A seminal date that shows Griffin’s speed, technique, and power. ~ Ron Wynn

The great tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin is heard in top form on this near-classic quartet set. Assisted by pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Kenny Dennis, Griffin is exuberant on “The Congregation” (which is reminiscent of Horace Silver’s “The Preacher”), thoughtful on the ballads, and swinging throughout….

Like swing guitarist Charlie Christian, Clifford Brown was incredibly influential for someone who died so young. The Fats Navarro-minded trumpeter was only 25 when a car accident claimed his life in 1956, but his influence remained long after his death — Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Donald Byrd,…

Of the collections of Elmo Hope’s ’50s recordings, Trio and Quintet is the one to get. It includes his prime Blue Note sessions and features a stellar cast of hard bop musicians including Art Blakey, Frank Foster, Philly Joe Jones, and Harold Land. The majority of the tunes are…

Two Bones is an album by American trombonist Curtis Fuller recorded in 1958 but not released until the Japanese King Records label issued it in 1979 under license. The session (plus additional alternate takes) was finally released in the U.S. as part of the Mosaic Records box set The Complete Blue Note/UA Curtis Fuller Sessions in 1996.

Curtis Fuller emerged during the 1950s as a leading hard bop trombonist. A native of Detroit, Fuller was initially inspired by hearing J.J. Johnson, who became a mentor for the young musician. This recording was completed only weeks before Fuller went into the studio to record John Coltrane’s Blue Trane. The session is unique in its pairing…

The Opener is trombonist Curtis Fuller’s first album for Blue Note and it is a thoroughly impressive affair. Working with a quintet featuring tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, Fuller runs through a set of three standards — “A Lovely Way…

Trombonist Curtis Fuller settled in New York in April of 1957, after working for several years in his native Detroit. Volume 3 pairs him with trumpeter Art Farmer, along with a buoyant rhythm section comprising Sonny Clark (who also relocated to N.Y.C. in April ’57), George Tucker and Louis…

All of the music on this single CD was formerly out on a now out of print Mosaic box set from the LP era. Three of clarinetist Edmond Hall’s four Blue Note dates are reissued in full on this 1998 CD, including all of the alternate takes; the fourth…

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