I Want To Hold Your Hand - Grant Green (1LP Vinyl) [Tone Poet Series]

I Want To Hold Your Hand by Grant Green.

When Grant Green stepped into Van Gelder Studios on March 31, 1965, he brought with him an idea that felt daring for a jazz guitarist of his stature: taking a Beatles hit and folding it into the language of hard bop. The title track, "I Want To Hold Your Hand," anchors this record and sets the tone for a session that moves fluidly between pop, standards, and the bossa nova rhythms sweeping through jazz at the time.

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's legendary Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey studio, the album carries the unmistakable clarity and warmth that made those sessions the gold standard for Blue Note. Green's clean, single note phrasing has room to breathe here, and the material gives him plenty of space to explore. Side A pairs the title cut with "Speak Low" and the ballad "Stella By Starlight," while Side B opens with the Brazilian shimmer of "Corcovado" before rolling through "This Could Be The Start Of Something" and closing on Cole Porter's "At Long Last Love."

Part of the enduring appeal of this session lies in its personnel. Elvin Jones, one of the most propulsive drummers in the music, appears here by courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp., lending his unmistakable rhythmic drive to the date. The lineup carries a small piece of pressing lore as well: on both labels, saxophonist Hank Mobley is misspelled as "Hank Hobley," a quirk that departs from the correctly spelled original issues and gives collectors an easy point of identification.

Originally released in 1966 by Blue Note Records, the album represents Green at a fascinating crossroads, a guitarist willing to reach beyond the standard repertoire while still honoring the standards that defined the era. The blend of a chart topping pop tune, a bossa nova classic, and a pair of Great American Songbook staples makes for a set that feels both adventurous and grounded.

This edition arrives as a Blue Note Records release, © 2023 Capitol Records, LLC, distributed by Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. Blue Note® remains a registered trademark of Capitol Records, LLC. The runouts are etched, a detail that speaks to the care taken in bringing this music back to the turntable for a new generation of listeners.

For anyone drawn to the Blue Note catalog, or to Green's singular approach to melody, this is a rewarding addition to the shelf. It captures a moment when a master guitarist looked at the popular songs of his day and heard something worth reinventing, and the results still swing decades later.

Pressing Details:
On both labels H.Mobley is misspelled as "Hank Hobley" (unlike on original issues where it's spelled correctly).

Recorded on March 31, 1965, at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Elvin Jones performs by courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.

A Blue Note Records release; Originally released in 1966 by Blue Note Records © 2023 Capitol Records, LLC.
Distributed by Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Blue Note® is a registered trademark of Capitol Records, LLC.

Runouts are etched.

Track Listing:
A1. I Want To Hold Your Hand
A2. Speak Low
A3. Stella By Starlight
B1. Corcovado
B2. This Could Be The Start Of Something
B3. At Long Last Love

Artist: Grant Green

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Blue Note

Catalog Number: B0034800-01

Series: Tone Poet Series

Release Year: 2023

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)