1. Blue and Sentimental
2. Minor Impulse
3. Don’t Take your Love from Me
4. Blues for Charlie
5. Like
6. Count Every Star
7. That Old Black Magic
8. It’s Alright with Me
Ike Quebec – Tenor sax
Grant Green – Guitar
Paul Chambers – Bass
Philly Joe Jones – Drums
Ike Quebec recorded for Blue
Note from 1944 to a few weeks before his death
in January 1963. He also introduced the owners
of the label to many musicians and acted as
studio co-ordinator for many of their recording
sessions.
Quebec’s style is melodic,
big-toned tenor saxophone; his improvisations
melodically-based and easy to enjoy and understand.
There was a fluent warmth about his playing
that was guaranteed to be an audience-pleaser
on a broad basis. He was not a "flashy show-off",
but a man who knew what the tenor sax should
sound like and had the "ear" to provide interesting
melodic variations on the original chord sequence.
In other words he knew what jazz should be
about. Obviously heavily influenced by Coleman
Hawkins, Ike Quebec listed Ben Webster and
Stan Getz as two of his other favourites.
(The man obviously had excellent taste!)
The rhythm section here is
absolutely ideal for this style of tenor playing,
Grant Green’s guitar is sparse when comping
behind Quebec, but melodic in his solos. Paul
Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums,
were two of the very best around in 1961 when
this recording was made.
The programme selection is
a nice mixture of the blues, original compositions
from both Green and Quebec, and some very
well-played standards.
This is my kind of music,
highly recommended!
Don Mather
CD Reviews
Blue Note 93184
