From Music Matters impressive 33rpm Reissue Series, one of the best Blue Note titles and memorable Ike Quebec session recorded by Rudy Van Gelder. Audiophile mastering from Original Analog Master Tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio on 33rpm 180 gram virgin vinyl pressed at RTI and presented in a luxurious gatefold cover with stunning high resolution session photos.

• Limited Edition of Only 3500 Copies
• Cut from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note Master Tapes
• Remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
• 100% Analog Mastering and Cutting
• Pressed on 180 Gram Virgin vinyl at RTI USA
• Deluxe gatefold cover with high resolution session photos

Ike Quebec was perhaps the least likely musician to be leading albums for Blue Note in the early 1960s for he was a big-toned swing stylist rather than a hard bop or soul jazz player. But Quebec, a superb musician who was making a major comeback, was one of the most important figures in the entire history of Blue Note. He was the one who introduced Alfred Lion to bebop in the mid-1940s (including Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell) which entirely changed the course of Blue Note. Quebec, who gained some fame as a member of the Cab Calloway Orchestra, was a member of the Blue Note family back in the mid-1940s, having a hit with his recording of “Blue Harlem.”

After Quebec introduced Alfred Lion to the new music, he worked as an A&R man for Blue Note. Inactive during much of the 1950s, Quebec emerged in 1960 in prime form, recording several gems for Blue Note including Blue and Sentimental, his definitive album. Equally skilled on intimate ballads and uptempo romps, Quebec displays his mastery of the tenor and his huge sound throughout this set. Joined by a pianoless quartet that includes Grant Green, Quebec makes every breath and sound count, playing seductive lines on the ballads and swinging forcefully on the hotter numbers. He only lived until 1963 (passing away when he was just 44), but, as Blue And Sentimental shows, Ike Quebec saved the very best for his later period, creating a masterpiece.

Musicians:

Ike Quebec, tenor sax
Grant Green, guitar
Paul Chambers, bass
Philly Joe Jones, drums

Track Listing:

Side A
1. Blue and Sentimental
2. Minor Impulse
3. Don't Take Your Love From Me

Side B
4. Blues For Charlie
5. Like
6. Count Every Star
 

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