Out Of The Blue (1985)

Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD.

When record executive Bruce Lundvall left the Elektra/Musician label to start Manhattan Records in 1984, he was also put in charge of reviving and relaunching the legendary Blue Note jazz label which had laid dormant since 1979. His vision was to not only reissue the classic Blue Note releases, but also re-establish the label "as a home for both new and established jazz talent." To that end, this band of young up-and-comers was put together by audition and reminds one of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in both make-up and style of music. More information about the band can be found in 1985 features in DownBeat and Cashbox magazines with further hype available from Stanley Crouch's liner notes.

As for the hard bop music itself, it certainly features the players in their best light. And that playing is outstanding. The problem is the writing, all originals composed by the band themselves. If the music sounds like it was written by a bunch of jazzers in their early 20s, you'd be right. But like I've long believed: no artist hits a home run every at-bat, and when you're young and learning, what you create most likely isn't perfect and that's part of the learning process. I wrote my first music at age 17 and I can't bear to hear it these days. As Derek Sivers writes: "It's better to create something bad than nothing at all. You can improve something bad. You can't improve nothing." Now that's some good advice right there. We all start somewhere. So I can appreciate the efforts here - I listen knowing where these guys were coming from. There's not much here to hum after the album is put away, but you can hear the potential and guess that was the point of this showcase.

Michael Philip Mossman - trumpet, flugelhorn
Kenny Garrett - alto saxophone
Ralph Bowen - tenor saxophone
Harry Pickens - piano
Robert Hurst - bass
Ralph Peterson - drums

If I'm being honest, I've only heard Garrett and Hurst outside of this album as they later joined the groups of Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis, respectively. Of the others, the playing of pianist Pickens impresses the most.

Press of the time:

• Musician: "I'll bet everyone here goes on to better things."
• CashBox: "An impressive, contemporary hard-bop effort."
• Billboard: "At once ambitious and accessible."
• DownBeat (★★★★): "a group sound that to these ears already sounds authentic and individual"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #29
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #5

Tracks: Of the 7 tracks on the album, my top picks are Eastern Love Village (written by Garrett) and O.T.B. (written by Mossman).

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When I was in high school, my immediate group of friends usually listened to the same music. There were subtle differences - I was getting into smooth jazz while my friend Brett was listening to Scorpions and Scott was listening to original Broadway cast albums - but we could agree on most albums (the one that immediately comes to mind is Beauty And The Beat but there were many others). However, we never ridiculed the others' music choices, just those suspect opinions of peers outside our group because we were admittedly a bunch of music snobs.

Fast forward a year or two to my college music studies and suddenly it was the complete opposite. I often heard the same words from both my music professors (save one) as well as my fellow music students - heck, even the girl I dated my freshman year: "You shouldn't be listening to that; you should be listening to this." And then they'd tell me what was worth my time. And, not coincidently, what was worth my time was the music they preferred. When it comes to music, I try to be open-minded and am usually willing to give anything a listen, but there's no convincing me that my opinion isn't valid. Plus, telling a contrarian like myself that I should do something is a sure way to get me not to do it, weak attempts by others at using reverse psychology not withstanding.

So not only did I keep playing my Spandau Ballet and Spyro Gyra albums but I also started picking up albums that I didn't think anyone else in that damn college music building would have. At that point, I was aware of Blue Note's storied history and wanted to be in on the ground floor of the label's revival. All that led to the purchase of this album (I also picked up a 2 LP Blue Note compilation around the same time). I listened to OTB occasionally but my go-to neo-bop album at that time was undoubtedly Black Codes. Not surprisingly, Marsalis was an artist my trumpet professor told me not to listen to.