Blues -- The Common Ground

Performer: Kenny Burrell
Artist: Thad Jones; Jimmy Owens; Snooky Young; Jimmy Cleveland; Urbie Green; Herbie Hancock; Jerome Richardson; Bill Watrous
Engineer: Val Valentin
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Kenny Burrell (guitar); Don Sebesky (arranger, conductor); Jerome Richardson (woodwinds, reeds); Bernie Glow, Thad Jones, Jimmy Nottingham, Jimmy Owens, Ernie Royal, Snooky Young (trumpet); Wayne Andre, Jimmy Cleveland, Paul Faulise, Urbie Green, Tony Studd, Bill Watrous (trombone); Don Butterfield, Harvey Phillips (tuba); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (bass); Donald McDonald, Grady Tate (drums); Johnny Pacheco (percussion). Producer: Esmond Edwards. Reissue producer: Bryan Koniarz. Recorded at A&R Studio, New York, New York on December 15, 1967 and February 12 & 19, 1968. Originally released on Verve (8746). Includes original liner notes by Kenny Burrell and reissue liner notes by Chris Vandercook. Digitally remastered by Kevin Reeves (Universal Mastering Studios-East). When it comes to Kenny Burrell, a title like Blues -- The Common Ground speaks volumes. His approach always keeps in mind the connection of jazz to the blues, infusing his guitar with a soulful, hard bop edge. Recorded in 1967 and 1968, Blues -- The Common Ground finds Burrell backed by lots of brass and wind instruments for most of the album, hardly his usual setting. But his guitar successfully weaves in and out of songs like "Every Day (I Have the Blues)" and "Burning Spear," blending with the band and creating a pleasant balance. Much of this works thanks to arranger Don Sebesky's tasteful settings. Sebesky seems to have an instinctive grasp of when to sit on the band and when to let it fly loose. There's the late-night, gentle feel of "Angel Eyes," and the more animated setup on the title cut. The only time this doesn't work is on pieces like "The Preacher" and "See See Rider," where the upbeat horns and shrill flutes remind one of a "groovy" soundtrack from a bad '60s movie. It's also interesting to note that the album's unusual song choices, like "Everydays" by Stephen Stills, do find common ground in the blues. There's a beautiful, short solo piece, "Were You There?," and two quartet pieces, "Sausalito Nights" and "Soulful Brothers." Blues -- The Common Ground holds up well, and the 2001 reissue offers Burrell fans a cleaned-up version of this fine album. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

Q (1/02, p.115) - 4 out of 5 stars - "...built on a foundation of the blues....the big band...benefits from Herbie hancock's piano....includes pure blues...bunky blues...and a handful of blue-ish standards..."

Detroit guitarist Kenny Burrell is one of the most influential guitar players in jazz. He started out performing with Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, and even Benny Goodman in the 1950s. Under his own name, he released some important collaborative efforts with John Coltrane and Jimmy Smith. Throughout the '60s, with such albums as the iconic MIDNIGHT BLUE, he helped define the modern concept of jazz guitar, and continued to explore the style for decades to come.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25