Blue Mitchell - 1958 - Big 6

Blue Mitchell

1958 

Big 6

01. Blues March
02. Big Six
03. There Will Never Be Another You
04. Brother 'Ball
05. Jamph
06. l Sir John
07. Promenade

Bass – Wilbur Ware
Drums – Philly Joe Jones
Piano – Wynton Kelly
Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Griffin
Trombone – Curtis Fuller
Trumpet – Blue Mitchell

Recorded in New York City on July 2 & 3, 1958.

What you have here is a solid brassy sound with great structure and melody with plenty of room for individual expression. "Blues march" is a solid song which begins in a rather pedestrian way but heats up with some fine solos. Cut #2 "big six" is one of the top jazz songs of all time. Solid efforts by all but it is a scintillating solo by griffin that really sparks the rest and wynton kelly really shines here with a taut solo . Another classic number comes from blue himself a swinging tribute to cannonball adderley who recommended blue to orrin keepnews of riversdide leading to his signing and this classic recording. The song features great cord progressions and spitited play by blue as well as eye opening drum flourishes and another great piano solo. Again griffin plays a sizzling stanza of his own. In fact griffin's style is the perfect fire and ice contrast to the lyrical blue.

Each song here is framed by a solid melody with powerful base and drum lines and rich melodic trumpet. This is truly a classic.

Blue Mitchell was a powerful yet lyrical trumpet player with a crystal-clear, bell-like tone. This album, Mitchell's first, recorded in 1958, is an excellent one, and features a top-notch group of New York hard-boppers behind him. One very special thing about the CD is that it contains the first recording of Benny Golson's masterful BLUES MARCH, done 3 months before the famous (and definitive) Art Blakey recording of it with Golson present. This lengthy version (10+ minutes) is taken a bit slower and features impressive Johnny Griffin on tenor sax, who takes a very emotional solo. Also good is BROTHER 'BALL, dedicated to Cannonball Adderley, which has a very attractive theme and excellent Mitchell. So too is the blues piece SIR JOHN, which is a-b-c formatted, and has a terrific Griffin tenor solo. Curtis Fuller is also present on trombone, and the rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Wilbur Ware, and Philly Joe Jones is as solid as could be. This was an auspicious debut album for Blue and one that will give listening pleasure to all hard-bop fans.