Blue Note Classic Vinyl 2024 Revealed-Wahoo!

Blue Note Records 85th Anniversary Classic Vinyl: Something For Everyone

Blue Note Records just announced the 2024 lineup in their Classic Series. Blue Note President Don Was and veteran jazz expert/Blue Note exec Cem Kurosman curate Blue Note Classics—an affordable line of all-analog vinyl cut by mastering engineer Kevin Gray and pressed at Optimal. This year's lineup runs the gamut, from never-before-on-wax titles to long-out-of-print gems that will thrill jazz buffs. Pre-order at the Blue Note Store. Here's the Jazz and Coffee augmented list with details on the musicians, recording dates, and notes about each album.

Presenting the Blue Note Classics, Class of 2024!

Apr 19, 2024

Bobby Hutcherson Happenings: Recorded Feb 8, 1966
Featuring Bobby Hutcherson (vibes/marimba), Herbie Hancock (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass), Joe Chambers (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: The Joe Chambers/Bobby Hutcherson pairing never disappoints. Sometimes, their chemistry catalyzes a reaction that makes every scientist in the lab duck under the table, like in the aptly named closing track "The Omen." But boundary-bending compositions take a backseat to Hutcherson’s vibraphone skills, which sometimes fly fast and furious like Hutch was auditioning for a Shaw Brothers film entitled 37th Chamber of Flying Mallets. I love their take on Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" here. It doesn't top the iconic version on Herbie’s album of the same name, but the ethereal tones of Hutch’s vibes blend with the composition's atmosphere FLAWLESSLY. Too bad it fades out as Herbie continues to explore its possibilities—I’d be curious to hear where he went. Those curious about exploring the drumming and compositions of Joe Chambers should read this excellent piece by

Vinnie Sperrazza

Mirrors: Joe Chambers

Herbie Hancock Speak Like a Child: Recorded March 6 & 9, 1968 Featuring Herbie Hancock (piano), Thad Jones (flugelhorn), Ron Carter (bass), Peter Phillips (bass trombone), Jerry Dodgion (alto flute), Mickey Roker (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: Elegant, simple, and DEEP, I hear Speak Like a Child as a jazz score performed by a double trio—a triple brass frontline paints the landscapes as the piano/bass/drum axis discusses and explores the possibilities. This is what this record is all about—possibilities, optimism, and interrogating the positive. It's a beautiful record and one you’ll return to often. Two tracks appear on records with the Miles Davis Second Great Quintet, and it’s always fun to compare/contrast. #nospoilers

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May 17, 2024

Hank Mobley Workout: Recorded Mar 26, 1961
Featuring Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone), Grant Green (guitar), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: This top-shelf Hank Mobley record continues to rise in status as more assess its charms, and more than a couple of respected colleagues now rank it higher than his iconic Soul Station. YMMV, but it’s not a crazy argument—this is the same 60/61 sweet spot that produced both those records and the classic Roll Call. Mobley was also a Miles Davis band member at the time, and some of them joined him on Workout, but this isn’t Hank Mobley Meets the Rhythm Section. Wynton Kelly and Red Garland are very different pianists, and Grant Green's contributions make Workout a whole other bag. Workout also has the infamous liner notes by Leonard Feather referring to Mobley as the “middleweight champion” of the tenor sax. This moniker wasn’t meant to throw shade but ended up haunting Mobley’s reputation (unfairly) until the end of his days. The front cover artwork doesn’t make a great motivational poster for hittin’ the gym between drags of your cigarette or sips of a beer, but don’t skip leg day when Workout hits your favorite record store—you NEED this record in your collection.

Stanley Turrentine w/The 3 Sounds Blue Hour: Recorded Dec 16, 1960
Featuring Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone), Gene Harris (piano), Andrew Simpkins (bass), Bill Dowdy (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: When the blues comes calling with his calling card (h/t Rory Gallager), this is the music you need. When nighttime is when your thoughts come together, this is your soundtrack. If whatever is troubling you feels insurmountable and nobody can understand, I assure you—Stanley Turrentine and The Three Sounds understand. And they’re here for you. This album is one of my favorite late-night records and a superb choice for spinning when you’ve got guests who think they’re "just not that into jazz."

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Jun 21, 2024 (these titles are DIGITALLY sourced)

Aaron Parks Invisible Cinema: Recorded Jan 20-22, 2008
Featuring Aaron Parks (piano, keyboards), Eric Harland (drums), Matt Penman (bass)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: I was working for EMI when this record came out, and I still have the advance CD (remember those?) kicking around here somewhere. In full disclosure, while I remember spinning it a few times, it didn’t make an impression on me. I filed it away, haven’t played it since, and don’t know the music. I see this as great news—there are a lot of records Blue Note could have chosen, and there’s a reason they picked this Aaron Parks record. So now I’m REALLY curious.

