This is a follow-up to my "gushing" post about Rachelle Ferrell.

She records for Blue Note, unquestionably my favorite label.

Anyone else into the label and the artists signed with them?

It's the "light on" for jazz purists.

What about you?

Russ

Somehow, I think I'm in a minority here, too.

I had all Jimmy Smith's Blue Note albums from the sixties. Some, for whatever stupid dumb reason, I sold. Others, I just plain wore out. What masterful, simple recordings they were. Rudy van Gelder had that touch.

I had a couple of JS's Verve recordings as well, mainly with a big band.

In it's time VERVE was "da bomb". Believe it was acquired by a Japanese company; is still around, but even more obscure.

My favorite all time Blue Note (or Verve) album was Dynamic Duo, by Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery.

Russ

Got to play several Dynamic Duo numbers with Jimmy Smith at the WNOP(small Cincinnati Radio Station) outdoor Jazz festival in the late 70's. He and James Moody just got off the plane from a tour of Japan. I was impressed at what a master of pedals he was. Toy only think of him as a left hand "walking" player, but that man could tear up ballads with beautiful chord inversions and intricate pedal bass lines.

Live, James Moody's vocals were off the chart. He was so short, standing up, he was exactly as tall as Smith was sitting down.

GOOD MEMORY!

Russ