Grant Green
Green Street (771856 LP)
Green Street
Grant Green
Waxtime
8436542013116
LPS 136665
771856 LP
JAZZ
1
Green Street
INCLUDES 1 BONUS TRACK
Unlike most of Grant Green’s many trio albums, Green Street, which was his second LP as a leader following Grant’s First Stand (taped on January 28, 1961), didn’t make use of the organ or the piano, consisting instead of guitar-bass-drums format. Backed by such subtle players as Ben Tucker and Dave Bailey, Green could showcase his talents with no inhibition, making this one of the most remarkable works of his whole career. Green’s popularity in this early period of his career is attested by the fact that, between the recording of his first and second albums (recorded in the short lapse from January 28 to April 1, 1961), he participated on six more albums by other leaders: Baby Face Willette’s Face to Face, Brother Jack McDuff’s The Honeydripper, Stanley Turrentine’s Up at Minton’s, Dave Bailey’s Reaching Out (Green’s first recording with Tucker and Bailey; our three bonus tracks are takes from the sessions of this album not used on the original LP), a Kenny
Dorham date which was rejected and never released, and Hank Mobley’s Workout.
While Tucker and Green never recorded together on any other occasions except the aforementioned two, there’s a third collaboration between the guitarist and Dave Bailey, which precedes both Reaching Out and Green Street: the Lou Donaldson LP Here ‘Tis, recorded on January 23, 1961.
4 STARS DOWN BEAT original review: GREEN STREET:: “Green, who had to fight his way through a muffling organ accompaniment on his first Blue Note disc, emerges unfettered in this set and shows an attack that stems from Charlie Christian –the effortless rolling pulsation and the shifty, off-balance phrasing–without betraying him as simply a Christian imitator. Although the set is thoroughly unpretentious, it has tremendous vitality and drive without indulging in any ostentatious hard-breathing. This alone constitutes news in these soul-ridden days.” (John S. Wilson)
4 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE: GREEN STREET: “As a trio, this edition of guitarist Grant Green's many ensembles has to rank with the best he had ever fronted. Recorded on April Fool's Day of 1961, the band and music are no joke, as bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Dave Bailey understand in the most innate sense how to support Green, lay back when needed, or strut their own stuff when called upon. If this is not a definitive jazz guitar trio, they have not yet been born, and Green Street stands as one of Grant Green's best recordings of many he produced in the ten prolific years he was with the Blue Note label.” (Michael G. Nastos)
PERSONNEL:
GRANT GREEN, guitar
BEN TUCKER, bass
DAVE BAILEY, drums
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, April 1, 1961.
Note: “’Round Midnight” was listed as “`Round About Midnight” on the original release. The latter version of the title (with the word “About”) was not the composition’s original title, but that of a Miles Davis Columbia LP, on whose track listing the song was correctly titled “’Round Midnight”.
SIDE A:
01 No.1 GREEN STREET (Grant Green) 7:21
02 ‘ROUND MIDNIGHT (Thelonious Monk) 7:04
03 GRANT’S DIMENSIONS (Grant Green) 7:56
SIDE B:
01 GREEN WITH ENVY (Grant Green) 9:46
02 ALONE TOGETHER (Howard Dietz-Arthur Schwartz) 7:12
03 ALONE TOGETHER (Howard Dietz-Arthur Schwartz) [alternate take] 6:56*
*BONUS TRACK: From the same session. Not on the original LP.
Unlike most of Grant Green’s many trio albums, Green Street, which was his second LP as a leader following Grant’s First Stand (taped on January 28, 1961), didn’t make use of the organ or the piano, consisting instead of guitar-bass-drums format. Backed by such subtle players as Ben Tucker and Dave Bailey, Green could showcase his talents with no inhibition, making this one of the most remarkable works of his whole career. Green’s popularity in this early period of his career is attested by the fact that, between the recording of his first and second albums (recorded in the short lapse from January 28 to April 1, 1961), he participated on six more albums by other leaders: Baby Face Willette’s Face to Face, Brother Jack McDuff’s The Honeydripper, Stanley Turrentine’s Up at Minton’s, Dave Bailey’s Reaching Out (Green’s first recording with Tucker and Bailey; our three bonus tracks are takes from the sessions of this album not used on the original LP), a Kenny
Dorham date which was rejected and never released, and Hank Mobley’s Workout.
While Tucker and Green never recorded together on any other occasions except the aforementioned two, there’s a third collaboration between the guitarist and Dave Bailey, which precedes both Reaching Out and Green Street: the Lou Donaldson LP Here ‘Tis, recorded on January 23, 1961.
4 STARS DOWN BEAT original review: GREEN STREET:: “Green, who had to fight his way through a muffling organ accompaniment on his first Blue Note disc, emerges unfettered in this set and shows an attack that stems from Charlie Christian –the effortless rolling pulsation and the shifty, off-balance phrasing–without betraying him as simply a Christian imitator. Although the set is thoroughly unpretentious, it has tremendous vitality and drive without indulging in any ostentatious hard-breathing. This alone constitutes news in these soul-ridden days.” (John S. Wilson)
4 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE: GREEN STREET: “As a trio, this edition of guitarist Grant Green's many ensembles has to rank with the best he had ever fronted. Recorded on April Fool's Day of 1961, the band and music are no joke, as bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Dave Bailey understand in the most innate sense how to support Green, lay back when needed, or strut their own stuff when called upon. If this is not a definitive jazz guitar trio, they have not yet been born, and Green Street stands as one of Grant Green's best recordings of many he produced in the ten prolific years he was with the Blue Note label.” (Michael G. Nastos)
PERSONNEL:
GRANT GREEN, guitar
BEN TUCKER, bass
DAVE BAILEY, drums
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, April 1, 1961.
Note: “’Round Midnight” was listed as “`Round About Midnight” on the original release. The latter version of the title (with the word “About”) was not the composition’s original title, but that of a Miles Davis Columbia LP, on whose track listing the song was correctly titled “’Round Midnight”.
SIDE A:
01 No.1 GREEN STREET (Grant Green) 7:21
02 ‘ROUND MIDNIGHT (Thelonious Monk) 7:04
03 GRANT’S DIMENSIONS (Grant Green) 7:56
SIDE B:
01 GREEN WITH ENVY (Grant Green) 9:46
02 ALONE TOGETHER (Howard Dietz-Arthur Schwartz) 7:12
03 ALONE TOGETHER (Howard Dietz-Arthur Schwartz) [alternate take] 6:56*
*BONUS TRACK: From the same session. Not on the original LP.
