Duke Pearson, Sweet Honey Bee, Blue Note 4252
I must add my 20 favorites as well to this list:
1. Doodlin – Horace Silver and the Messengers
2. Don’t Get Too Hip- Hank Mobley
3. Well You Needn’t – Miles Davis w/ Horace Silver
4. Blue Rondo- Jackie McLean
5. Wadin- Horace Parlan with the great George Tucker
6. Strolling In – Lou Donaldson
7. Visitation/ Paul Chambers and Coltrane
8. Autumn Leaves- Cannonball Adderley /Miles
9. Misterioso- Sonny Rollins w/ Monk and Silver
10. Downstairs Blues Upstairs- Sam Rivers
So many more I could name it these stay in rotation in the iPod and the car changer.
Hank Mobley – This I Dig Of You
Donald Byrd – Bronze Dance
Herbie Hancock – Oliloqui Valley
Freddie Hubbard – Arietis
Hank Mobley – Avila And Tequila
Sonny Clark – Cool Struttin’
Johnny Griffin – Mil Dew
Milt Jackson – Bags’ Groove
Grant Green – Idle Moments
This was actually harder than I thought. Too many choices, too many styles.
Freddie Redd – The Thespian
– Thelonious Monk- In walked Bud.
Misterioso LP
– Dexter Gordon- Cry me a river. Blows
Hot and cool LP
– Monica Zetterlund- Speak low. Make
mine swedish style LP
Mostly from the Japanese previously unreleased material (the first three featuring Wayne Shorter):
Lee Morgan — “Party Time” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLyRf1c3ELE
Lou Donaldson — “Sweet Slumber” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLi7nALkup8
Lee Morgan — “Blue Gardenia” (with Pepper Adams, no stranger in paradise) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfXy1cd1CMg
Grant Green — “Ezz-Thetic” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3kAAgjKaWw
Inspiration:
Horace Silver — “Silver’s Serenade” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROht6SP6JdM
leads to …
Jack Wilson — “Frank’s Tune” (featuring Jackie McLean on the Frank Strozier original) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M76r5UQOU6Y
Many of my favorites have already been mentioned ( Idle Moments, Blue Rondo, Funk In Deep Freeze, Thespian, Blue Minor and Moment’s Notice). Here are ten more
Bud Powell – Bouncing With Bud
Herbie Nichols – Lady Sings The Blues
Thelonious Monk – Carolina Moon
Jimmy Smith – Sweet Georgia Brown
Dexter Gordon – Cheese Cake
Jackie Mclean – Let Freedom Ring
Horace Silver – Blowin’ The Blues Away
Larry Young – Monk’s Dream
Andrew Hill – Alfred
Kenny Burrell – Saturday Night Blues
oops – that’s Jackie Mclean – Melody For Melonae from Let Freedom Ring
Hey everyone,
Gregory the Fish here. I have a request that is a little odd, so feel free to say no to it.
A buddy of mine who is also a colleague and a brilliant mathematician recently had a severe seizure and through a series of obscenely unlucky circumstances, was in a coma for two weeks due to the aftermath. He amazingly woke up and seems to be mentally sound and physically okay, but he has a tremendously long road ahead of him medically, and the bills are getting crazy, too. They have started a page for donations. The page is gofundme.com/prayingforallan, and gave me their blessing to spread it around a bit. Even a single penny is very helpful.
Thanks a bunch ya’ll. Sorry this is gloomy and not jazz-relaeted.
How about a sleeper? Joe Henderson on Freddie Roach “Brown Sugar”…dare say some of his best playing on any BN session.Joe enters the funk filled waters with a shark-like intensity.
The obvious abound on Blue Note….how about some sleepers to send the folks back to the shelves scratching their heads….?
Joe Henderson Mode for Joe
Cecil Taylor Unit Structures
Don Cherry Complete Communion
Sam Rivers Fuchsia Swing Song
Jordan/Gilmore Evil Eye
Al, Rudolf – “Moment’s Notice”…my favorite song on Blue Train
jrock – “The Natives Are Restless”…smoking tune!
Joe – “Little Johnny C” is a hell of a cooker…it’s in my favorites. “Ruby My Dear” is a favorite of Monk’s but I prefer the Columbia recording.
Michel – “No Room for Squares” is a favorite…Philly Joe shines on the drums.
Thomas – “Blue Lights”, such a smokey version of this tune! I prefer it to Farmer & Gryce’s original recording for Prestige, which is amazing in its own right
Marvin – “Doodlin” is a great tune
Bas – “Oliloqui Valley” is up there…such a gentle sound, and yes, “Aretis”! Brilliant, giant, open sound on that track!
