Best opening track on a Blue Note album

[Larry Kart]

Title track of Louis Smith's "Smithville." An  earthy down tempo blues that begins with a superb, and superbly reproduced, walking passage from Paul Chambers,  followed by a clarion solo from the leader, beautifully accompanied by Sonny Clark, a very good solo from Charlie Rouse, and a solo from Clark that is as down home as something by Jimmy Yancey. Many rivals to this choice  -- e.g, Grant Green's "Stolen Moments," the opening track from "Something Else" with Miles, Cannonball, Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Blakey -- but I keep returning to this one. It really tells a story and never gets old.

 

 

 

 

[Rooster_Ties]

This track from 1960 didn’t come out (at all) until 1999 — so this as the opener was a sequencing decision not made back in the day…

But darn if this track’s opening and near-instant(!!!) solo(!!) from Stanley T. — that only later evolves into a theme/head when Dizzy comes in (and it’s really almost more of a vamp, than a head per se, no?) — is just a joy to me.

Especially the energy in this opening solo from Mr. T.

“Ye Olde Blues” — Dizzy Reece

Edited January 22, 2023 by Rooster_Ties

[jlhoots]

Duke Jordan: Flight To Jordan

[Chuck Nessa]

Freddie Redd's The Thespian on Shades of Red and Dizzy Reece's The Rake on Star Bright do it for me.

Edited January 22, 2023 by Chuck Nessa

[Pim]

 

 

 

[jazzbo]

For me it's "Round About Midnight" ("Round Midnight") on Blue Note BLP-1510. When I hold the cover in my hands the opening of this track is what I hear. It just has a certain "mojo" for me.

 

[Brad]

Kenny Dorham’s Una Mas. 

[Teasing the Korean]

Always loved "Vision" kicking off McCoy Tyner's Expansions. 

[JSngry]

Bob and Billy 

[sidewinder]

‘Hobo Joe’ on ‘Little Johnny C’.

[Dan Gould]

I'll second Chuck's nomination of "The Rake" from Star Bright and also add the title track from Blue Train.

[BillF]

[JSngry]

Pull long, hold longer.

[Larry Kart]

 

[felser]

"On The Nile" from Jackie McLean's 'Jacknife'.

[soulpope]

Pete La Roca "Malaguena" 

Horace Silver "Song For My Father"

Kenny Dorham "Trompeta Toccata"

[JSngry]

Big time. 

 

[felser]

Additional winners for me:

"Capra Black" from Lee Morgan's last album (previously mentioned by Pim)

"Blue Train" from the John Coltrane album of the same name

"Message From The Nile" from McCoy Tyner's 'Extensions'

"Vision" from McCoy Tyner's 'Expansions'

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, felser said:

"On The Nile" from Jackie McLean's 'Jacknife'.

Excellent choice ....

[Guy Berger]

Haven’t seen “Hat and Beard” mentioned!  Sacrilege

Honestly there are so many good ones “Back at the Chicken Shack”, “Cool Struttin’ “, “Zoltan”, “Message from the Nile”, “Passion Dance”, “Inner Urge”, “Idle Moments”…

[Eric]

15 minutes ago, Guy Berger said:

Haven’t seen “Hat and Beard” mentioned!  Sacrilege

Honestly there are so many good ones “Back at the Chicken Shack”, “Cool Struttin’ “, “Zoltan”, “Message from the Nile”, “Passion Dance”, “Inner Urge”, “Idle Moments”…

Great call on "Hat & Beard" and "Chicken Shack".

Of course there is that certain Lee Morgan cut ...

[danasgoodstuff]

Jubilee Shout, Stanley T, one of my favorites on BN.  Agree with most of what's been posted as good lead tunes, but not Trumpet Tapioca, the lead and title tune should've been Mamacita - it was the single and if it had been a hit then KD's career takes an upturn and the whole world is better for it.

[sidewinder]

Thinking about it again, it would be pretty hard to top ‘Un Poco Loco’ for lead track impact, on ‘The Amazing Bud Powell Vol 1’.

[mikeweil]

Hank Mobley's "Straight No Filter", although that was an archival release. 

 

[BFrank]