Japanese Blue Note "BNLA Revival" Series

[Late]

Right here. UCCQ prefix. Appears to be straight-up CDs. No SHM-CD, HQCD, UHQCD, or everyone's new favorite MQA x UHQCD.

[felser]

No real classics there.  I'm familiar with almost all of those albums, and the only ones I  can recommend at all are the Grant Green and the Hutcherson.  And neither of those ranks particularly high in those artists' canons, though they are both plenty pleasant and listenable.

[CJ Shearn]

43 minutes ago, felser said:

No real classics there.  I'm familiar with almost all of those albums, and the only ones I  can recommend at all are the Grant Green and the Hutcherson.  And neither of those ranks particularly high in those artists' canons, though they are both plenty pleasant and listenable.

I'm going to push back a little.  Maybe for you or I or the majority of this board, they aren't classic, but "Places and Spaces" most certainly is a classic for an entirely different generation.  Not a classic for those of us who grew up on hard bop perhaps, but for those who embraced DJ culture and those who love  soul, funk, R&B and hip hop it most certainly is classic, so I have to disagree there, honestly.  As my tastes have grown further away from purist stuff over the years, I've embraced things 70's Herbie albums I never  would have thought like "Sunlight", and albums like the 2 Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela albums on A&M.  So I can't agree with the "no real classics" comment.  Yes the majority of those albums from that era of Blue Note are duds, but albums like "Live at Montreux" by Ronnie Foster are pretty good.  Why? because he stretches in a way those studio albums don't show.

Edited May 11, 2018 by CJ Shearn

[JSngry]

That Marlena Shaw is for sure a classic. Highly recommended.

[felser]

2 hours ago, CJ Shearn said:

I'm going to push back a little.  Maybe for you or I or the majority of this board, they aren't classic, but "Places and Spaces" most certainly is a classic for an entirely different generation.  Not a classic for those of us who grew up on hard bop perhaps, but for those who embraced DJ culture and those who love  soul, funk, R&B and hip hop it most certainly is classic, so I have to disagree there, honestly.  As my tastes have grown further away from purist stuff over the years, I've embraced things 70's Herbie albums I never  would have thought like "Sunlight", and albums like the 2 Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela albums on A&M.  So I can't agree with the "no real classics" comment.  Yes the majority of those albums from that era of Blue Note are duds, but albums like "Live at Montreux" by Ronnie Foster are pretty good.  Why? because he stretches in a way those studio albums don't show.

To each his own, for sure.  I'm not a purist, have two box sets by Chic, Complete run of 70's/early 80's EWF, etc.  And like John Klemmer's 'Touch" and Gato Barbieri's "Caliente", the early 70's Chuck Mangione albums, etc.   But the Mizell stuff has never spoken to me, then or more recently.  Glad it does to others like you.  Have not heard the Foster Montreux album or that Marlena Shaw.  I do like the Shaw Montreux album.

[CJ Shearn]

1 minute ago, felser said:

To each his own, for sure.  I'm not a purist, have two box sets by Chic, Complete run of 70's/early 80's EWF, etc.  And like John Klemmer's 'Touch" and Gato Barbieri's "Caliente", the early 70's Chuck Mangione albums, etc.   But the Mizell stuff has never spoken to me, then or more recently.  Glad it does to others like you.  Have not heard the Foster Montreux album or that Marlena Shaw.  I do like the Shaw Montreux album.

I am not a purist either anymore, I didn't mean to imply you were specifically,so sorry for that.  That era of Blue Note on this board, the feelings are well known.  I read a paper I wrote on jazz history from the 40's to the present when I was in high school when I was a hard bop snob, it was hilarious!  Less than a year later, I got into Metheny and the rest is history. Actually the Mizell Brothers stuff has never spoken to me though my friend loves it and my stance has softened over the years on that stuff.  "Caliente" is a good album, I am acquaintances with Gato's wife, there are definite moments in the arrangements where things get cheesy, but he definitely FEELS "I Want You" and it  rubs off on the listener.  The cheesiest part of Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela stuff on "Main Event" are the overdubs and "Besame Mucho", but that's an album I grew up with and still like.  The grooves and playing are fantastic and it has me wanting to dig deeper into South African jazz.  Mosa Jonas Gwanga is one hell of a player.  The dark era of Blue Note, I hide no shame in owning "Blue Note Live At The Roxy", another discovery in childhood, and I get a kick out of listening to it sometimes just for how DATED it is!.  More than anything I loved that UA era logo.  "Blue Note Meets  The LA Philharmonic" is far worse once the Earl Klugh portion hits, but the Hutcherson and  McRae stuff is ok.  I'd recommend the Ronnie Foster, the CD is now  OOP, but discogs has it listed fairly cheap.  I like how he has the Moog connected to the Leslie.  Really, as I've said here before, thinking historically, we are back in the Blue Note hits a new note era, except the music now seems to be much better.  I feel like that's what the label has been under Don Was.

[felser]

I liked the way the LP labeling looked and the slogan. And there were some worthwhile albums during parts of that time, especially by Hutcherson/Land and Elvin Jones.

 

[CJ Shearn]

Definitely right on some worthwhile albums with Elvin.

[JSngry]

 

 

 

[David Ayers]

Montara!

[sidewinder]

Montara always seems to get good reviews but personally, it is one of my least favourite Hutcherson Blue Notes. Much prefer the likes of ‘Knucklebean’ and ‘The View From The Inside’.

