In 1984, Capitol/EMI hired record exec Bruce Lundvall away from Elektra/Musician to be in charge of two major undertakings: 1) the launch of the Manhattan label, and 2) the resurrection of the legendary Blue Note jazz label, which had gone dormant in the 1970s. As far as the Blue Note relaunch, Lundvall had three goals: reissuing classic releases from the Blue Note heyday, releasing older music from the record label's vaults, and new releases from both established and emerging acts. This release was one of the latter.
As a fan of both Burrell and Washington (and all the other players, for that matter), I had high hopes for this album, but it just doesn't do much for me. The playing is surberb in this all-star, top-shelf session; so I guess it's the material that lets me down. Judging by the reviews below, I'm in the minority.
Liner notes by Burrell and Washington.
Burrell - acoustic and electric guitar
Washington - soprano and tenor saxophone
Ron Carter - bass
Jack DeJohnette - drums
Ralph MacDonald - percussion
Reviews/ratings:
- Stereo Review: "an excellent, straight-ahead album"
- The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★½
- The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
- The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★★
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: Did not chart
- Billboard Jazz: #16
- CashBox Jazz: #8
- Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #2
Tracks: I enjoy the second track, a samba entitled Sails Of Your Soul, and the third track, the ballad Daydream.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None
Previously revisited for the blog:
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