Nigeria

Grant Green's "Nigeria" is an under-recognized gem in the guitarist's remarkable Blue Note catalog. Recorded in 1962 but not first released until 1980, the album features a top-shelf band with Sonny Clark on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and, in one of his only appearances with Green, Art Blakey on drums. The groove is deep and wide right from the start on the Sonny Rollins classic "Airegin," followed by a version of the Gershwin standard "It Ain't Necessarily So" for the ages, with Blakey stoking the fire with his powerhouse drumming and verbal shouts. Side B presents timeless renditions of three more standards: "I Concentrate On You," "The Things We Did Last Summer," and "The Song Is You." THE TONE POET VINYL SERIES PART 10: GRANT GREEN - Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on January 13, 1962 - Classic 'lost' hard-bop album from the guitar legend - Featuring an all-star band of Sonny Clark (piano), Art Blakey (drums), and Sam Jones (bass) - Repertoire includes Sonny Rollins' "Airegin," a brilliant take on Ira & George Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So," Cole Porter's "I Concentrate On You," and Kern/Hammerstein