Now for mine (I’m not the best at counting 😉
Big John Patton, the entire “The Way I Feel” album
Curtis Fuller, “A Lovely Way to Spend the Evening” (The Opener)
Hank Mobley, “Touch and Go”/”Double Whammy” (Mobley/Byrd/Morgan 1540)
Herbie Hancock, “Triangle” (Inventions & Dimensions)
Horace Silver, “Horoscope” (Horace Silver Trio 5018/1520)
Horace Silver, “To Whom It May Concern” (Horace Silver Quintet 5062/1518)
Horace Silver, “You Happened My Way” (Finger Poppin)
Horace Silver, “Lonely Woman” (Song for My Father)
Johnny Coles, “Little Johnny C”/”Jano”/”So Sweet My Little Girl” (Little Johnny C)
Lee Morgan, “Slightly Hep” (Lee Morgan Sextet 1541)
Lee Morgan, “Since I Fell for You”/”All the Way” (Candy)
Lee Morgan, “Melancholee” (Search for the New Land)
Sonny Clark, “Come Rain or Come Shine” (Sonny’s Crib)
Al, What Blue Notes did your father have when you were younger?? Do tell!
To Rich DG Mono. The ones I remember most vividly are the ones mentioned here: A New Perspective, Moanin’, Song for My Father, Blowin’ the Blues Away, Buhaina’s Delight. He did not have Shades of Redd, unfortunately, nor anything that I can recall in the 1500 series. Not Blue Train, not Somethin’ Else. He had more Riverside’s than anything else — there was a store on 8th Street, Looney Tunes, where they had huge bargain bins filled with Riversides, and he loved to get the bargains. Lots of Cannonball, Wes and Bill Evans, among others.
Very cool! Was this Looney Tunes by any chance affiliated with the store in Boston of the same name? The store next to Berklee College of Music closed but I just found out that it reopened in Allston.
1. Art Blakey. Moanin’
2. Dexter Gordon. Who Can I Turn To
3. Sonny Clark. Love Walked In
So very much fun to develop this list and also so VERY difficult. Even narrowing it down to a top 50 would be a Herculean task. I decided to eschew the real classic, classic ones (Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock Autumn Leaves off Something Else, Blue Train, Speak No Evil, all the Jazz Messengers lps and Song For My Father which are all so iconic and peerless that they sort of stand off in their own category) and after several enjoyable hours spent listening I arrived at the following list in no particular order of preference listed sequentially by catalogue number.
Bud Powell Time Waits lp “Sub City” 1598
Donald Byrd Fuego lp “Low Life” 4026
Hank Mobley Soul Station lp “Remember” 4031
Kenny Dorham Whistle Stop lp “Sunrise In Mexico” 4063
Lee Morgan Search For The New Land lp ” Search For The New Land”4169
Wayne Shorter JuJu lp “Mahjong” 4182
Horace Silver Cape Verdean Blues lp “The African Queen” 4220
Lee Morgan Cornbread lp “Ceora” 4222
Joe Henderson Mode For Joe lp “Mode For Joe” 4227
Bobby Hutcherson Dialogue lp “Head Start” 4231
and to cheat just a bit # 11 is every single Blue Note cut that Sonny Rollins recorded.
I also want to give a huge shout to a much later date that was only ever released on CD (horrors!! no vinyl??) and I refer to Time Lines by Andrew Hill which is simply stunning and an absolute masterpiece. Also need to mention how sad I was to learn of Bobby Hutcherson’s passing. I saw him many, many times and I don’t think that anyone previous to him nor anyone who will come after him will ever equal his talent especially on the gorgeous marimba works that he recorded.
one last closing question to y’all. Has anyone bought any of the 75th Anniversary pressings and been as disappointed as I have been. The sound quality is diminished and almost every one of them I bought are laced with static and a remarkably large quantity of surface noise. The vinyl itself is already paper scuffed before I have even played it one time. I’m sticking with King and Toshiba from now on since I don’t have 750- 1 K to cough up for an LP.
This was very fun Thanks. I liked the suggestion earlier given to try Prestiges next. Also Impulses (leaving Trane off in his own exclusive realm) could be interesting. Happy Fall to everyone and go out and gather some autumn leaves.
Regards,
Brian R Anderson
whoops!!! typo there on Bobby’s LP. Should be saying Happenings not Dialogue