Nick Roman
January 23, 2009
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This month marks the 70th anniversary of the greatest name in jazz records: Blue Note. The label launched the careers of many jazz giants, and KPCC's Nick Roman says a handpicked group of musicians will honor Blue Note's seven decades with shows in Orange County this weekend.

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Nick Roman: German immigrant Alfred Lion loved boogie-woogie piano. He saw two stars of the style, Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis, at a Carnegie Hall concert, invited them to record, and Blue Note Records was born. It promised "uncompromising expressions of hot jazz." Ten years later, that meant bebop... and Thelonious Monk.

[Music: Theolonious Monk]

Roman: Blue Note's "uncompromising expressions" promise meant sticking with an artist even when the records didn't sell. That commitment attracted talent, including L.A.'s Horace Silver, and Kenny Burrell, who heads jazz studies at UCLA.

After soaring in the 1950s, Blue Note began a slow decline until energetic jazz fan Bruce Lundvall took over 25 years ago and revived it.

Today, Blue Note is a potent modern force in jazz. Its Web site offers videos, downloads, and streaming audio. Norah Jones records on Blue Note. So does the fine pianist Bill Charlap. He leads the Blue Note 7, formed to honor the label's 70 years with new arrangements of classic Blue Note recordings.

Note: Bill Charlap's group, the Blue Note 7, plays at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa tonight (Friday 1/23/09) and tomorrow (Saturday 1/24/09). More information