Blue Mitchell - Blue's Moods: The Legendary Quartet Sessions with Wynton Kelly (1960) [2011]

This CD contains Blue Mitchells complete original LP 'Blues Moods', the first album the trumpeter ever recorded entirely in a quartet format. He is backed by a wonderful rhythm section including Wynton Kelly on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Roy Brooks on drums.
Mitchell and Kelly had first recorded together for Mitchells 1958 album 'Big Six', a sextet LP (as its title clearly indicates) on which saxophonist Johnny Griffin, trombonist Curtis Fuller, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Philly Joe Jones were also featured. 'Big Six' marked Mitchells first album as a leader, and contained a single quartet track, There'll Never Be Another You (Mitchells first quartet recording ever, the song has been added as a bonus at the end of this CD).
Blue Mitchells third album as a leader, 'Blue Soul', was a sextet project (with Curtis Fuller on trombone, Jimmy Heath on tenor sax, Sam Jones on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums) taped over three sessions in late September 1959. The third of these sessions, included here in its entirety as a bonus, was taped in a quartet format with Blue Mitchell as the only horn. Blues Moods, the aforementioned session for Blue Soul and the single track from Big Six, have been compiled on this edition, which constitutes Mitchells complete quartet recordings as a leader up to 1961, as well as all of his quartet recordings ever with Wynton Kelly.

Tracks:

01. I'll Close My Eyes (Kaye-Reid) - 5:56
02. Avars (Boyd) - 4:08
03. Scrapple from the Apple (Parker) - 4:00
04. Kinda Vague (Kelly-Mitchell) - 6:28
05. Sir John (Mitchell) - 6:07
06. When I Fall in Love (Heyman-Young) - 5:42
07. Sweet Pumpkin (Bright) - 4:20
08. I Wish I Knew (Gordon-Warren) - 4:27
09. The Way You Look Tonight (Fields-Kern) - 3:23
10. Park Avenue Petite (Golson) - 3:59
11. Blue Soul (Mitchell) - 4:13
12. Park Avenue Petite (alternate take) (Golson) - 5:11
13. Blue Soul (alternate take) (Mitchell) - 6:34
14. There'll Never Be Another You (Gordon-Warren) - 5:03

Personnel:

#1-8 ("Blue's Moods"):
Blue Mitchell - trumpet
Wynton Kelly - piano
Sam Jones - bass
Roy Brooks - drums
Recorded in New York on August 24-25, 1960.

#9-13 (from "Blue Soul"):
Blue Mitchell - trumpet
Wynton Kelly - piano
Sam Jones - bass
Philly Joe Jones - drums
Recorded in New York on September 30, 1959.

#14 (from "Big Six"):
Blue Mitchell - trumpet
Wynton Kelly - piano
Wilbur Ware - bass
Philly Joe Jones - drums
Recorded in New York on July 2, 1958.