The Horace Silver Quintet – The Tokyo Blues

Just paid 69¢ for a NM copy in shrinkwrap, in 2024. It's still possible, people

For half (+/-) of the releases here, A2 is "Sayanora Blues" and the other half is "Sayonara Blues". i'm not speaking japanese, but I would like to know what is the correct title. thanks

Blue Mitchell kills it here. After one listen has become one of my favorites! Btw pressing is fabulous.

Quick, name 3 quintessential hard bop artists and Horace Silver will surely come to mind. I was unfamiliar with this record until I spied this '66 repress(of '62 original) and snatched it without even looking at the sidemen nor tracklist. I'm pleased to find a solid presentation of Silver's original music, inspired by Japan (with the usual stacked 4ths to set the scene), with some clean playing by Horace and his horn accomplices.

Blue Mitchell never disappoints and his lines are clean and catchy. Junior Cook sounds particularly good in the ensemble arrangements, but lays down a couple good solos as well. Horace, never one to overplay his hand, only plays what is necessary to support the music. He may develop a two-note rhythmic pattern for an entire chorus or two, or he may spew fast unison lines, or soul-filled chordal punches. He lets his hair down on the last track, "Ah So", so stick around. You may even hear him quote "Long Ago and Far Away".

The recording is very clean, typical RVG standard. Plenty of bright information, a little light in the low range, but there are enough bass/piano LH riffs to not leave the low instruments unrepresented. Stereo soundstage is nice.

Good pressing from Liberty. Very enjoyable record, 4 stars.

Pictured is a New York USA label without deep groove, but the text claims Liberty Labels.
So please "Liberty" for NY USA labels (without dg and p)!

Indeed classic blue note Horace Silver hard-bop 60’s jazz, but seems to be overlooked as containing some of his most memorable, toe-tapping funky lines - to me one of his finest and one that I come back to more frequently than most of his others. A gem.

Sound is pretty subpar, even the CD sound better than this, how can Blue Note accept so bad reissues? The record is "protected by a plastic bag that stick to the record and some marks stay on the record if you can remove it from the bag.. In one sentence, stay away of this label, cheap by don't worth it.. DR is 3 on this release but 7 on the Blue Note CD.

Is this the only 45rpm version? I bought one from AP a few weeks ago, no numbered sticker.

Missed this during the Acoustic Sounds $25 sale back in January, but grabbed it at 15% off this month. Fantastic album and excellent pressing. Can't recommend it enough!

Fantastic pressing! Super clean and flat. Just flawless! Nice sound stage and very detailed. AP did this one was done right!