Midnight Blue | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | Early May 1963 [1] | |||
Recorded | January 8, 1963 Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 35:39 (original LP) 45:18 (CD reissue) | |||
Label | Blue Note BLP 4123 (mono) BST 84123 (stereo) | |||
Producer | Alfred Lion, Michael Cuscuna, Tom Vasatka | |||
Kenny Burrell chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
Midnight Blue is a 1963 [5] [6] [7] album by jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell featuring Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Major Holley on double bass, Bill English on drums and Ray Barretto on conga, and is one of Burrell's best-known works for Blue Note. [8] Jazz Improv magazine lists the album among its top five recommended recordings for Burrell, indicating that "[i]f you need to know 'the Blue Note sound', here it is". [9] In 2005, NPR included the album in its "Basic Jazz Library", describing it as "one of the great jazzy blues records". [10] The album has been re-issued by Blue Note.
The cover artwork of Elvis Costello's 1981 country album Almost Blue pays homage to the artwork of Midnight Blue. [11] In 2012, musical comedians Three Bonzos And A Piano parodied the album cover on their album Bum Notes . [12]
Except where otherwise noted, all songs composed by Kenny Burrell.
"Chitlins con Carne" is a jazz blues instrumental composed by guitarist Kenny Burrell and first released on his 1963 album Midnight Blue. The original version featured Burrell on guitar, Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Major Holley on bass, Billy Gene English on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas.
The Sugar Man is an album by Stanley Turrentine. The recording is a compilation of four separate dates, each with different conductors, arrangers and other personnel. The album was recorded in 1971 after his successful debut, Sugar for the CTI label, but not released until 1975 after Turrentine had left for Fantasy Records.
Sonny Clark Quintets is an album by jazz pianist Sonny Clark, recorded for the Blue Note label, featuring performances by Clark with two different studio quintets. The first session, from late 1957, featured Clifford Jordan, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers, and Pete LaRoca, and produced three tracks. The LP's remaining two tracks were recorded a few weeks later with group including Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. The three pieces recorded with Burrell and Jordan were originally scheduled to be released on album given the catalog number "BLP 1592". Blue Note decided not to complete the album begun with Jordan and Burrell, and the tracks remained unreleased during Clark's lifetime. In 1976, Blue Note combined these three tracks with two outtakes recorded in early 1958 as part of the session for the Cool Struttin' LP. The resulting LP was released in Japan as Sonny Clark Quintets. The same five pieces were subsequently re-released on a 1983 Japanese LP titled Cool Struttin' Volume 2. Sonny Clark Quintets has been reissued numerous times on compact disc.
Jubilee Shout!!! is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, recorded for the Blue Note label in 1962, but not released until 1986. The selection was originally included on the double LP Jubilee Shouts, together with some tracks later appeared as Comin' Your Way. Said LP, however, omitted some tracks which may be found on the CD editions of both albums.
Never Let Me Go is the eighth album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Turrentine with Shirley Scott, Major Holley, Ray Barretto and Al Harewood, with Sam Jones and Clarence Johnston replacing Holley, Barretto and Harewood on two tracks.
Hustlin' is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Turrentine with Shirley Scott, Kenny Burrell, Bob Cranshaw, and Otis Finch.
Mr. Natural is the twelfth album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, recorded for the Blue Note label in 1964 but not released until 1980 as LT 1075, and performed by Turrentine with Lee Morgan, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, Elvin Jones and Ray Barretto.
Sugar is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, his first recorded for the CTI Records label following his long association with Blue Note, featuring performances by Turrentine with Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Ron Carter, and Billy Kaye with Lonnie Liston Smith added on the title track and Butch Cornell and Richard "Pablo" Landrum on the other two tracks on the original release. The CD rerelease added a live version of the title track recorded at the Hollywood Palladium in 1971.
Pieces of Dreams is an album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, his first recording for the Fantasy label after associations with Blue Note Records and CTI, featuring performances by Turrentine with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Gene Page. The CD rerelease added three additional tracks.
The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vols. 1 & 2 are a pair of separate but related compilation albums by American jazz trombonist J. J. Johnson, recorded over three sessions between 1953 and 1955 and released on Blue Note in 1956.
Afro-Cuban is an album by American jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham, recorded for Blue Note on March 29, 1955 and released later that year on the Blue Note Modern Jazz Series, shortly before the label discontinued the format. It was soon reissued on the new 1500 series, recompiled with a session by an early incarnation of the ensemble, with new cover art.
'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia is a live album by American jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham recorded at the Café Bohemia on May 31, 1956 and released on Blue Note later that year.
Home Cookin' is an album by the American jazz organist Jimmy Smith of performances recorded in 1958 and 1959 and released on the Blue Note label. The album was rereleased on CD with five bonus tracks.
Midnight Special is an album by the American jazz organist Jimmy Smith, recorded in 1960 and released on the Blue Note label. The album was recorded at the same session that produced Back at the Chicken Shack (1960).
Kenny Burrell, also known as Kenny Burrell, Volume 2, is an album by American jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell primarily recorded on March 12, 1956 and released on Blue Note the following year.
Blue Lights, Vols. 1 & 2 are a pair of separate but related albums by American jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell recorded on May 14, 1958 and released by Blue Note later that year.
Freedom is an album by jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell. It was recorded at Van Gelder Studio in 1963–1964, and originally released in Japan by Blue Note Records.
K. B. Blues is an album by guitarist Kenny Burrell recorded in 1957 and originally released on the Japanese Blue Note label in 1979. The tracks were reissued on CD as part of Introducing Kenny Burrell: The First Blue Note Sessions but incorrectly identified as being recorded in 1956.
Bluesy Burrell is an album by guitarist Kenny Burrell with saxophonist Coleman Hawkins recorded in 1962 and originally released on the Moodsville label.
Les McCann Ltd. in New York is a live album by pianist Les McCann recorded in 1961 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.