Midnight Blue (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition)

As far as remastering goes, this is one of the most pleasant listening experiences I've heard recently (although I'm not a hi-tec geek - just a music geek). As far as music goes, this is probably one of the best albums I've recently rated on the amazon... Comparisson to Billie Holiday might seem silly (might even be silly), but I think that Kenny's feeling for the blues is similar to Lady Day's - she sang blueish whatever she sang, and she very rarely sang the blues!

This wonderful blue note album is full of the similar emotion and the similar musical subtlety in at first glance quite simple tunes... If you don't believe me, just listen to the sole standard of the album "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" - a blue-tinged song, not a blues.

Since my feeling for this album is shared by almost every other contributor to this site I'll stop here and give my warm and blue five stars to Burrel, Stanley Turrentine (ts), Major "The Mule" Holley Jr. (b), Bill English (dm) and Ray Barretto who enriches the groove with his congas.

BTW, this beautifuly designed edition feature's new liner notes and the original liner notes written by Leonard Feather. Listen. Enjoy.

This is one of those really cool jazz recordings that, I think, tends to get overlooked. Whatever effect Kenny was trying to achieve by calling it Midnight Blue and then filling it with blues melodies and bluesy jazz tunes has been achieved several times over. As I've said in a number of my reviews, jazz guitar has never been my passion, and although Bill Frisell has done a lot to change that perspective, I must admit I continue to be dispassionate about most jazz guitar work. That's why I'm surprised (pleasantly so) at how much I like this recording. Maybe it's the blues emphasis that does it for me, or maybe it's the solid backing band that Kenny allows to come forward often enough that his guitar isn't bashing you over the head from start to finish. It could also be the cool blows of Stanley Turrentine, the swinging bass of Major "Mule" Holley, or the timelessness of the songs. Whatever, I also find Burrell's guitar not as honky-tonky as Wes Montgomery, and not as mercury-smooth as Frisell, so that Kenny's unique guitar sound in the context of these relatively familiar tunes keeps me at attention. Kenny's solo on Soul Lament is just dripping with blue something, and Chitlins Con Carne isn't a jazz standard for nothing. In short, I think this is a great sounding recording (as most Van Gelder Blue Note remasters are) with a talented band and leader doing a nice selection of classic blues tunes, and I really can't ask for much more in a jazz recording. I recommend this to jazz fans and non-fans alike.

For the coolest of late night straight ahead "classic" jazz trio and combo grooves... this is the CD to grab immediately! Every cut and cat on this disc has something to say and I can't get enough! No wonder Stevie Ray Vaughan dug Kenny! Kick back and listen up! This is one of my all time favorites!

Kenny Burrell`s "Midnight Blue" is surely familiar to every Jazz lover. I found a very interesting aspect of his guitar playing listening to Illinois Jaquet`s recordings from the sixties. Excellent guitar playing, fine nuances, extraordinary emotional "Stimmung"!

If you are in the mood for jazz, get ready to enjoy! The musicians meld their individual skills into a colossal classic!