Grant Green - Solid

Grant Green divides opinion. While many see him as a lesser player to the likes of Kenny Burrell or Wes Montgomery, there are those, like Michael Cuscuna (writing on the liner notes of "Solid") who see him as a thread linking Charlie Christian (the virtual inventor of hollow body jazz guitar) with great jazz guitarists of today such as Peter Bernstein and John Scofield. Grant Green was "a major link to... Charlie Christian..... he absorbed Christian, then bypassed such heroes of the day as Tal Farlow, Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery, and moved directly to the formation of his own identity."

Tracklist:

01 Minor League 7:05
02 Ezz-Thetic 10:41
03 Grant's Tune 7:00
04 Solid 7:23
05 The Kicker 6:23
06 Wives And Lovers 9:00

Personnel:
Grant Green (guitar);
James Spaulding (alto saxophone);
Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone);
McCoy Tyner (piano);
Bob Cranshaw (bass);
Elvin Jones (drums).

Grant Green - Ain't it Funky Now (2005)

Between 1969 and 1973, guitarist Grant Green made a string of albums that not only topped the jazz charts but also hit the Soul and R & B charts. The music he recorded found a new life a decade later when he became one of the most sampled artists in Hip Hop. The grooves he created, most often with Idris Muhammad on drums, have permeated the club scene around the world. And the band he led and the music he played served as a prototype for what is now known as the jam band scene. These three compilations gather the best and most influential performances of those album. "Ain't That Funky" contains Green's instrumental treatments of hits by James Brown, The Meters, The Isley Brothers and Kool & The Gang among others. "For The Funk Of It" collects the most popular funk originals by Grant and his band. "Mellow Madness" draws groove-based performances on tunes by Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd and Lennon & McCartney among others. Together, these collections sum up a great artist at the peak of his popularity with the essential tracks that remain a strong part of the musical landscape to this day.


1. Ain't it Funky Now!
2. Ease Back
3. It's Your Thing
4. Love on a Two-Way Street
5. Let the Music Take Your Mind
6. I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing
7. Betcha by Golly Wow