Grant Green with Sonny Clark - The Complete Blue Note Recordings [1990] (4 x CDs)

 

JAZZ SUNDAY

GRANT GREEN

Grant Green with Sonny Clark - The Complete Blue Note Recordings [1990] (4 x CDs)

Perhaps the place to start this review is by clarifying how this 1990 four disc set from Mosaic Records differs from the 1997 two disc set from Blue Note titled Complete Quartets with Sonny Clark. Both sets use the same masters; both sets have the same excellent sound quality. The Blue Note set contains 19 tracks and is limited to the quartets headed by Grant Green and Sonny Clark. The Mosaic set contains the same 19 tracks plus 9 tracks in which the quartet was expanded to a quintet by the addition of tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec and 2 tracks that included Ike Quebec and a Latin rhythm section.   Although the music was recorded at five sessions over the period 23 Dec. 1961 through 7 Sept. 1962, none of the material was released until the late 1970's and early 1980's in vinyl LP form. The 19 quartet tracks common to both sets were released as albums with the titles "Gooden's Corner" (Japanese release only), "Nigeria" (USA release only), and "Oleo" (Japanese release only) - none of which are currently readily available on individual CDs. The "Nigeria" session is unique in that it is the only collaboration between Green and drummer Art Blakey. The drummer on the earlier "Gooden's Corner" and the later "Oleo" sessions is Louis Hayes. Sam Jones is the bassist on all three sessions. Release of the 11 tracks involving Ike Quebec (also supported by Hayes and Jones) was also delayed but eventually released on two LPs / CDs titled "Born to Be Blue" by Grant Green and one track on "Blue and Sentimental" by Ike Quebec. The Latin-tinged session from Sept. 1962 was first released as part of the Mosaic box set. Of all of the material in the Mosaic box set, only the tracks involving Ike Quebec have been consistently available on CD. 

Both the Mosaic and Blue Note sets use the word "complete" in the title, and while that was thought to be true at the time of release, neither set is really complete. Subsequent to the compilation of these box two sets, a separate Green-Clark quartet session recorded on 27 Oct. 1961 was discovered. Like the rest of these sessions, the results were not issued and remained lost in the vaults for decades. In 2001, two takes of "Woody `n' You" from the lost sessions were released on Grant Green's CD First Session. Drummer and bassist on this session were Billy Higgins and Butch Warren.  The music throughout these five 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. (Amazon)

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Pt.1     Pt.2 

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Track lists

CD1

01 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Moon River 5:38

02 Grant Green With Sonny Clark On Green Dolphin Street 6:27

03 Grant Green With Sonny Clark What Is This Thing Called Love 5:53

04 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Count Every Star 6:18

05 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Shadrack 6:24

06 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Gooden's Corner 8:14

07 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Two For One 7:38

CD2

01 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Airegin (Alt) 7:38

02 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Airegin 7:33

03 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Nancy 6:24

04 Grant Green With Sonny Clark I Concentrate On You 5:51

05 Grant Green With Sonny Clark The Things We Did Last Summer 5:58

06 Grant Green With Sonny Clark The Song Is You 7:49

07 Grant Green With Sonny Clark It Ain't Necessarily So 10:23

CD3

01 Grant Green With Sonny Clark My Favorite Things 8:32

02 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Hip Funk 8:39

03 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Oleo 5:38

04 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Oleo (Alt) 6:03

05 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Little Girl Blue 7:15

06 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Tune Up 7:17

CD4

01 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Someday My Prince Will Come 6:29

02 Grant Green With Sonny Clark If I Should Lose You 6:05

03 Grant Green With Sonny Clark My One And Only Love 5:51

04 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Back In Your Own Backyard 8:04

05 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Born To Be Blue 4:55

06 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Born To Be Blue (Alt) 4:41

07 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Cool Blues 7:57

08 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Outer Space 8:45

09 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Grenada 6:28

10 Grant Green With Sonny Clark Hey There 7:24

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