Star Bright - Dizzy Reece (1LP Vinyl) [Classic Vinyl Series]

Star Bright by Dizzy Reece.

There are records that announce themselves quietly, then reveal their depths with every spin. "Star Bright" by Dizzy Reece is one of them, a session that arrived on Blue Note Records in 1959 and has held its glow ever since. This is trumpet-led hard bop with an unmistakable sense of purpose, the kind of date that rewards close listening and repeat visits.

The music was captured on November 19, 1959, at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, though the room went uncredited on the original release. That address alone tells you a great deal about the sonic character here: the warmth, the presence, the way a horn seems to breathe in the space around it. Side A opens with "The Rake" before easing into the standard "I'll Close My Eyes" and the swinging "Groovesville," a sequence that moves from bright statement to lyrical reflection with real command.

Turn it over and the momentum continues with "The Rebound," followed by "I Wished On The Moon" and the aptly titled "A Variation On Monk," a nod to the angular spirit that hovers over so much of this era's most adventurous writing. Across both sides, the program balances original material with well-chosen standards, giving the record a personality that feels both rooted and restless.

Adding to the pedigree, Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers appear here by courtesy of Vee-Jay Records, a rhythm-section presence that grounds the session in an easy, deeply musical swing. Their contribution is the sort that anchors an album without ever calling attention to itself, letting the leader stretch out over a foundation that never wavers.

For this edition, the sound has been mastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, a name that reassures anyone who cares about how a reissue actually sounds. That lineage, from Van Gelder's tapes through Gray's careful hands, means the music reaches you with its dynamics and detail intact, faithful to what was laid down in 1959.

This is a Blue Note Records release, © 2023 Capitol Records, LLC, under Universal International Music B.V., with Blue Note a registered trademark of Capitol Records, LLC. Pressed in the EU with Optimal plating, the runouts carry the telltale mirrored marks "1=," "1⋀," and "1V" for the collector inclined to look. A rewarding addition to any shelf where hard bop and thoughtful trumpet playing are held in high regard.

Pressing Details:
Recorded November 19, 1959, at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey (uncredited).
Mastered from the original analog tapes, by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.

Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers perform by courtesy of Vee-Jay Records.

[On back]
A Blue Note Records release; Originally released in 1959 on blue Note Records
© 2023 Capitol Records, LLC. Universal International Music B.V.
Blue note® is a registered trademark of Capitol Records, LLC.
Made in the EU

[On rear sticker]
Made in Germany

In the runouts, Optimal plating marks are mirrored: "1=" "1⋀" "1V"

Track Listing:
A1. The Rake
A2. I'll Close My Eyes
A3. Groovesville
B1. The Rebound
B2. I Wished On The Moon
B3. A Variation On Monk

Artist: Dizzy Reece

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Blue Note

Catalog Number: 5504143

Series: Classic Vinyl Series

Release Year: 2023

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)