Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Major Holley Jr. (bass); Bill English (drums); Ray Barretto (conga).
As the title implies, this isn't a funky soul based album although there is soul-a-plenty on all 7 tracks.
No, this is an album steeped in the blues. Not the "I woke up this mornin'" variety but the more sophisticated 12 bar form that has been at the root of all jazz from Bunk to funk. It's laid back, restrained, well-tempered music that sits as well in the early hours as does any late night Sinatra album.
Burrell is the epicentre of taste - not as earthy as Grant Green but maybe harmonically more profound. I'll leave it to our guitar gurus to decide on that one.
Turrentine is equally laid back in comparison to some of his other Blue Notes. Here he is as smooth as Ben Webster on a ballad. Major Holley (Mule) was, for a few years in the mid-fifties, on the British scene and he composed the track bearing his nickname.
If you are in the fortunate position of having a book of verses, a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and a thou to hand,..use your loaf and exchange it and the book for a copy of Midnight Blue, turn the lights down low, pour a couple of shots from the jug, put the player on repeat and this will be one album you'll never forget. Having said that, even without the aforementioned malarkey from The Rubaiyat, it's still a great album.
Lance.
Listen.
Chitlins Con Carne; Mule; Soul Lamment; Midnight Blue; Wavy Gravy; Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You; Saturday Night Blues.
Turrentine is equally laid back in comparison to some of his other Blue Notes. Here he is as smooth as Ben Webster on a ballad. Major Holley (Mule) was, for a few years in the mid-fifties, on the British scene and he composed the track bearing his nickname.
If you are in the fortunate position of having a book of verses, a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and a thou to hand,..use your loaf and exchange it and the book for a copy of Midnight Blue, turn the lights down low, pour a couple of shots from the jug, put the player on repeat and this will be one album you'll never forget. Having said that, even without the aforementioned malarkey from The Rubaiyat, it's still a great album.
Lance.
Listen.
Chitlins Con Carne; Mule; Soul Lamment; Midnight Blue; Wavy Gravy; Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You; Saturday Night Blues.
1 comment :
Have to say, (in my opinion) jazz guitar in a 'straight ahead' sense, apart from some obvious exceptions (Wes, early Benson etc) has generally always been overshadowed by the jazz of horn players, piano players etc in terms of instrumental proficiency and compositional output - this does not necessarily include fusion and gypsy jazz guitar though; but at least in terms of the quality of music produced, the best jazz generally doesn't have guitar featured e.g Wayne Shorter , Coltrane (Kenny Burrell plays on one album), Miles unplugged (not including the fusion era as part of the argumeng/point/whatever this is! )
The past 30-40 (?) odd years or so, are probably the most interesting for the guitar in jazz, partly because of advances in sound or more guitar players properly emulating the aesthetics of horn or piano language on the instrument; nowadays more of the 'best' jazz has a guitar featured, often as well as a piano.
Interestingly, it seems that a chunk of the guitar payers who are currently finding a new voice on the instrument seem to take less influence from guitar players.
I can say all this with no vibe- I'm a guitar player :( Would be interested to hear what other guitar players / musicians in general think about this..
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