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Track Listings
| 1. Introduction |
| 2. Slim's Return |
| 3. Distant Land (Hip Hop Drum Mix) |
| 4. Mystic Bounce |
| 5. Stormy |
| 6. Blue Note Interlude |
| 7. Please Set Me At Ease |
| 8. Funky Blue Note |
| 9. Alfred Lion Interlude |
| 10. Steppin' Into Tomorrow |
| 11. Andrew Hill Break |
| 12. Montara |
| 13. Song For My Father |
| 14. Footprints - Yesterdays New Quintet |
| 15. Peace/Dolphin Dance |
| 16. Outro |
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Amazon.com
The hip-hop producer extraordinaire tackles Blue Note's soul-jazz catalog on his latest project, given free reign to rummage around the fabled label's vaults. On one level, the project makes perfect sense given Madlib's Yesterday's New Quintet work--he clearly has an ear for the Blue Note jazz aesthetic. The remixes and reinventions here are mostly pleasant and even surprising at times--get down with "Mystic Bounce," a flip on Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Brew." Yet, some of these tracks seem a little too casual and undercooked, making Shades of Blue feel a bit too much like just another Madlib side project. In fact, Blue Note had already done a better job with this very same concept on their largely forgotten 1996 New Groove compilation, where artists such as Large Professor and the Roots took their stabs at the label's catalog. --Oliver Wang
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By B
Format:Audio CD
Jazz labels recently realized that most people under 30 hip enough to appreciate jazz were not listening to it, but listening jazz being reinterpreted by enlightened underground DJs and producers instead. They said, "hey, if these guys were working for us instead of pirating all our classics, it would be a win win situation." And theoretically, they were right. Blue Note has been doing novelty pieces with hip hop producers for over half a decade, and Verve has done their Remixed thing on more of a dance/electronica tip. I think Blue Note's stuff has been a little stronger than it's been given credit for, but still not that great.
Enter Madlib. He has a pretty good following for someone with so many alter egos and spotty if incredibly promising work. He uses old jazz samples better than most, so Blue Note pays him to do a whole album by himself. Some of the tunes he chooses are predictable; Mystic Brew, Montara, Song For My Father, and Footprints are very nice tunes, but overdone. Some of my favorites are Please Set Me at Ease, Stepping into Tomorrow, and Peace/Dolphin Dance Madlib's reworking is according to his established but always hip trademark; there's nothing here YNQ fans won't expect, maybe a little less than they will expect. Even though the atmosphere of the album is thick and effective, the whole thing feels a little half baked. Like he knew he was good and just didn't put his everything into it, or maybe he tried really hard and just wasn't feeling things. In any case, at least he doesn't play keyboards too much like on Stevie (which is worse than this), and when he does on Dolphin Dance, it sounds good.
If you don't already have Angles Without Edges, slap yourself and buy a copy. If you cant get enough of the mad blunted sound, then buy this. Read more ›
Enter Madlib. He has a pretty good following for someone with so many alter egos and spotty if incredibly promising work. He uses old jazz samples better than most, so Blue Note pays him to do a whole album by himself. Some of the tunes he chooses are predictable; Mystic Brew, Montara, Song For My Father, and Footprints are very nice tunes, but overdone. Some of my favorites are Please Set Me at Ease, Stepping into Tomorrow, and Peace/Dolphin Dance Madlib's reworking is according to his established but always hip trademark; there's nothing here YNQ fans won't expect, maybe a little less than they will expect. Even though the atmosphere of the album is thick and effective, the whole thing feels a little half baked. Like he knew he was good and just didn't put his everything into it, or maybe he tried really hard and just wasn't feeling things. In any case, at least he doesn't play keyboards too much like on Stevie (which is worse than this), and when he does on Dolphin Dance, it sounds good.
If you don't already have Angles Without Edges, slap yourself and buy a copy. If you cant get enough of the mad blunted sound, then buy this. Read more ›
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Everyone familiar with Madlib's work will probably be approaching this album with Yesterday's New Quintet on their minds. And that's natural, as it's the only other widely distributed jazz-takes-the-center-stage long player that Madlib's put out, i.e. it's the one that most of the people are most familiar with. The jazz influence is obvious in a lot of his work, but on these records jazz is the dominant theme.
As compared to YNQ, the hip-hop element seems more apparent here, which may make it more accessible to anyone that YNQ didn't quite click with, should such people exist. Still, Madlib's solo efforts have always struck me as being more for the heads---musician's musician type stuff, and though a lot of people have given him the time and attention he deserves, I still feel Madlib might take getting used to for some folks. On this record About half of the songs are "remixes" of old blue note recordings while the other half are "remakes," performed by Madlib, his alter egos, and various other personnel. Still the jazz/beats thing, but now there's cuts and rhymes coming into it (not too heavily, but they're there).
