Music

Since its inception in 1939, Blue Note has released some of the greatest albums in the history of jazz. Over the past seven decades, that blue and white logo on the sleeve has signaled some serious music etched into vinyl or CD, be it that of McCoy Tyner, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson or a host of others. To celebrate the label's seventieth anniversary and the 25th year since Bruce Lundvall relaunched the label, the Blue Note 7 all-star band released a CD of reworked Blue Note classics, cuts by the artists above and more. Pianist Bill Charlap serves as musical director for the group, which includes some of today's strongest players, such as guitarist Peter Bernstein, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, drummer Lewis Nash, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, bassist Peter Washington and alto saxophonist Steve Wilson. With so much incredible music in the label's catalogue, pretty much any tune these cats touch is bound to be smoking.