Grant Green – Visions (Blue Note Classic Series)

Grant Green's Blue Note output was prolific through the early-'60s producing more than 20 hard bop and soul jazz sessions as a leader for the label between 1961-1965. By the time the guitarist returned to the label in 1969 his musical style had evolved to embrace jazz-funk and R&B as heard on his albums Carryin' On and Green Is Beautiful.

After two searing live recording dates — Alive! and Live at Club Mozambique — Green returned to Van Gelder Studio in 1971 to record Visions. Joining the guitarist were Billy Wooten on vibes, Emmanuel Riggins on electric piano, Chuck Rainey on electric bass, Idris Muhammad on drums, and percussionists Ray Armando and Harold Caldwell. Green's distinctive tone and melodicism elevate this varied program which includes interpretations of radio hits by Chicago ("Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"), The Carpenters ("We've Only Just Begun"), and the Jackson 5 ("Never Can Say Goodbye"), as well as a surprising reinvention of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G Minor.

Other highlights of the set include the jazz-funk workout "Cantaloupe Woman" and an achingly beautiful rendition of Quincy Jones' "Maybe Tomorrow," which was later sampled on Kendrick Lamar's 2012 track "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" from Good Kid, m.A.A.d City.

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal.