Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. Originally dedicated to recording traditional jazz and small group swing, the label began to switch its attention to modern jazz around 1947. From there, Blue Note grew to become one of the most prolific, influential and respected jazz labels of the mid-20th century, noted for its role in facilitating the development of hard bop, post-bop and avant-garde jazz, as well as for its iconic modernist art direction.
John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the DownBeat Hall of Fame in the year of their death.
Edward Lee Morgan was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s and a cornerstone of the Blue Note label, Morgan came to prominence in his late teens, recording with bandleaders like John Coltrane, Curtis Fuller, Dizzy Gillespie, Hank Mobley and Wayne Shorter, and playing in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.
Robert Hutcherson was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. "Little B's Poem", from the 1966 Blue Note album Components, is one of his best-known compositions. Hutcherson influenced younger vibraphonists including Steve Nelson, Joe Locke, and Stefon Harris.
Grachan Moncur III was an American jazz trombonist. He was the son of jazz bassist Grachan Moncur II and the nephew of jazz saxophonist Al Cooper.
Components is an album by jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, released on the Blue Note label in 1966. The first side of the LP features compositions by Hutcherson, in a hard bop style, whilst the second side features Joe Chambers' compositions, more in the avant-garde style.
Tom Cat is an album by Lee Morgan recorded in 1964, though only issued in 1980. It was originally released as LT 1058. While lesser known in comparison to The Sidewinder and other albums, it features several of Morgan's contemporary Blue Note recording artists, such as McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey, and Jackie McLean. After The Sidewinder's huge commercial success, Tom Cat and Search for the New Land from earlier in 1964 were both shelved. Instead, Alfred Lion, Blue Note's producer, encouraged Morgan to record a new funky theme and brought him back into the studio to record The Rumproller. Search for the New Land was released in 1966, but Tom Cat remained unreleased until 1980.
The All Seeing Eye is the ninth jazz album by saxophonist Wayne Shorter, recorded on October 15, 1965, and released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4219 and BST 84219 in 1966. The album features performances by Shorter with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, alto saxophonist James Spaulding, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Joe Chambers. Shorter's brother, Alan composed and plays fluegelhorn on the final track, “Mephistopheles”. The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states: "it is clear from the start that the music on this CD reissue is not basic bop and blues... the dramatic selections, and their brand of controlled freedom has plenty of subtle surprises. This is stimulating music that still sounds fresh over three decades later".
Lee Morgan is the final studio album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, released only after his death in 1972. It was originally released on the Blue Note label in 1972 as a double LP, and features performances by Morgan, Grachan Moncur III, Bobbi Humphrey, Billy Harper, Harold Mabern, Reggie Workman, Jymie Merritt and Freddie Waits.
One Step Beyond is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note label. This is the first of two albums where McLean replaced the usual pianist with vibraphone player Bobby Hutcherson. As a result, One Step Beyond features a new sound that, while still rooted in hard bop, was more spacious and adventurous than his earlier work and leaned towards post bop and free jazz. The group is rounded out by trombonist Grachan Moncur III, bassist Eddie Khan and drummer Tony Williams.
Destination... Out! is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note label. It is the second McLean album to feature Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone and Grachan Moncur III on trombone. The rhythm section is completed by bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Roy Haynes.
Action Action Action is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label. It features McLean in a quintet with trumpeter Charles Tolliver, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Higgins.
'Bout Soul is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1967 and released on the Blue Note label. It features McLean in a quintet with trumpeter Woody Shaw, pianist LaMont Johnson, bassist Scotty Holt and drummer Rashied Ali. Trombonist Grachan Moncur III guests on three tracks, and Barbara Simmons recites the words on “Soul”.
Some Other Stuff is the second album by American trombonist Grachan Moncur III, recorded on July 6, 1964 and released on Blue Note early the following year. The quintet features saxophonist Wayne Shorter, and rhythm section Herbie Hancock, Cecil McBee and Tony Williams.
Hipnosis is a studio album by saxophonist Jackie McLean. It features selections recorded for Blue Note Records in the 1960s, but not released until 1978. The album was released in the US as a two-fer, which included five songs from a 1967 session, plus six songs recorded in 1962 later appeared on the CD reissue of Vertigo. In Japan, it was released the same year as a standard LP (ST-83022) with a different cover, featuring only the 1967 tracks.
The New Wave in Jazz is a live album recorded on March 28, 1965 at the Village Gate in New York City. It features groups led by major avant-garde jazz artists performing at a concert for the benefit of The Black Arts Repertory Theater/School founded by Amiri Baraka, then known as LeRoi Jones. The album was released on LP in 1965 on the Impulse! label, and was reissued on CD in 1994 with a different track listing.
Homage to Africa is an album by American free jazz drummer Sunny Murray. It was recorded in Paris in August 1969, and released on the BYG Actuel label in 1970. On the album, Murray is joined by saxophonists Roscoe Mitchell, Archie Shepp and Kenneth Terroade, trumpeter Lester Bowie, cornetist Clifford Thornton, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, vocalist Jeanne Lee, pianist Dave Burrell, bassist Alan Silva, and percussionists Malachi Favors, Earl Freeman, and Arthur Jones.
Exploration is an album by trombonist and composer Grachan Moncur III. It was recorded in June 2004, and was released by Capri Records later that year. On the album, Moncur is accompanied by saxophonists Gary Bartz, Gary Smulyan, and Billy Harper, trumpeter Tim Hagans, trombonist Dave Woodley, horn player John Clark, bassist Ray Drummond, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. The music was arranged by Mark Masters. It was Moncur's first album after a lengthy hiatus, during which he wrote, taught, and dealt with dental issues.
Inner Cry Blues is an album by trombonist and composer Grachan Moncur III. It was recorded in February 2007, and was released by Lunar Module Records later that year. On the album, Moncur is accompanied by saxophonist Mitch Marcus, trumpeter Erik Jekabson, vibraphonist Ben Adams, bassist Lukas Vesely, and drummer Sameer Gupta. Issued three years after Exploration, it was Moncur's second album following a lengthy hiatus, during which he wrote, taught, and dealt with dental issues.
Echoes of Prayer is an album by trombonist and composer Grachan Moncur III on which he is joined by members of the Jazz Composer's Orchestra and the Tanawa Dance Ensemble. It was recorded on April 11, 1974, at Blue Rock Studio in New York City, and was released in 1975 by JCOA Records. Moncur's only recorded work for large ensemble, Echoes of Prayer was commissioned by the JCOA, and consists of four movements dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, Marcus Garvey, and Angela Davis. It was initially performed at a workshop concert at New York University's Loeb Student Center on the day before the recording session.
