VA • Blue Note Blend

Review by Alex Henderson

If you wandered into Starbucks Coffee in 1995 and heard a Blue Note recording playing in the background, it was no coincidence. In the mid-'90s, Starbucks and Blue Note/Capitol had an arrangement -- Blue Note plugged Starbucks, and Starbucks plugged Blue Note. That arrangement resulted in various Blue Note compilations; assembled in 1995, this one was the first. Blue Note Blend, Vol. 1 could have been titled "Jazz Basics" because its main focus is some of the better-known jazz recordings of the '50s and '60s. Blue Note Blend, Vol. 1 was not assembled with hardcore jazz collectors in mind; the target audience is Starbucks patrons who have a casual interest in jazz and need to start out with the basics. Except for US3's "Cantaloop" -- a dance/hip-hop instrumental that, in 1993, sampled Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" -- this CD focuses on the '50s and '60s, and listeners get a rewarding dose of introductory Blue Note 101 with gems like Horace Silver's "Song for My Father," Thelonious Monk's "Straight, No Chaser," and John Coltrane's "Blue Train." About half the selections, however, did not come out on Blue Note originally -- they were recorded for Pacific Jazz, Roulette, or Capitol itself. In the '80s, Blue Note/Capitol had acquired the Pacific Jazz and Roulette catalogs, which explains the presence of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington's 1961 version of "Duke's Place" and Chet Baker's definitive 1955 performance of "Let's Get Lost." Neither of those treasures were actually recorded for Blue Note, although they were the property of Blue Note/Capitol when Blue Note Blend was assembled in 1995. But if Blue Note Blend takes liberties, they're good liberties. Regrettably, Blue Note doesn't provide exact recording dates or list all of the musicians and producers, which is inexcusable. Nonetheless, most of the selections are first-rate.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-note-blend-vol-1-mw0001235036

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Reseña de Alex Henderson

Si te adentraste en Starbucks Coffee en 1995 y escuchaste una grabación de Blue Note en el fondo, no fue una coincidencia. A mediados de los 90, Starbucks y Blue Note/Capitol tenían un acuerdo: Blue Note enchufó Starbucks y Starbucks enchufó Blue Note. Ese arreglo dio lugar a varias compilaciones de la Nota Azul; reunidas en 1995, ésta fue la primera. Blue Note Blend, Vol. 1 podría haberse titulado "Jazz Basics" porque su enfoque principal son algunas de las grabaciones de jazz más conocidas de los años 50 y 60. Blue Note Blend, Vol. 1 no fue montado con los coleccionistas de jazz hardcore en mente; el público objetivo son los clientes de Starbucks que tienen un interés casual en el jazz y necesitan empezar con lo básico. Excepto por el "Cantaloop" de US3 -- un instrumento de danza/hip-hop que, en 1993, sampleó el "Cantaloupe Island" de Herbie Hancock -- este CD se enfoca en los'50s y'60s, y los oyentes reciben una dosis gratificante de la introducción de Blue Note 101 con gemas como "Song for My Father" (Canción para mi padre) de Horace Silver, "Straight, No Chaser" (Heterosexual, sin chasquidos) de Thelonious Monk, y "Blue Train" (Tren azul) de John Coltrane. Sin embargo, cerca de la mitad de las selecciones no salieron en Blue Note originalmente -- fueron grabadas para Pacific Jazz, Roulette, o el Capitolio mismo. En los años 80, Blue Note/Capitol había adquirido los catálogos de Pacific Jazz y Roulette, lo que explica la presencia de la versión de 1961 de "Duke's Place" de Louis Armstrong y Duke Ellington y la interpretación definitiva de "Let's Get Lost" de Chet Baker en 1955. Ninguno de esos tesoros se registró para Blue Note, aunque eran propiedad de Blue Note/Capitol cuando se ensambló Blue Note Blend en 1995. Pero si Blue Note Blend se toma libertades, son buenas libertades. Lamentablemente, Blue Note no proporciona fechas exactas de grabación ni una lista de todos los músicos y productores, lo cual es inexcusable. Sin embargo, la mayoría de las selecciones son de primera clase.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-note-blend-vol-1-mw0001235036


Tracks:
1 - Nat King Cole - I Get A Kick Out Of You (3:21)
2 - Sarah Vaughan - You Stepped Out Of A Dream (2:17)
3 - Count Basie - Lullaby Of Birdland (4:44)
4 - Dexter Gordon - Le Coiffeur (6:57)
5 - Chet Baker - Let's Get Lost (3:41)
6 - Thelonious Monk - Straight No Chaser (2:54)
7 - John Coltrane - Blue Train (10:40)
8 - Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington - Duke's Place (5:03)
9 - Horace Silver - Song For My Father (7:16)
10 - Billie Holiday - Detour Ahead (3:01)
11 - Art Pepper & Chet Baker - Minor Yours (6:40)
12 - Cannonball Adderley - Autumn Leaves (10:57)
13 - Us3 - Cantaloop (3:14)


Executive producers: Harry Roberts & Bruce Lundvall
Compilation produced by Timothy Jones & Tom Evered




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