Grant Green – Born To Be Blue (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)

Description

The Analog Vault // Essential Listening

Although Grant Green provided his share of groove-oriented soul-jazz and modal post-bop, his roots were hard bop, and it is in a bop-oriented setting that the guitarist excels on Born to Be Blue. Most of the material on this five-star album was recorded atRudy Van Gelder‘s New Jersey studio on December 11, 1961, when Green was joined by tenor titanIke Quebec, pianistSonny Clark, bassistSam Jones, and drummerLouis Hayes. Tragically,Quebecwas near the end of his life — the distinctive saxman died of lung cancer at the age of 44 on January 16, 1963 — but there is no evidence ofQuebec‘s declining health on Born to Be Blue. He was playing as authoritatively as ever well into 1962, and the saxman is in fine form on hard-swinging interpretations of “Someday My Prince Will Come” andAl Jolson‘s “Back in Your Own Back Yard.” It’s interesting to hearQuebecplaying bop, for his big, breathy tone was right out of swing and was greatly influenced byColeman HawkinsandBen Webster.

AlthoughQuebecand Green (who was 14 years younger) had very different musical backgrounds, they were always quite compatible musically. They clearly enjoyed a strong rapport on the uptempo selections as well as ballads like “My One and Only Love” andMel Torme‘s “Born to Be Blue.” via AllMusic

Label: Blue Note Records
Series: Blue Note Tone Poet Series
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180 gram, Gatefold
Reissued: 2019 / Original Release: 1962
Genre: Jazz
Style: Hard Bop, Soul-Jazz

File under: Blue Note Tone Poet Series