Customer Reviews

Street of Dreams

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps it's a bit odd that while the 1950s and 1960s threw up many notable guitarists--Montgomery, Galbraith, Puma, Hall, Ellis, Lowe, Pass, &c--they mostly tended to the quieter end of the spectrum: the guitar wasn't frequently encountered in the tough-as-nails, abrasive music known as hard bop. The only two guitarists to have made much of an impact at Blue Note, the home of hard bop, were Kenny Burrell & Grant Green. Green was a guitarist blessed with the ability to make just about anything sound good; even something as unpromising as "Moon River" (on _The Complete Quartets with Sonny Clark_) in his hands becomes convincing & impeccable jazz. His playing was supremely melodic, unornamented & relaxed; his sound was delicate, but surprisingly adaptable to even the toughest of hard bop contexts. He recorded in a lot of settings; at the time Blue Note seemed mostly interested in his more commercially-oriented work (gospel, blues, organ trio, Latin, pop standards), & it was only after Green's untimely death in the late 1970s that a lot of Green's most important & grittiest work was released, like a pair of albums with McCoy Tyner & Elvin Jones in the rhythm section, or a clutch of discs with Sonny Clark on piano. Unfortunately, as the 1960s wore on like many jazz musicians (& especially guitarists--think of Montgomery & Benson) Green more & more turned to commercially-oriented music; but his numerous mid-1960s discs amply document a figure who is as much a neglected master as, say, Sonny Clark or Herbie Nichols (though like them he is finally getting his due).

This album was released during Green's life, fortunately, & remains one of his best. The band features Larry Young on organ, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes & Elvin Jones on drums. If at a casual glance the setlist looks more "commercial" than an album like _Idle Moments_ (Green's finest album as a leader), given that it is dependent on standards rather than originals, don't let that fool you. The best of these four long, relaxed performances is a version of "Lazy Afternoon", reworked into a 5/4 groove, the theme given a tranced, elongated reading. But all four tracks are memorable, unfolding gently, with an almost mesmerizing shimmer. Despite its being on the Blue Note label, this disc is as introspective of mood as a contemporary Bill Evans trio date.

The players on this disc crossed paths several times again. The Green/Young/Jones axis frequently appeared in Van Gelder's studio: they also recorded Green's _Talkin' About_, Young's _Into Somethin'_ (with Sam Rivers), & Green's _I Want to Hold Your Hand_ (with Hank Mobley; the title track is another fine instance of Green's ability to make compelling jazz out of unlikely material)--if none of these discs quite touches _Street of Dreams_ they are still all rewarding listens. Bobby Hutcherson was also a key component of _Idle Moments_, which stands as Green's greatest achievement on disc.

This is one of my top ten favorite jazz albums. It captures a certain feel of West Coast Cool. It's mellow music but there is complexity and brilliance to Green's guitar work that gives the music an intricacy and vigor worth listening to over and over again. Smooth but not flaccid. But this album would be an important part of your jazz collection even without appreciating the cryptic subtleties that lend it weight. It works just as well on a simpler level, purely on it's charming, hypnotic sound. Green's guitar solos float buoyantly over the smooth sounds of Larry Young's organ work, accented by Bobby Hutcherson's vibes and an appropriately restrained Elvin Jones on drums. Don't believe me? Sample track 3, Streets of Dreams, and see.

It's rare to find such a beautiful blending of instruments. Musicians complimenting each other with such generosity of spirit and such clarity of sound and vision, it will shame away every negative emotion tucked away in your subconscious. It's like a colonic hydrotherapy for the soul, but without the risks of intestinal perforations and flash edema. Less invasive too, wouldn't you say? For best results, go get a deep tissue massage, then rush immediately to your local osteopath for some vigorous thoracic and lumbar adjustments. Then, drive home, take just a pinch of Xanax and a baby dose of chloral hydrate. Take a hot shower, pour yourself a tall Tanqueray on the rocks, and put the album on. Dim the lights. Fire up a lava lamp if you've got one. If you must smoke, I would go with a light Maryland pipe tobacco, unsweetened, mixed with just a smidgen of smoky Cyprian latakia. Please do not operate heavy machinery while listening to this music.
You're welcome.

This RVG reissue is a bit of a head-scratcher as the original CD is still readily available, but it's a classic so I won't complain. Recorded on November 16, 1964, Grant Green's "Street of Dreams" is the third of four Blue Note albums featuring the guitar-organ trio of Grant Green, Larry Young and drummer Elvin Jones. The first album, Grant Green's "Talkin' About," featured only the aforementioned trio, but on the other three dates, a different musician was brought in for each session to form memorable quartets. Larry Young's "Into Somethin'" featured Sam Rivers on tenor sax, Grant Green's I Want to Hold Your Hand (see my review) included Hank Mobley, and "Street of Dreams" benefited from the contributions of Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. The combinations the "Street of Dreams" quartet came up with are truly magical -- Green's smooth licks and perfect passes, Young's probing but never overpowering organ, Hutch's delicate yet percussive vibes compliments, and Elvin's poly-rhythmic stickwork combine to form some truly magical playing and improvising. This is by no means your typical organ soul jazz title, but is instead a modern jazz masterpiece. It is one of the those albums I never tire of listening to, particularly at sunset. Ahhh, to live on the "Street of Dreams."

