I am looking for slow blues suggestions

**asafasadi** · 02-01-2024, 07:36 AM

As the title says, stuff like afterhours by Dizzy Gillespie, or Low down and dirty by benson, I think you got the idea. If you have any suggestion feel free to share!
Thanks in advance,F

**Bop Head** · 02-01-2024, 07:41 AM

Do you mean slow blues tunes or recordings?

After Hours is by Avery Parrish.

**AllanAllen** · 02-01-2024, 10:09 AM

Miles Davis and the organ groups will have a lot of slow blues. Give these a listen.

Album playlist

Bill Jennings Enough Said Album playlist

**AllanAllen** · 02-01-2024, 10:10 AM

Formatting got weird, that middle link is another Jennings album.

**Reg** · 02-01-2024, 12:17 PM

Liston to some Gene Harris live recording

https://youtu.be/iujfwAc-lis?si=5mUDw4WAwgvTKK88

Centerpiece
Lews Piece
You Don't Know Me

**Bop Head** · 02-01-2024, 08:28 PM

**ragman1** · 02-01-2024, 10:26 PM

Thanks, Bop Head, enjoyed that one :-)

Incidentally, do you know why it's called the alternate blues? I don't hear very much 'alternate' about it, sounds pretty normal to me.

**Jimmy Smith** · 02-01-2024, 11:25 PM

My teacher destroying a slow bluez.

**AllanAllen** · 02-02-2024, 12:45 AM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Thanks, Bop Head, enjoyed that one :-)

Incidentally, do you know why it's called the alternate blues? I don't hear very much 'alternate' about it, sounds pretty normal to me.

Wikipedia says its outtakes from another album.

So, to just guess. They ran 4 blues as test recordings named them Alternate Blues One - Four and moved on. Then released them after the album they actually made did okay.

**Bop Head** · 02-02-2024, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by ragman1

Thanks, Bop Head, enjoyed that one :-)

Incidentally, do you know why it's called the alternate blues? I don't hear very much 'alternate' about it, sounds pretty normal to me.

The blues tune that is presented in four alternate versions is called Alternate Blues.

It is "pretty normal" apart from the fact that it is supposed to be an 8-bar blues but they fall into 12-bar changes by mistake all the time, that is why they stop and restart.

I cannot reach out for the vinyl ATM to read the liner notes by Norman Granz (there is only the front side of the cover in the Internet Archive which is normally a good source for liner notes BTW even if thy have only 30 sec samples of tunes for copyright reasons) but I found this and this:

Norman Granz teamed together the very distinctive trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard and Clark Terry with pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Bobby Durham for a “Trumpet Summit.” This particular release features (with one exception) unissued material from the session. There are four versions of a slow blues (only the fourth was released before), all of which have very different solos from the three trumpeters. In addition they interact on “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” and share the spotlight on a three-song ballad medley; Hubbard’s “Here’s That Rainy Day” is hard to beat. This release is not quite essential but fans of the trumpeters will want to pick it up.

For The Alternate Blues, producer Norman Granz set aside his rule against issuing what are variously called in the recording business outtakes, breakdowns, or alternate takes. The reason was that despite missed cues and procedural problems in the rhythm section, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and Clark Terry played the blues at a level of passion and expressiveness the equal of the versions originally released on The Trumpet Summit Meets the Oscar Peterson Big 4.

BTW I have posted this album here already several times. It is one of my all-time faves just like this one:

(Playlists do not work here I think so watch on YouTube)

Another nice jazz blues album with is Trouble In Mind by Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan which includes mostly traditional tunes and most of them at ballad tempo.

**Bop Head** · 02-02-2024, 02:04 AM

This is the original recording of After Hours:

**Bop Head** · 02-02-2024, 02:27 AM

Black Coffee

is probably at least partly a rip-off of What's Your Story Morning Glory by Mary Lou Williams, see above on the My Mama Pinned A Rose On Me Album and e.g. here

or here

(Glenn Miller is rarely posted here but what was good enough for young Jimmy Heath is good enough for me.)

**Bop Head** · 02-02-2024, 02:32 AM

George Benson with B.B. King

King Biscuit Flower Hour B.B. King 1978 KBFH : KBFH : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

**wintermoon** · 02-02-2024, 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith

My teacher destroying a slow bluez.

Really great playing by Tony! you can tell he absorbed all the cats that came before him, much like Joey D.
Check out this cut off Groove Holmes debut lp as a leader. If you're gonna be an organist this record is a must have...nice little solo by guitarist Gene Edwards, a young Joe Pass is tearing it up on some other tracks.

**asafasadi** · 02-02-2024, 05:48 AM

thanks everyone for the suggestions! I will listen to everything

**Jimmy Smith** · 02-02-2024, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

Really great playing by Tony! you can tell he absorbed all the cats that came before him, much like Joey D.
Check out this cut off Groove Holmes debut lp as a leader. If you're gonna be an organist this record is a must have...nice little solo by guitarist Gene Edwards, a young Joe Pass is tearing it up on some other tracks.

I liked that Groove Holmes track, it was a good slow blues for sure. I'll listen to the rest of the album. Yep, Tony is super underrated. He's such a good player. You would think from his reputation that he might just be ok, but he's really good. He's super seasoned from absorbing the greats' playing like you said.

**AllanAllen** · 02-03-2024, 09:12 AM

Talent alone doesn’t get you anywhere.

**wintermoon** · 02-03-2024, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith

I You would think from his reputation that he might just be ok, but he's really good

I'm a huge fan of all the greats and feel Joey was pretty close to the king, JOS, but Jimmy was at the top of the mountain, the first and greatest modern jazz organist. Most of them are gone now but Tony may well be the finest living jazz organist today, if he isn't I don't know who is.

**Skip Ellis** · 02-03-2024, 02:16 PM

Find the Ray Price version of Willie Nelson's "Night Life" - great slow blues. I think B.B. King did a version, too, but the Ray Price version with Buddy Emmons on steel is the best , IMHO.

**Midnight Blues** · 02-03-2024, 09:56 PM

**Jimmy Smith** · 02-03-2024, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

I'm a huge fan of all the greats and feel Joey was pretty close to the king, JOS, but Jimmy was at the top of the mountain, the first and greatest modern jazz organist. Most of them are gone now but Tony may well be the finest living jazz organist today, if he isn't I don't know who is.

Yep