AudioCircle
Music and Media => The Jazz Circle => Topic started by: troutboy on 12 Feb 2011, 12:14 pm
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I recently bought a Horace Silver Best of disc and have been enjoying the wonderful sound of trumpeter Blue Mitchell. Any recommendations for some other better recordings i can find more of his playing on? Thanks for any info.
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Out Of The Blue
http://www.amazon.com/Out-Blue-Mitchell/dp/B000000YVQ/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1297514145&sr=1-8
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I have these two with Blue and enjoy his work on them.
John Mayall's "Jazz Blues Fusion"
Dexter Gordon "True Blue"
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The Thing To Do
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002A2VP0/ref=s9_simh_bw_p15_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1FY4E4T6R8SZ1QH5CA9K&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1280261722&pf_rd_i=5174
In the mid '60s Blue made 5 or 6 records for Blue Note. Most with Chick Corea, one with Herbie. He made quite a few as a sideman too. He was a good player. You hear him a lot with Junior Cook. There's one or two with Joe Henderson.
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(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=42741)
This a great recording IMHO.
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Horace Silver's Live at the Village Gate is my fav. Blue Mitchell recording, he is on fire there.
He also recorded with Louis Bellson big band in the 70s.
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The wonderfully talented late trumpeter Richard" Blue" Mitchell was really one of the great unsung masters of Jazz trumpet.He was a constant on the L.A. Jazz club scene in the 1970's.I had the great fortune to hear him in many contexts during this period and he always brought it big time.He was a fiery and passionate player with a flawless technique that would allow him to go anywhere musically he desired.He had a fantastic quintet with saxophonist Richie Kamuca that played every Wednesday night at Donte's in North Hollywood.This is when you could walk in the back door,order a beer and sit or stand at the bar all night for the price of a few beers and dig the music. No cover charge! This band featured Richie on the alto saxophone(as opposed to his usual tenor) Blue on trumpet,Dolo Coker on piano,Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Jimmie Smith on bass.The entire book of this band was made up of BeBop tunes and primarily Charlie Parker compositions.The music was so fresh and inspiring it became our must-hear destination every week.by the last set,when the place was thinning out you could slip up front to the vacant tables and sit a few feet from Blue's trumpet.This band made one record for Concord under Richie's name- "Richie Kamuca's Charlie" doing mainly Bird tunes with a different rhythm and Jimmy Rowles on piano.
Blue Mitchell also had a quintet with Tenor player Harold Land that was more like the Max Roach/Clifford Brown quintet.They always seemed to have a gig every few weeks and worked more at some of the inner city clubs like the Parisian Room.You could also hear Blue in the big band that was led by ex- Ellington
trumpeter Bill Berry.This was a great band that had Herb Ellis,Dave Frishberg,Kamuca,Blue,Bob Cooper,Buster Cooper,Britt Woodman,Cat Anderson,Marshal Royal, and many others who came in and out as they had the time to devote to this band playing Basie and many old Ellington charts.Blue's big feature was a luminous reading of "Smoke gets in your eyes",his trumpet soaring with a warm,clean tone,rich with passion.I think it was 1976 or '77 both Blue and Richie died within six months of each other from Cancer.The last time i saw Blue was buying a pack of smokes out of the machine at Cindy's coffee shop on Lankershim blvd. in Universal City at about 3 am.I was in a hurry to get back to my radio gig across the street,as i left a record tracking to go get some coffee.I shouted a hello to him and got a warm,friendly smile back and he was gone from our world in a month's time.
Before he hit the L.A. studios.clubs and TV show gigs he had already established his reputation with all those great Riverside records and his tenure with Horace Silver.His last 10 years of his life are not that well known but were filled with great music every time he put the horn to his mouth.
One day they will re-release the Berry big band lp,"Hot and happy" and you can hear the great "Smoke get's in your eyes" It will bring tears to yours.
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Wow, guys great info. Thanks for all the replies.
JC, great info and i know you count yourself fortunate to have heard such a fantastic musician live. I know i can listen to Peace from the Horace Silver cd over and over with amazement at his tone each time i hear it. Such a distinctive sound that he reminds me somewhat of the sound of Clifford Brown. Truly a fantastic musician.
