2004 reissue of Japanese exclusive mix compilation of Blue Note artists such as Gene Harris, Stanley Turrentine, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, Grant Green, & more. Virgin.
2004 reissue of Japanese exclusive mix compilation of Blue Note artists such as Gene Harris, Stanley Turrentine, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, Grant Green, & more. Virgin.
CD Reviews
Needs more cutting but Pete Rock is the best there...
wangalb@hotmail.com | 07/07/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Pete Rock is the best producer on earth seriously. His selections of Blue Notes aren't hackneyed at all in fact and I was only disappointed by his lack of cutting on this one but I guess that you can't mess his records in order to throw some a mixtape. All the same, Pete Rock is a more patient guy, letting the listener enjoy the funk flavor of the entire track rather than relentlessly mixing up in some crazy fashion. I think that the disc despite its rather shorter length relative to the other two has the most relaxed and beautiful and appealing of all this series. I hope that Blue Note can come out with more of this hot series like the groove series etc. etc."
Watch out!
Large Pro | Los Angeles, CA United States | 03/06/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Let's be honest...This is great music BUT there are some problems with this disc that can't be overlooked. First, I'm not sure WHO "Rich Mason" is (I suppose he played a significant role in the behind-the-scenes production)but -- Lord Have Mercy -- The Chocolate Boy Wonder shouts him out like every five minutes! It'd be cooler if PR shouted out the original Blue Note artists more and delivered something in his mic checks that gave a sense of history behind the tracks he's selected. I think Madlib's disc works really well in that regard. Different type of project, I know, but still...Finally, you are literally HELD HOSTAGE to this mix, meaning there is only ONE LONG TRACK and you can't jump to any particular song. That's a major mistake on someone's part. Those detractions aside, it's a disc that's worth owning -- at least that's what I tell myself now that it's already in my collection! The drawbacks to this disc make me reluctant to get the Biz and Finesse joints that are part of this series, so I'd appreciate seeing what y'all have to say that have already copped those."
SHUT UP. PETE.
gflah | SF | 01/09/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This CD easily could have been one of my favorite blue note mix tapes, but Pete Rock really messed up here. As other reviewers stated already, Pete Rock gives shout-outs to his record label, and his fans in Japan every 3 minutes. Also, you get to hear Rich Mason and Pete Rock giving props to each other every 5 minutes. It's really ironic that Pete Rock is the one behind the production, but at same time he also ruins the total experience with this so-annoying dumb shout outs. i love pete rock but this time i found myself keep yelling : Shut your mouth, Pete. i'm trying to enjoy music here." overall, this CD feels more like a free radio station blue note mix. in other words, unless you have to collect everything that's done by pete Rock, (even though he did very little in here) it ain't worth $38 bucks."
Pete's diggin results in incredible rewards for the listener
Scott D. Gribble | Baltimore MD | 03/02/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"You have to love jazz, love sampling, or be a huge Pete Rock fan to really even have interest in this album. If any of these are true of you, you'll probably enjoy this album. The coolest part is that you get to hear the original tracks for some of Pete & other great producers legendary works. For instance, check out "We're In Love" by Reuben Wilson used for DJ Premier's classic production for Nas's "Memory Lane" on Illmatic. Or the "Turning Point" sample for "Electric Relaxation" by Tribe Called Quest. Or even a little bit of Dre's Chronic sampled "Samsung Faces Sometimes".
To only confirm what's said here before, there are some factors you NEED to know before buying "Diggin' On Blue". This really is a Blue Notes Records Mixtape, so it follows the Mixtape style a little more than I'd like it to. It has NO track breaks and it has TONS of shout outs all over the music.
Regardless, if I'm gonna trust anyone's judgment on quality obscure tracks - without a doubt it's Pete Rock and he doesn't disappoint here. The album plays really well as it is devoid of anything mediocre. This is a great collection of relatively unknown jazz tunes and if you have this on as background music, there's really no need to skip around anyway. Sure I would have liked to have breaks for the tracks, and the shout outs are extremely unnecessary. But, the music is so good and the shout outs are pretty spread out that it doesn't hinder the album too much. Fixing those two factors would have made this album perfect.
However, "Diggin' On Blue" is absolutely NOT worth the import price suggested above, even as a collector's item. But, from my own experience I know that a true Pete Rock fans that loves his sampling technique will get it anyway. While I shudder sometimes to think how much the person who gave this to me spent, it's not more than 10 min into the album before you're able to block it out and just vibe out to a great collection of jazz.
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1