This album is one of my favorites because the band gels so nicely. Often times, you can set up the best musician at each spot and have absolutely no chemistry. In this case however, the best at each spot have tremendous chemistry. Green of course holds his own, but especially when he plays with Larry Young. "Somewhere in the Night" lets us hear Young's chords and tri-tones in a subtle setting, but it exemplifies his one-of-kind style and greatness. Jones doesn't need to do much but keep the rythym, which he always does very well. Hutcherson on the vibes...this guy kills. He adds a unique touch to these standards of which we are not accustomed to hearing with vibes included. But, it works...making this an excellent album, especially when you just wanna kick back and really enjoy and admire some real jazz.

-Peace-

Recorded on November 16, 1964, Grant Green's "Street of Dreams" is the third of four Blue Note albums featuring the guitar-organ trio of Grant Green, Larry Young and drummer Elvin Jones. The first album, Grant Green's "Talkin' About," featured only the aforementioned trio, but on the other three dates, a different musician was brought in for each session to form memorable quartets. Larry Young's "Into Somethin'" featured Sam Rivers on tenor sax, Grant Green's "I Want To Hold Your Hand" included Hank Mobley, and "Street of Dreams" benefited from the contributions of Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. The combinations the "Street of Dreams" quartet came up with are truly magical -- Green's smooth licks and perfect passes, Young's probing but never overpowering organ, Hutch's delicate yet percussive vibes compliments, and Elvin's poly-rhythmic stickwork combine to form some truly magical playing and improvising. This is by no means your typical organ soul jazz title, but is instead a modern jazz masterpiece. It is one of the those albums I never tire of listening to, particularly at sunset. Ah, to live on the "Street of Dreams."

This is Grant Green, what can I say. If you like Wes Montgomery and don't know about Grant Green then you need to. I enjoy Mr. Green's inflection of blues in most everything he does. In my opinion he is very tasty, laying back to settle into the groove and then burning it up at just the right moment without being showy. He serves the music well.

This album is so laid back that it's practically upside down. The combination of Larry Young on organ and Grant Green on guitar is a winner. With the addition of Bobby Hutcherson on vibes and the excellent drumming of Elvin Jones, this is a quartet of first-rate musicians. Too bad the album is so short, clocking in at just under 34 minutes...but the quality of the music makes up for that (4 tracks, all around 8 mins each.)

Grant Green's guitar lines are so fluid and blues/R&B influenced, that it sounds effortless and almost makes you drift into a dream (or a 'Street of Dreams'). It's easy to see where guitarists like George Benson got their influences, and Green's easy-going style surely laid the way for Smooth guitarists of the late 60's onward. Larry Young's organ playing is indespensible, and makes this album really cook; not many (aside from Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff) can play the organ so soulfully. Hutcherson adds just enough vibes to blend in with Elvin Jones to make a velvety background.

This is an excellent album that would be perfect music to play at a Lounge or Bachelor pad! Sit back, turn down the lights, and enjoy!

I bought this on vinyl in the 1970s and recently on CD. A magic musical session. All musicians at the top of their game. Plus, I love the lineup: guitar, organ, vibes, drums. Great. My only regret is that there weren't any more cuts from this session in the can. Sigh!

Scott K Fish

This is the first Grant Green album I ever bought. This album is so subtle from start to finish. Superficially, it appears as a cool jazz album, but the bluesy melodic lines of Grant Green give all the tracks so much weight. This is definately the type of album that some people would find too mellow or laid back. But it turns out that repeating listening only makes you realize that the music is ironically engaging and complex. I normally don't even like vibes, but somehow Bobby Hutcherson can make vibes have balls which I once thought was impossible. After purchasing this album, Grant Green became somewhat of my obsession, as now I try to incorporate some of his ideas into my guitar playing. Lazy Afternoon is my favorite track on this album, with it's unique meter and incredibly introspective playing between Grant Green and the excellent Elvin Jones. Grant Green is often misunderstood as a overly simple blues guitarist in a jazz context. That's because he plays guitar more like a sax or drum as oppossed to the majority who sound more like pianists. The beauty is all in the way he plays with the rhythm and stretches his modal blues vocabulary. I've never heard anything quite like him.

For some reason I always felt that this one is one where Jones and Young does not reach their normal level.Jones is too much in the background for my taste.and Young plays delicate chords and basslines,but.....Anyway for my money Hutcherson is the hero of this session his soloing on all tracks are just outstanding , his solos are right on the spot and I suspect that he "lifts" Green up to his normal level, you can feel this on the two last tracks, and this is particular obvious on "Somewhere in the night" But all in all, thanks to Green and Hutcherson this is still worth 5 stars.