Grant Green - 'Blue Note 85 Reissues'

Here's two classics from Grant Green.

'Idle Moments' is generally considered as Grant Green’s finest work.  It truly is a Jazz masterpiece, recorded over two sessions on 4th November 1963 and 15th November 1963, at Rudy Van Gelder's studio, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

The line-up is an interesting one.  Along with Grant's guitar are with Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, Duke Pearson on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Al Harewood on drums.

The fifteen-minute title track was originally intended to be an eight-minute cut, but Grant and subsequent soloists doubled the length of their contributions.  This slow, thoughtful tune has an almost cinematic quality.  Grant’s phrasing is unbelievably beautiful and reflective.  Duke Pearson’s piano work especially in the intro is delicate, Joe Henderson’s tenor is moody and soulful.  Subsequent takes aimed at reducing 'Idle Moments' length failed to capture the magic of the longer version.  As a result, two of the tracks ‘Jean de Flours’ and ‘Django’ had to be redone on 15th November as their original versions were now too long to fit the album.  'Jean De Fleurs is a breezy tune, with Grant’s guitar as elegant as usual.  'Django' written by John Lewis for the Milt Jackson Quintet has a march like beat.  Green and Henderson solo brilliantly again.  The last track ‘Nomad’, another Duke Pearson tune, is another elongated groove, it's just over 12 minutes, and flies along.

'Idle Moments' is a Jazz classic.

'Green Street' from 1961 was Grant Green's sophomore release for the Blue Note label, and was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, for that Blue Note sound.

The album finds Grant in a trio setting with bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Dave Bailey, so the focus is almost entirely on the guitarist.

Grant comes up with consistently surprising and rewarding ideas, taking these songs on unexpected trips and creating music for the ages.  Few other guitarists of the time could have excelled in this setting on the level of Grant Green. 

'Green Street' is one of his most essential recordings.

Today's freeloads are remastered limited editions from Blue Note Japan, in the UHQCD format, from masterings that Kevin Gray did for the Tone Poet and BN Classic LP releases.  And they sound sweet!  If you freeloaded the previously posted Chick Corea and the Wayne Shorter 'Blue Note 85 Reissues', you know what I'm talking about.

For the freeload, if you had a late-night talk show, which musicians (dead or alive) would you choose to be in your house band?