Review by Choice Review
It is not hyperbole to assert that Blue Note is the most important independent label in the history of jazz. The records they issued, 1939-67, are some of the most influential ever produced. Alfred Lion, the creative brain behind the label, was the first to record many jazz icons--Thelonious Monk, Clifford Brown, many others. The driving force behind this discography (1st ed., CH, Mar'89) is Cuscuna, who as reissue producer primarily for his own label, Mosaic Records, has been fortunate to have unusual (for a discographer) access to Blue Note's records and log books. As a result, the discography has virtually every scrap of information about the sessions recorded for and issued on Blue Note and related labels. That includes data omitted from the first edition--reissues published in the last 13 years, corrected dates and personnel, newly discovered but unreleased sessions, etc. The front matter has been rewritten, but proofreading is sloppy. Francis Wolff's photographic essay (pictures most of which were used for Blue Note's album covers), which graced the first edition, has sadly not been reproduced. The single section "Leased and Purchased Sessions" is now broken into two, and the compiler has discarded "Cassette Numerical Listings," presumably for space reasons. When the first edition was being compiled, Blue Note was on the verge of a renaissance the compilers could not foresee. The plethora of reissues, exciting new recordings, and not previously used, older material released through the 1990s have revitalized Blue Note into a guiding force in jazz recording. An invaluable source for jazz studies. J. Farrington Eastman School of Music
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
