Grant Green "Street of Dreams" and "Idle Moments"'

van

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Feb 13, 2014, 6:12:03 PM2/13/14

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I was lucky enough to find these two CDs at a new library I've been going to and was knocked out by GG on these two albums.
On one, he mentions that other than CC and KB, Jimmy Raney was the only other guitarist he admires.
You can definitely hear the JR influence on his use of space in his solos.
I bought a bunch of his LPs when I was a kid, but he didn't sound as good as he sounds on these two LPs. Did he use his 330 on these records?
Maybe it had to do with Elvin Jones and Larry Young in the rhythm section.
Another excellent GG LP was "I Want To Hold Your Hand"(other than the title tune).
OTOH, I also listened to "Matador" with Elvin and McCoy, and found GG's playing pretty dull on what were basically modal vamps.
Anyone have any other GG recommendations other than the stuff he did with Ben Tucker or the funk jive of the 70s?

thomas

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Feb 13, 2014, 7:03:32 PM2/13/14

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Funk jive? GG was a great funk player, even if you can't get with that kind of music.

I think pretty much all of his BN stuff prior to his mid-60s heroin burnout is pretty good to great. You can check a lot out on youtube. Stanley Turrentine's Up at Minton's is a nice live record. Blue and Sentimental with Ike Quebec is really sweet too. The stuff with Sonny Clark--check that one track from Nigeria: It Ain't Necessarily So.

Jonathan Byrd

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Feb 13, 2014, 7:15:16 PM2/13/14

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A friend turned me on to Street of Dreams recently. That recording, and Idle Moments, are simply great. To me, it's Henderson and Hutcherson that really shine on Idle Moments. Their solos on Nomad just kill me every time.

I like Solid, which has some interesting song choices (like Ezzthetic). I also like alto player James Spaulding, who appears on that one. Talkin' About is another interesting recording, especially if you like Larry Young and Elvin Jones. Talkin' About JC is a really cool tune that's on my list to learn someday.

GG was a sideman on so many good recordings. Some of my favorites are Larry Young's Into Somethin' and Lee Morgan's Search for the New Land.

I really like the song Somewhere In the Night on Street of Dreams, but I couldn't find a lead sheet anywhere. I took a stab at the chords, maybe somebody with a better ear than me is willing to check them?

Intro:

| Am7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 | Bbm7 Eb7 |
| Abmaj7 | Am7 D7 | Gmaj7 Am7 | Bm7 E7b9 |

Chorus:

| Am7 | D7 | Gmaj7 | Bm7(b5) E7b9 |
| Am7 | Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 | Am7 D7 |
| Gm7 | C7 | Fmaj7 | Bm7 E7 |
| Amaj7 | F#m7 | Bm7 | E7 |
| Am7 | D7 | Gmaj7 | Bm7(b5) E7b9 |
| Am7 | D7 | Gmaj7 Am7 | Bm7 E7b9 |

thomas

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Feb 13, 2014, 7:32:43 PM2/13/14

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One of my all-time favorite BN albums is Horace Parlan's "Happy Frame of Mind", with GG, Johnny Coles, and Booker Ervin. Another is Lee Morgan's "Search for the New Land", with GG, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock.

David J. Littleboy

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Feb 13, 2014, 7:45:04 PM2/13/14

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"van" wrote in message
news:dd89f650-b6e1-483a...@googlegroups.com...

>

>Anyone have any other GG recommendations other than the stuff he did with
>Ben Tucker or the funk jive of the 70s?

His Standards album, and the double CD Complete Quartets are two of the best
jazz albums ever.

--
David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

thomas

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Feb 13, 2014, 7:51:08 PM2/13/14

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I like Green Street, because it's a g/b/d trio with no guitar chords ever for a whole record--just single-note lines. Maybe a double-stop or two.

van

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Feb 13, 2014, 10:42:04 PM2/13/14

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On Thursday, February 13, 2014 7:15:16 PM UTC-5, Jonathan Byrd wrote:

"Somewhere In The Night" was the theme song for the "Naked City" TV show.
Those changes are fine, except it sounded like they used an F#7 altered chord on the part that goes into A Major.
Thanks for the recommendations- I can't wait to hear him do "Ezzthetic", great Geo. Russell tune.

Gerry

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Feb 14, 2014, 12:14:04 AM2/14/14

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I like most of his periods and have about 6 "favorites" by him. Idle
Moments, though, is one of his classics. Such a great super-relaxed
and introspective vibe.

Standards and Live at the Lighthouse are at the top of my list... until
I hear another.
--
Those who wish to sing always find a song. -- Swedish proverb

Jonathan Byrd

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Feb 14, 2014, 2:09:06 AM2/14/14

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Thanks, I'll give that spot another listen. I didn't know about Naked City, that was just a little before my time. Not much.

I also forgot to mention The Latin Bit, which I'll admit is probably not everybody's cup of tea. It's kind of light, and maybe a little one-dimensional, but it has a happy kick and GG's soloing is very inventive and flowing on songs like Mambo Inn. It's my lovely wife's favorite jazz CD, I can't go wrong when I put that one in.

Gerry

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Feb 14, 2014, 1:29:38 PM2/14/14

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On 2014-02-14 07:09:06 +0000, Jonathan Byrd said:

> Thanks, I'll give that spot another listen. I didn't know about Naked
> City, that was just a little before my time. Not much.

I've been watching it on a local channel. The music in it is great.

> I also forgot to mention The Latin Bit, which I'll admit is probably
> not everybody's cup of tea. It's kind of light, and maybe a little
> one-dimensional, but it has a happy kick and GG's soloing is very
> inventive and flowing on songs like Mambo Inn. It's my lovely wife's
> favorite jazz CD, I can't go wrong when I put that one in.

Always a noteworthy criterion of consideration.