Blue Note Records Tribute on MBE

Last week on Morning Becomes Eclectic, I shared my longstanding musical love interest: Blue Note Records. Sitting in for Jason Bentley that day, Anne Litt asked me to give the condensed history of Blue Note, and we discussed what makes it the iconic label that it is, even today. I featured three cuts on the show that offer an introductory glimpse into 75 years of the label's outstanding music-making legacy.

The three cuts I chose to feature were:

Herbie Hancock's first big hit, "Watermelon Man," from his 1962 Blue Note debut, Takin' Off,with Freddie Hubbard (trumpet) and Dexter Gordon(tenor sax). For any of you Herbie fans, he has a new autobiography that was just recently published, called, Possibilities, which you can read about here.

Then a great track titled, "The Big Push," from Wayne Shorter's 2008 album, The Soothsayer, featuring an all-star cast: McCoy Tyner(piano), Freddie Hubbard, James Spaulding (alto sax), Ron Carter (bassist), and drummer Tony Williams.

To round out the set, I featured Norah Jones, who joined the Blue Note family in 2001 with the "Come Away With Me,"which topped Billboard charts and received eight Grammy Awards in 2002. Though not your standard jazz vocalist, her immense talent and touching sound put Blue Note into the black, selling over 26 million copies worldwide.

For more information on Blue Note Records, you can see my earlier tribute and book review of Uncompromising Expression, celebrating 75 years of pure musical genius.

Rhythm Planet Playlist: 12/26/14

1. Herbie Hancock / "Watermelon Man" / Takin' Off/ Blue Note Records

2. Wayne Shorter / "The Big Push" / The Soothsayer / Blue Note Records

3. Norah Jones / "Come Away With Me" / Come Away With Me / Blue Note Records