Midnight Blue with Kenny Burrell

© Copyright ® Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

***(*) Midnight Blue

Blue Note 95335-2 Burrell (g); Stanley Turrentine (ts); Major Holley, Jr. (b); Bill English (d); Ray Barretto (perc). 1/63. Many a copy of this were worn smooth on vinyl, and the two new-to-CD tracks. 'Kenny's Sound' and 'K Twist', are a welcome bonus, especially in the handsome sound of the RVG Edition. Somewhat atypically low-flame for a Blue Note date, even if Burrell had already visited these climes on the Night Lights sessions, they take the soul-food licks of 'Chitlins Con Came' some way towards ferocity, but the implacable beat refuses to get loo nasty, and the following 'Mule' is more typical. Beautifully paced and as elegant a record as the label ever released, this is still an ideal choice for the time and mood of the title.

• Richard Cook and Brian Morton, The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, 6th Ed.

In another context, I recently wrote this about Chitlins Con Carne, the opening track on Kenny Burrell: Midnight Blue [Blue Note Records RVG Edition 7243 4 95335 2 3]

This simple blues theme is a masterpiece - a slow burn from beginning to end.

Tasty soloing by Kenny Burrell and Stanley Turrentine gives the notes room to breathe.

Major Holley Jr. establishes a rock solid beat and

drummer Bill English with conguero Ray Barretto lay down a pulsating groove without throwing up all over the drums.

No overplaying, just letting the music speak.

From a time when musicians had something to say and not something to prove.

Overplaying and forcing things to happen in the music can result when the Jazz instrumentalist gets too far into a display of technique. The melodic development in the improvisation is overwhelmed by a prominent display of “chops” [Jazzspeak for technical skill].