Though it makes for a more obvious wedding between hip-hop and jazz, the great thing for me is that Madlib's music doesn't turn into some silly hybrid. This isn't an electronic musician doing his best to approximate a certain sound that he has come to associate with the idea of "jazz," and it's not just a saxophone loop and a beat, either. the fact that he understands and feels this music comes through---the music develops and changes, flows in and out of itself and maintains this for the length. It doesn't get pretentious. Read more ›
As compared to YNQ, the hip-hop element seems more apparent here, which may make it more accessible to anyone that YNQ didn't quite click with, should such people exist. Still, Madlib's solo efforts have always struck me as being more for the heads---musician's musician type stuff, and though a lot of people have given him the time and attention he deserves, I still feel Madlib might take getting used to for some folks. On this record About half of the songs are "remixes" of old blue note recordings while the other half are "remakes," performed by Madlib, his alter egos, and various other personnel. Still the jazz/beats thing, but now there's cuts and rhymes coming into it (not too heavily, but they're there).
Though it makes for a more obvious wedding between hip-hop and jazz, the great thing for me is that Madlib's music doesn't turn into some silly hybrid. This isn't an electronic musician doing his best to approximate a certain sound that he has come to associate with the idea of "jazz," and it's not just a saxophone loop and a beat, either. the fact that he understands and feels this music comes through---the music develops and changes, flows in and out of itself and maintains this for the length. It doesn't get pretentious. Read more ›
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Madlib has a nasty, scratchy, loose feel to his production. A producer that enjoys the space between each element used. There is space between his dry snares, cymbal washes, cow bwlls, and kitchen sink atmospherics. I love his work, but this release is not all its made out to be. A friend of mine who produces cuts said that he would have spent about 5 years in the blue note vault with an MPC and a mr.coffee before even a peep was put on wax. It seems that the project was rushed in an attempt to make a profit off of the cred. lib has among people in the record buying world. A world that has never been smaller. The best cuts are already solid blue note classics Re: "mystic bounce" -( already man handled on an old ass tribe cut), "stepping into tomorrow" - and "slims return"- (which Chief X cel used on an early Blackalicious side). The sinkers on this piece are the tracks Madlib plays keys on. I will never know what possessed him to play a keyboard on top of Hancocks "Dolphin Dance", but its kind of like drawing on a Reid Miles cover. Bad news son. So someone tell Lib to lay off the rhodes, and stick to making esoteric bangers. Peace.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
now i can't imagine why anyone would give this less then 4 stars, i gave it five. Now some people who badmouthed this album are obviously not madlib fans cause this album is incredible. Now if you want the origanal blue Note rocordings then go find them(untinted) but this is Madlib's interpratation and just like YNQ stevie album it's a dope hip hop recreation of classic tracks. hands down a must have for madlib fans
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
nice
Published 1 month ago by Jorge portales
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
its nice
Published 3 months ago by mike
5.0 out of 5 stars
Possibly one of Madlib's best.
I gave this album a 5 star rating both for how it was sent, and the quality of the product.
The album came on time, and in excellent condition. Read more
The album came on time, and in excellent condition. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Robin LM
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great album, great service
Great album, one of Madlib's best projects. Shipped very quickly, will likely be back for plenty more music in the future, thank you!
Published 12 months ago by Joe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
They had it for a Great price . It was well packed. And the shipping was fast. Two thumbs up.
Published 21 months ago by Randolph J. Woodard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant modernization of old school classics
This album perfectly addresses an idea that seems lost these days in the world of mainstream rap: the connection between jazz and hip hop. Read more
Published on February 5, 2011 by Sam Weber
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timeless Album
Shipped on time and in great condition. Amazon has stepped their game up in Vinyl shipping.
Blue Note + Madlib = Classic
Blue Note + Madlib = Classic
Published on December 16, 2010 by J. Henry
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic CD
This is a great CD MADLIB definitely bridges the old with the new without taking anything from the classics. Definitely a great purchase.
Published on September 30, 2008 by B. Coates
4.0 out of 5 stars
re-animated classics.......
When the multi-ego'd, self proclaimed "Beat Konducta" Madlib is grantet access to the golden vaults @ Blue Note Records, the end result is sheer brilliance. Read more
Published on August 20, 2008 by Marvin Carey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Grooves
This isn't the first album to blend hip hop and jazz, and probably not the best album to do so, but it a very good album straight through. Read more
Published on February 14, 2008 by K. N. Santos
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