Album Of The Week: Oct. 19-26

[connoisseur series500]

I better get off my duff and state the AOW for the week of October 19. The selection is:

Grant Green - Street of Dreams (click here to buy)

It is the choice for several reasons:

1) I like it very much.

2) It is accessible. Many AOWs are somewhat obscure; others are very accessible. I choose something that everyone probably has and if they don't then...Whaddya waiting for???!!! This album is a MUST!!

[Soul Stream]

GREAT choice. This is a wonderful album and look forward to really listening deeply to. It's one that gets lost in the shuffle of the other great Grant/Larry sessions on BN.

[Dan Gould]

Since its one of the few Larry Young BNs I especially enjoy, I'm in! B)

[Big Al]

An absolutely sweet choice!!! This is gonna be a fun one to discuss, as I'm sure the other Green/Young/Jones albums will surely be discussed!

[.:.impossible]

Ahhh-yesa! This is the only organ/guitar/vibes/drums album I own. I love the palette and the textures! Downtempo, I wish the vibes were higher up in the mix.

[connoisseur series500]

I'm delighted with all the positive reinforcement here.

Didn't know what to expect. I feared people would think this cd was too well-known or something.

Looking forward to all the reviews.

[pryan]

I don't have this album, but will try and find a copy this week at one of the local record shops.

[Harold_Z]

Yeah...this is a GOOOD album. One of my favorites for both Grant Green AND Larry Young. TALKIN' BOUT is right there with it too. I view them as companion pieces - for years I had a cassette with both lps taped on it.

[michel devos]

Glad this one was selected as AOW : I searched my cd vault and found a copy buried in a pile of 'waiting to be listened'

After one casual listening, I really enjoy this cd : full of music and melodically satisfying...at last, one can find here more than the worn out riffs and clichés that marr so many jazz organ performances.Nice developments by Grant and superb comping by Larry...On the minus side, I regret Bobby H.is somewhat laid back, both in the balance but also musically : I feel he's just there to add some coloured and unusual blend to this particular sound.

Excellent and rewarding CD, but still my preferred choice for this instrumental set up would remain Freddie McCoy on Prestige (Lonely Avenue)

By the way, wouldn't this Street of Dreamsone really deserve a RVG treatment?

Edited October 14, 2003 by michel devos

[DrJ]

Killer choice, who cares if it's well known, not well known, etc. It's a great album! Looking forward to revisiting it.

[Brad]

This is a hellulva choice. Way to go Paul. Grant, Larry Young. What a combination. Looking forward to listening to this again.

[JohnS]

A super-group in relaxed mood, maybe too relaxed for my taste. The latin rhythm of "I Wish You Love" seems to constrain the players. Lazy Afternoon, a nice piece, is pretty laid back but Elvin moves it up a gear and that keeps things interesting. "Street of Dreams" livens up towards the end but it still leaves me dissatisfied. Green seems to want to dig in during "Somewhere in the Night" but the end result, for me, is that it's just a pretty number.

I don't mean to sound negative because this cd is an enjoyable way to spend half an hour but, bearing in mind the paticipants, nothing dangerous or exciting happens. Three stars.

[connoisseur series500]

This session is part of the triad of great Green/Young/Elvin Jones recordings in a short period of time between 1964 and 1965. The first was "Talkin About," then "Street of Dreams," and the "I Want to Hold your Hand;" and of the three, this is my favorite.

The other two cds are great too, especially "I Want to HOld your Hand," but "Street of Dreams" is special to me.

The music is soft but there is an undercurent of intensity that flows throughout the tracks. Young and Green and Elvin are just magic together. Bobby Hutcherson is on the date but he doesn't have as much solo space as the leader.

The opening track, "I Wish You Love" is beautiful. Green has a lengthy and probing solo.

"Lazy Afternoon" has this cool groove set by Larry Young. Beautiful. Nice use of space by Grant.

"Street of Dreams" is probably the "loudest" of the tracks. Green goes a bit far with his one-note playing, but Elvin keeps the beat going. This cd is such a wonderful example of the greatness of Elvin Jones on ballad pieces. Young's solo on this track is great.

"Somewhere in the Night" is another magical track. Again I hear that beautiful Elvin Jones beat. Everyone shines on this one.

This cd is a mellow masterpiece and a good compliment to all the rollicking post bop dates put out around the same time. I think there's only a little above 30 minutes of recording here which is a real bummer. Blue Note could have added a few more tracks.

I'll never tire of this one. I don't know what heaven might look like, but I've got an idea about what it might sound like! And I'll remember this one even after I'm dead.

Edited October 20, 2003 by connoisseur series500

[Jim R]

I have dug this album ever since I found a sealed copy at the Marin City flea market back in the early 80's. I think I scored copies of SOLID and MATADOR on the same day... that was a good day.

I too like this the best of the 3 aforementioned Green/Young/Jones collaberations. It's simultaneously laid back AND intense. Intensely melodic, and intense sound-wise. I love to play this LOUD. Grant was having a good day tone-wise, and the sound of these instruments together is just special. In fact, even if I overlook the pretty melodies they tackled, the interplay, and the improvisational ideas that took place, I still just love this recording for the blending of these instruments as played by these particular players. Organ and guitar (and drums) always have a good sound together, and the vibes really add a nice flavor.

