THE CROSSROADS Blue Note Artists

John Wheatcroft explores some of the bluesy-jazz artists at the Blue Note label, with 10 classic and modern guitarists ranging from legends such as Grant Green, Kenny Burrell and Tal Farlow, to John Scofield, Bill Frisell and Julian Lage.

- John Wheatcroft

Alfred Lion founded Blue Note Records in 1939 with the help of his friend, executive and photographer Francis Wolff. Together they created a label that featured a staggering number of legendary jazz artists, developing and promoting their talents with help of graphic designer Reid Miles and iconic sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder. They produced not only the unique Blue Note sound, but also its look and, crucially, vibe.

They recorded them all, Monk, Davis, Coltrane, Shorter, Hancock, literally a who’s-who of jazz. The label was at the cutting edge for bebop, hard bop and avant-garde styles. Two crucial differences between Blue Note and other labels was for both the enthusiasm of Lion and Wolfffor ‘music for music’s sake’, not purely as a commodity to make money. Secondly, they always paid for rehearsals and encouraged the artists to include as many original compositions as possible, so you hear fewer standards than on rival labels and often the arrangements are more cohesive and secure. More recently, the catalogue has been sampled by many of the biggest hip-hop artists, helping to establish a cultural connection spanning generations.

ADDING EXPRESSION WITHOUT BENDING