VA - Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach (2004)

Unfortunately, the 2004 issue of Blue Note Plays Bacharach falls short of the similar (now deleted) compilation from 1999, Blue Bacharach: A Cooler Shaker, also on Blue Note. Usually when a compilation disc is reissued, songs are added to the original program rather than omitted, which isn't the case in this instance. While Blue Bacharach originally had 14 tracks, this version has been whittled down to 12 tracks, nine of which are repeats. The three newly added songs, "The April Fools" by Earl Klugh, "One Less Bell to Answer" by Stanley Jordan, and "Any Day Now" by Lou Rawls, were recorded in 1976, 1986, and 1990, respectively, undermining the overall continuity of the '60s-based arrangements. Still, it's nice to have Bacharach standards played in a lively soul-jazz groove by Stanley Turrentine, Grant Green, Richard "Groove" Holmes, and Reuben Wilson, along with Nancy Wilson's outstanding vocals on "Wives and Lovers" and "Alfie." Blue Note Plays Bacharach is a passable compilation, but keep your eyes open for a used copy of the superior Blue Bacharach: A Cooler Shaker.

Tracklist:

01. Promises, Promises – The Jazz Crusaders
02. Walk On By - Stanley Turrentine
03. Any Day Now – Lou Rawls
04. Do You Know the Way to San Jose? - Richard Groove Holmes
05. I'll Never Fall in Love Again – Grant Green
06. Wives and Lovers - Nancy Wilson
07. The Look of Love – The Three Sounds
08. One Less Bell to Answer - Stanley Jordan
09. What the World Needs Now Is Love - Stanley Turrentine
10. The April Fools - Earl Klugh
11. Alfie - Nancy Wilson
12. Knowing When to Leave - Ernie Watts