Idle Moments

Recording history and tape provenance

By late 1963 Green had become one of Blue Note's most prolific session guitarists. Most of his own dates to that point leaned toward the organ-and-guitar soul-jazz format.

This one is different, a sextet with vibraphone and no organ, built around longer and more spacious compositions. Several critics have since called it as much a Henderson, Hutcherson and Pearson session as a Green one.

Both Henderson and Hutcherson were still establishing themselves on Blue Note, and Hutcherson was 22. Both play with unusual restraint, folding into the album's unhurried atmosphere rather than asserting themselves as they did on their own dates.

Blue Note shelved the album for roughly two years before release. That was common practice, given how much the label was recording relative to its release schedule.

How the title track got to fifteen minutes

Pearson wrote the title track, and it exists at its length by accident.

It was the last tune recorded on the first night. Pearson noted in his liner notes that with three other tracks already down, it needed to stay under seven minutes to avoid overrunning the LP.

A miscommunication over the chorus length, whether it ran 16 or 32 bars, led Green to solo for 64 bars instead of 32. Henderson, Pearson and Hutcherson each followed the shape Green had set and extended their own solos to match.

Pearson's liner notes put it plainly. The musicians became so involved in the mood of the piece that they stretched it to almost fifteen minutes. That was an unheard-of length for a Blue Note track at the time.

Lion considered a tighter retake to fit the format. He abandoned the idea once it was clear the original had a feeling nobody could reproduce on command.

Original Blue Note pressings (1965)

BLP 4154 in mono and BST 84154 in stereo are the first pressings. Both carry the Van Gelder stamp and Plastylite ear in the dead wax, and deep groove may be present on the earliest copies.

The two-year delay puts first pressings in Blue Note's mid-1960s "New York USA" label period. They do not carry the earlier "47 West 63rd" labels. A copy with the older label style would not be a first pressing of this title.

Near-mint originals command a real premium, varying by format and condition.

How the three Kevin Gray cuts compare

A direct three-way comparison covers the Analogue Productions edition, the Music Matters 33⅓ SRX and the Blue Note Classic Vinyl. All three are Kevin Gray cuts pressed at different plants.

That comparison ranks the Analogue Productions first. The Music Matters SRX places a close second, helped by its notably quiet vinyl compound.

The Classic Vinyl comes third and still earns a recommendation, since it costs a fraction of either.

Analogue Productions 45rpm (2009)

The Analogue Productions edition is a numbered 2×180g set at 45rpm, mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed at RTI.

Owners who have compared it directly against the Music Matters 33⅓ describe it as outstanding in every way and their default version. Preferences between the two vary without either drawing real complaints.

Music Matters editions

Music Matters issued this title twice. The 45rpm 2LP came in 2014, catalogue MM-45-BNST-84154, and the 33⅓ SRX in 2020, catalogue MM33 BNST-84154.

Kevin Gray mastered both at Cohearent Audio, produced by Ron Rambach, and RTI pressed them. Both come in laminated gatefolds.

The 33⅓ SRX was noted on release for an upgraded lacquer-cutting chain at Gray's newer facility. A handful of owners report non-fill defects on that pressing specifically.

The 45rpm edition commands a meaningfully higher secondary-market price than the SRX.

Blue Note Classic Vinyl

The Classic Vinyl edition was mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes and pressed at Optimal in Germany.

Reviews are largely positive. A vocal minority report significant non-fill on specific pressing runs, with some buyers going through several copies before finding a clean one.

One reviewer reports intermittent left-channel distortion on his copy. He heard the same defect more severely on the companion Classic Vinyl release of Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue from the same batch.

Blue Note 75th Anniversary (2014)

The 75th Anniversary edition was remastered by Bernie Grundman, a separate mastering chain from every other modern cut of this title.

Reception splits at the pressing level. Some buyers report a perfect, quiet copy. A larger number describe glitching, clicks, pops, warping and off-centre holes, consistent with complaints across the 75th Anniversary series generally.

Given the more consistent alternatives at similar or lower prices, this is not a first recommendation.

Japanese and later US pressings

King Records GXF-3178 from 1980 is well regarded. Owners describe huge, crisp, wide and dynamic sound with good instrument separation and notably quiet vinyl. Copies are typically found with obi.

Liberty and United Artists-era US reissues from the early 1970s are regarded by owners as retaining the recording's warmth without first-pressing metalwork.

Buyer's guide by budget

$: The Blue Note Classic Vinyl edition, bought from a seller who accepts returns.

$$: The King Records Japanese pressing with obi.

$$$: The Music Matters 33⅓ SRX, for the upgraded cutting chain.

$$$$: The Analogue Productions or Music Matters 45rpm editions.

$$$$$: An original BST 84154 stereo on New York USA labels.

Pressing tier summary

References

• Discogs (master, all versions): https://www.discogs.com/master/163276-Grant-Green-Idle-Moments
• Wikipedia, "Idle Moments": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idle_Moments
• LondonJazzCollector, "Grant Green 'Idle Moments' (1963)": https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/grant-green-idle-moments-1963/
• 45 RPM Audiophile, "Shootout: Grant Green, Idle Moments + Kenny Burrell, Midnight Blue": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKnJ2Ci3fXM
• Ken Micallef, "GRANT GREEN 'Idle Moments' KENNY BURRELL 'Midnight Blue' REVIEWED": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXWFEfkcXTY

Related guides: Page One · Midnight Blue · Out to Lunch!