It's all about Jazz

Blue Mitchell - The Thing To Do (1964)
EAC | APE+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 265 Mb
© 2003 Blue Note RVG Edition
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz


Descripstion

This Blue Mitchell date is a classic, particularly the opening "Fungii Mama," which is really catchy. The trumpeter's quintet of the period (which includes tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, the young pianist Chick Corea, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Al Foster) also performs two Jimmy Heath tunes and a song apiece by Joe Henderson ("Step Lightly") and Corea. The record is prime Blue Note hard bop, containing inventive tunes, meaningful solos, and an enthusiastic but tight feel. Highly recommended.

Blue Mitchell - Big 6 (1958)
EAC | FLAC+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 226 Mb
© 1991 Riverside OJCCD-615-2
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz
Many thanks to mishka1981


Descripstion

Trumpeter Blue Mitchell was a virtual unknown when he recorded this Riverside album, his first as a leader. Now reissued on CD in the OJC series, Mitchell is heard in excellent form in an all-star sextet with trombonist Curtis Fuller, tenor great Johnny Griffin, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Wilbur Ware, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. In addition to some group originals, obscurities, and the standard "There Will Never Be Another You," the group also plays the earliest recorded version of Benny Golson's "Blues March," predating Art Blakey's famous recording.

Blue Mitchell - Blue Soul (1959)
EAC | FLAC+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 320 Mb
© 2008 Riverside RCD-30508
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz
Many thanks to fiks22


Descripstion

Trumpeter Blue Mitchell left his home in Miami for a short stint in New York City, headed back to Florida, and then to Los Angeles before his brief but vital career as a jazz trumpeter ended. This sojourn identified his sound, initially branded by the warmth of the Southeast, burnished by the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, and polished by the West Coast cool school demeanor. In 1959, as Mitchell returned to Miami, he connected with Detroit trombonist Curtis Fuller and Philadelphia tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath to form one of the most potent three-horn front lines in jazz history. Few knew how good they were until after the fact, but this recording, the third album for Mitchell as a leader, has him and his mates in full flight. Drummer Philly Joe Jones has a lot to do with the solid booster rocket-like propulsion on this primarily hard bop date, and check out his calypso variations on the second chorus of the otherwise easy blues swing and ultra melodic "Waverley Street." Credit Mitchell's street smarts and highly developed melodic inventiveness as the focal point for this definitive session. In many ways, this is a parallel album to the Miles Davis classic Kind of Blue, with subtle undertones driven by fourth-gear swing. The CD kicks off with the famous "Minor Vamp," of which Fuller's original take for the Savoy label has been remixed and layered, and is heard in the acid jazz dancehalls. It's a familiar sparse line, a two-note vamp tacked onto a lithe, perky melody that needs no critique -- it's simply great! More concisely rendered hard bop follows on "The Head," not complex by any means, but filled with plenty o' soul. The hardest line crops up during "Top Shelf," featuring a memorable, cutting, precise solo by Heath. Fuller and Heath lay out so you can hear in full dimension the cozy and warm persona of Mitchell on the ballad "Park Avenue Petite," but especially on the bright, easy swinger "Blue Soul," which most accurately approaches Kind of Blue. In tribute to his then boss, Horace Silver, "Nica's Dream" features Mitchell's muted trumpet over an underlying fresh bed of trombone and tenor sax. Even more so, Mitchell's deep blue horn shines on the standard "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," an organ of sheer beauty and one to be studied for those who need to learn that playing fewer notes more musically is an admirable quality. This is one of the most precious jazz recordings of a year that would soon give sway to the Blue Note sound, and is in many real and important ways as much of a prelude as any other statement. It's a must-have for all serious mainstream jazz fans.

Blue Mitchell - Plays for Lovers (1963)
EAC | APE+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 336 Mb
© 2003 Riverside RCD-6021-2
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz
Many thanks to zakukak


Descripstion

In the '60s, Prestige launched its Plays for Lovers series with LPs by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and others. The concept was jazz as romantic mood music -- collections of previously released material that are dominated by ballads and emphasize a player's more lyrical side. Fantasy has long since acquired the Prestige catalog, and in the 2000s, it helped keep the Plays for Lovers concept alive -- not only with Prestige recordings, but also with recordings from the Fantasy-owned catalogs of Riverside, Contemporary, and other labels. The Blue Mitchell Plays for Lovers collection, in fact, doesn't contain a single Prestige recording; all of the material originally came out on Riverside. In 2003, the late Mitchell was an obvious choice for a Plays for Lovers release because the Clifford Brown-influenced trumpeter was, quite simply, a superb ballad player. He had no problem swinging aggressively at a fast tempo, but he was equally skillful when it came to ballads -- a fact that is obvious on Blue Mitchell Plays for Lovers, which spans 1958-1962 and finds him playing quite soulfully on "I Can't Get Started," "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," and other famous Tin Pan Alley standards. Not everything on the 61-minute CD is a ballad; Cedar Walton's "Turquoise" is a moody, dusky post-bop offering that is played at a medium tempo. The tune's appealing melody bears a slight resemblance to the standard "You Don't Know What Love Is," and even though "Turquoise" is faster than any of the other selections, it doesn't really disrupt the overall mood and ambiance -- it's a momentary diversion but not an outright disruption. Besides, the Plays for Lovers series was meant to be ballad-heavy but not ballad-exclusive; being dominated by ballads isn't the same as excluding medium-tempo material altogether. And when all is said and done, Blue Mitchell Plays for Lovers lives up its title.

