Ike Quebec's 1961-1962 comeback albums for Blue Note were all pretty rewarding, but
Blue and Sentimental is his signature statement of the bunch, a superbly sensuous blend of lusty blues swagger and achingly romantic ballads. True, there's no shortage of that on
Quebec's other Blue Note dates, but
Blue and Sentimental is the most exquisitely perfected.
Quebec was a master of mood and atmosphere, and the well-paced program here sustains his smoky, late-night magic with the greatest consistency of tone. Part of the reason is that
Quebec's caressing tenor sound is given a sparer backing than usual, with no pianist among the quartet of guitarist
Grant Green, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer
Philly Joe Jones. It's no surprise that
Green solos with tremendous taste and elegance (the two also teamed up on
Green's similarly excellent Born to Be Blue), and there are plenty of open spaces in the ensemble for
Quebec to shine through. His rendition of the
Count Basie-associated title cut is a classic, and the other standard on the original LP, "Don't Take Your Love from Me," is in a similarly melancholy vein.
Green contributes a classic-style blues in "Blues for Charlie," and
Quebec's two originals, "Minor Impulse" and "Like," have more complex chord changes but swing low and easy. Through it all,
Quebec remains the quintessential seducer, striking just the right balance between sophistication and earthiness, confidence and vulnerability, joy and longing. It's enough to make
Blue and Sentimental a quiet, sorely underrated masterpiece. [Some reissues add three bonus cuts, all standards, which fit the program very nicely indeed.]