[MRL 408] Various Artists - Jazz

Also reissued as Cream of Jazz Funk

Dusty Groove Review

A great little collection of hip 70s soul jazz tunes -- recorded for the Mainstream level by a few different groups, but all united with a spirit of freedom and soulful exploration. Titles include "Dark Mood" by a group with Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Mtume, and Buster Williams; "Quien Sabe" by Hadley Caliman, Larry Vuckovich, and others; "Miscegenation" by Buddy Terry, Woody Shaw, Eddie Henderson, and Joanne Brackeen; and "Valerie" by Blue Mitchell, Herman Riley, and Joe Sample.

[MRL 402] Blue Mitchell - Many Shades Of Blue

MRL 402
1974


Personnel:

Blue Mitchell - Trumpet
Wilbur Bascomb, Jr. - Bass (Electric)
Joe Beck - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
James Bossy - Trumpet
Sam T. Brown - Guitar (Acoustic)
Jon Faddis - Horn
Joe Farrell - Flute, Sax (Tenor)
James Madison - Drums
Irwin "Marky" Markowitz - Horn
Michael Moore - Bass (Electric)
Seldon Powell - Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
John Tropea - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Frank Vicari - Sax (Tenor)



Tracks:

A1 Where It's At (3:30)
A2 Harmony Of The Underground (5:50)
A3 Funky Walk (4:36)
A4 Blue Funk (4:37)

B1 Golden Feathered Bird (4:04)
B2 Beans & Taters (4:25)
B3 Funny Bone (3:37)
B4 Hot Stuff (3:55)

Arranged & Conducted by - Dave Matthews
Producer - Bob Shad


Dusty Groove Review

Sweet electric 70s funk from Blue Mitchell -- blowing here in some of the hippest arrangements of his career! Blue's trumpet alone is always pretty darn great, but for this album he's working with arranger Dave Matthews -- who gives the tunes fierce groove that mixes vamping guitars with snapping drums -- sort of picking up the groove that Matthews forged with James Brown, but allowing for a lot freer jazz interplay! The guitars are often recorded in a cool way that has them sounding a bit "watery" alongside the rhythms -- so much so, you'd swear they were keyboards at times -- and this approach sounds really great underneath Blue's tighter, harder, more punctuated solos over the top of the tracks. Additional support comes from horn players Joe Farrell and Seldon Powell -- and titles include "Funk Walk", "Blue Funk", "Funny Bone", "Golden Feathered Bird", "Harmony Of The Underworld", and "Hot Stuff".

[MRL 400] Blue Mitchell - Graffiti Blues

MRL 400
1973

Personnel:

Trumpet - Blue Mitchell
Bass [Fender] - Darrell Clayborn
Drums - Ray Pounds
Guitar [Electric] - Freddie Robinson
Harmonica - Don Bailey
Piano - Walter Bishop, Jr.
Piano, Electric Piano - Joe Sample
Saxophone [Tenor] - Herman Riley


Tracks:

A1 Graffiti Blues (7:16)
A2 Yeah Ya Right (5:28)
A3 Express (5:05)

B1 Asso-Kam (7:23)
B2 Dorado (8:58)

Arranged by - Richard Fritz
Producer - Bob Shad
Engineer - John Stronach
Photography - Buddy Childers
Recorded on March 1, 1973, Record Plant, Los Angeles, California


AMG Review
by Scott Yanow

The fourth of five Mainstream sets led by Blue Mitchell (which has been reissued on CD) finds the flexible hard bop trumpeter joined by a soulful and funky rhythm section (either Joe Sample or Walter Bishop Jr. on keyboards, guitarist Freddie Robinson, electric bassist Darrell Clayborn and drummer Ray Pounds) and tenor saxophonist Herman Riley. The group plays three straight funky blues, including the title cut which features Don Bailey on harmonica, as well as a couple of basic Sample originals and a Mitchell ballad feature on "Alone Again, Naturally." Although not up to the same level as Blue Mitchell's earlier Blue Note dates, this accessible set does a good job of balancing worthwhile solos with catchy rhythms and has dated surprisingly well.

Dusty Groove review:

One of Blue Mitchell's hippest funky sets of the 70s -- an unusual little record that mixes a bit of funky harmonica with his own soulful trumpet! The approach definitely echoes a bit of the "blues" in the title -- but the groove is much more straightforward and funky -- that hard-edged approach that shows up on the best electric Mainstream sessions of the time, with a bad-stepping bottom that moves along nicely throughout! Harmonica's handled by Don Bailey, and other players include Joe Sample on keyboards, Herman Riley on tenor, Freddie Robinson on guitar, and Ray Pounds on drums. Cuts are all nice and long, quite open overall, and almost more relaxed than some of Blue's other Mainstream sessions -- and titles include "Graffiti Blues", "Yeah Ya Right", "Express", "Asso Kam", and "Dorado"

[MRL 392] Blue Mitchell - The Last Tango=Blues

MRL 392
1973


Personnel:

Trumpet - Blue Mitchell
Bass - Chuck Rainey, Darrell Clayborn
Drums - Ray Pounds
Guitar - David T. Walker
Organ - Charles Kynard
Percussion - Chino Valdes, King Errisson, Paul Humphrey
Saxophone [Alto], Clarinet - David Angel
Saxophone [Baritone], Clarinet [Bass] - Steve Kravitz
Saxophone [Tenor] - Herman Riley
Saxophone [Tenor], Flute - Jackie Kelso



Tracks:

