Ike Quebec - 'Heavy Soul' (Blue Note 85 Edition)

Ike Quebec got his start in the 1940s, playing with Cab Calloway, Tiny Grimes, and Roy Eldridge, among others.  He recorded as a leader for Blue Note between 1944 and 1948, and worked as an A&R man for the label, too, bringing Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell into the fold. I've been told that he did a lot of uncredited arranging on other musicians' sessions, too.  He didn’t do much of anything in the 1950s, mostly due to drug problems.  However, when he returned to Blue Note in 1959, he seemed determined to make up for lost time.

Ike began his comeback somewhat cautiously, recording eight songs for jukebox singles.  These were successful, so he recorded another set in 1960 (one of which, “Everything Happens to Me,” was released in short and long versions), and nine more in 1962, when the second phase of his career was well underway.  These are organ-driven, bluesy tunes, with standards mixed in.  What’s interesting about Quebec’s recordings, though (and this holds true on his albums, as well), is that he uses both an organist and a bassist (frequently Milt "The Judge" Hinton).  Most organ combos do away with upright bass, but Quebec prefers the organist to play a melodic role, an approach that yields superb results and a generally fuller sound.  All 26 tracks were reissued as a two-CD set, 'The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions', which is currently out of print.

It's been said, that there may not be a more apropos album title in all of recorded music than Ike Quebec’s 1961 classic 'Heavy Soul'.

In November 1961 Quebec brought a 4-piece band into Van Gelder Studio that included Freddie Roach on organ, Milt Hinton on bass, and Al Harewood on drums.  The resulting 8-song set is a soul jazz masterclass with Ike’s muscular tenor delivering a variety of moods from the rhythmic drive of swinging originals like "Acquitted" and "Que’s Dilemma" to slow-tempo stunners including "Just One More Chance", "Brother Can You Spare a Dime", and "I Want A Little Girl". A remarkable reading of "The Man I Love" leads into the sultry title piece, which practically drips with soul, but it’s the album closer which delivers a showstopper.  With Freddie Roach and Al Harewood laying out, Ike and Milton Hinton converse in a duo setting on a gorgeous performance of "Nature Boy".

Today's freeload is a remastered limited edition 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 'Blue Note 85 Reissues', you know what I'm talking about.

For the freeload, tell us who's your favorite Soul artist or group from the 1960s.