Comments on: Another Stupid List: Favorite Blue Note Tracks

By: Brian Anderson

Brian Anderson — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 02:32:08 +0000

whoops!!! typo there on Bobby’s LP. Should be saying Happenings not Dialogue

By: Brian Anderson

Brian Anderson — Sun, 21 Aug 2016 21:26:27 +0000

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

By: Yury

Yury — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 11:51:24 +0000

1. Art Blakey. Moanin’
2. Dexter Gordon. Who Can I Turn To
3. Sonny Clark. Love Walked In

By: Rich DG Mono

Rich DG Mono — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 17:16:18 +0000

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.

By: Al

Al — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 14:10:19 +0000

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.

By: Rich DG Mono

Rich DG Mono — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 14:04:46 +0000

Al, What Blue Notes did your father have when you were younger?? Do tell!

By: Rich DG Mono

Rich DG Mono — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 14:03:53 +0000

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)

By: lennib

lennib — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 10:51:13 +0000

Joe Henderson Mode for Joe
Cecil Taylor Unit Structures
Don Cherry Complete Communion
Sam Rivers Fuchsia Swing Song
Jordan/Gilmore Evil Eye

By: JAZZCOURIER

JAZZCOURIER — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 14:47:31 +0000

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….?

By: Gregory the Fish

Gregory the Fish — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 14:37:48 +0000

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.