Blue Harlem [Import]

Ike Quebec | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 5, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Proper
• ASIN: B0001Q5Z1C
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #255,723 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Tiny's Exercise

2. She's Funny That Way

3. (Back Home Again In) Indiana

4. Blue Harlem

5. Hard Tack

6. If I Had You

7. Mad About You

8. Facin' the Face

9. Blue Turning Grey Over You

10. Dolores

11. The Day You Came Along

12. Sweethearts on Parade

13. I Found a New Baby

14. I Surrender Dear

15. Topsy

16. Cup-Mute Clayton

17. Girl of My Dreams

18. Jim Dawgs

19. Scufflin'

20. I.Q. Blues

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

His celebrated '40s recordings of Blue Harlem and If I Had You plus 20 other key cuts by this always-soulful tenor-sax man!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ESSENTIAL!, January 17, 2008

By 

Walter J. Von Ahn (Jersey City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Harlem (Audio CD)

It's hard to believe that no one has reviewed this great album. Ike Quebec was one of the best tenors to ever pick up a saxophone. He also pushed Alfred Lion and Blue Note from boogie- woogie to swing and then to the modern sounds of Monk, Powell and James Moody. He was out of the picture for most of the fifties with the jazzman flu but came back again in the late fifties and early sixties to make some wonderful recordings, such as "Heavy Soul", " Blue and Sentimental", " Easy Living" and " It May As Well Be Spring" before dying of cancer in January of 1963 at age forty four.

This terrific album however is about the beginning; the period from 1944 to 1946 when Ike put out one good record after another with some of best musicians of the day. While this is a compilation of six recording sessions it is perfectly cohesive as many of the same musicians are in attendance. Roger Ramirez (who wrote " Loverman") does most of the piano work and ditto for J.C. Heard on drums and Milt Hinton on base. Tiny Grimes handles guitar on more than half the numbers. But the sounds never get boring given the additions of players like trumpeters Jonah Jones and Buck Clayton and trombonists Tyree Green and Keg Johnson among others.

The selections are truly magnificent as is usually the case on a Quebec effort. Ike mixes them up with blues, bop and ballads all taken at varying tempos and they all swing like crazy. Six are Quebec originals including his hit " Blue Harlem" and my favorite "I.Q.Blues". The renditions of " Dolores" and " The Day You Came Along" are standouts. Ike always played with his dancing shoes on (he actually started out as a dancer) and this album is no exception. The sound quality is very good and I wish my Parker Savoy and Dial records from that period were nearly as clear. The CD is nicely packaged with savvy liner notes by Joop Visser. I hope this stays around but I wouldn't bet on it so get it while you can.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the great tenors, April 23, 2011

By 

Benjamin Thomas (ukiah, ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blue Harlem (Audio CD)

As a ballad player, Quebec had no superior. If I Had You also is the equal of any ballad from Hawkins, Jacquet or Webster. Ditto She's Funny That Way.