Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue (rvg)

1. Chitlins Con Carne 2. Mule 3. Soul Lament 4. Midnight Blue 5. Wavy Gravy 6. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You 7. Saturday Night Blues 8. Kenny's Sound 9. K Twist

Kenny Burrell's music is a wonderful blend of elegance and conviction, musical inventiveness and thoughtful restraint. On this 1967 session, the guitarist is joined by regular associates--tenorist Stanley Turrentine, conga drummer Ray Barretto, bassist Major Holley, and drummer Bill English--and together they concentrate on the subtlest and deepest hues of the blues, combining strong rhythmic grooves with a feeling of late-night reflection. There's never a misstep or a superfluous note, from the funky Latin hit "Chitlins Con Carne" to Burrell's deeply felt solo "Soul Lament" and the concentrated swing of "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You." The result is a masterpiece, and the 24-bit remastering by the original engineer, Rudy Van Gelder, adds to the spaciousness and intimacy that have always been hallmarks of the session. --Stuart Broomer

Price: $13.98