Jason Moran TEN: Recorded 2010
Featuring Jason Moran (piano), Tarus Mateen (bass), Nasheet Waits (drums), Jonas & Malcolm Moran (vocals on “Old Babies”)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: This one was introduced to me courtesy of my Roon music system. After going on an Andrew Hill bender for a few days (as one does), Roon started serving several recommended playlists, some based on similar artists, others of artists covering Hill compositions, and others on pianists like Monk and Herbie Nichols. Once the track "Play to Live" got on my radar, the album was a click away. Score one for Roon and the digital music collection, though I want to hear what the vinyl format brings to the equation. Here at Jazz and Coffee HQ, we enjoy the facets of both analog AND digital.

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Jul 19, 2024

Thad Jones The Magnificent Thad Jones: Recorded Jul 14, 1956
Featuring Thad Jones (trumpet), Max Roach (drums), Billy Mitchell (tenor saxophone), Barry Harris (piano), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Percy Heath (bass)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: This album proves it's not hyperbole if it's true, and marketing counts! In other words, it's no mystery why nobody takes selfies at the Pretty Good Wall of China. Recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder had himself a time with this recording—among my favorite examples of the heights his genius could reach. If Thad Jones doesn’t melt your heart with "April in Paris," you probably need to get one installed. Fun fact: Thad is the middle child of a jazz-oriented family—his older brother is pianist Hank, and his younger brother is drummer Elvin.

Clifford Jordan Cliff Craft: Recorded Nov 10, 1957
Featuring Clifford Jordan (tenor saxophone), Art Farmer (trumpet), Sonny Clark (piano), George Tucker (bass), Louis Hayes (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: Jordan is all smiles leading this hard-bop session, but get it for the pairing of Art Farmer and Sonny Clark. Those two make every dinner party memorable. A little slice of hard-bop heaven!

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Aug 16, 2024

Lee Morgan The Gigolo: Recorded Jun 25 & Jul 1, 1965
Featuring Lee Morgan (trumpet), Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Harold Mabern (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: I've never met a Lee Morgan album I didn’t like. Morgan's prolific Blue Note run has so many outstanding records that a title or two inevitably flies under the radar like The Gigolo. Recorded between The Rumproller and Cornbread, The Gigolo didn’t appear in stores until the middle of 1968, and it’s been in a spiral of decreasing availability since. If the lineup doesn’t already have you pummeling that pre-order button like Mike Tyson after a quad espresso, wait until you hear the title track. Morgan’s trumpet solo during this modal workout is a BEAST—a hall-of-famer I'll play on repeat until the referee blows the whistle.

Wayne Shorter JuJu: Recorded Aug 3, 1964
Featuring Wayne Shorter (tenor & soprano sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), Reggie Workman (bass), Elvin Jones (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: Wayne Shorter's roar in 1964 was mighty. He recorded three albums with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, jumped ship from that band to join Miles Davis, and completed the Second Great Quintet lineup. He also toured, wrote 24(!!!) new compositions, and did several sessions as a sideman. However, his trio of records as a leader for Blue Note stands out in a year of the outstanding, and with this reissue of JuJu, that trio is now complete in the Blue Note Classics series. All three of the ‘64 LPs are essential. Night Dreamer was Wayne's Blue Note debut, showcasing the hard-bop mastery he advanced with the Jazz Messengers. Wayne's Christmas Eve ‘64 session—Speak No Evil—leaned into the freebop potential of his new gig with the Miles Davis Quintet. The middle child is JuJu, a homage to friend and mentor John Coltrane, recorded with Trane's rhythm section, showcasing a shift from the advanced hard-bop quintet format to a modal-driven quartet. While Trane’s spirit is never far, Shorter’s unique compositional logic and playing style keep things distinct. Elvin Jones delivers a superhuman performance here—the title track alone makes me wonder exactly where he’s been hiding his extra limbs. There’s a great Substack post from

Ted Gioia

covering Wayne's compositional excellence here:

How Wayne Shorter Transformed Jazz Composition in the 1960s

You'll hear what I mean about Elvin Jones here:

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Sept 20, 2024

Jutta Hipp – At The Hickory House, Vol. 1: Recorded Apr 5, 1956
Featuring Jutta Hipp (piano), Peter Ind (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: I look forward to a world where the tale of how Jutta Hipp was disrespected, bullied, discriminated against, abused, ignored, and treated like total shit by every man in her personal and professional life is as well-known as other legendary jazz stories. The real-life experiences of Jutta Hipp consist of homelessness, malnutrition, public humiliation, mental health issues, and alcoholism—ultimately leading to her disappearance from jazz. Her obituary says, “she turned her back on jazz.” I beg to differ—the world turned its back on Jutta Hipp. Her genius remains underappreciated, so this release is welcome on all levels. Mainly because her piano playing swings with a vengeance!

Gene Harris and The Three Sounds Live at the ‘It Club’: 3/6/70
Featuring Gene Harris (piano), Henry “The Skipper” Franklin (bass), Carl Burnett (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: This is another new one to my ears, but I look forward to any session featuring bassist Henry Franklin!

