Blue Note Records: The Ten Essential Albums

Blue Note Records: The Ten Essential Albums

Ten albums that represent the very best of what made Blue Note the premier jazz label during the golden age of jazz music (a period running roughly 1856 to 1968). They showcase the finest jazz music and artists that emerged during a time when jazz music was at it's commercial and creative peak.

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Horace Silver Quintet - "6 Pieces Of Silver"

Horace Silver Quintet - "6 Pieces Of Silver"

This album is an early hard bop lovers dream, with Horace Silver leading a group that includes Hank Mobley and Donald Byrd, two fellow musicians who also helped shape the sound of Blue Note heading into the next decade. Silver is often cited as one of the originators of the hard bop style, and listening to this early recording it is easy to see why. 

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Hank Mobley - "No Room For Squares"

Hank Mobley - "No Room For Squares"

One of my favorite early 1960's record from both Blue Note and my favorite tenor player, No Room For Squares features two different quintets from two 1963 recording sessions. The first, from March 1963, features Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock and Butch Warren, while the second from October 1963 has Lee Morgan, Andrew Hill and John Ore. 

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