[MRL 400] Blue Mitchell - Graffiti Blues

MRL 400
1973

Personnel:

Trumpet - Blue Mitchell
Bass [Fender] - Darrell Clayborn
Drums - Ray Pounds
Guitar [Electric] - Freddie Robinson
Harmonica - Don Bailey
Piano - Walter Bishop, Jr.
Piano, Electric Piano - Joe Sample
Saxophone [Tenor] - Herman Riley


Tracks:

A1 Graffiti Blues (7:16)
A2 Yeah Ya Right (5:28)
A3 Express (5:05)

B1 Asso-Kam (7:23)
B2 Dorado (8:58)

Arranged by - Richard Fritz
Producer - Bob Shad
Engineer - John Stronach
Photography - Buddy Childers
Recorded on March 1, 1973, Record Plant, Los Angeles, California


AMG Review
by Scott Yanow

The fourth of five Mainstream sets led by Blue Mitchell (which has been reissued on CD) finds the flexible hard bop trumpeter joined by a soulful and funky rhythm section (either Joe Sample or Walter Bishop Jr. on keyboards, guitarist Freddie Robinson, electric bassist Darrell Clayborn and drummer Ray Pounds) and tenor saxophonist Herman Riley. The group plays three straight funky blues, including the title cut which features Don Bailey on harmonica, as well as a couple of basic Sample originals and a Mitchell ballad feature on "Alone Again, Naturally." Although not up to the same level as Blue Mitchell's earlier Blue Note dates, this accessible set does a good job of balancing worthwhile solos with catchy rhythms and has dated surprisingly well.

Dusty Groove review:

One of Blue Mitchell's hippest funky sets of the 70s -- an unusual little record that mixes a bit of funky harmonica with his own soulful trumpet! The approach definitely echoes a bit of the "blues" in the title -- but the groove is much more straightforward and funky -- that hard-edged approach that shows up on the best electric Mainstream sessions of the time, with a bad-stepping bottom that moves along nicely throughout! Harmonica's handled by Don Bailey, and other players include Joe Sample on keyboards, Herman Riley on tenor, Freddie Robinson on guitar, and Ray Pounds on drums. Cuts are all nice and long, quite open overall, and almost more relaxed than some of Blue's other Mainstream sessions -- and titles include "Graffiti Blues", "Yeah Ya Right", "Express", "Asso Kam", and "Dorado"