Grant Green - Idle Moments (1965)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 1999 Rudy Van Gelder Edition which includes two bonus tracks.

Simply put, this is the album that made me a full-fledged fan of Grant Green. It is widely regarded as one of Green’s finest recordings and features an exceptional lineup. The album - particularly the 15-minute title track - is striking for its expressive restraint and the ease with which band members take their cues from one another.

Green - guitar
Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone
Bobby Hutcherson - vibes
Duke Pearson - piano
Bob Cranshaw - bass
Al Harewood - drums

Original liner notes written by Duke Pearson; 2004 reissue liner notes by Bob Blumenthal.

Reviews/ratings:

• Stereo Review: Recording of Special Merit
• Billboard: ★★★★
• DownBeat (★★★★): "Not only are all the performances of high order, but the entire undertaking also has a cohesion, a unity of approach that is quite a delight."
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★★
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★½
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

Listed at #12 on uDiscover's list of The 50 Greatest Blue Note Albums, calling the album "arguably the St. Louis fretboard maestro’s magnum opus."

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: As mentioned above, the star here is the title track which might be the most laid back piece Blue Note ever released. The whole dang album gets it done in only 4 tracks and is nothing short of fantastic.

Bonus tracks: Alternate versions of Jean De Fleur and Django.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Not long after I fell down the Blue Note rabbit hole, I purchased this CD along with Midnight Blue and listened to nothing else during the evening hours for what seems like the whole of August 2021.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Talkin' About (1965)
Feelin' The Spirit (1963)
Green Street (1961)
Sunday Mornin'/Grantstand/Grant's First Stand/Green Blues