Ike Quebec - Blue and Sentimental

Black Blues!

Blue and Sentimental isn't just one of Quebec's finest albums (alongside Heavy Soul); it's one of Grant Greens finest also. The sparse instrumentation coupled with such strong soloing makes them both stand out like three dimensional sound sculptures. The remastering has only emphasised this wonderful clarity.

Much has been mentioned about the ability of rock musicians to fashion songs out of riffs but none do it better than a Jazzman. Minor Impulse, written by Quebec, is `just a riff' that tumbles into a quintessential swinger of both their styles. It has a way of bringing people back to life and must be one of the greatest jazz tracks ever!

The drummer Philly Joe has also benefited from the remastering. The timbre from his snare and cymbals is more audible and Paul Chambers bass lines are typically firm and reassuring. No small wonder that these two musicians contributed so positively in making the Miles Davis band of the mid to late fifties such a success.

Another interesting feature about this line up is the exposed duet interaction between Paul Chambers and Grant Green. After Ike's solo on the title track for example, Green solos to the accompaniment of Chambers while Philly Joe almost lays out completely. The result is one of utmost compatibility between Green and Chambers.

This set is a mixture of blues soaked ballads and up tempo movers that has the interesting instrumental line up of tenor sax, electric guitar, bass and drums. Out of this sense of space Quebec projects a haunting emotional grandeur that remains buttressed by the integrity of his phrasing and will continue to remain fresh in its convictions throughout future generations.

As always, Blue Note has adorned the packaging with some great photos-Ike Quebec's Blue & Sentimental has never looked or sounded so good!
April 10, 2008

Finally an RVG !

The third time is a charm. I was disappointed with the sound on the first CD edition of Blue and Sentimental and later picked up the Japanese import that was not much better. The sound on this new RVG edition is outstanding. Rudy Van Gelder has his critics but I doubt they could fault him on this remastering. Certainly he and Ike Quebec knew each other well as Ike was the A & R man for Blue Note and worked with Van Gelder on many recordings. I also think the carefully spaced solos of Grant Green and Quebec lend themselves especially to RVG treatment. What took them so long is the question as this album is considered by many to be Quebec's best.

As usual Ike's selection of material is wonderful. There are two ballads, the title track and "Don't Take Your Love From Me" that Ike handles with such swinging ease and rich sound. It's easy to understand why Lorraine Gordon, the owner of The Village Vanguard still plays and is moved by Ike's music (and this woman, married to both Alfred Lion and Max Gordon has seen her share of greats). "Blues For Charlie" is mostly a Green vehicle and a tribute to Charlie Christian." Minor Impulse" and "Like" are up-tempo Quebec originals that highlight his command of the Blues. "That Old Black Magic" and "It's Alright With Me" are numbers that were left off the original album but sound just fine to my ears.

Finally " Count Every Star" is actually a number recorded and included on Green's " Born To Be Blue" album. I have always loved this number but used to grow impatient listening to Green's guitar work before Ike's solo. Now however I enjoy the intricate playing and Green's exquisite sound but with still a little impatience while anticipating the as near perfect and beautiful a solo as you will ever hear from any tenorman. So there you have it: a great new edition of a wonderful album by one of the best players to pick up a sax.
March 31, 2008

A little bit of Ike and a lot of Grant

Ike Quebec has a unique tenor sound and style. It is definetly more gut bucket and bluesy than it is sophisticated. The first few tracks on this disc deliver that sound in spades and that is a good thing. To me the rest of the disc is more of a Grant Green outing and that is a good thing as well but to call this record an Ike Quebec record is misleading. This is a good if not great jazz session from 1961 and it is typical Blue Note with RVG at the helm and the usual suspects as leaders and side men. All RVG reissues are worth owning and this is no exception. March 28, 2008

The Sound of Relaxed Romance

All of Ike Quebec's bluenote albums are superior efforts, but "Blue and Sentimental" , along with "Easy Living" (which came after this one and before "Soul Samba") take the proverbial cake. Quebec mesmerizes with the languid-smokey-late-night-romance that he breathes deeply into his tenor saxophone. Without the accompaniment of the piano there is more space and time for Ike to move about in at his lazy leisure, and in place of it is the gentle strumming of Grant Green, who is at his most relaxed with Quebec at the helm. This fits the mood just right, and Ike Quebec is nothing if not a master at sustaining the blue tinted mood of a seemingly endless night. Images of laying in a bed with no sheets, late on a humid night, a gentle rain smearing the windows and the black streets below, a woman asleep with her head buried in your shoulder and her body pressed against you swaying with her breath, blue wisps of smoke from a cigarette lingering in the thick still air. This music is the sound of relaxed-romance, romance after passion but before sleep. A strange mingling of melancholy and quiet satisfaction. This is an album that is totally complete in and of itself, perfectly capturing a frozen moment. A still, perfect, and beautiful moment. This is Ike Quebec at the summit, and the best deep tenor sound this side of Ben Webster. Highly recommended.
*(Note: this review is of the previous edition, not the RVG) March 13, 2008

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