Blue Notes Records: The Biography

by Richard Cook

Blue Note is a label that stands for more than just the extraordinary music in its catalogue. The label's story has hitherto been told only through collections of art and photography, foregrounding the label as an arbiter of style that continues to have great influence. Francis Wolff's photography, coupled with Reid Miles' designs, set an unrepeatable standard which has become a classic design symbol. But of course it was not only style and elegance in design that set Blue Note apart; Miles David, Thelonius Monk, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins and - perhaps the archetypal Blue Note group - Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers all made their most significant early recordings under the auspices of the Blue Note genius. The body of this book is a detailed history of the label from its beginnings in 1939, its development, rise, fall and rebirth. Also included is a parallel analysis of all the major records released by the label throughout its history.

Genres: Music, Jazz, History, Nonfiction, Biography

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you are a jazz lover, you know about Blue Note Records.
what a masterful service a couple of German Immigrants- Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff - did for jazz composers, players, and those jazz lovers among us.
we can now listen endlessly, to a cadre of the finest jazz musicians on the planet.

there are other record labels I could say close to the same thing about. to me Blue Note is special.

I took a philosophy of art and music class as I glided in for my degree.
Dr. Armstrong your awesome.
the point was made, and it is true. you can tell me my cannabis brownie's suck, and I will brush it off.
but tell me Jr. Cook, Art Pepper or Hampton Hawes suck, and we have a bit of an issue.

the point being, brownies are not important. but say something against music I love, and you have wounded me.

that is why I have the utmost respect for whatever music moves you.

read this book, if your into pre-fusion jazz. :)

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it were not for Blue Note Records it's highly doubtful another company would have entered the gap to record and nurture some of the most important jazz musicians of the 50's. Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff's willingness to take chances, trust artists' visions and pay them to rehearse, combined with their discernment and taste are to thank for many of the most original and innovative jazz voices that emerged in the 50's.

Would the dissonant music of Thelonious Monk have been recorded by the big labels? Or the thorny, rhythmically disjointed music of Andrew Hill? It's a case of two men coming together with a vision and real love of the music, and in hindsight it seems almost a miracle that it happened.

Not that Blue Note didn't put out some hits and even a few "rent payers." At one point a few songs written by Horace Silver likely kept the label alive. Hammond organist Jimmy Smith was also incredibly popular, although his work isn't considered especially "innovative" in hindsight. But neither of these artists were made to compromise their vision.

I appreciate the author grading and assessing albums, this is about as thorough an examination of the Blue Note library as you're going to get, warts and all. Sometimes the verbiage used to describe or differentiate a musicians' style or tone can be a bit vague and subjective. "Bleary"...? "peppery"...? And the assessments of the various albums is a bit subjective too. Was Hank Mobley especially "languid" on this, was Jackie McLean too "angular" on that?

Cook also spends some time on the art of Blue Note, the photography and album cover design which embodies the distinctly nocturnal, muted and modernist Blue Note "look." He also talks about the legendary recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder who gave the label a "house sound" that's as distinct as its covers.

The final years of Blue Note, following Alfred Lion's departure are sad to read about. The quality of the music recorded undoubtedly took a hit -- but the tide and tastes had turned by then too. Fortunately for us, they eventually turned back and we got more high quality, unreleased material than anyone imagined existed during the original Blue Note golden years. Alfred Lion recorded a ton of Andrew Hill in the 60's, some of which was only released about 15 years ago! Again -- who else would have done that back then?

Perhaps the most important legacy of Blue Note is as an example of what can be achieved.

[Robert H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for fans of jazz and Blue Note, this is a great read and the pages fly by. I don’t always agree with Cook’s opinions on certain albums but it doesn’t take anything away from the book. Richard Cook passed away in 2007 and the history of the BN label only covers up to about 2000 but it would be interesting if another writer extended the history up to current times. Now the label is thriving again with the vinyl resurgence, the spectacular Tone Poet series, and under Don Was’ leadership. It truly is a remarkable story of a label that began so humbly but goes to show that focusing on quality in all aspects translates to longevity and critical acclaim.

[Rob Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between amiably sketching the origins story and concluding by bitterly conceding the 70s, 80s and 90s happened at all, this is less the biography of a record label (whatever THAT would look like) and more one man's highly opinionated and somewhat idiosyncratic verdict on his record collection. But who would you rather walk you through the Blue Note discography than Richard Cook, surely one of the greatest jazz writers of the modern age and perhaps the UK's answer to Ted Giola? Certainly in its rigour and vigour - it's balance of dazzlingly daring and intellectual insight; the very things it might be said which make great jazz - but also it's unflinching poise, steadfast certainty, poetic turn of phrase and exhausting verbosity - there's much to compare Cook to his American counterpart. Or perhaps he's simply the (co-) author of the second most authoritative book on jazz I've ever encountered (yeah, that Penguin thing)? In any case, it goes without saying that if you're reading this review your interest in Blue Note is both apparent and piqued, and therefore certain to benefit from this light-but-heavy, breezy-but-beefy meander through the most essential catalogue in jazz. FULL STOP.

