Mode For Joe from 1966 does not rest comfortably in the hard bop vein, though fans of the genre will enjoy this record.
A probing bop style, not unlike the music Andrew Hill or Jackie McLean were releasing, but not quite as "out" there.
I am a sucker for vibrophonist Bobby Hutcherson, I can't think of an album he's been on that didn't sound good.
I just love the sound of Bobby's vibes in a post bop context. Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch blows my mind every time. Cedar Walton on piano, Lee Morgan on trumpet, the great trombonist Curtis Fuller, bassist Ron Carter, and the underrated drummer Joe Chambers round out the men on this modern jazz masterpiece.
Cedar Walton's title track tribute to the leader "Mode for Joe" is a now a standard and one of the tracks I bet saxophonist Joe Lovano in particular wore out when he was cutting his teeth on his old man Big T's collection.
These Henderson Blue Notes always make me think about Lovano's better albums, that's how good Lovano is, that's not hyperbole either.
Walton's title track I like, the latin vibe of the track not as overtly latin as "Caribbean Fire Dance".
Henderson does some odd stuff here: Out of the gate he is honking squawking, off kilter, might even make the jazz novice cringe. Then he goes on to just play the hell out of it.
A tasty light bounce from Hutcherson's vibes is also nice. Joe said in Leonard Feather's liner notes, : "We got the feeling for this one right away". "This was the first take."
The Basic "Black," another Walton composition is straight ahead, and typical of a Blakey or Silver session, in other words, kicks ass.
Joe also said that Cedar really burned his hands off on this track, I agree. I like Joe's quote of "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" at the 1:05 mark on the video below. A real hard swinger this track is, enjoy.
You won't find a weak link on this album I can promise you. "Caribbean Fire Dance", "A Shade of Jade", and "Granted" from the leader are all stellar, the first 2 being standards.
Also Lee Morgan's "Free Wheelin" was thrown together on the fly at the session. You wouldn't know it, Curtis Fuller blows the doors off on this tune too with his trombone. What a great album from some true classic jazz musicians.
Do yourself a favor, pay attention to the lesser known tracks here like "Black", and "Free Wheelin", you won't be disappointed.
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