Grant Green, Sonny Clark - Complete Blue Note Recordings [1990] (4 x CD's)

GRANT GREE & SONNY CLARK

Grant Green, Sonny Clark - Complete Blue Note Recordings [1990] (4 x CD's)

Guitarist Grant Green and pianist Sonny Clark recorded together on five separate occasions during the 1961-1962 period, but virtually none of the music was released domestically until decades later. These performances were clearly lost in the shuffle, for the solos are of a consistently high quality, and the programs were well-paced and swinging. Now, the long-lost music (much of which had been previously available only in Japan) is saved for posterity on this Mosaic limited-edition four CD box set. Green and Clark blend together well. Tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec joins their quartet for one session, and the final two numbers add Latin percussion. All of this music should be enjoyed by hard bop fans. Included are the Blue Note albums Gooden's Corner, Nigeria, Oleo, Born to Be Blue (with Ike Quebec), and unissued tracks. (AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow)

The music throughout these sessions is spectacular. The combo works well together, the solos are excellent, and the programs are diverse in a straight-ahead bop fashion with a strong focus on standards. The music is relaxed, gentle, warm, intimate, emotional, and accessible. Great late-night music.

I find that Quebec fits in perfectly with the other two soloists and the quintet interaction is a welcome addition. Whether playing as a quartet or quintet, it is obvious that Green and Clark had a sympathetic and natural musical relationship. They feed off each other to produce some of the best music of their respective respectable careers. Unfortunately, Clark died shortly after the last of these sessions and we will never know what could have developed. What we do know is that small group hard bop rarely comes any better than this. The sound quality simply left me breathless (Amazon)

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Track Lists

CD1

01     Moon River     5:38
02     On Green Dolphin Street     6:27
03     What Is This Thing Called Love     5:53
04     Count Every Star     6:18
05     Shadrack     6:24
06     Gooden‘s Corner     8:14
07     Two For One     7:38

CD2

01     Airegin [Alternate Take]     7:38
02     Airegin     7:33
03     Nancy     6:24
04     I Concentrate On You     5:51
05     The Things We Did Last Summer     5:58
06     The Song Is You     7:49
07     It Ain’t Necessarily So     10:23

CD3

01     My Favorite Things     8:32
02     Hip Funk     8:39
03     Oleo     5:38
04     Oleo [Alternate Take]     6:03
05     Little Girl Blue     7:15
06     Tune Up     7:17

CD4

01     Someday My Prince Will Come     6:29
02     If I Should Lose You     6:05
03     My One And Only Love     5:50
04     Back In Your Own Backyard     8:04
05     Born To Be Blue     4:54
06     Born To Be Blue     4:41
07     Cool Blues     7:57
08     Outer Space     8:45
09     Grenada     6:28
10     Hey There     7:24

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