[Jo Clemmet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting on the early years of New York jazz. Got a few new albums to look up on Spotify!

[Jimmy Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

In terms of particular records put out by great jazz labels, it would be difficult to give one label more credit than another. For an American music idiom with such a rich history, so many canonized releases are scattered across a rich variety of labels; i.e, Verve, Riverside, Impulse, ESP, etc. While all of these labels have been responsible for great classic recordings, no particular label seems to share Blue Note's inimitable process, as well as its independent integrity (that is, until the late 60's I guess).

Blue Note Records was created by Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, both German immigrants who journeyed to the states in the mid-thirties. With Lion's visionary knack for seeking out musicians who are now considered legendary (Lion was the first to record the young Thelonious Monk, who at the time was a grossly neglected artist, as well as Bud Powell), and Wolff's stunning black and white photography, these two men slowly became responsible for one of the most widely known, independent jazz labels in the country. Shortly after, they picked up Rudy Van Gelder, probably the greatest recording engineer that jazz music has ever seen, and Gil Melles who was responsible for that classic record cover design that jazz enthusiasts know all too well. Most importantly, all of the brilliant musicians that personified bebop music from the forties to the mid-sixties.

For such a slim volume, Cook manages to give a concise summary of the labels' history while including every important aspect of its accomplishments. He writes as music historiographer, but with a keen jazz critic sensibility. I like how Cook focuses on some of the more groundbreaking recordings that came from the label. Musicians like Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and Hank Mobley are spoken of with the most reverence. He includes interesting stories and anecdotes as well, many of which entail Lion's cat (the most humorous story being the time that Lion was having breakfast at his home with Bud Powell, and the cat jumped up on the table, which freaked Powell out, and then he tried to stab it with a knife (Powell was a thoroughly disturbed genius)).

Unfortunately, as this biography reaches it's end it seems to mimic the reality of, not only Blue Note Records' decline in quality, but the jazz music industry as a whole. Cook feels that the transition from the bright beginnings of those Thelonious Monk recordings to those of an artist such as Norah Jones (who is, in my mind, even in terms of vocal jazz, the furthest thing from a jazz musician) is one of the more depressing things to happen to the idiom in the 21st century.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of Blue Note records from its earliest years, the author mostly writes about what matters, the music.

My only complaint is the author’s obvious bias against the 70’s. Yes, Blue Note records went into decline after the retirement of Alfred Lion. But he only spends half a chapter on the decade and writes dismissively of some of my favorite late-60’s / early 70’s records by Bobby Hutcherson, Donald Byrd, Wayne Shorter and Eddie Henderson.

Regardless, he knows his stuff and writes knowingly about the music recorded for the classic jazz label.

[Nog · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author announces in the intro that the book won't be just reviews of Blue Note albums, but in fact much of the book is just that. The amount of information on the history of the label is spotty and generalized. And the author ignores some of the most popular titles from the label, dismisses some artists (such as Dexter Gordon, not even mentioning his most popular titles), instead gushing about more obscure ones (and what is his fascination with jazz organists, who hardly any jazz fans collect?). Very opinionated, and light on interesting anecdotes.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

An indispensable starting point, I would think.

[Wes Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conceit is this is the biography of a label. So you hear about the music/musicians, but also the cover art/cover artists, label founders, etc. Had I read the back of the thing, I probably wouldn't have bought it, as that idea leaves me cold. In practice its not so bad, I got the impression the dude would have written a full discography of Blue Note down to the bios of the bassists if he'd had the time, money and patience for something so exhausting. Instead what you get is a manageable portrait of an important corner of the jazz space-time continuum. I'm glad I read it as the book didn't actually leave me cold, just kinda warm. Lukewarm.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Successfully walking the tight rope between informative and informal, you travel with the founders of this venerable label from World War II to Coltrane's "Blue Train" to Norah Jones. And if you're like me, it'll make you want to run to the record store and get some Herbie Hancock or Art Blakey or Ike Quebec or...

[Jeff Crompton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like many jazz lovers, I hold the Blue Note record company in the highest esteem. Their 70-year history of excellence is unmatched by any other jazz record company.

That being said, Richard Cook's book didn't do a whole lot for me. It will provide little new information for anyone who already knows a lot about Blue Note - and who else would read this book?

[Czar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, informational, gripping history told in an engaging style that makes one wont to pull out and collect the classics!

[Laurent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly comprehensive and documented history of one of the best quality jazz label, started in 1939