In celebration of the 80th anniversary of Blue Note Records in 2019, the Classic Series presents affordable, high-quality reissues in standard packaging that are mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal Media in Germany. The pressings are all-analog whenever an analog source is available, with Gray cutting directly from the Original Master Tapes.

• Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series
• LP 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl
• All Analog Mastering
• Cut from the Original Master Tapes
• Cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
• Pressed at Optimal Media in Germany

The Classic Vinyl Reissue Series is the continuation of our acclaimed Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series, which was created in celebration of the 80th anniversary of Blue Note Records in 2019. The series presents affordable, high-quality reissues in standard packaging that are mastered by Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio and manufactured on 180g vinyl at Optimal Media in Germany. The pressings are all-analog whenever an analog source is available, with Gray mastering directly from the original master tapes. Blue Note Records has recorded the legends of Jazz and has traced the entire evolution of the music from the early days of Boogie Woogie, Hot Jazz and Swing, through the innovations of Bebop, Hard Bop, Post-Bop, Soul Jazz, Avant-Garde, and 70s Fusion, and into the vibrant sounds of Jazz’s many modern-day incarnations. The Classic Vinyl Series is curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman and is broad in its scope. The series reissues the best-known Blue Note classics from the 1950s and 60s, but also goes deeper, exploring the many different eras and styles of the legendary label’s eight-decade history with the aim of telling our story and fully representing the Blue Note motto: The Finest In Jazz Since 1939.

Guitarist Grant Green was prolific on Blue Note through the early-60s recording more than 20 hard bop and soul jazz sessions as a leader forthe label between1961-1965. By the time Green returned to the label in 1969 his musical style had evolved to wholly embrace jazz-funk as first heard on his album Carryin’ On. As the decade turned to 1970, Green was in back in Van Gelder Studio that January to record his vibrant album Green Is Beautiful, which remains one of the highlights of the era with the guitarist joined by Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor saxophone, Emmanuel Riggins and Neal Creque on organ, Jimmy Lewis on bass, Idris Muhammad on drums, Candido Camero on congas, and Richie Landrum on bongos. Throughout Green’s distinctive tone shines on this grooving 5-song set that opens with a 10-minute funk workout on James Brown’s “Ain’t It Funky Now” and includes covers of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” and Burt Bacharach’s “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” as well as two memorable originals by Creque: “The Windjammer” and “Dracula.”

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Musicians:

Blue Mitchell - trumpet
Claude Bartee - tenor sax
Emanuel Riggins - organ
Earl Neal Creque - organ (on "The Windjammer")
Grant Green - guitar
Jimmy Lewis - Fender bass
Idris Muhammad - drums
Candido Camero - conga
Richard Lendrum - bongo

Track Listing:

A1: Ain't It Funky Now
A2: A Day In The Life
A3: The Windjammer
B1: I'll Never Fall In Love Again
B2: Dracula

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