Blue Mitchell
1962
A Sure Thing
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01. West Coast Blues5:41
02. I Can't Get Started With You3:44
03. Blue On Blue4:44
04. A Sure Thing4:29
05. Hootie Blues5:20
06. Hip To It4:57
07. Gone With The Wind5:57
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Jerome Richardson (tracks: A1 to B2)
Baritone Saxophone – Pat Patrick (tracks: B2)
Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams (tracks: A1)
Bass – Sam Jones
Drums – Albert "Tootie" Heath
French Horn – Julius Watkins (tracks: A1 to B2)
Piano – Wynton Kelly
Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath
Trumpet – Blue Mitchell
Trumpet – Clark Terry (tracks: A1 to B2)
Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, New York City; March 7, 8, and 28, 1962.
1962
A Sure Thing
02. I Can't Get Started With You3:44
03. Blue On Blue4:44
04. A Sure Thing4:29
05. Hootie Blues5:20
06. Hip To It4:57
07. Gone With The Wind5:57
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Jerome Richardson (tracks: A1 to B2)
Baritone Saxophone – Pat Patrick (tracks: B2)
Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams (tracks: A1)
Bass – Sam Jones
Drums – Albert "Tootie" Heath
French Horn – Julius Watkins (tracks: A1 to B2)
Piano – Wynton Kelly
Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath
Trumpet – Blue Mitchell
Trumpet – Clark Terry (tracks: A1 to B2)
Recorded at Plaza Sound Studios, New York City; March 7, 8, and 28, 1962.
Trumpeter Blue Mitchell is well featured on A Sure Thing, with a nonet arranged by Jimmy Heath. The music is straight-ahead but, thanks to Heath's arrangements, sometimes unpredictable. Best is Mitchell's solo on "I Can't Get Started,""Hootie's Blues," and a quintet workout (with Heath, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath) on "Gone with the Wind."
A hip session from Blue – one that points the way towards some of his later work on Blue Note, and which features a larger than usual group arranged by Jimmy Heath. As on some of Heath's other projects from the time, the groove is tight and soulful, but never so dominant as to overwhelm the soloists. Mitchell's the main player, of course – but the rest of the group features work by Heath, Pat Patrick, Jerome Richardson, and Wynton Kelly.
