The Finest In Jazz Since 1939”  boasts the Blue Note logo proudly and there can be few jazz fans who don’t have some sort of affection for this most iconic of labels. Founded in New York by German emigres Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, Blue Note has both lead and mirrored jazz trends for over half a century. Despite the management upheavals and changes of ownership from the sixties onwards Blue Note has never lost it’s cachet as the hippest label in jazz. With a back catalogue to die for and with contemporary musicians such as Wynton Marsalis and Robert Glasper currently recording for the label Blue Note’s stock remains extraordinarily high. 

Few would argue though that it is Blue Note’s legendary hard bop and soul jazz recordings of the 50’s and 60’s that really made the label’s reputation. Lion and Wolff’s insistence on paid rehearsal time for their musicians prior to recording ensured that Blue Note records were more dynamic and tightly focussed than those of their rivals. The engineering skills of Rudy Van Gelder gave the records a consistently good, acoustically pure sound. This combination of musicians playing at the peak of their form plus the highest technical standards of the day helped to give Blue Note a unique “house sound”. The “sound” was then complemented by “the look”. Reid Miles’ distinctive graphic art on the album covers gave Blue Note an instantly recognisable visual image. With no “dumbing down” whatsoever Blue Note had come up with the ultimate package. It’s not something that others have found easy to follow.  Manfred Eicher’s ECM is the only label that has come even close to establishing such a distinctive identity.

I first discovered Blue Note in the early 80’s when a whole raft of vinyl albums were re-issued in the wake of the “Jazz Dance” craze. Like so many others I think my first purchase was Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder” followed quickly by Kenny Dorham then Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers. Soon afterwards I discovered new sides to Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter plus Hank Mobley, Horace Silver,Jackie McLean and many more. I’ve loved the label ever since.

The arrival of these three recent re-releases for review purposes was therefore particularly welcome. All date from the 1960’s and show three different aspects of Blue Note’s output from that decade. Jackie McLean’s “Bluesnik” combines jazz and blues in stirring fashion, Grachan Moncur’s “Some Other Stuff” dates from Blue Note’s dalliance with free jazz or “The New Thing” in the mid 60’s and Freddie Hubbard’s “Without A Song:Live In Europe 1969” is a celebration of the trumpeter at the peak of his powers. 
Jackie McLean
“Bluesnik”
(Blue Note RVG Edition 50999 2 65145 2 9)

In 1996 I was lucky enough to see alto saxophonist McLean play at the Village Vanguard during a trip to New York City. Seeing a living legend in such an iconic venue is something I’ll never forget. The fact that McLean subsequently played with the same line up at Cheltenham Jazz Festival was just a bonus. 
Over the years I’ve acquired a number of McLean albums but the recently re-issued “Bluesnik”  was one that had slipped the net up until now. Recorded in 1961 this is a fine example of McLean doing what he does best-blowing the blues. McLean’s distinctive biting tone has not always found favour with the critics, indeed he has sometimes been accused of playing “sharp”. It’s not something I’ve ever had a problem with, McLean’s sound is instantly recognisable and his music has a bite and intensity that stands up well, even in the modern era. There’s plenty of fire to virtually all Jackie’s recordings and “Bluesnik” is no exception.
Essentially this is a blowing session with McLean in the company of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Pete La Roca. Some of the themes are pretty skeletal but they form the framework for some great playing from all five participants. McLean’s opening title track is a case in point, the basic theme providing the jumping off point for some fine soloing with McLean himself going first. His impassioned playing is consistently inventive and not without humour, the odd half quote finding it’s way in here and there (did I catch a snippet of “Bye Bye Blackbird”?). Hubbard is less visceral but his playing is full of ideas and an awesome technique. Drew’s solo is concise and swinging and behind the soloists Watkins and La Roca provide the perfect platform with their indefatigable swing. La Roca is one of the underrated heroes of this era (he later quit jazz for a legal career) and his fizzing cymbal work here is a delight.

Watkins too, is largely forgotten now, tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1962, the same crash that took trumpeter Clifford Brown. Throughout “Bluesnik” his swing and sense of time is impeccable.

McLean’s “Going Away Blues”  is even more conventionally “bluesy”, almost funky, but totally captivating for all that. The tempo is lazier than on the coruscating opener but the slow burning solos from McLean, Hubbard and Drew are hugely effective.

“Drew’s Blues”, by the pianist offers more of the same, taken at a lazily swinging, loping tempo. The solo order remains the same with McLean’s intensity contrasting well with the breeziness of Hubbard and Drew. There are even some unison horn passages when the theme is stated. 

