Have we talked about Music Matters and Blue Note lately?

It's been awhile since I rounded up the Music Matters Blue Note series. Sadly, it appears to be coming to an end - or hopefully at best a hiatus. I have no 'inside knowledge' here, but I have to guess that sales are tough in the desperate U.S economic climate, and the highly conservative American jazz tastes, given that the market for these titles remains stuck in old folks who really know little of the music, likely make a well curated series that is putting out the quality titles, rather than just the old warhorses financially difficult. That is a real crime, and hopefully it can be corrected so this essential series - one that has such massive cultural and historical significance in preserving music so central to jazz - can be resumed.

 Let's get caught up. First, Wayne Shorter. Can't get enough Wayne Shorter! The Soothsayer is a title that languished in the BN vault for over a decade, and never really got the respect it deserves. It's a prime slice of where Shorter was heading in the mid 60's, pointing to records like Schizophrenia and to a lesser extent The All Seeing Eye, yet with a glance backwards to Speak No Evil. Spaulding is hot as he always is, the under-rated journeyman who was an unsung backbone collaborator. Tyner and Hubbard are solid, and Carter's bass is creative and rock solid. Tony Williams is Tony Williams. The sound, another Kevin Gray remastering, is exceptional as always in this series. Not an essential Shorter title, rather, here Music Matters brings an unexpected, and delicious surprise. Jazz is about being surprised, right?

But this month brings Shorter's "Adams Apple", and gang, if you need to sell your car, or do a few shifts at McDonalds in the drive-thru, or whatever you need to do, GET THIS ONE - ADAM'S APPLE. Here's the story. I got a bunch of titles shipped to me, and without really looking at them, I played a bunch straight through, right out of the box. Last title I cued up I thought was a Dexter Gordon title (i really was not paying attention that night). All of a sudden, this tenor comes out of the speakers - big, strong, vibrant, powerful. I just about jumped up - a 'WTF' type of moment. I knew the opening of Adam's Apple like the sound of my kids' voices. But...not like this. The SOUND - this is what Music Matters is all about. Shorter's tenor was THERE - in three dimensions - that big Otto Link 11* monstrous big, dry, harmonically rich sound. Then Joe Chambers comes in, laying down the thunder, and Herbie, and Reggie Workman's bass - solid, big, filling the room.

I was awestruck by Elvin Jones' "Genesis" on Music Matters - the sound on that one, and the music, is revelatory (and if you don't have Genesis, you are sick, and need to fix that fast). Adams Apple is that good. Like I said - sell your body on the street if you have to, get the money, buy it. While you still can.

And while you're at it - get JACKIE McLEAN's "One Step Beyond", it is an essential Blue Note record. One day, archaeologists and musicologists will dig up this Music Matters reissue and study it for it's cultural impact. When this was recorded, Crescent and Ornette were the forward direction, and McLean was embracing the new direction, aided by Grachan Moncur, and the young Tony Williams. This is one of the best Tony Williams records. Moncur is huge, warm, splitting tones and heading out, while staying tonally in the pocket. Bobby Hutcherson is here given the tone he really had, but was never heard on record before Music Matters - a warmly metallic, percussive, 'hitting' sound, bell like, amazing. I felt earlier in the MM series that, when Hoffman was involved, that Jackie's tone wasn't presented as authentically as possible - that Hoffman predilection to smooth things out, turn down the treble, and make exciting edgy music sound like smooth jazz. Kevin Grey doesn't make that mistake, and gets McLean's tone dead right - that tart, slightly off key tonality and hard edge full of emotion. Get this one. Beautiful.

 I haven't considered Art Blakey's "Like Someone In Love" one of the essential Blakey Blue Notes, and I continue to press for Blakey masterpieces like "Mosaic" and "Buhaina's Delight" above this one. But I have to admit, hearing it on Music Matters drives it up in my estimation - way up. This is exactly what is so RIGHT about the Music Matters series - bringing out titles that are unexpected, off the main track, deserving of re-evaluation, unlikely to GET re-evaluated unless a group like Music Matters have the balls to do it. Hearing it on Music Matters, it is a worthy title, a prime example of just how good the Morgan- Shorter front line lead Blakey band of this era could be.

 If you haven't got McCoy Tyner's "The Real McCoy", get it now while you still can. Imagine the Classic Coltrane Quartet, with Joe Henderson out front subbing for Coltrane, and Ron Carter on bass. Historically, Carter's bass was way down in the mix and wimpy, lacking impact. Not so here. Carter with Elvin is a driving force, and that big, fat Carter sound, with it's big sustained notes and swooping glisses, is pumping here for really the first time. Henderson's tone, which in reality was never that big but was tightly focused and controlled (he used a Selmer C* rubber mouthpiece with a small chamber typically used by classical players) is right out front here and glorious. These tunes have entered into the modern repertoire as virtual standards. No relevant jazz collection can be without The Real McCoy.

And speaking of Joe Henderson, and essential sessions and virtual modern standards, don't overlook Kenny Dorham's "Una Mas" on Music Matters. Una Mas, the title track, is now a standard, yet the original remains definitive. Dorham remains criminally under-appreciated. He is the link between Clifford Jordan and Woody Shaw, has both phenomenal technique and a rich, unique tone - and was a terrific forward looking improviser with deep soulfulness. Henderson was always at a peak, inspired by playing with his mentor Dorham. Una Mas is a side long soulful piece of latin tinged soulful jazz. Music Matters makes it so rhythmically tuneful and propulsive it can raise the dead. Beautiful, dancing in the head. Essential.

Lastly, bringing this post full circle, if you want Music Matters to continue past the final two titles announced for May, there is ONLY ONE WAY TO DO IT. And it involves putting the pocketbook together with the passion, and getting back to some of those titles you passed on, and getting yourself back to the adventure of the unexpected. Here are a few that ARE essential - both sonic highlights of the series, and musical highpoints off the warhorse beat. Pick SIX, call Music Matters, order them, and show you care about the music:

1. ELVIN JONES - Genesis.
2. SAM RIVERS - Fuschia Swing Song
3. ANDREW HILL - Point Of Departure
4. JOE HENDERSON - Inner Urge
5. DONALD BYRD - Byrd In Hand
6. DEXTER GORDON - Getting Around
7. BOBBY HUTCHERSON - Happenings
8. LEE MORGAN - Tomcat
9. JACKIE McLEAN - Destination Out
10. DONALD BYRD - The Catwalk
11. JOE HENDERSON - Our Thing
12. ART BLAKEY - Indestructible

And a hint about what's coming up in May!

I have a Test Pressing of Grant Green's STREET OF DREAMS - and let's just say, that if this series is going out, it's going out with such a big bang that creationists and going to be blasted back into the Stone Age! Preorder this one before it's too, late, and please - pick out a few of the titles listed above to keep the excitement going!