VA - Blue Note Plays Series [2004-2006] + Bonus (14 x CDs)

BLUE NOTE

VA - Blue Note Plays Series [2004-2006] + Bonus (14 x CDs)

The Blue Note Plays series is a charming and often overlooked corner of the legendary jazz label’s catalog, a collection of themed compilations released primarily between 2004 and 2006 that reimagines the Great American Songbook (and beyond) through the lens of Blue Note’s deep and diverse roster.

Each volume in the series focuses on a single artist or composer, think Blue Note Plays The Beatles, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Gershwin, Cole Porter, Billie Holiday, Prince, and even Burt Bacharach. But rather than commissioning new recordings, these compilations are curated from existing Blue Note sessions, often pulling from the label’s golden era of the 1950s and ’60s, with a few later gems sprinkled in.

What makes the series so engaging is the way it reframes familiar songs through the voices of jazz greats. You’ll hear Grant Green’s guitar glide through Lennon-McCartney melodies, Stanley Turrentine and Lee Morgan injecting soul and swing into Stevie Wonder’s grooves, or Jimmy Smith turning Ray Charles into a Hammond B3 sermon. These aren’t novelty covers, they’re reinterpretations that reveal new emotional and rhythmic dimensions in the source material.

Some volumes, like Blue Note Plays Prince and Blue Note Plays Sting, are especially notable because they feature tracks recorded specifically for the series, rather than archival pulls, making them rare snapshots of Blue Note’s early 2000s lineup engaging with contemporary pop.

The series also serves as a brilliant entry point for listeners new to jazz. By anchoring each compilation in familiar melodies, it invites exploration of the improvisational brilliance that defines the genre. And for seasoned fans, it’s a crate-digger’s delight, offering alternate takes, deep cuts, and unexpected pairings that feel fresh even decades later.

In short, Blue Note Plays is less about tribute and more about transformation. It’s where jazz meets pop, soul, and funk, not to mimic, but to converse. And in that conversation, something timeless happens. (B)

Included in this series are the following Albums

VA - Blue Note Plays The Beatles [2004]

VA - Blue Note Plays Stevie Wonder [2004]

VA - Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach [2004]

VA - Blue Note Plays Ray Charles [2005]

VA - Blue Note Plays Prince [2005]

VA - Blue Note Plays Sting [2005]

VA - Blue Note Plays Jobim [2005]

VA - Blue Note Plays Rodgers & Hart [2006]

VA - Blue Note Plays Gershwin [2006]

VA - Blue Note Plays Cole Porter [2006]

VA - Blue Note Plays Billie Holiday [2006]

Bonus 

VA - Blue Berlin.. Blue Note Plays The Music Of Irving Berlin [1992]

VA - Blue Note Plays Sinatra [1996]

VA - Azure Ellington, Blue Note Plays the Duke [1998]

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Track lists

VA - Blue Note Plays The Beatles [2004]

01 Stanley Turrentine - Can't Buy Me Love 6:47

02 Lee Morgan - Yesterday 5:48

03 Buddy Rich - Norwegian Wood 3:10

04 Bud Shank With Chet Baker - Hello Goodbye 3:15

05 Grant Green - A Day in The Life 9:01

06 Stanley Jordan - Eleanor Rigby 7:01

07 Tony Williams - Blackbird 5:34

08 Holly Cole - I've Just Seen A Face 3:54

09 Kevin Hays - And I Love Her 6:19

10 Bobby McFerrin - Drive My Car 2:41

11 Dianne Reeves & Cassandra Wilson With Bob Belden - Come Together 4:39

VA - Blue Note Plays Stevie Wonder [2004]

01 Najee - I Wish 3:49

02 Noel Pointer - Living for the City 6:38

03 Stanley Turrentine - Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing 4:38

04 Pieces of a Dream - Signed, Sealed, Delivered 3:32

05 Najee - Summer Soft 5:57

06 Stanley Turrentine - Boogie on Reggae Woman 5:47

07 Paul Jackson, Jr. - It's a Shame 4:13

08 Najee - Black Man 4:59

09 Noel Pointer - Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) 4:19

10 Stanley Turrentine - You and I 4:54

11 Pat Martino - Too High 5:03

VA - Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach [2004]

