1961 · Album
Sunday Mornin’
Recorded June 4, 1961 · Blue Note · Produced by Not specified in provided sources
Kenny Drew's Elegant Touch on Sunday Mornin'
Drew's piano work gives Green room to breathe, never crowding the guitar with busy comping.
Sunday Mornin' sits comfortably in Grant Green's mid-career output — solid, enjoyable, the kind of album that doesn't break new ground but executes its ideas with real taste. Recorded in 1961, it pairs Green's clean, unhurried guitar tone with Kenny Drew on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Ben Dixon on drums. What makes this particular session click is Drew's restraint. He doesn't fill every gap or try to match Green's energy note for note. Instead, he sets up spacious, thoughtful voicings that let the guitar speak. Green responds by playing more deliberately, more deliberately, which actually suits him better than rushing.
AllMusic reviewer Steve Huey nailed it when he said Green remains "tasteful and elegant as always," and that assessment holds up. The album doesn't have a standout track that jumps out as essential the way some of Green's other Blue Note sessions do. That said, All About Jazz reviewer Norman Weinstein gave it 4.5 stars and called it a "peerless set," which speaks to how evenly balanced the whole thing feels. There's no wasted moment, no filler. Tucker and Dixon provide a solid, unshowy foundation — exactly what the music needs.
This isn't Green at his most inventive or his most soulful. If you're new to his work, Moanin' (1958) or Grant's First Stand (1961) will hit harder. But if you already know those records and want to hear him in a more reflective mood, working with a pianist who genuinely listens, Sunday Mornin' rewards repeated listening. It's the kind of album that grows on you without demanding your full attention.
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