The Thing To Do / Blue Mitchell

"The Thing to Do" is a great CD! Not much of Blue Mitchell's stuff has been in print for awhile. I'm glad I hesitated on pricey out of print used copies because this CD is a deserved reissue of a classic. Blue Mitchell gained a following from his stint with the Horace Silver group and "Thing To Do" features a working, gigging band that grew out of Horace Silver's group. The band is tight and swings hard on "Fungii Mama" a catchy Caribbean tune authored by Mitchell on "I Got Rhythm" chord changes. The riffs behind each of the soloists and the smooth transitions between sections let you know that these were musicians who've gelled on the bandstand before. They then shift gears to the pretty ballad "Mona's Mood" by Jimmy Heath. Blue shows some really lyrical playing here. "The Thing to Do" is a hard swinging tune where the Horace Silver influence comes through. "Step Lightly" is a laid back swinging tune by Joe Henderson. The album ends up on a modern note with a version of Chick Corea's "Chick's Tune". All of the tunes are really strong and fans of Horace Silver, jazz trumpet, or Messengers style hard bop would be wise to check this out. The band here is incredible! Mitchell is a confident leader with a bright sound. Listening to Junior Cook away from Horace Silver, I agree with the liner notes that you can hear how his playing is related to Joe Henderson's in tone and the type of rhythmic approaches he uses. This is also a wonderful opportunity to hear Al Foster, one of my favorite drummers in one of his earliest sessions. He's always tasteful but you rarely get to hear him in such sunny hard bop surroundings. Likewise, sessions like these show that Chick Corea can swing hard in straight ahead settings away from fusion or his Akoustic Band. Fans have been waiting for this one for awhile and it delivers on every account! 5 stars!

Price: $21.98