Edited May 12, 2018 by sidewinder

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

Montara always seems to get good reviews but personally, it is one of my least favourite Hutcherson Blue Notes. Much prefer the likes of ‘Knucklebean’ and ‘The View From The Inside’.

Believe "Montara" is sort of sleeper in Hutcherson's output ....

[David Ayers]

11 hours ago, soulpope said:

Believe "Montara" is sort of sleeper in Hutcherson's output ....

That record has a nice groove!

[JSngry]

I think I get why people like it, but put me down in the less-than-personally-convinced column, if you're making columns, and if you are, why?

But oh (and oh my, for that matter, I see that this one is also on the list, and it ain't bad for waht it is.

If you're going to do that kind of a Carmen McRae record, those are all the right people to do it (except for George Butler, who was never the right guy to do anything). I only have this on a fucked-up LP, so this on CD might be something I can go forth on.

Hell yeah, Gerald Wilson, hell yeah.

 

Hell yeah, Cole Porter & Johnny Mandell, hell yeah.

 

[JSngry]

This is why you get cats like this to make that kind of record, Thad writes a quick chart on a semi-popular Chick song, they come in, read it through, make adjustments on the fly, play the chart the way it needs to be played, everybody gets paid and the label has a record. Whether or not it's "art" or not is not the point, the point is that they got a record, Carmen McRae has visibility, she gets gigs, etcetcetc. And again - everybody gets paid in some form or fashion.

Carmen McRae weren't never gonna make a true pop record, nor was Blue Note. But that propbably why somebody gave the ok to paying Tahd & Gerald Wilson and Johnny Mandell, and as far as end results, Carmen's version of you can't hide love (and really, you can't) is no better or no worse that Dionnnnnne's version, which undoubtedly cost a lot more, and to what end, really? I mean really, you don't see Gerald Wilson on any dionnnnnne Warwwicke records, although at this point, that might have been nice, because really, what's the point in this?

 

[felser]

I've heard the Carmen version,  which is pretty good, have not heard the  Dionne version, but like Marvin and Tammy said, "Ain't Nothin' Like The Real Thing", and I'll stick with the original, especially that stunning extended wordless outro, which has always been my ultimate EWF moment.  And I'll stick with McRae's "Great American Songbook" 2LP set on Atlantic from three years earlier, which is the other kind of Carmen McRae album, though I've always always liked the idea of her work more than the reality of it.

 

[JSngry]

Discography

As producer

 

Dale Oehler at piano (2008)

Title		Year		Label
Carnival of the Spirits (Moacir Santos)		1975		Blue Note Records|Blue Note
Montara (Bobby Hutcherson)		1975		Blue Note Records|Blue Note
Can’t Hide Love (Carmen McRae)		1976		Blue Note Records
Waiting (Bobby Hutcherson)		1976		Blue Note Records
Knucklebean (Bobby Hutcherson)		1977		Blue Note Records
Promise Me the Moon (Dave Sanborn)		1977		Warner Bros. Records
View from the Inside (Bobby Hutcherson)		1977		Blue Note Records
Super Blue (Freddie Hubbard)		1978		Columbia Records
Un Poco Loco (Bobby Hutcherson)		1980		Columbia Records

As arranger

Title		Year		Label
Inside Bugsy (Bugsy Maugh)		1968		Dot Records
Shaft’s Big Score (film cues)		1972		MGM
Trouble Man (Marvin Gaye)		1972		Tamla
High Energy (Freddie Hubbard)		1974		Columbia
Willie Dynamite (film cues)		1974		MCA
Hissing of the Summer Lawns (Joni Mitchell)		1975		Elektra/Asylum
Who Is This Bitch, Anyway? (Marlena Shaw)		1975		Blue Note Records
Can’t Hide Love (Carmen McRae)		1976		Blue Note
Glow (Al Jarreau)		1976		Warner Bros.
Promise Me the Moon (Dave Sanborn)		1977		Warner Bros.
You Light Up My Life (Andre Kostelanetz)		1978		Columbia Records
Super Blue (Freddie Hubbard)		1978		Columbia Records
Blue Note Meets the L.A. Philharmonic (Bobby Hutcherson)		1978		Blue Note Records
Silver and Strings (Horace Silver)		1978		Blue Note Records
Suspended Animation (Randy Crawford)		1979		Warner Bros. Records
Un Poco Loco (Bobby Hutcherson)		1980		Columbia Records
Secret Combination (Randy Crawford)		1981		Warner Bros. Records
Nightline (Randy Crawford)		1983		Warner Bros. Records
Say You Love Me (Jennifer Holliday)		1985		Warner Bros. Records
All the Way (Jimmy Scott)		1992		Sire Records
Invitation (Joe Sample)		1993		Warner Bros. Records
Something Special (Dolly Parton)		1995		Sony Records
In This Life (Kirk Whalum)		1995		Columbia Records
Love Walked In (Diane Schuur)		1995		Verve Records
Forever Love (Mark Whitfield; feat. Diana Krall)		1997		Verve Records

As player

Title		Year		Label
J. R. Monterose (J. R. Monterose)		1964		Studio 4
Inside Bugsy (Bugsy Maugh)		1968		Dot Records
Promise Me the Moon (David Sanborn)		1977		Warner Bros.
Super Blue (Freddie Hubbard)		1978		Columbia Records
Live at the Tender Trap (Reissue)		1993		Fresh Sound