Grant Green - 1969 [2004] "Goin' West"

Goin' West is an album by American jazz guitarist Grant Green featuring performances recorded in 1962 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1969. It is a loose concept album inspired by Western music.

A Blue Note album finally reissued on CD in early 2004, Grant Green's Goin' West -- like Feelin' the Spirit -- includes Herbie Hancock on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Includes tunes like (can you believe?) "On Top of Old Smokey" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." Only Green could carry this off, but he is the man when it comes to standards.

Tempting as it is to dismiss this Grant Green album as the sixties' slant on lite jazz, overriding talent, as one would expect, has a tendency to compensate for a decided lack of risk taking, the very virtue, considering the quality of these players, that could have elevated Goin' West to a minor classic. Recorded in November of 1962 and shelved until 1969, possibly because of its brevity or the glut of Green releases on the market, Goin' West , if one wanted to labor the point, is actually a third of a cycle of would-be concept albums cut by the guitarist over an eight month period after Born To Be Blue and nearly a year prior to Idle Moments —or, as they could be co-billed, the infallible Grant Green recordings as a leader. While The Latin Bit focused on samba styles and Feelin' the Spirit drew from the old Southern hymnals, Goin' West , though nominally a country and western recording, moves us into the realm of folk music—bluegrass folk music and clippity-clappity cowboy tunes— not the stuff of the Bear Family Bonanza box set, mind, but not altogether dissimilar in spirit. Considering drummer Billy Higgins had played on Ornette Coleman's first Atlantic sessions, bassist Reggie Workman with John Coltrane, and pianist Herbie Hancock would soon become a part of Miles Davis' most adventurous and best band, the playing could not be more "in." Having said that, it would be hard to imagine Goin' West being a greater delight, a straight forward, unencumbered jazz delight—finesse jazz is a readily applicable moniker. As much as you may resent "On Top of Old Smokey" from your grammar school days, and its proliferate versions in all manner and mode of musical genre, the version here, with that killer, pulse to the fore sound of Rudy Van Gelder, has what could well make the shortlist of classic Grant Green solos, a brisk, bluesy, construction that unfurls economically and incisively with the manner and shape of a narrative, albeit one shot through with triplets. A masterpiece, no—Billy Higgins may even be the real star of this record—but Goin' West is an intriguing release nonetheless—I often find it to be a daily favorite—and current day MOR fetishists may well have their minds blown.

Goin' West has a slow ramblin' blues feel to it. Funky soul jazz master Grant Green has infused some down home soul groove into some classic cowboy tunes. Who would have thought you could make "On Top of old smokey" hip and cool, but Green found a way. Yes this is the "on top of old smokey, all covered with sorrow, I met my sweet ...." song. Joining Green on this album is a stellar group of blue note artists. Herbie Hancock plays piano, Billy Higgins plays the drums, and Reggie Workman plays bass. All four musicians make great contributions through out, but I just love crazy, hokie, out on the prarie percussion sounds drummer, Billy Higgins adds. Grant Green went through a short phase where he tried to infuse soul jazz into a variety of different styles. On the Latin Bit, Latin Jazz was the muse. In "feeling the spirit" gospel music was the inspiration. Here country/cowboy tunes is the theme. Of all of these projects, this one is the wildest and most original and interesting concept. The other genres aren't really that far from soul jazz to begin with. On the other hand there is a pretty big gap between country and soul jazz, and its bridged beautifully here. For certain this is a soul jazz album, not a country album. Country/western is just the inspiration, not the style of this music. This is my favorite Grant Green Album.

This was the first Grant Green album I ever bought and I still have the original on vinyl and since this is my very last review on amazon it is quite appropriate to review "Goin West"
This album was in fact recorded one month before the more wellknown "gospelalbum" called Feelin the Spirit and it was the very first time that Hancock and Green recorded together. Hancock shines on this recording like he did on"Feelin the Spirit"..he could only have been around 20 years old here..and still his playing is very mature.Green is playing all songs
with that fantastic blues feeling of his and at times he is very funky.The rythm section here is Billy Higgins on drums
and Reggie Workman on bass and they give a wonderful support to Green and Hancock...I always liked Workmans bassplaying.
"Smokey" and " I can t stop loving you" are played very groovy..but my very favourite is "Red River Valley" which is taken in an effortless latin groove.

Track listing:

1. "On Top of Old Smokey" (Traditional) – 7:05
2. "I Can't Stop Loving You" (Gibson) – 3:29
3. "Wagon Wheels" (DeRose, Hill) – 6:25
4. "Red River Valley" (Traditional) – 6:08
5. "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" (Nolan) – 11:05

Personnel:

Grant Green - guitar
Herbie Hancock - piano
Reggie Workman - bass
Billy Higgins - drums