CiTR

Guitarist Grant Green, along with Wes Montgomery set the standards for that instrument in the 1960's. They both seemed to come out of nowhere and leaped to international fame. Montgomery was a more stable individual than Green and even though he died quite young at age 43 in 1968, he achieved legendary status. Green was not as fortunate in his lifetime but now, after his passing in 1979, he too, has reached iconic status. This album was one of the many Green sessions for Blue Note that were never released during Green's lifetime. This great session came out on vinyl in the early 80's on the Blue Note 'white cover' series and was later issued on Blue Note's Connoisseur Series on CD in 1995.
It features Green on guitar with two major saxophonists in the persons of James Spaulding on alto and Joe Henderson on tenor plus the powerhouse rhythm section of McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass and the dynamic drumming of Elvin Jones. The session was done in 1964 and opens with a Duke Pearson original called "Minor League", one original by Green called "Grant's Tune" and a great rendition of Sonny Rollins' blues called "Solid". the title track. Joe Henderson's "The Kicker" is a highlight as well as a version of Bacharach's "Wives And Lovers" without the saxophones but the best cut is the band's version of George Russell's "Ezz-thetic"(named for the great prizefighter Ezzard Charles). This is another feather in the formidable cap of guitar great Grant Green.