Grant Green I Want to Hold Your Hand (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) 180g LP

The trio of guitarist Grant Green, organist Larry Young, and drummer Elvin Jones had a unique alchemy from the first time they got together on Green's 1964 album Talkin' About. A couple months later the trio reconvened as a quartet with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson to record Street of Dreams. For 1965's I Want to Hold Your Hand they subtly changed their palette again by adding tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley into the mix. The result was another simmering set imbued with sophisticated soul. The quartet elevates a collection of well-known songs with their easy-going elegance from a surprisingly successful bossa reinvention of the title track by The Beatles to the bona fide bossa nova classic "Corcovado" by Antonio Carlos Jobim. The set also includes unforgettable renditions of standards including Kurt Weill's "Speak Low," Victor Young's "Stella by Starlight," and Cole Porter's "At Long Last Love." I Want to Hold Your Hand capped off an extraordinarily prolific five-year run for Green that saw him record more than 20 hard bop and soul jazz sessions for Blue Note. When the guitarist returned to the label in 1969 his style had evolved into the jazz-funk that would characterize his late career.

The Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series was born out of Blue Note President Don Was' admiration for the exceptional audiophile Blue Note LP reissues presented by Music Matters. Was brought Joe Harley, a.k.a. the "Tone Poet," on board to curate and supervise a series of reissues from the Blue Note family of labels.

Extreme attention to detail has been paid to getting these right in every conceivable way, from the jacket graphics and printing quality to superior LP mastering (direct from the master tapes) by Kevin Gray to superb 180g audiophile LP pressings by Record Technology Inc. Every aspect of these Tone Poet releases is done to the highest possible standard. It means that you will never find a superior version. This is IT.

This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio) from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

Even with all the straightforward pop overtones of much of the material, the quartet's playing is still very subtly advanced, both in its rhythmic interaction and the soloists' harmonic choices. Whether augmented by an extra voice or sticking to the basic trio format, the Green/Young/Jones team produced some of the most sophisticated organ/guitar combo music ever waxed, and I Want to Hold Your Hand is the loveliest of the bunch.