Booker Ervin – Back From The Gig

Everyone is correct - this is one of the best Blue Note 2-fer's you can stumble upon.
Smoking hard-bop sextet('63) & quintet ('68). One of those releases that make you say, "Where have you been all my life??" (5*)

Two stellar sessions! Chk out the line up on both sessions, you’re not going to find a better deal on any 2 BN sessions that are of this quality… press, sound and musicianship

Great sound that’s livelier and punchier than the “Tex Book Tenor” Tone Poet. KG’s Blue Note cuts sound great but, imho, tend to be a bit clinical.

Just saw that Tone Poet for 2024 is confirmed as a reissue for this.

Took punt on this as the Blue Note Re-Issue Series hasn't let me down so far and it just might be my jazz album of the year beating a bunch of pricey analogue recordings ....by the way re the comment below I am an old hipster now north of 70 ..... never to old to discover new/old stuff .

Outstanding sets by a sorely underrated artist. Probably soon all the new hipsters will be clammoring for this!

Great playing, great sound, great price. Find one in VG ++ or better condition and do not hesitate.

I think I am close to having the entire series of these. I always thought that they were reissues, and some are, but titles like this are all original material issued for the first time. I got this sealed for around ten dollars which is great by me. The first LP has a date from 63 and it’s hard bop all the way through. Grant Green jumps in and out and adds a lot. Ervin and Coles somewhat dominate the session, often playing in unison or in conversation mode. Parlan plays a bit stiff for me but still enjoyable. But this isn’t why I was interested in this title.
The second record and date is from 1968 and the tone is deeper, moody and is more loose. Ervin plays at to form and Coles is replaced by heavyweight Shaw. Parlan is swapped for Barron and no Green. Higgins is on both dates oddly enough.
Gichi is a deep moody mid tempo piece that is worth the price of ission but by far the standout track for me. Den Tex is more traditional to Ervin in hard bop mode but more loose. The following track is a waltz in hardbop mode with great feeling.
Barron really plays great but they mix him, and the rest of the band (besides Shaw), in the background. I can’t stand when they do this, so when Barron plays he sounds in another room. It’s a shame and one of the many reasons I’m not a big fan of RVG, although this trait wasn’t exclusive to his recordings. I forgot to mention that a Czech guy named Jan Arnett is on the bass. You don’t see his name on more than a handful of releases, but to be fair, RVG mixes him so far back you can’t tell he’s there.
The second side has a slow number and a turbo piece. Both are decent and play through.

The first LP was later released under Horace Parlan as "Happy Frame Of Mind".
The second LP was later released under Booker Ervin as "Tex Book Tenor".