Ike Quebec - Easy Living

[Tom 1960]

I'm not sure what I can say about this release except for WOW! The lineup is as follows:

Ike Quebec - tenor sax

Stanley Turrentine - tenor sax

Bennie Green - trombone

Sonny Clark - piano

Milt Hinton - bass

Art Blakey - drums

Recorded January 20, 1962

This is a cd borrowed from a jazz friend of mine. The album opens with an incredibly bluesy "See See Rider". Wow was my initial reaction. The album continues with "Congo Lament", "Que's Pill's", "B.G.'s Groove Two", "I.Q. Shuffle" etc . This is a side of Ike Quebec I'm not familar with. The music really swings. I believe the fact why I'm really enjoying this album is because of THE LINEUP! Turrentine, Clark who's always great IMO and especially Bennie Green really adds something to this date. The first half of the album features the above musicians in a sextet, while the remaining tracks features Quebec with the rhythm section in a more balladly mood. I have to say I'm absolutely dumbfounded this album is out of print. This has immediately become my favorite Ike Quebec date, without question. Does anyone else own this album and wish to add a few thoughts? What a great date!

Edited November 9, 2008 by Tom 1960

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

It's a beautiful album. It's not (quite) out of print: most of it's included in the Bennie Green Mosaic select. Only the 3 cuts without Stan and Bennie aren't in that.

The 5 tracks with Stan and Bennie were initially issued as "Congo lament" on the BN LT series in '79 or '80. Then 3 of those, with the 3 ballads, came out on LP in 1987 as "Easy living". Then the CD you've borrowed came out with the whole session. Now only the "Congo lament" tracks are avaialble on the Mosaic (which is a fine box all the way through, by the way).

I think that was a mistake: a select of Ike Quebec, with "Heavy soul", "It might as well be spring", "Soul samba"; "Blue & sentimental" and "Easy living" would have been superb. (Oh, maybe it wouldn't all have fitted onto 3 CDs? no, a trifle too long.) Oh well. Maybe we should all seek an RVG version of the whole session

MG

[JohnS]

A favourite since the first vinyl issue. Lovely music, recommendation seconded

[jlhoots]

A favourite since the first vinyl issue. Lovely music, recommendation seconded

Works for me too.

[andybleaden]

Yup I give this a blast every now and again as it has Ike in a more balanced setting for me than on the organ sides.

[JSngry]

Those ballads are some of the finest ever, imo.

[Tom 1960]

It's a beautiful album. It's not (quite) out of print: most of it's included in the Bennie Green Mosaic select. Only the 3 cuts without Stan and Bennie aren't in that.

Thanks MG for mentioning the Bennie Green Select. Sounds like a great one after reading the writeup over at the Mosaic website. I have to admit I know little of Bennie with the exception of the above Quebec release.

[T.D.]

Yes, great album. I bought this as a steal (after it was OOP) at a used shop, without tray card but with booklet. It was the first IQ-led recording I bought (having only heard the one track on Sonny Clark's Leaping and Loping), but I've subsequently purchased 'em all. I dig the fact that it's kind of 2 albums in one (bluesy vs. ballads).

Surely Easy Living must be somewhere in the RVG queue...

[Man with the Golden Arm]

(having only heard the one track on Sonny Clark's Leaping and Loping),

waiting for the Sarah Palin re-issue

And don't forget to grab that Bennie Green ST on TIME while yer at it. (Jimmy Forrest instead of IQ)

[Peter Friedman]

This is (in my opinion) the cream of the Ike Quebec albums on Blue Note. A damn fine CD.

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, this is a good one.

Hope that if it sees the RVG light, it'll have better cover art.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Hope that if it sees the RVG light, it'll have better cover art.

Yes - the photo is fine, lettering OK, but the colour!!!!

Henry Marquez was the genius who picked the colour.

MG

[king ubu]

Hm, I have the Green Select and one of the three ballads on the Quebec "Ballads" compilation (which I got when the 45 Sessions weren't out again, so it contained a few titles I didn't have). That means all I miss are two more ballads/standards, right? Too bad... don't really feel like buying another CD for two titles only. On the other hand I have most of Quebec's output, so... waiting till the RVG's on sale, I guess

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Hope that if it sees the RVG light, it'll have better cover art.

Yes - the photo is fine, lettering OK, but the colour!!!!

Henry Marquez was the genius who picked the colour.

MG

looks like it got lost in translation.