The Blue Note All Stars

In late 1995 the short-lived Blue Note All-Stars formed after WNET prepared a radio feature spotlighting emerging talent and asked several label artists for interviews. Trumpeter Tim Hagans, tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson, altoist Greg Osby, pianist Kevin Hays, and drummer Bill Stewart happened to be free, having just performed separately at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival, so they granted the interviews and, at the producers’ urging, performed a handful of pieces together with bassist Doug Weiss. The impromptu results impressed Blue Note’s Bruce Lundvall enough that he booked studio time and live dates for the musicians. Bassist Essiet Essiet joined to complete the lineup, after which they cut their sole album, Blue Spirit, and crisscrossed the United States, including several New York appearances, before disbanding. Although the group bore the Blue Note name, its sets avoided vintage label repertoire and centered instead on original compositions. Particularly striking was the interplay between Osby’s exploratory free-funk alto and Jackson’s Joe Henderson-rooted hard-bop tenor, each player subtly shaping the other’s approach. Two decades afterward, Blue Note president Don Was assembled a fresh edition featuring pianist Robert Glasper, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, saxophonist Marcus Strickland, guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke, bassist Derrick Hodge, and drummer Kendrick Scott. In 2017 the sextet issued Our Point of View, which included a guest appearance by veteran saxophonist Wayne Shorter.