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Music CD - Grant Green: Green Street
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Music CD: Green Street
Artist: Grant Green
List Price: $11.98
Our Price: $6.37
Your Save: $ 5.61 ( 47% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Tracks:
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1. No.1 Green Street
2. 'Round About Midnight
3. Grant's Dimensions
4. Green With Envy
5. Alone Together
6. Green With Envy (Alternate Take)
7. Alone Together (Alternate Take)
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0724354003226
Format: Original recording reissued
Label: Blue Note Records
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Blue Note Records
Release Date: 2002-08-27
Studio: Blue Note Records
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Who knew?
Comment: It pays to have the right kind of Amazon Friend. It was my good man Derek who told me all about Grant Green. I'd never heard of him before. Rather arrogantly, I admit, I was doubtful at first. My immediate thought was: I've been a jazz fan (and a fan of jazz guitar) now for many a year. If this dude is as good as you say he is, how come I never heard of him?
But I did some research and learned nothing but good things about him. Everyone's who's ever written anything about him has written in glowing terms, it would seem. It also caught my notice that none of his CDs on Amazon that I checked outij seem to have anything less than a five star average review rating. So I jumped on in and this 1961 recording is my first experience of the man.
My initial feelings were mixed. It was instantly clear that Green was an incredibly gifted guitar player and it's still difficult for me to understand why he was apparently eclipsed by the likes of Wes Montgomery and George Benson, while ironically being greatly admired by them. "The forgotten man of jazz guitar, forever usurped by even the peers who hailed him," is how one critic described him. But during the first couple of listens, he sounded to me like he was more intent on focusing on his technical ability to the detriment of injecting any warmth, passion or personality into the music. He's precise, most definitely, with not a note out of place but while (thankfully) the warmth, passion and personality I was looking for became more obvious the more I listened, especially on tunes like the TS Monk classic "'Round Midnight" and the self-penned "Grant's Dimensions", I'm not sure it was ever enough though.
I read that he was "inactive" due to "personal problems" during the period between 1967 and 1969, the same period Montgomery was enjoying huge success and Benson was starting to emerge as a rising star but that doesn't fully explain what happened since and is still happening now. I asked a couple of my friends who are into jazz (and into both Benson and Montgomery) if they'd ever heard of Green and they all said no, which is amazing because he apparently played on around 93 albums either as a sideman or leader, over 20 of those on the Blue Note label, including one called "Nigeria". Who knew?
Bottom line: I think Grant is great and I think he deserves ten stars for this performance. Ben Tucker (on bass) and Dave Bailey (on drums) provide solid accompaniment and Rudy Van Gelder's remastering giving the music real punch. That said, I still feel he's very intellectual on this album (though he does seem to let his hair down somewhat on the alternate takes of "Green With Envy" and "Alone Together"). I can sit back and listen in awe at his mastery of his instrument and his incredible improvisational skills but I'd still prefer a smidgen more emotion.
I will still get Matador though, as for one, THAT was the actual CD my buddy Derek praised so highly. I think I'll also get Grant Green Alive! and Idle Moments because I've read such good things about them both and I would also love to hear what "Nigeria" sounds like - if I can find it; apparently it was only ever available on Blue Note's Japanese label.
Besides, Green is definitely good enough to warrant further investigation. I sincerely hope though, that those albums move me a lot more than this one does. This one impressed me, a great deal, but didn't move me quite enough. Getting acquainted with Grant Green may not have been immediately rewarding but it promises to be very interesting. Respect due to Brother Derek and I think the more people check Grant Green out, the better. I've already told all my friends.
Customer Rating:
Summary: This is a GREAT CD
Comment: This is a listen "all day CD". It fits all moods and settings. Wonderful music by a super talented musician.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Great First Buy from Grant Green.
Comment: To be honest and up front, I'm not entirely familiar with the music of Grant Green nor am I familiar with his history as an artist. However, I must say that upon hearing his classic album "Green Street", I was highly impressed.
Recorded for Blue Note in 1961, "Green Street" finds Grant Green performing in a stripped down power trio setting. Because of the absence of other instruments such as piano or horns, this gives Green plenty of room to show off his relentless guitar chops. Most of the pieces are on the bluesy side such as the opening title track, "Grant's Dimensions" and the cover version of the standard "Alone Together". His version of Thelonious Monk's "Round About Midnight" shows off a tender yet still blues-oriented side of his playing while "Green With Envy" reminded me a bit of the instrumental/fusion side of the Allman Brothers Band (for some reason the Allman's "In memory of Elizabeth Reed" came to mind while listening to this track).
Rounding out the disc are two bonus alternate takes of "Alone Together" and "Green With Envy" which are a bit shorter than their master take counterparts.
As mentioned above, I'm not overall familiar with Grant Green's music but have found this release to be highly enjoyable. Grant was definitely a guitarist who was ahead of his game and his influence can be heard in guitarists that came to prominence after him in both Jazz and rock.
This is my first purchase of a Grant Green CD and I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for some great guitar Jazz. There's a lot of it here.
Definitely a classic!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: It's All Green
Comment: What I think is cool about this album is its just Grant, a bass player and a drummer. There are no horns and there isn't even a keyboard player. So you really hear the guitar. And there are also some great jazz standards here, like 'Round Midnight and Alone Together. If you like jazz guitar, you must have this album. Just buy it!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great jazz guitar
Comment: For a jazz fan, this is required listening. For a jazz GUITAR fan, this is essential. As a guitar player myself, I usually find frustrating that jazz guitar albums tend to steal the focus away from the guitar player by allowing other instruments to solo. This album was a nice surprise. Just guitar, just extended solos, no other instrument in the way. And what a guitar player Grant Green was! I'd certaintly recommend this as a first purchase for any guitar players out there who want to get to know jazz guitar.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Green Street, recorded on April 1, 1961, was Grant Green's second Blue Note album as a leader and remains one of the finest albums of his prolific Blue Note output. Supported by just Ben Tucker's bass and Dave Bailey's drums, the guitarist seems inspired by the absence of any other chordal instrument. His harmonic and interpretive imagination is in high gear on this unique masterpiece in his discography. Added to the original album are two alternate takes. Grant Green: Guitar
Ben Tucker: Bass
Dave Bailey
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