Thelonious Monk: 'Round Midnight: Complete Blue Note Singles (1947-1952)

Billy Smith | Max Roach | Thelonious Monk | Nelson Boyd | Kenny Dorham | Gene Ramey | Robert Paige | Idrees Sulieman | Kenny Hagood | George Taitt

We're told the jukebox was invented in 1890, but it certainly came of age in Depression-era America, and it not...

Reviewed in issue February/2015

John Coltrane and Friends: Sideman: Trane's Blue Note Sessions

Donald Byrd | Wynton Kelly | Curtis Fuller | Pepper Adams | Paul Chambers | Kenny Drew | Sonny Clark | Lee Morgan | Kenny Burrell | John Coltrane

Representing a sensible way of mining the archive and sticking to tried and tested names this compilation contains every note...

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2014/2015

Various Artists: Blue Note: Uncompromising Expression

Celebrating Blue Note's 75th anniversary, this five CD box compiles 75 singles released from its inception in 1939 with Meade...

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2014/2015

Jackie McLean Quintet: Hipnosis

Billy Higgins | Scott Holt | LaMont Johnson | Grachan Moncur III | Jackie McLean

Draconian drug laws haven't done much for the world of art, but they sure helped preserve Jackie McLean's genius for...

Reviewed in issue November/2014

Jason Moran: All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller

Nasheet Waits | Jason Moran | Meshell Ndegeocello | Tarus Mateen

Beginning life on stage as the Fats Waller Dance Party in 2011, when pianist Jason Moran was asked by the...

Reviewed in issue November/2014

Otis Brown III: The Thought Of You

Keyon Harrold | Ben Williams | John Ellis | Nikki Ross | Nir Felder | Shedrick Mitchell | Bilal | Gretchen Parlato | Otis Brown

One of the latest members of the drummer's A-list, Brown has more than proved his worth as a sideman (Lovano,...

Reviewed in issue November/2014

Bobby Hutcherson: Enjoy the View

Billy Hart | Joey DeFrancesco | Bobby Hutcherson | Joey Defrancesco | David Sanborn

It's only right that Hutcherson, who played such an important role in classic experimental albums of the 1960s with the...

Reviewed in issue September/2014

Toshio Matsuura: Hex

Toshio Matsuura | Yoshito ‘P’ Koizumi | Ed Motta | Shikou Ito | Kan Sano | Midorin | Grey Reverend | Yoshie Nakano

Blue Note's unparalleled history as a jazz label tends to obscure the fact that it also excelled at the soulful...

Reviewed in issue August/2014

José James: While You Were Sleeping

José James | Takuya Kuroda | Becca Stevens

Over five impressive solo releases, including a fine duet with pianist Jef Neve, James has given lie to the notion...

Reviewed in issue July/2014

Takuya Kuroda: Rising Son

Solomon Dorsey | José James | Takuya Kuroda | Nate Smith | Lionel Loueke | Corey King | Kris Bowers

If the D'Angelo sub-text was clear on José James' engaging 2012 release No Beginning, No End, then this offering by...

Reviewed in issue May/2014