CD1
Grant Green As Leader
Grant
’
s First Stand
1. Miss Ann’s Tempo
2. Blues For Willarene
Grant Green - Guitar
“Baby Face” Willette - Organ
Ben Dixon - Drums
Green Street
3. Green With Envy
Grant Green - Guitar
Ben Tucker - Bass
Dave Bailey - Drums
Sunday Mornin
’
4. God Bless The Child
5. Come Sunrise
6. So What
Grant Green - Guitar
Kenny Drew - Piano
Ben Tucker - Bass
Ben Dixon - Drums
Grantstand
7. Blues In Maude’s Flat
8. Grantstand
9. Old Folks
Grant Green - Guitar
Yusef Lateef - Tenor sax, flute
Jack McDuff - Organ
Al Harewood - Drums
The Latin Bit
10. Mambo Inn
Grant Green - Guitar
Johnny Acea - Piano
Wendell Marshall - Bass
Willie Bobo - Drums
Carlos “Potato” Valdes - Conga
Carvin Masseaux - Chekeré
CD2
Grant Green As Featured Session Guitarist
Jimmy Forrest Quintet
1. All The Gin Is Gone
Jimmy Forrest - Tenor sax
Harold Mabern - Piano
Grant Green - Guitar
Gene Ramey - Bass
Elvin Jones – Drums
Sam Lazar Quartet
2. Space Flight
Sam Lazar - Organ
Grant Green - Guitar
Willie Dixon - Bass
Chauncey Williams - Drums
Brother Jack McDuff Quartet
3. Mr. Lucky
Jack McDuff - Organ
Jimmy Forrest - Tenor sax
Grant Green - Guitar
Ben Dixon - Drums
Stanley Turrentine Quintet
4. Yesterdays
Stanley Turrentine - Tenor sax
Horace Parlan - Piano
Grant Green - Guitar
George Tucker - Bass
Al Harewood - Drums
Dave Bailey Quintet
5. Reaching Out
Dave Bailey - Drums
Frank Haynes - Tenor sax
Billy Gardner - Piano
Grant Green - Guitar
Ben Tucker - Bass
Hank Mobley Quintet
6. Uh Huh
Hank Mobley - Tenor sax
Wynton Kelly - Piano
Grant Green - Guitar
Paul Chambers - Bass
Philly Joe Jones - Drums
“
Baby Face
”
Willette Trio
7. Willow Weep For Me
“Baby Face “ Willette - Organ
Grant Green - Guitar
Ben Dixon - Drums
Sonny Red Quintet
8. The Mode
Sonny Red - Alto sax
Barry Harris - Piano
Grant Green - Guitar
George Tucker - Bass
Jimmy Cobb - Drums
Ike Quebec Quartet
9. Minor Impulse
Ike Quebec - Tenor sax
Grant Green - Guitar
Paul Chambers - Bass
Philly Joe Jones - Drums
Joe Carroll
10. Get Your Kicks On Route 66
11. Have You Got a Penny Benny
Joe Carroll - Vocals
Connie Lester - Tenor sax
Ray Bryant - Piano
Specs Williams - Organ
Grant Green - Guitar
Lee Ausley - Drums
Lou Donaldson Quintet
12. Funky Mama
Tommy Turrentine - Trumpet
Lou Donaldson - Alto sax
“Big” John Patton - Organ
Grant Green - Guitar
Ben Dixon - Drums
In the 1950s and 60s, there were several guitarists who gained recognition as innovators, or leading voices on their instrument. At the top of the list was
Wes Montgomery, closely followed by Kenny Burrell. Working in their shadow was Grant Green who, for one reason or another, failed to gain the traction that
should have come his way. Green was a hard-bop swinger, with an identifiable single-note style. For a period in the early 1960s, he recorded prodigiously
for Blue Note Records, either under his own name or as a sideman. This 2-CD set captures Green during this period where his talent was on display, either
building a solo or pushing the melody-line with his fleet-finger style.
Cherry Red Records has done a commendable job in separating these two facets of Green’s career by devoting one CD to each aspect. In addition they have
provided very comprehensive insert notes that give details on the recording dates, along with background information on the players on the sessions. In CD1, the albums chosen to feature Grant Green as leader were not necessarily representative of Green’s best work during that period. There
were better titles such as Born To Be Blue, recorded in 1962 with tenor man Ike Quebec and pianist Sonny Clark, but which was not released until
1985, and Nigeria, recorded in 1962 with pianist Sonny Clark, and this one was not released until 1980. Thus they may not have been available due
to copyright reasons. Nevertheless, Green’s capability as a soloist at this time was well defined by his horn-like playing. In his first release as a
leader entitled Grant’s First Stand, he found his comfort level with organist “Baby Face” Willette in a trio setting. The track Miss Ann’s Tempo is a swinger that is perfectly suited to showcase Grant’s digital dexterity, as he dances up and down the
fretboard with abandon.
The Miles Davis composition So What has Green in a quartet with pianist Kenny Drew along with bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Ben Dixon. The number
works well for the group, as the two main principals have extended solos, with Drew’s astute single-note meanderings giving Green the inspiration to
demonstrate his robust and unimpeded style. Another quartet session has Yusef Lateef on tenor sax, Jack McDuff on organ, Al Harewood on drums in addition
to Green. On Blues In Maude’s Flat, which comes in at fifteen-plus minutes like a late night jam session, the band stretches out
with Lateef’s big-toned tenor sax galvanizing the proceedings. McDuff who is a soulful sounding organist, lays down a solid groove, and pushes Green to
take inspiration from the power of the music.
CD2
is devoted to Grant Green as a session guitarist. While it is an eclectic potpourri of groups with whom Green played, there are a number of tracks that
really hum along and give him a chance to show his mettle. All The Gin Is Gone with the Jimmy Forrest Quintet, is Green’s debut as a recording
artist. Although it is a blowing number principally designed for the tenor saxophone of Forrest, the fast, clipped, staccato style that Green modelled
after Charlie Christian is fully evident. Yesterdays is taken from a live recording done at Minton’s Playhouse in New York City by the Stanley
Turrentine Quintet. In addition to Turrentine’s tenor sax, Horace Parlan is on piano, and thus Green had to be in top form to have his say in the group. He
does make the best of his brief solo space.
The stellar rhythm section of pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones makes the work of tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley and
guitarist Green effortless on the track Un Huh by the Hank Mobley Quintet. Opening with some unison playing between Mobley and Green, this sets
the stage for a long solo by Mobley although there are some tenor squeaks along the way. Green continues in his Charlie Christian mode, but nevertheless
proceeds to demonstrate his solid technique. Kelly is a bop-styled pianist who is effortlessly captivating in his lengthy solo. All in all, whether Grant
Green was playing in a straight-ahead group such as the Ike Quebec Quartet, or getting down-home funky with a soul oriented Lou Donaldson Quintet, his
guitar work stands out for its thoughtful flexibility.
Although Grant Green’s career was interrupted in the late 60s due to drug problems, and ultimately was cut short by a heart attack at 43 on January 31,
1979, he was a guitarist who rarely played a useless note, never took the easy route, and had a natural melodic sense.
Pierre Giroux
CD Reviews
Cherry Red ACMEMD 265 CD
