Grant Green "Am I Blue"

[mgraham333]

I played this one again today. It's not my favorite style, but when I get in the mood it does nicely. I also popped in Lou Donaldson's - The Natural Soul. I thought the two albums played well together. I am particularly fond of the final track on TNS, People Will Say We're In Love.

I saw this track listed on the Donald Byrd & Doug Watkins - The Transission Sessions Conn (another fave). Altough it didn't have Byrd playing much (if at all).

Not to hijack this, but does anyone have any recommendations for People Will Say We're In Love with some trumpet?

[wolff]

Well, I like a couple Green LP's more, but this one passes the test for me. The test.....my head bobs, my body sways and I smile on occasion. The day's stresses melt away. Definitely, a late night LP worth owning if KOB is getting old.

Edited November 27, 2004 by wolff

[Jim R]

Not to hijack this, but does anyone have any recommendations for People Will Say We're In Love with some trumpet?

Chet Baker / Gerry Mulligan- Reunion -Pacific Jazz

Cannonball Adderley- Portrait of Cannonball -Riverside (w/ Blue Mitchell)

Donald Byrd- Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill -Transition

No trumpet, but a dynamite version that kills me:

Kenny Burrell- "Moten Swing!: The Columbia Records Instrumental Recordings, 1961-62" aka "Bluesin' Around" -Euphoria

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Well, I spun my JRVG of this session again last night and one thing that came to mind about something that "bothered" me about the date was that Johnny Coles seems unsure of himself in many places. Also, on "For All We Know", he needed to have one thing said to him: "Spit valve, Johnny. Spit valve". I hate hearing spit rolling around in a trumpet solo. I used to play trumpet and playing to the point where the spit started messing up notes was a big no no. I wonder if anyone ever purposefully left it in there for effect?

BTW, many of the people who are listening to this on the US RVG CD should thank your lucky stars that Grant Green is a big seller for Blue Note right now. Otherwise, chances are this would never have gotten reissued. I know for a fact Michael Cuscuna wasn't planning on reissuing because he didn't like it. In fact, it's one of the few sessions I've ever heard him put down.

Later,

Kevin

[Harold_Z]

I wonder if anyone ever purposefully left it in there for effect?

Miles.

Edit to say - I have no idea if it was for effect or he just didn't want to bother.

Edited November 27, 2004 by Harold_Z

[Brad]

I relistened to this and on the second go around it seemed to suffer some to me. I agree with those who think it's uninspired. Sounds like for the most part they're going through the motions unless Alfred was trying to make something like a Moodsville record. What saves this cd (and I agree with Soulstream) here is For All We Know. Here I find the playing inspired. Maybe it's this group together that doesn't make it. Maybe it's the tempo as Wesbed said in his very good post or maybe it just lacks bite, which is probably the same thing. However, it literally put me to sleep.

[ghost of miles]

One of my favorite Greens.  Aric is right on in his assessment.

Somewhat embarrassed here--I think I may have been confusing this in my memory with BORN TO BE BLUE. Will have to go back and give both discs a listen.

Listened to it last night and indeed confused it w/BORN TO BE BLUE. Have to concur that it's a disappointing record--in fact, when the RVG came out, I remember setting aside my plans to feature it on a program and playing only one track instead.

This one, on the other hand, is still one of my favorite Greens:

[sidewinder]

I dug out the dreaded 'Applause' LP (first play in 15 years) and - surprise - it sounded pretty damn good ( ). Agree that it's far from Grant's greatest but the sleeve notes mention that it was set up as some sort of late night 'mood' concept date so, on that basis, I give it a . Heck, John P. and Johnny Coles in any form has got to be worth hearing. I suspect you probably need about 3 vintage malts down with tumbler in the hand, lights down low and blonde in the lap to truly appreciate this one.. :rsmile:

Edited November 27, 2004 by sidewinder

[Soul Stream]

Just a side note for the many that seem to think this session was some sort of marketing gimmick for Al Lion.

In the Blue Note documentary, Ruth Lion is quoted as saying that when Alfred was terminally ill at home, this is the album he listened to over and over again.

[Jim R]

when Alfred was terminally ill at home, this is the album he listened to over and over again.

Well... maybe he was just trying to get it over with.

...sorry, SORRY!

[DMP]

For me, the great organ-Joe Henderson mood music date is Freddie Roach's "Brown Suger." And it's mixed with up-tempo numbers.

[Soul Stream]

For me, the great organ-Joe Henderson mood music date is Freddie Roach's "Brown Suger." And it's mixed with up-tempo numbers.

No doubt..."Brown Sugar" is one of the great organ dates for me!!!!! LOOOOOVVVE that one too! "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set" is a beautiful example of the type of organ/tenor/guitar mood music that is the centerpiece of "Am I Blue." That tune in particular would fit right in on that album.

[Noj]

I still don't like it. I've tried and tried but it still puts me to sleep. Nothing like "Blue Hour" in my book. I can listen to "Blue Hour" over & over. "Am I Blue" just can't keep my interest.

FWIW, it can't seem to keep the buying public's interest either. I bet this will be one of the first Grant Green dates deleted by BN in a long time.

Later,

Kevin

I'm playing Am I Blue now, it is going well with the rain outside. I was going to relate it to Blue Hour in its slow, chilled out mood. Interesting that KB would make that distinction.

Though I enjoy Am I Blue and Blue Hour, I find I'd rather hear other Green or Turrentine or 3 Sounds first. Still it doesn't hurt to have these very groovy, mellow dates standing by for the right time--like today.

[DrJ]

Interesting reactions and discussion.