[marcoliv]

i´m listening to Street Of Dreams right now and i will never get tired of it. my favorite Green album and the perfect combination of players, all favorites of mine.

can this be the AOY?

peace

Marcus Oliveira

[couw]

I will want to listen to this one again after reading all these remarks. I distinctly remember very bad sonics on my copy of the CD. Very hot and therewith very tiresome.

[connoisseur series500]

I will want to listen to this one again after reading all these remarks. I distinctly remember very bad sonics on my copy of the CD. Very hot and therewith very tiresome.

Please do give this another close listen, Couw.

Interested in your thoughts.

[vibes]

This is one of my favorite Grant Green albums. I didn't realize it was the AOW, and listened to it a couple times over the weekend and then again today. To me, there is a very special vibe to this record. For me, a lot of that comes from the addition of Bobby Hutcherson to the session. I wish he had recorded more with organists, as "Street of Dreams" and "Let 'em Roll" are at the very top of my list of favorite organ sessions.

This album is great for a quiet afternoon or evening. It always calms my nerves. I've never agreed with people that call this album a snooze, or say that nothing special happens. For me, having something really special happen on the album doesn't necessarily make the album great. It's the musicians, the way they interact and the way they make me feel that make an album great, for me. This is a lazy, dreamy album, and I like it that way. The renditions of the songs on the album are great, and I'm glad this was a very early addtion to my jazz collection. Four and a half stars.

[connoisseur series500]

Four and a half stars.

I'd probably rate it the same. Perhaps even 5 stars. Accurate assessment, Vibes. :rsmile:

[wolff]

Great comments.

I remember when I bougt this one. Only 10 years ago. Took a break from Disneyland and found a used record shop. Had they had other LP's I wanted I probably wouldn't have bought this one. The other one I bought was Shelly Manne/At The Manne Hole(2 LP)mono.

Jones' drumming sure sets this one apart in my eyes. It seems so different and of course it is.

This is one I also play to relax, but it keeps my interest. It's behind "Feelin' The Spirit" in my relaxing line-up.

[Out2Lunch]

This is one of my favorite Grant Green recordings as well. Its a very soothing session that swings lightly. I also like the vibes and after reading this thread , played the disc again last night and enjoyed the experience.

[couw]

Well, I liked the music well enough after re-listening. But my comment about the sound/recording quality stands. I found it very tiring listening to this with my full attention. Playing it in the background, sitting in the other room, I was able to enjoy the music more (heck, and I like it A LOT!)

Somehow the sound is very very FULL. There is no empty room anywhere, just sound sound sound. The organ is a bit too loud for my tastes and the sine-waves at times almost hurt my ears. The guitar and organ sounds blend too much, there's no separation, their definition is too fuzzy/muddy at the edges. The vibes are way back in the mix. Maybe luckily so, 'cause when Bobby lets his notes sound off, the combination of the three instruments all making very loud, almost pure sine-waves produces already nigh-unbearable overtones.

All this sux big time because I like the music VERY MUCH. It's a great album, great tunes, and great solo-ing. Am I the only one with this problem? Is it my set-up? Is it my copy of the disk? Is it the original tapes (i.e. how does the vinyl sound)? Or is it the remix/CD transfer?

I don't want to spoil your AotW Paul, but the sound spoils close listening for me.

[connoisseur series500]

Somehow the sound is very very FULL. There is no empty room anywhere, just sound sound sound. The organ is a bit too loud for my tastes and the sine-waves at times almost hurt my ears. The guitar and organ sounds blend too much, there's no separation, their definition is too fuzzy/muddy at the edges. The vibes are way back in the mix. Maybe luckily so, 'cause when Bobby lets his notes sound off, the combination of the three instruments all making very loud, almost pure sine-waves produces already nigh-unbearable overtones.

All this sux big time because I like the music VERY MUCH. It's a great album, great tunes, and great solo-ing. Am I the only one with this problem? Is it my set-up? Is it my copy of the disk? Is it the original tapes (i.e. how does the vinyl sound)? Or is it the remix/CD transfer?

I think I get some of this on the song, "Street of Dreams" at the height of Grant Green's solo; but I don't find it overly jarring. Other than that, I don't really notice these sound issues as much. Certainly there is nothing that ruins the session in my opinion.

Perhaps it could use a remastering.

[Joe G]

I don't currently own a copy of this, unless there's a tape dub lying around somewhere, but I have listened to it a lot. Jim and I used to do Lazy Afternoon, Somewhere in the Night, and perhaps one other. Deceptively difficult tunes, but enjoyable to play. I've said before that these albums were my introduction to jazz organ music in the early 90's, and thinking back on that time, I couldn't have picked a better set to start with, given my musical temperment. So for me, these albums are touchstones. The music here planted the seeds of what I am doing now with the trio.

Nice to see everyone's comments on this wonderful album. Thanks Paul!

[jacknife]

I just picked this disc up today and after my first listening I find it to be a bit mellow for my tastes. I think it might be a perfect disc for my Sunday Morning listening when I tend to favor the laid back, relaxing sounds. I'm sure my opinion will change after few more spins.