01 Crusaders - Promises, Promises 5:16

02 Stanley Turrentine - Walk on By 5:57

03 Lou Rawls - Any Day Now 3:42

04 Richard "Groove" Holmes - Do You Know The Way to San Jose 3:57

05 Grant Green - I'll Never Fall in Love Again 6:46

06 Nancy Wilson - Wives and Lovers 2:01

07 Three Sounds - The Look of Love 2:31

08 Stanley Jordan - One Less Bell to Answer 4:29

09 Stanley Turrentine - What The World Needs Now is Love 6:43

10 Earl Klugh - The April Fools 3:44

11 Nancy Wilson - Alfie 3:04

12 Ernie Watts - Knowing When to Leave 4:31

VA - Blue Note Plays Ray Charles [2005]

01 Lou Rawls & Ray Charles - That's Where It's At 3:14

02 Jimmy McGriff - I Got A Woman 4:34

03 Stanley Turrentine - What Would I Do Without You 4:36

04 Grant Green - This Little Girl of Mine 6:32

05 Bill Henderson & Jimmy Smith - Ain't That Love 2:48

06 Freddie Roach - (Night Time Is) The Right Time 7:17

07 Joe Williams - Hallelujah I Love Her So 3:02

08 Three Sounds - Drown in My Own Tears 3:35

09 Lou Rawls - Hide Nor Hair 2:59

10 Grant Green - I Can't Stop Loving You 3:26

11 Jimmy Smith - I'm Movin' On 5:15

VA - Blue Note Plays Prince [2005]

01 Cassandra Wilson & Greg Osby - When Doves Cry 5:39

02 Bob Belden & Tim Hagans - Venus De Milo 6:57

03 Phil Perry & Everette Harp wit - Diamonds and Pearls 4:26

04 Bob Belden & Peter Bernstein - 1999 7:51

05 Holly Cole with Bob Belden - Purple Rain 4:24

06 Jimi Tunnell with Bob Belden - Kiss 4:59

07 Wallace Roney & Kenny Garrett - Electric Chair 9:22

08 Bob Belden & Tim Hagans - The Ballad of Dorothy Parker 7:56

09 Holly Cole with Bob Belden - The Question of U 3:40

10 Bob Belden & Tim Hagans - Power Fantastic 8:19

VA - Blue Note Plays Sting [2005]

01 Cassandra Wilson - Fragile 4:38

02 Bob Belden & Tim Hagans - Roxanne 5:07

03 Bob Belden & Dianne Reeves & John Scofield - Wrapped Around Your Fingers 4:40

04 Bob Belden & Tim Hagans - Straight to My Heart 6:21

05 Bob Belden & Mark Ledford & Kirk Whalum - Every Breath You Take 4:47

06 Bob Belden & Phil Perry & Bobby Watson - Sister Moon 4:55

07 Bob Belden & Rick Margitza - They Dance Alone 5:45

08 Bob Belden & Jimi Tunnell - I Burn for You 7:40

09 Flavio Boltro - Tea on The Sahara 6:11

10 Kurt Elling - Oh My God 3:56

11 Freddie Hubbard - Fragile 4:35

VA - Blue Note Plays Jobim [2005]

01 Cassandra Wilson - Aguas De Marco (Water of March) 4:27

02 Bud Shank - Samba do Aviao (Song of The Jet) 3:02

03 Eliane Elias - The Girl From Ipanema 3:54

04 Duke Pearson & Flora Purim - Lamento 2:53

05 Bireli Lagrene - Insensatez (How Insensitive) 7:09

06 Duke Pearson & Airto Moreira with Stella Mars - O Amor Em Paz (Onece I Loved) 5:23

07 Earl Klugh - Triste 2:07

08 Stanley Turrentine - Wave 8:15

09 Cassandra Wilson - Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) 5:21

10 Eliane Elias - Desafinado 6:31

VA - Blue Note Plays Rodgers & Hart [2006]

01 Horace Silver - Thou Swell 2:52

02 Miles Davis - It Never Entered My Mind 4:04

03 Jimmy Smith - I Didn't Know What Time it Was 6:25

04 Hank Mobley - Falling in Love with Love 5:30

05 Sonny Clark - Lover 7:01

06 Lou Donaldson, Three Sounds - Blue Moon 3:04

07 Grant Green - My Funny Valentine - My Funny Valentine 9:06

08 Thad Jones, Kenny Burrell - Little Girl Blue 2:52

09 Stanley Turrentine & The Three Sounds - Where or When 7:02

VA - Blue Note Plays Gershwin [2006]