Drew’s minor blues “Cool Green” is probably the most sophisticated piece of writing thus far. It still swings but even McLean is noticeably less intense here. Hubbard’s solo is peerless, demonstrating great chops, and pianist Drew is characteristically pithy and swinging. Hard working bassist Watkins also takes a brief solo supported by La Roca’s brushes and with Drew’s piano comping.   

Hubbard’s “Blues Function”  is just that, unashamedly bluesy, with the composer taking the first solo at a lazily bluesy tempo. McLean digs in hard with some blistering alto and Drew stretches out with his most inventive solo of the set.
Drew’s soulful “Torchin’”  concludes the original album. Another loping slow burner it frames solos from McLean, Hubbard and Drew. All are of the high standard we have come to expect and once again the unerring support from Watkins and La Roca is right on the money. 

This enhanced Rudy Van Gelder edition was remastered by the great man in 2008 and includes alternative takes of “Goin’ Away Blues” and “Torchin’”. These are not significantly different to the original album versions but are a welcome bonus nevertheless.

“Bluesnik” is an unpretentious album full of excellent playing that is enjoyable from start to finish. Any lack of sophistication in the writing is more than made up for by the brilliance of the performances. There are dazzling solos a plenty and the rhythm section swings prodigiously. Anyone with an interest in jazz of any stripe should find something to enjoy here.
Grachan Moncur III
“Some Other Stuff”
(Blue Note RVG Edition 50999 2 65152 2 9)

The music of trombonist Grachan Moncur III is more of an acquired taste. Moncur appeared on Jackie McLean’s albums “One Step Beyond” and “Destination Out!” where the saxophonist experimented with some aspects of the then coming “free jazz”. 
McLean subsequently appeared on Moncur’s own Blue Note d?but “Evolution” (1963), a brave and ground breaking record surely ripe for re-appraisal. For me “Evolution” ranks right up there with Eric Dolphy’s more celebrated “Out To Lunch”.
Moncur’s second Blue Note album as leader was recorded in July 1964 and features the trombonist alongside some of the giants of the music in the form of Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano0, Cecil McBee (bass) and Tony Williams (drums). If the title indicates material held over as not being good enough for the “Evolution” session the music itself suggests otherwise. How could it be otherwise with such a stellar line up? 
A relative late comer to the writing process Moncur sets great store by his compositions. There are four lengthy pieces here with Moncur’s themes and ideas providing the platform for some wonderful improvising by his all star cast. The sound and feel is radically different to “Bluesnik” with very few conventional jazz structures being deployed. The opening “Gnostic” ends up being based around Hancock’s continually evolving piano figure rather than traditional jazz chording. There is no rhythmic pulse as such and the mood is sonorous, almost solemn with Moncur’s trombone and Shorter’s earthy tenor sax both prominent. It’s not jazz soloing as such and bassist McBee and drummer Williams often fill a textural rather than rhythmic role. If all this makes the music sound earnest and dull it’s anything but, the constant unfolding quality of the piece holds the listener’s attention throughout. There’s a controlled tension here, a feeling that anarchy might break out at any moment even if it never actually does.
“Thandiwa” means “beloved” in the Zulu language and the title is typical of a time when the civil rights movement was constantly looking to it’s African heritage. Surprisingly this is probably the most conventionally “jazzy” piece on the album, based as it is around a challenging chord sequence. Shorter’s lovely slippery tenor is the main delight here and Moncur also demonstrates his abilities as a soloist with some agile playing. Hancock’s lazily inventive piano solo is a delight and there is also a feature for McBee who was to become one of the leading bassists of his day. It’s all comparatively relaxed and rather lovely.

“The Twins” is dedicated to Moncur’s young twin brothers. Based around a single chord (F major) it has a playful quality and gives plenty of room for improvisation. There is a constant rhythmic pulse here but it is far from being regular and there is genuine dialogue between the rhythm section and the horns. Moncur solos first, his playing is nimble and as the sleeve notes mention the tune has an almost “nursery rhyme” like quality. Shorter’s tenor pushes the piece into more assertive territory

with more straight forward swing sometimes being deployed. Hancock then delivers an audacious, exploratory solo, brilliantly supported by McBee and Williams before a final restatement of the theme.  Like it’s two predecessors the piece is highly descriptive and constantly shifting in shape; Moncur and his colleagues always have something interesting to say. 
The closing “Nomadic”  is essentially a solo drum passage from Williams punctuated by the rest of the band. Now I’m not a huge fan of drum solos, particularly on record where the visual impact is inevitably lost but Williams, an acknowledged all round great, does manage to keep it interesting most of the time. The “punctuation” provided by his colleagues is unfailingly engaging and on the whole this is a qualified success.

“Some Other Stuff” is a more adventurous record than “Bluesnik” and whilst less accessible and perhaps of less general appeal it’s still a fine addition to the Blue Note canon.