Kevin's comments about Johnny Coles' sound have me wondering if his presence here may be one thing that is offputting to some. Let me say I am a huge fan of Coles' playing, but I know that others aren't as thrilled, and I also am not 100% sure this was the best setting for him (not that he couldn't play beautiful ballads, but I don't really hear him as a "funky" or "down home" player although that could be my own lack of exposure - educate me if so!).

I wonder how people might react if there had been someone like Blue Mitchell in on this date instead?

Personally I think AM I BLUE? is a slightly below average Grant Green recording. I enjoy it in small sips, one or two tracks at a time when I'm in the mood. But it palls over extended listening. I don't think there's anything really to say except that it just flat out didn't come off as well as it should have, nobody's obviously at fault, but the magic just wasn't in the studio that day. I think it's all the more noticeable BECAUSE a) it's a Green recording and usually he was the absolute master of these types of concepts, and b) because the near dead-stop slow tempos on IDLE MOMENTS came off so well by contrast.

Edited November 28, 2004 by DrJ

[Soul Stream]

I guess I'm just insane at this point. To me, I dig Coles a lot on this session. His ability to convey emotion is in full force here. Spit valve or not, clunker note or not...Coles on "I Wanna Be Loved" is so bone-chilling expressive to me it's a shame other's don't percieve in the same way. Also, his ensemble passages with Joe are dead on, a sonic treasure (love Pearson's horn arrangements on this LP.)

Anyway, I continue to dig what this session is all about. And against all hope perceive the players to be in top form (O.k, Joe may have been bored, but he plays nicely). I guess I'm living in my own world here. Oh well.

And Grant just can't be beat in laying down the melody in the tradition of Lester Young and other master jazz storytellers.

I'm going down with the ship here.

[jazzbo]

Mike, I'm a fan too. I wouldn't want to be without this one.

[Soul Stream]

Mike, I'm a fan too. I wouldn't want to be without this one.

Thanks Lon.

[pryan]

Good discussion, just wish I could contribute but I don't have the album in question. I do like BLUE HOUR, though, I just don't spin it all that much.

Edited November 28, 2004 by pryan

[vibes]

I just listened to this one again, and it's really not that bad. It's just a really laid back date, and that's not a problem for me (except when I'm at work - I can remember feeling a bit drowsy while listening to this one on a few occasions). If I were to look on the shelf for a Grant Green date with a similar slow vibe, however, I would definitely reach for this one first:

AMG actually rates "Am I Blue" higher than "Street of Dreams," but I definitely prefer the latter, and I allways have. The instrumentation works better for this type of material, I believe.

[Soul Stream]

Although it's easy to lump "Idle Moments," "Street of Dreams" and "Am I Blue" into the same 'mellow' catagory; outside of tempos and the general atmosphere of each being laidback...."Am I Blue" is actually more of an 'R&B meets Jazz' album. Sure the vibe is mellow on all, but "Idle Moments" and "Street of Dreams" are more straight-ahead jazz albums than anything else. I think it's this fact that makes many dislike "Am I Blue." Most are looking forward to hearing a jazz, not a soul-jazz date.

[DrJ]

But that's just it - AM I BLUE? just doesn't sound very soulful to me. They're gamely trying, but "missed it by that much," as someone on TV used to say. Not trying to "convince" anyone to feel the same, by the way, you and others will continue to disagree I am sure.

But I personally stand firm on this. I've tried and tried and tried to get more into this session - from back when I had the TOCJ version, before the RVG - hell, it's got the GREEN AND PATTON AND DIXON axis - but just can't say I've really warmed to it, whereas I love dozens of other similarly inclined recordings (I'm not a "straight ahead or nothing" guy). BTW, none of this means I'm planning to trade in my RVG - I do listen occasionally, and enjoy (the title track to me is the best-realized piece here and if the whole thing played like that one it'd be in the changer a lot more), but its one of my least played Green discs and will remain so.

I also disagree that IDLE MOMENTS and STREET OF DREAMS can be called more "straight ahead jazz" albums. Both are fresh and far from the usual beaten path, at times almost hallucinatory in their beauty and floating quality, and the latter is as quietly soulful as anything I've ever heard.

In sum, I just think people need to leave the possibility open that a similarly broad-minded listener simply might not like this one a lot!

Edited November 28, 2004 by DrJ

[Soul Stream]

I'm not trying to pin anybody down or label people that don't like this session or think it stinks or just isn't very good. People like what they like, for whatever reasons. I understand that, and am not trying to put anybody down for not liking this stuff.

Sometimes sessions just grow on you. When I first heard "Am I Blue," I had much the same reaction as most on the board. However, over the course of years it's turned into one of my favorites. Admittedly, there are many, many other more "worthy" sessions (theoritically in my mind) in the Green, Patton Dixon bag even, but for whatever reasons...I listen to this one a lot over the last couple of years. Especially late at night.

So, I make no judgements. To each his own.

[jazzbo]

The main reason I love this: It's got that slow burn to it that I really enjoyed playing within when I was playing back in the late eighties and the beginning of the nineties. I gues I respond to that and the very deep sort of sharing that happens in there like microsecond by microsecond when you're in that sort of a groove. Rare sort of stuff!

[BruceH]

I have to admit, of all the Grant Green albums I have, Am I Blue sounds to me by far the weakest. But I've only got four or five.

[connoisseur series500]

I have to admit, of all the Grant Green albums I have, Am I Blue sounds to me by far the weakest. But I've only got four or five.

You're in for a real treat, Bruce, when you get around to checking out the others...