For hip-hop heads, this will be forever known as the Beatnuts cover album. That arrow is one of the most beautiful illustrations in the Blue Note image bank: so simple, yet so powerful (don't get me started on the colors and type). As for the music, this is pretty much straight 60s Hard Bop with appearances by the usual star-studded cast: Herbie, Philly Joe Jones, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard and others. 6 tracks in all.

• official 2015 Blue Note reissue, 1st US pressing since the 80s
• music label: Blue Note 1965 / 2015

reviewed by the mgmnt 09/2014