Blue Mitchell — Out Of The Blue (1958)
EAC | FLAC+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 311 Mb
© 1991 Riverside OJCCD-667-2
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz
Many thanks to durmoll


Descripstion

This early recording by Blue Mitchell finds the distinctive trumpeter in excellent form in a quintet also featuring tenor saxophonist Benny Golson (who contributed "Blues on My Mind"), either Wynton Kelly or Cedar Walton on piano, Paul Chambers or Sam Jones on bass and drummer Art Blakey. The consistently swinging repertoire includes a surprisingly effective version of "When the Saints Go Marching In." "Studio B," recorded in the same period but formerly available only in a sampler, has been added to the program. It's an enjoyable date of high-quality hard bop.

Blue Mitchell - The Cup Bearers (1993)
EAC | FLAC+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 292 Mb
© 1988 Riverside OJCCD-797-2
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz
Many thanks to nkomissar


Descripstion

Trumpeter Blue Mitchell and four-fifths of the Horace Silver Quintet (with Cedar Walton in Silver's place) perform a variety of superior songs on this CD reissue including Walton's "Turquoise," Tom McIntosh's "Cup Bearers," Thad Jones's "Tiger Lily" and a couple of standards. The music swings hard, mostly avoids sounding like a Horace Silver group, and has particularly strong solos from Mitchell, tenor-saxophonist Junior Cook and Walton; excellent hard bop.

Blue Mitchell - Blues On My Mind (1959)
EAC | FLAC+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 304 Mb
© 1988 Riverside OJCCD-6009-2
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz
Many thanks to nkomissar


Descripstion

For fans of great hard bop and intricate, intelligent horn arrangements, Blue Mitchell is simply too good for you to just buy this compilation. "Blues On My Mind" collects tunes from three of Mitchell's late 50s sessions, "Big Six," "Out Of The Blue" and "Blue Soul." (In fact, the photo on the cover of this CD is the same one used on "Blue Soul" -- don't get confused.) I have written reviews for all three of these albums already so I won't get into details about the songs here, but suffice it to say the music is classic. In fact, it's so good that if you buy this title you'll surely want to get the three albums in their entirety. So do yourself a favor, skip this one and go directly to the source.

Blue Mitchell - Smooth As The Wind (1961)
EAC | FLAC+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 265 Mb
© 1996 Riverside Ojc
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz


Descripstion

Trumpeter Blue Mitchell is in excellent form on this very interesting session that has been reissued on CD. Mitchell is accompanied by a brass section, a rhythm section, and strings. The arrangements (seven by Tadd Dameron and three from Benny Golson) are generally quite stimulating, inspiring the trumpeter to come up with many fresh melodic solos. The repertoire includes two songs that Mitchell played regularly with the Horace Silver Quintet, a pair of superior Tadd Dameron tunes (including the title cut), and six standards. By varying tempos and moods, Dameron and Golson helped create one of the better soloist-with-strings jazz dates.

Blue Mitchell - Boss Horn (1966)
EAC | FLAC+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 245 Mb
© 2005 Blue Note {RVG Edition}
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz


Descripstion

Trumpeter Blue Mithcell's "Boss Horn" is making its domestic debut as a single CD title with this RVG Edition release on Blue Note. (Please note, it was previously available as an import and in a limited edition set from Mosaic Records.) This November 17, 1966 session features an extended lineup of Julian Priester on trombone, Jerry Dodgion on alto sax and flute, Junior Cook on tenor sax, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Cedar Walton and Chick Corea alternating on piano, Gene Taylor on bass and Mickey Roker on drums. Duke Pearson also lent his arranging talents for this album, along with one original composition, "Millie." Generally, I am luke-warm when it comes to Pearson, but the material is enjoyable in this setting. However, it is the Blue/Junior Cook tandem along with a young Chick Corea who steal the show (much like they did on Blue's earlier "The Thing To Do" -- see my review), the latter with his performances on his own "Tones for Joan's Bones" and "Straight Up and Down." Overall, a solid if not stellar date, but I am glad to see EMI is continuing to make classic Blue Notes readily available.

Blue Mitchell - Down With It! (1965)
EAC | FLAC+CUE+LOG+Full Artwork -> 277 Mb
© 2004 Blue Note {RVG Edition}
Hard Bop | Trumpet Jazz


Descripstion

After a handful of solid albums as a leader for the Riverside label (see my reviews), and after recording for Blue Note as a member of the Horace Silver Quintet for more than four years, trumpeter Blue Mitchell was given the opportunity to cut a Blue Note album as a leader by Alfred Lion in 1963. However, his debut session, now known as "Step Lightly," did not see the light of day at the time of its recording. Blue was given another chance on July 30, 1964 and the result was the magical "The Thing To Do" (see my review). Blue Mitchell's third Blue Note session, "Down With It," was recorded on July 14, 1965. It features two of his colleagues from the old Horace Silver band, Junior Cook on tenor sax and Gene Taylor on bass. Joining the three Silver alumni are Al Foster on drums and the pianist Chick Corea, who made his recording debut on Blue's "The Thing To Do." Since Blue Mitchell was a Blue Note trumpeter at the height of Lee Morgan's popularity, it is no surprise that "Down With It" features several soulful, Sidewinder-like jazz numbers. But don't assume this is one of Blue's cheesy forays into funk from the later 60s. "Down With It" is a great modern jazz album, and very comparable to Lee Morgan titles like "Charisma" and "Cornbread." For those of you that did not get "Down" in the "Rare Groove" series, thankfully you can pick up this new RVG reissue.