Matador (Grant Green album)

Matador is an album by American jazz guitarist Grant Green featuring performances recorded in 1964 but not released on the Japanese Blue Note label until 1979.^[1] The album was finally reissued in the U. S. on CD in 1990 with one bonus track.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awarded the album 5 stars and stated "it's a classic and easily one of Green's finest albums. In contrast to the soul-jazz and jazz-funk for which Green is chiefly remembered, Matador is a cool-toned, straight-ahead modal workout that features some of Green's most advanced improvisation... The group interplay is consistently strong, but really the spotlight falls chiefly on Green, whose crystal-clear articulation flourishes in this setting. And, for all of Matador's advanced musicality, it ends up being surprisingly accessible. This sound may not be Green's claim to fame, but Matador remains one of his greatest achievements".^[2]

Track listing

All compositions by Grant Green except as indicated

1. "Matador" – 10:51
2. "My Favorite Things" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers) – 10:23
3. "Green Jeans" – 9:10
4. "Bedouin" (Duke Pearson) – 11:41
5. "Wives and Lovers" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 9:01 Bonus track on CD reissue

• Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on May 20 (tracks 1-4) & June 12 (track 5), 1964

Personnel

• Grant Green - guitar
• McCoy Tyner - piano
• Bob Cranshaw - bass
• Elvin Jones - drums

References