Blue Note Revisited

Blue Note represents a goldmine of raw brain matter in the continuing mind-meld between dance-world spinners and the jazzmen of old. Like kids jumping into a pile of leaves, 13 DJs delve into the label's vaults to connect Donald Byrd fusion and Wayne Shorter hard-bop with a hodgepodge of tricky needlework. The newcomers keep up with the old hats, combining respect for the originals with a jolt of modern momentum. Some take a soft approach; Kyoto Jazz Massive deconstructs and rebuilds Eddie Henderson's "Kudu" with kicked-up rhythms and reverence for the song's marvelous Patrice Rushen keyboard solo. Meanwhile, DJ Cam brings some nice flow via Erik Truffaz, who provides extra flava on Byrd's funk-jazz workout "The Emperor." Going all the way out, Matthew Herbert's skittery, left-field style totally transforms Michel Petrucciani's noodling "Caravan." A challenging piece of jazz-dance, Blue Note Revisited artfully avoids downtempo clichés, doing justice to the explorative nature of these artists and the wax they've left behind. --Matthew Cooke