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Wow JC, great biographical background.
I was going to Princeton Record Exchange today because they emailed they just got a big collection of '50s and '60s jazz CDs for sale for cheap in so I added the name Blue Mitchell to my list.
None of his work in the collection, but I did find "Out Of The Blue" and "The Thing To Do" in the "M" section of the Jazz CDs. Thanks for the 'heads-up' on this artist.
Gene
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I ordered "The thing to do" from amazon (importcds) today for about 6 bucks plus S$H. Seems like a very good deal. Thanks for the recommendation!
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I picked up Blue's Moods, The Thing to Do, and a couple of others. Great recommendations. They have been in my cd player continuously since i received them. Another one not mentioned is Blue Soul The Keepnews Collection that is excellent also. Thanks for all the input.
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Here's some recommendations. I knew he recorded a lot but when looking it up it's really extensive. These are ones I have that are great.
With Horace Silver
Blowin' the Blues Away (1959)
Finger Poppin' With the Horace Silver Quintet (1959)
Doin' the Thing (At the Village Gate) (1961)
Song for My Father (1964)
With Tina Brooks
Back to the Tracks (1960)
With Grant Green
Green Is Beautiful (1970)
With Johnny Griffin
Little Giant (1959)
With Bobby Hutcherson
Montara (1975)
With Jackie McLean
Jackie's Bag (1959)
Capuchin Swing (1960)
With Harold Land
Mapenzi (1977)
With Louis Bellson
Louie Bellson's 7 (1976)
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HCB- That's Horace Silver Quintet at The Village Gate. The Tokyo Blues is another HSQ with Blue and Junior Cook and a personal favorite. I also have Mapenzi with Harold Land and like it, too.
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Good catch Jim thanks
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=43430)
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We scholars :o gotta stick together.
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Jim, being a scholar you might enjoy this Horace Silver autobiography. Actually anyone with an interest in jazz will enjoy it - the reminiscences are great.
http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Get-Nitty-Gritty-Autobiography/dp/0520253922/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1299037681&sr=1-3-fkmr0
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Thanks for thinking of me, jazz cat. I am reminded that my wife and I caught Horace with a sextet(!) at Keystone Korner in San Francisco. Got nuthin but respect for the man. Sorry, but I didn't recognize the other players. This was post Mitchell and Cook.
Got a tune for you. This was made back in the day but never released til Michael Cuscana rescued it from the Blue Note vaults . . Top Cat, Lee Morgan. McCoy Tyner on piano, Jackie McLean on alto, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Art Blakey, etc. Tyner was Coltrane's pianist then. Who knew at the time he could bop. Great date.
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Link.....Blue Mitchell AllMusic Info... (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/blue-mitchell-p7140) :thumb:
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Jim, this one?
Tom Cat
Lee Morgan
Release Date
Aug 11, 1964
Recording Date
Aug 11, 1964
Label
Blue Note
Review
by Scott Yanow
It seems strange that the music on this CD was not released initially until 1980. Trumpeter Lee Morgan had had an unexpected hit with "The Sidewinder," so his more challenging recordings were temporarily put aside. As it turns out, this was one of Morgan's better sets from the 1960s and he had gathered together quite an all-star cast: altoist Jackie McLean, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Art Blakey. They perform "Rigormortis," McCoy Tyner's "Twilight Mist," and three of the trumpeter's originals, including the title cut. The advanced hard bop music still sounds fresh decades later despite its initial neglect.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=43481)
Listen to Samples (http://://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B000E1IGC4/ref=pd_krex_listen_dp_img?ie=UTF8&refTagSuffix=dp_img)
Very good, didn't know about it.
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Dat's da one.
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RE: Tom Cat
Plain and simple - marketing considerations. Why weren't Tina Brooks records released till yrs later?
