[MRL 374] Blue Mitchell - Blue's Blues

MRL 374
1972


Personnel:

Blue Mitchell - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Darrell Clayborn - Bass [Fender]
Ray Pounds - Drums
John Guerin - Drums
Joe Sample - Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic]
Freddie Robinson - Guitar [Electric]
John Mayall - Harmonica
Herman Riley - Saxophone [Tenor], Flute


A1 Casa Blues (8:25)
A2 Just Made Up (7:32)
A3 Blues' Blues (7:05)

B1 Granite & Concrete (9:51)
B2 I Didn't Ask To Be (10:09)

Producer - Bob Shad
Art Design - Maurer Productions
Photography - Buddy Childers


AMG Review
by Scott Yanow

At the time that this Mainstream LP was recorded, Blue Mitchell was the featured trumpeter with John Mayall's blues group. Mayall returned the favor for Blue's set, playing harmonica with an electric octet headed by Mitchell. Among the sidemen are Herman Riley (on tenor and flute), keyboardist Joe Sample and guitarist Freddy Robinson. The material (all obscure originals) is primarily blues-oriented, and the music overall is listenable and funky, but not particularly memorable. Just an average date from these fine musicians.

Dusty Groove review

Sweet soulful work from trumpeter Blue Mitchell -- a set that has him working with a slightly large group of players, but in a style that's always very much in the groove! There's a nice electric undercurrent to the record throughout -- sometimes in the instrumentation from other players, sometimes in the overall way the grooves are put together -- which gives the record a quality that's almost like a funky soundtrack at the best moments! The lineup is a bit weird, too -- with Joe Sample on keyboards, Freddy Robinson on guitar, Herman Riley on tenor and flute, and even John Mayall on harmonica -- playing with a vamping funky edge on a few tunes! The title track -- "Blues Blues" -- is a great little jazzy break number, and other tracks include "Granite & Concrete", "Casa Blues", and "I Didn't Ask To Be".