A1 Soul Turn Around (4:20)
A2 Killing Me Softly With His Song (2:53)
A3 The Message (3:20)
A4 Steal The Feel (4:15)

B1 Last Tango In Paris (2:42)
B2 One For Russ (4:15)
B3 Peace (2:50)
B4 P.T. Blues (3:04)

Arranged by - Richard Fritz
Producer - Bob Shad
Engineer - John Stronach
Photography - Buddy Childers


AMG Review
by Jason Ankeny

The Last Tango = Blues translates the direct, soulful hard bop approach of Blue Mitchell's cult-classic Blue Note sessions into the funk-inspired grammar of mid-Seventies mainstream jazz. Teamed with guitarist David T. Walker, bassist Chuck Rainey, organist Charles Kynard and drummer Paul Humphrey, Mitchell concentrates on straightforward but imaginative readings of contemporary pop hits like "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and Cymande's "The Message"--Richard Fritz's vibrant arrangements further underscore the album's connection to radio and even blaxploitation soundtracks, but the performances are strictly next-level, complete with some of Mitchell's most fiery trumpet.

Dusty Groove review:

No tango here -- just a great batch of hard, funky, trumpet-heavy groovers -- all in the best early 70s Blue Mitchell mode! The album's easily one of Blue's best from the time -- and although the tracks are a bit short, they're put together in a way that dovetails nicely with his earlier grooves on Blue Note at the end of the 60s -- arranged by Richard Fritz with some fuller reeds behind the trumpet, in a mode that's partly between funky soundtracks and Kudu Records styles of the period. Players include David T Walker on guitar, Chuck Rainey on bass, Charles Kynard on organ, and Paul Humphrey on percussion -- and titles include a great version of Walter Bishop Jr.'s "Soul Turn Around", a funky cover of Cymande's "The Message" -- plus "One For Russ", "Peace", "PT Blues", "Killing Me Softly", and "Steal The Feel".

[MRL 374] Blue Mitchell - Blue's Blues

MRL 374
1972


Personnel:

Blue Mitchell - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Darrell Clayborn - Bass [Fender]
Ray Pounds - Drums
John Guerin - Drums
Joe Sample - Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic]
Freddie Robinson - Guitar [Electric]
John Mayall - Harmonica
Herman Riley - Saxophone [Tenor], Flute


A1 Casa Blues (8:25)
A2 Just Made Up (7:32)
A3 Blues' Blues (7:05)

B1 Granite & Concrete (9:51)
B2 I Didn't Ask To Be (10:09)

Producer - Bob Shad
Art Design - Maurer Productions
Photography - Buddy Childers


AMG Review
by Scott Yanow

At the time that this Mainstream LP was recorded, Blue Mitchell was the featured trumpeter with John Mayall's blues group. Mayall returned the favor for Blue's set, playing harmonica with an electric octet headed by Mitchell. Among the sidemen are Herman Riley (on tenor and flute), keyboardist Joe Sample and guitarist Freddy Robinson. The material (all obscure originals) is primarily blues-oriented, and the music overall is listenable and funky, but not particularly memorable. Just an average date from these fine musicians.

Dusty Groove review

Sweet soulful work from trumpeter Blue Mitchell -- a set that has him working with a slightly large group of players, but in a style that's always very much in the groove! There's a nice electric undercurrent to the record throughout -- sometimes in the instrumentation from other players, sometimes in the overall way the grooves are put together -- which gives the record a quality that's almost like a funky soundtrack at the best moments! The lineup is a bit weird, too -- with Joe Sample on keyboards, Freddy Robinson on guitar, Herman Riley on tenor and flute, and even John Mayall on harmonica -- playing with a vamping funky edge on a few tunes! The title track -- "Blues Blues" -- is a great little jazzy break number, and other tracks include "Granite & Concrete", "Casa Blues", and "I Didn't Ask To Be".

[MRL 343] Blue Mitchell - Vital Blue

MRL 343
1971


Personnel:

Trumpet - Blue Mitchell
Bass - Stan Gilbert
Drums - Doug Sides
Flute, Tenor Sax - Joe Henderson
Piano - Walter Bishop, Jr.
Producer - Bob Shad
Tenor Sax - Ernie Watts
Vocals - Susaye Greene



Tracks:

A1 Booty Shakin' (5:20)
A2 Vital Blue (5:17)
A3 Unseen Sounds (3:24)

B1 Herman's Helmet (6:57)
B2 I Love You (5:09)
B3 For All We Know (2:32)

Producer - Bob Shad
Line Notes - Leonard Feather
Artwork Design - Ruby Mazur's Art Department
Photography - Dick Sandres

[MRL 315] Blue Mitchell - Blue Mitchell

MRL 315
1971

Personnel:

Blue Mitchell - Trumpet
Walter Bishop, Jr. - Piano
Jimmy Forrest - Tenor
Doug Sides - Drums
Larry Gales - Bass



Tracks:

A1 Soul Village (6:16)
A2 Blues For Thelma (7:03)
A3 Queen Bey (4:51)

B1 Are You Real (7:21)
B2 Mi Hermano (5:17)

AMG review by Scott Yanow

In general, Blue Mitchell's five Mainstream albums from 1971-74 are not on the same level as his best Blue Notes, but they tend to be worthwhile. His debut for Mainstream features the trumpeter's regular group of 1971, a quintet with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest (who had just come out of retirement), pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Larry Gales and drummer Doug Sides. On the LP, they play a pair of originals: a piece by Mitchell and Bishop and Benny Golson's "Are You Real" with swing and a bit of soul.