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.
Grant Green was an American jazz guitarist and composer.
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.
Melbourne Robert Cranshaw was an American jazz bassist. His career spanned the heyday of Blue Note Records to his later involvement with the Musicians Union. He is perhaps best known for his long association with Sonny Rollins. Cranshaw performed in Rollins's working band on and off for over five decades, starting with a live appearance at the 1959 Playboy jazz festival in Chicago and on record with the 1962 album The Bridge.
Columbus Calvin "Duke" Pearson Jr. was an American jazz pianist and composer. Allmusic describes him as having a "big part in shaping the Blue Note label's hard bop direction in the 1960s as a record producer."
Song for My Father is a 1965 album by the Horace Silver Quintet, released on the Blue Note label in 1965. The album was inspired by a trip that Silver had made to Brazil. The cover artwork features a photograph of Silver's father, John Tavares Silver, to whom the title composition was dedicated. "My mother was of Irish and Negro descent, my father of Portuguese origin," Silver recalls in the liner notes: "He was born on the island of Maio, one of the Cape Verde Islands."
Dialogue is an album by jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, released on the Blue Note label in 1965. This was Hutcherson's first LP released as bandleader following work with Eric Dolphy. The album features four Andrew Hill compositions and two Joe Chambers pieces. It has received widespread critical acclaim and is considered by most critics one of Hutcherson's greatest achievements.
The Sidewinder is a 1964 album by the jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, recorded at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, U.S. It was released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4157 (mono) and BST 84157 (stereo).
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, also called Moanin', is a studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recorded on October 30, 1958 and released on Blue Note later that year.
My Point of View is the second album by pianist Herbie Hancock. It was released in 1963 on Blue Note Records as BLP 4126 and BST 84126. Musicians featured are trumpeter Donald Byrd, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, guitarist Grant Green, bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Tony Williams.
Inner Urge is an album by the jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson, released in 1966 via Blue Note Records, his fourth recorded as a leader. It was recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on November 30, 1964. Featuring Henderson along with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Bob Cranshaw.
Page One is the debut album by American jazz tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, recorded and released by Blue Note Records in 1963. Henderson is featured in a group with trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Butch Warren and drummer Pete La Roca. The pieces on the album were written by either Henderson or Dorham, and include two pieces that went on to become jazz standards: Henderson’s "Recorda Me" and Dorham’s "Blue Bossa". All of the musicians are listed on the album's front cover with the exception of Tyner, who is credited as "ETC." due to his being signed to rival Impulse! Records.
Workout is an album by jazz tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley released on the Blue Note label in 1962. It features performances by Mobley, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, guitarist Grant Green, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The album was identified by Scott Yanow in his Allmusic essay "Hard Bop" as one of 17 Essential Hard Bop Recordings. In October 2014, it was released in Japan on SHM-CD, featuring a previously unissued take of "Three Coins in the Fountain".
Blue Spirits is an album by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard released on the Blue Note label. It would be his last studio album for Blue Note, recorded in the 1960s. It features performances by Hubbard, James Spaulding, Joe Henderson, Harold Mabern, Jr., Larry Ridley, Clifford Jarvis, Big Black, Kiane Zawadi, Hank Mobley, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, Pete LaRoca. The CD release added tracks from a 1966 session featuring Hosea Taylor, Herbie Hancock, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones.
I'm Tryin' to Get Home is an album by American trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances by Byrd with a large brass section and vocalists recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label in 1965 as BLP 4188.
Matador is an album by American jazz guitarist Grant Green. It contains performances recorded in 1964 but not released on the Japanese Blue Note label until 1979. It features Green with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Bob Cranshaw. The album was finally reissued in the U.S. on CD in 1990 with one bonus track. It was also reissued on vinyl in 2010, with a different cover.
Solid is an album by American jazz guitarist Grant Green, containing performances recorded in 1964 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1979. McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Bob Cranshaw from Green’s previous session are joined by alto saxophonist James Spaulding and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson.
Street of Dreams is an album by American jazz guitarist Grant Green featuring performances recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label. The street signs featured on the cover photo are at an actual street corner in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. Green is heard with organist Larry Young, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and drummer Elvin Jones.
Gettin' Around is an album by American jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon recorded over two days in May 1965 and released by Blue Note the following year. The CD reissue added two bonus tracks from the same session.
The Kicker is an album by the American jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, recorded in December 1963 for Blue Note but not released on the label until 1999 as a limited edition. A month earlier, the same musicians recorded guitarist Grant Green's album Idle Moments released in 1965.
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