Freddie Hubbard
“Without A Song:Live In Europe 1969”

(Blue Note 97093)
The music documented on “Without A Song” is the only material among this batch of albums not to have been previously issued. Recorded on trumpeter Hubbard’s 1969 European Tour the playing on this album has received a unanimous “thumbs up”  from contemporary critics. The release has been given an extra poignancy by the comparatively recent death of Hubbard at the age of 70, this coming after years of lip problems which effectively truncated his playing career. 

Hubbard himself was particularly keen to see this music released having initially recorded it at the peak of his powers. In many ways it’s surprising that this music has been kept under wraps for nearly forty years.

“Without A Song” was recorded on the “JazzWave” tour which visited several European cities in December 1969. Several acts were involved, each playing a 25-30 minute set per evening. Other acts included Jeremy Steig, Kenny Burrell, Jimmy McGriff and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra thereby ensuring a varied representation of jazz stylings.

Hubbard’s quartet for the tour included Roland Hanna (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Louis Hayes (drums), an impressive line up who were all in fine form for these tracks recorded in both England and Germany over the course of the tour. 
In 1969 Hubbard’s original tenure with Blue Note was over. His time with the label in the late 50’s/early 60’s saw him making magnificent contributions to a whole slew of great records both in his own name and as a sideman. By 1969 he had rather lost his way and was pursuing a more fusion orientated direction, firstly with Atlantic Records and subsequently with CTI. The discovery of these tapes with Hubbard playing in imperious hard bop mode thereby comes as a most welcome surprise.
The nature of the tour with it’s short half hour sets meant that the artists had to grab each opportunity by the scruff of the neck. Hubbard and his colleagues certainly do this on the opening “Without a Song” recorded at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The trumpeter’s opening salvo is full of bravura and an incredible technical proficiency. The lip trills which were his hallmark but which caused him such difficulties in later years are all here. Hubbard is in great shape and blowing up a storm, full of confidence but with a sense of humour too. Behind him Hayes’ cymbals fizz and crackle and Carter keeps time immaculately. Sir Roland Hanna (apparently he was knighted by the President Of Liberia in 1970) acquits himself well in the face of Hubbard’s fire with an idiosyncratic and partly unaccompanied solo. 

Hubbard is just as capable of playing ballads as he is at providing fireworks and this version of “The Things We Did Last Summer” recorded at Bristol’s Colston Hall is a marvellous performance.

Hubbard’s tone is pure,almost pretty but authoritative enough not to slip too far into sentimentality.

Hanna’s piano adds a touch of quirkiness and the support from Carter and Hayes is sympathetic and understated. Excellent.

That old Dizzy Gillespie warhorse “A Night In Tunisia” (recording location not given) features Hubbard’s voice announcing the tune. Not surprisingly it’s a rousing version with more pyrotechnics from the leader and some dynamic drumming from Hayes, including a lengthy solo. Hanna fills in the holes inventively and Carter is solid as a rock. It almost goes without saying that this is hugely invigorating stuff. 

Also recorded in Bristol, Red Garland’s “Blues By Five” keeps the pot simmering. The riff based tune is the basis for some more great blowing from Hubbard, pure toned and brassy and chock full of tricks and ideas. Driven on by the urgency of the rhythm section this is unpretentious, enjoyable stuff and Hubbard sounds as if he’s having the time of his life. Hanna’s slyly swinging solo is again the perfect foil and there are also a solo interludes from Carter and Hayes. These are punctuated by some stratospheric high notes from an increasingly flamboyant Hubbard. Phew!
The lengthy “Space Track”  was included at Hubbard’s insistence. One of only two Hubbard originals on the album it dates back to a poorly regarded Atlantic album “The Black Angel” also recorded in 1969. This piece doesn’t seem to have been received much more favourably by the critics this time around. Nevertheless there is some atmospheric and technically accomplished playing here although at twelve minutes the whole thing is probably over-long and some of it’s avant garde pretensions have dated badly. But stick with it, it’s really not as bad as all that.
The other original is the closing “Hub-Tones”, the title track of one of Freddie’s best Blue Note albums and a tune generally acknowledged to be a bit of a classic. This truncated version features Fiery Fred back to his best, squeezing out sparks to the accompaniment of Hayes’ incendiary drumming. The drummer is extensively featured in the first half of the tune before Hubbard really cuts loose, albeit all too briefly.

This is an album that has it’s longueurs but mostly it is very good indeed and a timely reminder of just what a great player Freddie Hubbard was when in his pomp. Thanks to the modern day Blue Note for coming up with such a fine reminder of the label’s glorious past.

Star Ratings;
“Bluesnik” 4 Stars
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“Some Other Stuff” 3.5 Stars
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“Without A Song” 4 Stars
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