Label: Blue Note
Reissued 9/13/2024, Originally released 1960
Recorded in the wee hours of Good Friday 1960, this charming and impromptu Pacific Jazz session captured the easygoing alchemy of The Modest Jazz Trio featuring Jim Hall on guitar, Red Mitchell on piano, and Red Kelly on bass. Good Friday Blues would be the trio's sole album, a sublimely swinging date that did indeed begin with the modest expectations of capturing a single track for a blues anthology that Richard Bock was producing. But the vibe was right, the trio was inspired, the music flowed, and by morning they had laid down six tracks including a pair of originals by Mitchell and renditions of songbook standards including "Willow Weep for Me," "I Remember You," and "I Was Doin' Alright." The drum-less setting allows Hall's gorgeous, subtle tone and melodic flow to shine while Mitchell—who was primarily known as a bassist—surprises with his impressive piano chops, and Kelly provides a sturdy base. 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 tip-on jacket.
Track listing:
- Good Friday Blues
- Willow Weep For Me
- I Remember You
- Bill Not Phil
- When I Have You
- I Was Doin' All Right