True Blue is led in title under the auspices of
Dexter Gordon as a welcome home party conducted by
Don Schlitten for the expatriate tenor saxophonist in 1976. Essentially a jam session, this very talented septet features a two tenor-two trumpet front line, utilized to emphasize the soloing strength of the horns, not necessarily in joyous shouts or big-band like unison outbursts. The real star here is
Barry Harris, and if you listen closely to his comping behind the soloist or his many colorful chords and single-line runs, you realize how brilliant he continued to be in his prime during this beyond-bebop time frame. The distinctly different, legato flavored sound of
Al Cohn contrasts nicely to the broader range and richer tones of
Gordon, while
Blue Mitchell's warm West Coast trumpet phrasings also run aside but a little behind the animated and clipped brassy sounds of
Sam Noto, a player deserving much wider recognition, and playing to the hilt on this recording. The session kicks off with the classic superimposed melodies of "Lady Bird" and "Half Nelson," with melodies split between the trumpet and tenor tandems. In a larger context this is democracy at its finest, with a finish of eight-bar exchanges,
Noto's wiry voicings and
Gordon's distinctive, throaty sound, but once again
Harris is the glue, with his inventive chord shadings constantly adding depth and substance. The ballad "How Deep Is the Ocean?" is led out by
Harris ad extensia, while
Cohn's solo features held notes that sets him apart from
Gordon in shorter partnerships including
Noto. Then
Mitchell gets his due on the seventeen-and-a-half minute title track, his basic blues swinger where the four horns all play joyously together with little harmonic variation.
Mitchell's solo is the first of all, but his is the tone setter in a lighter context, a sky blue sound where air is more important than heft.
Gordon's solo, on the other hand, is memorable, sporting his signature swagger, with
Harris and drummer
Louis Hayes triggering a trading of fours to end the set. There is a companion CD, Silver Blue, that contains the remainder of these famous sessions, a remembrance of the golden years for several of these players, after which
Gordon (1990,)
Cohn (1988,) and
Mitchell (1979) would pass away, but left large legacies. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
