A sealed 1972 treasure finally sees the light of day
Grant Green – Shades of Green (Blue Note – BST-84413, 1972 🇺🇸)
Wow. Finally got my hands on this semi-grail, and the wait was worth it. Mille grazie to Station 1 Books and Vinyl for connecting me with a sealed copy—untouched since 1972.
From what I’ve gathered, this album hasn’t seen a vinyl reissue since its original release. Blue Note Records & Joe Harley, could this be a future Tone Poet contender?
Sonically, this original pressing is outstanding. The drums? Three-dimensional and right in your face. Grant’s guitar? As sharp and soulful as ever, effortlessly bridging jazz and straight-up rock & roll. (Did he and Chuck Berry ever cross paths?)
The tracklist leans contemporary (for ’72), which might not be for the purists—but for me, it’s heaven. The intimacy of Grant’s take on “If You Really Love Me”? Unmatched. “Sunrise, Sunset”? Didn’t see that coming. And “In the Middle”? Pure gritty, hot summer city strut.
“Shades of Green” just keeps giving. But that album cover? Well, you can’t have it all, can you?
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