Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue

Holy crap! This is my first jazz guitar album and, well, my jaw just hit the floor
What a guy! I haven't heard anyone play guitar like that. Man, does he have a groove going or what?!

Ahem, now that I've stopped drooling over Kenny's guitar playing...what's the best version of this on CD?

If I understand correctly, there have been 3 issues:
1. Original US issue mastered by Ron McMaster. (Is this OOP?)
2. Original Japan issue, digitally identical to the above (Is this OOP?)
3. Rudy Van Gelder remaster (currently available on yourmusic).

My searches on the forum reveal that the soundstage on the RVG has been significantly narrowed, but on the whole, it sounds quite all right.

Thanks

 

Great album for late night!

If you really want to hear some mind blowing jazz guitar I recommend the following:

Grant Green: Green Street
Wes Montgomery: Full House

You'll be set for life!

 

I'll check 'em out!

 

This was one of two CDs that started me down the road to classic jazz. Be careful--I listened to nothing else for 3 years! (Classic jazz, that is--not just Midnight Blue).

The other CD was Horace Silver's Song for My Father, but if you want other jazz guitar classics, you could do worse than listen to:

Wes Montgomery--Incredible Jazz Guitar & Smokin' at the Half Note
Grant Green--Idle Moments & Search for the New Land

And that's just the beginning...

 

Yes on Green Street!

Also check Green's "Grantstand." I love that version of "My Funny Valentine." Nice and slow, like it should be...

Midnight Blue is just a great, great album. I recently picked up the Classic Records Mono reissue. It's just incredible...

Ahh...the joys of discovery...

 

I have the RVG version of Midnight Blue and it sounds fine to me. I don't know about the "narrowing" of the stereo issue....its' funny---people complain about wide stereo being narrowed, then they complain about old stereo mixes that are too wide and gimmicky. You really can't win. But along with the other Grant Green recs, I would add "Matador" to the list; there is an incredible version of My Favorite Things on there with McCoyTyner and Elvin Jones.....

 

Check out his work with Jimmy Smith, especially "Back at the Chicken Shack" and "Midnight Special." Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine and Kenny Burrell are one of my favorite jazz combos.

 

Check out the album 7 come 11 by Herb Ellis and Joe Pass on Concord. If you like Kenny Burrell, you'll like this one too.

 

Midnight blue has been released by Classic Records in both Mono and Stereo--i've got the Mono and it's real nice.....great album.

 

If you like this, be sure to check out records made by Jim Hall and Tal Farlow.

 

Search for the New Land has Grant Green on it (in fine form), but is actually a Lee Morgan title.

You got THAT right! Lee Morgan albums are like Lays potato chips: you can't just listen to one!

 

Having done a bunch of comparisons between two Japanese versions, the domestic McMaster and the RVG, my opinion, and it is only an opinion, is the album is much better in the wide Stereo of the Mc Master or the Japanese Blue Note Years comp I have. The wide stereo separation really makes the interplay between the drums and conga come alive in a way that is lost in the narrow stereo versions. Some jazz guitarists are heavy on chops (McLaughlin), some heavy on feel (Grant Green), Kenny has both to spare.

 

9 times out of 10 you'll have the same result with all the RVG's...I just listened to the original BN of Green's BORN TO BE BLUE tonight (essential album, put it on the pile!) and your description of the wide stereo effect is very accurate.

 

Anyone have a link to the McMaster US/Japanese version (they were identical, right?)? Did Ron do the bonus-track issue too? Or did he only do the original non-bonus-track issue?

Thanks for all the great recommendations. Grant Green, Wes & George Benson have been on my "check out" list for a long time. I was listening to Breezin' the other day but I didn't like it too much...Kenny is in another league altogether. I still have to check out Grant & Wes.

 

Get Grant Green's "Idle Moments". Great album, and the sound is one of RVG's better cd versions.

 

Get a hold of KB's "Live At The Vanguard" album.Superb 1959 live album with Richard Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums.It was this album that made me a fan.

 

Is this a good version (of Midnight Blue) to get:

1987, released on blue note for manhatten records out of capital usa, made in Japan. Catalog no. - CDP 7 46399-2 EAN (whatever that is): 0077774639927

This is the Ron McMaster (i.e. non-RVG mastered) US release with two bonus tracks, right? Should I get this?

Thanks

 

That would be it!

Another thumbs up for that Kenny Burrell "At The Vanguard" set. And someone mentioned Jim Hall, too. His "Jim Hall Live" set from mid-70's (I think) is just fantastic.

These are both available in Verve's LPR series. (LP Reproduction series) And they both sound fantastic! (especially the Hall set.)

 

Also check out Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane (Prestige/OJC) from the late 50's.

 

I think my favorite Burrell album is LIVE AT THE FIVE SPOT CAFE. Smokin, smokin set with my hero Tina Brooks on sax and Bobby Timmons on piano for 4 tracks, not to mention Art Blakey drumming. 1959.

 

If you want to check out what Kenny Burrell is up to these days, he's doing his twice a year one week stay at Catalina's in Hollywood in a couple of weeks!!

I hear Kenny live at least 5-6 times a year and I gotta tell you his chops are INTACT and he surrounds himself with some really good young players--he's a prof at UCLA these days.

Kenny at Catalina's

 

Wow, that must be nice...

Say, can anybody recommend or give comments about his Columbia Lp "Weaver of Dreams"? I keep seeing it at this local store and was wondering about it. It's the Classic Records 180 gm, I believe...