Kenny Drew - Undercurrent (1989 Japanese Blue Note Stereo LP Limited Edition)

Vinyl: EX
Sleeve: EX
Obi: None

Our grading system explained here.
Photo is of the actual item.

Kenny Drew - Undercurrent Vinyl LP - 1989 Japanese Blue Note LP Last Reissue Limited Edition Stereo

Pianist Kenny Drew's 1960 Blue Note session showcases his hard bop credentials leading a quintet featuring two of the era's rising stars: trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, supported by bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes. Recorded on 11 December 1960 at Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs studio and produced by Alfred Lion, the six Drew originals demonstrate his compositional range from the funky title track through blues-based material to the closing ballad. Released in Japan on 8 November 1989 as part of Blue Note's LP Last Reissue programme and manufactured by Toshiba EMI, this limited edition stereo pressing captures Drew before his 1961 move to Europe where he would spend most of his remaining career.

Drew's compositions provide ideal frameworks for the quintet's explorations, each theme balancing memorable melodies with harmonic interest. The frontline pairing of Hubbard and Mobley represents complementary approaches: Hubbard's bright, aggressive trumpet meeting Mobley's warm, slightly behind-the-beat tenor sound. Drew's piano work demonstrates both his fluent bebop technique and his gift for blues-based funk, tracks like "Funk-Cosity" and "The Pot's On" showcasing the harder-edged side of hard bop. The rhythm section of Jones and Hayes swings relentlessly, their support both propulsive and responsive to the soloists' needs.