The album The Sidewinder was a smash hit for Lee and Blue Note. It made the pop 100 charts. Blue Note initially pressed 4000 copies and ran out in a few days. But after that Blue Note and their distributors tried to come up with more hits and mega sales. Apparently Search For The New Land, Tom Cat, and Rumproller were delayed because of that. Tom Cat was overlooked, but the others were eventually released. Thanks to Michael Cuscuna for providing this info on the back of the first LP issue. It's one of those Liberty solid blue labels with a white cover and a rainbow in the corner. Blue Note Classic LT-1058. "This material is previously unissued"
Other titles in this series are Infinity (Larry Willis, Jackie McLean, Reggie Workman, Billy Higgins) and Taru (Benny Maupin, George Benson, John Hicks, Reggie Workman, Billy Higgins). I think Sonic Boom is also one. I seem to have misplaced it.
neo
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Neo, I'll be lookin for the Benny Maupin date. Love the cat.
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Yea Jim, I hear you.
Benny Maupin and Hank Mobley are 2 of my favorites. Great players.
Taru might be a little harder to find. There's a limited edition CD that's available. Good album.
Do you have The Procrastinator? That was one of Lee's best albums. After Sidewinder, Lee started to make a transition from the straight up '60s hard bop into a more modern, modal and sometimes introspective vein. The album Search For the New Land personifies that transition. But Procrastinator is a really bumpin session with guys from Miles band + Bobby Hutcherson. Lee sounds like he's been playing with Herbie, Wayne and Ron Carter for years.
Highly recommended:
http://www.amazon.com/Procrastinator-Lee-Morgan/dp/B000005H19/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in
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Actually, it's Bennie Maupin, He's still with us BTW. He's 70 yrs old.
He's also on Lee's album Live at the Lighthouse. It is a double LP recorded a couple of yrs later. I have a cool old Bennie LP called Slow Traffic to the Right. I always liked the way he plays. Some different instruments too, like bass clarinet and a few different saxophones.
neo
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I also have Slow Traffic To The Right on vinyl. Love it! Thanks for the Lee Morgan rec.
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The Thing To Do
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002A2VP0/ref=s9_simh_bw_p15_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1FY4E4T6R8SZ1QH5CA9K&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1280261722&pf_rd_i=5174
In the mid '60s Blue made 5 or 6 records for Blue Note. Most with Chick Corea, one with Herbie. He made quite a few as a sideman too. He was a good player. You hear him a lot with Junior Cook. There's one or two with Joe Henderson.
I have one odd ball recording that's kinda lost in the middle of a gazillion CD's. The guy on trumpet goes by the nicname of "Sugar Blue". It's a European recording and the trumpet solos are outstanding to say the least! I have often wondered if Blue Mitchell and Sugar Blue are the same.
gary
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Last night I played an old album I have on an OJC. Takin' Care of Business - Charlie Rouse quintet. Charlie Rouse, Blue Mitchell, Walter Bishop, Earl May, Art Taylor. Jazzland 5/60 NYC stereo.
I love old albums like that. It was just so well played. Those guys could relax in the groove and make it seem effortless. No spectacular fireworks or displays of unparalleled virtuosity, just solid playing. It's interesting to hear Charlie playing Monkless. It sounds fresher to me than his later stuff with Sphere. Of course Blue plays beautifully and is a pleasure to hear.
http://www.amazon.com/Takin-Care-Business-Charlie-Rouse/dp/B000000YRG/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1305196526&sr=1-2
neo
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Wow, we've kinda gotten off the OP, so - I was stuck in traffic on way home from IKEA after buying still yet another bookcase to house LPs, and had the music on random, and it pulled up 'The Thing To Do', and since I was trapped in car I actually listened to it instead of just 'having it on'. It's a damn fine album, the tune 'Step Lightly' had me 'seat dancing', never noticed in the past how sweet that tune is.
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The Thing to Do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgnmf9WvjpA
Step Lightly - Mamacita
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8g2o5XTDfw
1958 - Horace Silver Quintet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il7fOQ2chsc&feature=related
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Neo -
Really liked the last link, seeing Blue playing. No wonder he was so good, look at his fingers working the valves.
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Nice post, Bopdaddy!