Photos of the copy offered for sale
Booker Ervin — The Blues Book · CD
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Booker Ervin’s tenor sound is immediately recognisable: muscular, grainy and charged with feeling. On The Blues Book, recorded in 1964, that voice finds a particularly natural setting. The blues provides a foundation for playing that can be earthy and direct, yet restless enough to push a familiar phrase into unexpected territory.
Carmell Jones’s trumpet makes an engaging partner for Ervin, offering a contrasting tone and a clear melodic presence. Pianist Gildo Mahones, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Alan Dawson give the quintet a firm but flexible foundation, supporting the soloists without smoothing away the music’s tension. The interplay keeps the extended performances moving with purpose.
Across “Eerie Dearie,” “One for Mort,” “No Booze Blooze” and “True Blue,” the group explores different shades of the blues. Changes of pace and atmosphere reveal how much expressive variety can grow from a shared musical language. Ervin’s phrasing is the thread connecting it all: urgent, personal and capable of making a single held note speak as strongly as a rapid passage.
Why this album deserves a place in your collection
This is a rewarding choice for listeners who enjoy jazz with a strong blues feeling and room for adventurous improvisation. It offers an excellent introduction to Ervin’s distinctive personality and a compelling chapter in his Prestige recordings. The quintet’s balance of drive, space and individual character gives the album lasting appeal beyond its first impact.
Personnel:
Booker Ervin — tenor saxophone
Carmell Jones — trumpet
Gildo Mahones — piano
Richard Davis — bass
Alan Dawson — drums
The photographs show the actual CD from my personal collection currently offered for sale. For full details of the edition, its condition and shipping options, please view the eBay listing below.
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