Blue Note Records is releasing Freddie Redd’s 1960 album, *Shades of Redd*, on vinyl. This is Redd’s second album for Blue Note, featuring talented musicians like Jackie McLean on alto sax, Tina Brooks on tenor sax, Paul Chambers on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. The album will be available in a stereo, all-analog Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. Look for it on September 19.
In an essay on the album’s back cover, Nat Hentoff described *Shades of Redd* as part of Redd’s ongoing journey as a jazz performer and writer. The album opens with “The Thespian,” a nickname given to Redd by Joe Termini, a New York jazz club owner. Other tracks include “Just a Ballad For My Baby,” a romantic tribute, the Spanish-influenced “Olé,” and the introspective ballad “Shadows.” The song “Melanie” is named after a friend’s newborn, which Redd felt had a joyful sound.
Redd made his Blue Note debut in 1960, composing the score for *The Connection*, a play about heroin-addicted musicians in New York. He and McLean both performed in the play, and Redd’s music was later used in the film adaptation directed by Shirley Clarke. Redd recorded more material in 1961, but it wasn’t released until 1988 as *Redd’s Blues*.
Don’t miss your chance to grab Freddie Redd’s *Shades of Redd*!
