Personnel: Grant Green (guitar); James Spaulding (alto saxophone); Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone); McCoy Tyner (piano); Bob Cranshaw (bass); Elvin Jones (drums).
Producer: Alfred Lion.
Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.
Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on June 12, 1964. Originally released on Blue Note (990). Includes liner notes by Michael Cuscuna.
This is part of Blue Note's Limited Edition Connoisseur series.
After his untimely death in 1979, Blue Note published a number of Grant Green's previously unreleased '60s recordings. One of these astounding sessions is SOLID, an energetic outing that finds Green leading a large ensemble, including Coltrane band members and Blue Note regulars. Green shows his mettle with fire and precision, his bright, clear tone cutting through the dense sonic backdrop.
The set consists of several intriguing tunes, opening with Duke Pearson's intricate "Minor League," a swinging epic that allows for some powerful blowing, while modal pioneer George Russell's sizzling "Ezz-Thetic" is a fast-paced burner that stretches the group nearly to its limit and offers an engaging harmonic foundation. Green's own "Grant's Tune" and Sonny Rollins' "Solid" are relaxed blues that swing and sway with flavorful statements by all concerned. Joe Henderson's swinging classic "The Kicker," and the Bacharach-David waltz "Wives and Lovers" round out this highly enjoyable session.