01 Lee Morgan, Jimmy Smith - 'S Wonderful 5:00

02 Stanely Turrentine - Someone to Watch Over Me 7:41

03 Lou Donaldson - A Foggy Day 6:36

04 Kenny Burrell - But Not for Me 3:47

05 Ike Quebec - The Man I Love 6:28

06 Thad Jones - I've Got a Crush on You 7:35

07 Grant Green - It Ain't Necessarily So 10:19

VA - Blue Note Plays Cole Porter [2006]

01 Cannonball Adderley - Love for Sale 7:01

02 Lee Morgan - Just One of Those Things 7:15

03 Sonny Rollins - I've Got You Under My Skin 9:53

04 Grant Green - I Concentrate on You 5:45

05 Jackie Mclean - I Love You 5:08

06 Johnny Griffin - It's All Right With Me 5:00

07 Joe Henderson - Night and Day 7:23

VA - Blue Note Plays Billie Holiday [2006]

01 Dexter Gordon - You've Changed 7:24

02 Miles Davis - Yesterdays 3:42

03 Herbie Nichols - Lady Sings The Blues 4:22

04 Clifford Brown - Easy Living 3:40

05 Ike Quebec - Lover Man 5:54

06 Sonny Clark - I Cover The Waterfront 4:37

07 Freddie Hubbard - Body and Soul 6:28

08 Lee Morgan - God Bless The Child 7:18

Bonus 

VA - Blue Berlin.. Blue Note Plays The Music Of Irving Berlin [1992]

01 Jackie McLean - Let's Face The Music and Dance 4:51

02 Horace Parlan - The Song is Ended 5:55

03 Peggy Lee - Maybe It's Because I Love You to Much 2:02

04 Lou Donaldson - Cheek to Cheek 3:04

05 Elmo Hope - It's A Loveley Day Today 2:48

06 Lee Morgan - Who Do You Love, I Hope 5:00

07 Miles Davis - How Deep is The Ocean 4:40

08 Art Tatum - Blue Skies 2:53

09 Jutta Hipp - Blue Skies 2:54

10 Hank Mobley - Rememener 5:42

11 Stan Kenton - Say it Isn't So 2:34

12 Bud Shank and Bob Cooper - What'll I Do 2:50

13 Eddie Davis and Joe Newman - Marie 3:58

14 Bud Powel - The Best Thing for You 4:57

15 Art Blakey and Paul Chambers - I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm 7:12

16 Sheila Jordan - Let's Face The Music and Dance 1:13

VA - Blue Note Plays Sinatra [1996]

01 Art Blakey & The Jass Messengers - Come Rain or Come Shine 5:48

02 Freddie Hubbard - All or Nothing at All 5:34

03 Dexter Gordon - Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry 5:22

04 Cannonball Adderly - Dancing in the Dark 4:06

05 Sonny Rollins - I've Got You Under My Skin 9:46

06 Three Sounds - Witchcraft 6:29

07 Jack Terrasson - I Love Paris 7:31

08 Miles Davis - It Never Entered My Mind 4:02

09 Ike Quebec - Nancy (With the Laughing Face) 7:24

10 Bennie Green - This Love of Mine 6:46

11 Joe Lovano - Angel Eyes 5:09

12 Three Sounds - It Was a Very Good Year 2:45

VA - Azure Ellington, Blue Note Plays the Duke [1998]

01 Duke Ellington - Rockin' in Rhythm 5:46

02 Nina Simone - It Don't Mean a Thing 2:26

03 Kenny Burrell - Caravan 9:57

04 Booker Ervin - Take the 'A' Train 3:46

05 Richard 'Groove' Holmes & Les McCann - Satin Doll 6:04

06 Nat King Cole - Mood Indigo 3:22

07 Stan Kenton - Don't Get Around Much Anymore 3:12

08 James Newton - Cottontail 6:57

09 Lou Rawls - Just Squeeze Me 2:47

10 Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington - Duke's Place 5:07

11 Jimmy McGriff - In a Mellow Tone 3:33

12 Clifford Jordan - Sophisticated Lady 5:19

13 Phineas Newborn - Chelsea Bridge 6:45

14 Billy Strayhorn - Passion Flower 3:46

15 Duke Ellington - Unlisted Bonus Track 3:41

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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