Burrell, Kenny: K.B. Blues (Blue Note Tone Poet) LP

Kenny Burrell had been recording for Blue Note less than a year when he entered Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack, New Jersey studio in February 1957 for his 3rd session as a leader for the label. The date presented the guitarist’s signature stylings with a crack team of hard boppers featuring Horace Silver on piano, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Doug Watkins on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. Side 1 finds the band stretching out on a jaunty take of Silver’s tune “Nica’s Dream,” written for the jazz baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, and Burrell’s hard charging “Out for Blood.” Side 2 offers up several views of the blues with an excellent version of Lester Young’s “D.B. Blues” book-ended by two different takes of Burrell’s easy-going “K.B Blues.” Previously only issued on vinyl in Japan, this swinging set is given a new shine as part of the Tone Poet Series.