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Oct 18, 2024

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers A Night In Tunisia: Recorded Aug 7 & 14, 1960
Featuring Art Blakey (drums), Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: Art Blakey was the drill sergeant of a hard-bop boot camp that elevated already excellent players to extraordinary artists, making the Jazz Messengers among the most successful talent incubators in the history of jazz. Dizzy Gillespie's “A Night in Tunisia” has been covered many times, and this lineup takes it to Swingtown like no other. Morgan's “Yama” and Shorter’s “Sincerely Diana” are two other highlights on an album filled with highlights. Turn up the volume: you can also hear Blakey pushing everyone in the band to stretch their musicianship to capacity and beyond, shouting encouragement and driving the intensity of the performance or acknowledging a well-executed solo.

Donald Byrd Royal Flush: Recorded Sept 21, 1961
Featuring Donald Byrd (trumpet), Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Butch Warren (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: This is Byrd's last go-round with his baritone sax foil Pepper Adams, but his first with—and a Blue Note debut for—Herbie Hancock on piano, as Byrd was one of Herbie's earliest supporters and mentors. Four solid Byrd compositions dominate the record, and Hancock contributes “Requiem,” but my favorite tune is the standard “I’m a Fool To Want You.” If that tune doesn’t make you want to call a loved one, commit a random act of kindness, or adopt a puppy, you don't need better speakers or a new turntable—you need either a defibrillator or an undertaker.

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Nov 15, 2024

Dexter Gordon – Gettin’ Around: Recorded May 28-29, 1965
Featuring Dexter Gordon (tenor sax), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), Barry Harris (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: I dig this record because of what it says about Dexter Gordon's artistry and headspace at the time. Note that all the bicycles on the cover face the same direction except for the one Gordon is riding. Then notice how Long, Tall Dex's 6'6" tall frame is placed in the bottom right corner, leaving an enormous space. Neither of these things are accidental. At this point in Dexter Gordon's career, his mid-60s Blue Note renaissance was concluding, and he had relocated to Europe. He completed one cycle (see what I did there?) and began another. The cover art represents Dex moving in his own direction regardless of where everyone else might be going, and happily so—a subtle metaphor for fleeing the United States for Europe, where both the music business and everyday life were less burdened by artistic commercialism and the institutional racism that was increasingly crushing his spirit. The open space on the jacket speaks to the possibilities before him—having rebooted his career at Blue Note with a series of excellent records, Dex was back!

Duke Pearson Wahoo!: Recorded Nov 21, 1964
Featuring Duke Pearson (piano), Joe Henderson (tenor sax), James Spaulding (alto sax/flute), Donald Byrd (trumpet), Bob Cranshaw (bass), Mickey Roker (drums)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: The Case of the Missing Mastertape remained unsolved for decades by Harriet the Spy, Cam Jansen, Nancy Drew, and Sherlock Holmes. Probably because it wasn’t much of a mystery—the master tapes for Wahoo! were put in the wrong box. Music Matters discovered the goof while vault spelunking for their 2016 SRX Series, making Wahoo! (somehow) even scarcer! Let the celebration commence—Duke Pearson’s finest hour will again be available to all on vinyl. Wahoo! swings with hip sophistication, infectious grooves, and killer musicianship. My favorite track here is “Bedouin,” and it’s fun to compare and contrast it with the versions found on Bobby Hutcherson's The Kicker (less dark, and the presence of vibes shifts the tonal center) and Grant Green's Matador (more exploratory in the context of a smaller combo), though all three are wildly enjoyable. Fun fact: the title track hides on Stanley Turrentine's Mr. Natural as "Stanley's Blues."

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Dec 13, 2024

Lonnie Smith Drives: Recorded Jan 2, 1970 
Featuring Lonnie Smith (organ), Larry McGee (guitar), Ronnie Cuber (baritone sax), Dave Hubbard (tenor sax), Joe Dukes (drums)

Jazz and Coffee notes: Drives is synonymous with the expression “rare grooves.” Are you not familiar with this one? You might be, just not consciously. A Tribe Called Quest, The Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, The Brand New Heavies, Wu-Tang, Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, and dozens of others have made the “Spinning Wheel” drum sample iconic. But even if you’re not a hip-hop connoisseur, Drives is irresistible. Come for the accessible approach, but stay for the killer musicianship and relentless grooves. Most of all, marvel at the drumming of Joe Dukes.

Grant Green Visions Recorded May 12, 1971
Featuring Grant Green (guitar), Chuck Rainey (bass), Billy Wooten (vibes), Emmanuel Riggins (electric piano), Idris Muhammad & Harold Caldwell (drums), Ray Armando (conga)

Jazz and Coffee Notes: Hit the Rhodes, Jack. If electric piano is your thing, this record will scratch that itch. While indeed of its era—I almost expect Huggy Bear to strut into my living room to hip me to where the big drug deal will go down—Visions manages to avoid most obvious cliches. Most. It does take the exit ramp towards a more commercial sound and, at times, teeters on the edge of the cheese section at your local Food Emporium. Yet it never tumbles over, and as a source of cool grooves and breakbeats, Visions is another treasure trove for crate diggers and sample hunters. Just ask Kendrick Lamar.

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