Mitchell's own "The Head" keeps the blowing session party going, only this time he takes off the mute and provides some nice echoes of Clifford Brown, but with his own lightly swinging style. Kelly and Philly Joe in particular sparkle on their solos.

The old standard "The Way You Look Tonight," is another burner but this time, Fuller and Heath lay out. Mitchell's full tone sounds almost like a trombone on this cut and he fills up the void left by the absence of the rest of the brass by pouring in more notes. He manages to do so without sounding like a showoff, though, keeping his customary composure intact.

The other horns take a breather again on another Golsen write, "Park Avenue Petite," the first soft track of the album. Mitchell's lone horn is played with great restraint, committing himself fully for mood and doing a pretty nice job at that.

The next two tunes are Heath compositions arranged by Heath himself. Jimmy even takes the first solo on hard-bop workout "Top Shelf" and acquits himself well, with plenty of Sonny Rollins phrasing of his notes. "Waverly Street" is a highly melodious mid-tempo number where Heath and Mitchell both playing particularly lyrical lines and Fuller is his usual blues-drenched self. Philly Joe's sudden shift into a syncopated beat for the last chorus is an unexpected treat.

The title cut "Blue Soul" is the next selection. As the name suggests, it's a twelve bar blues keyed by Mitchell's highly soulful trumpet, as once again, the other horns stay on the sideline. Kelly supplements with some simple but effective blues lines of his own before Sam Jones takes in a brief solo.

The original release closes out with a pretty arrangement of the familiar ballad "Polka Dots And Moonbeams," and a song from Blue's then-boss Silver, the intricate, slightly downbeat "Nica's Dream."

This past April 10, Blue Soul became the latest addition to the excellent Keepnews Collection reissue project helmed by the famed jazz producer, record executive and critic. As it has been for prior Keepnews reissues, this one has been nicely remastered. There's also some alternate takes added of "Minor Vamp," Park Avenue Petite," and Blue Soul" which are all more than passable.

If you've already familiarized yourself with the great works of the big names in jazz trumpet and are ready to explore some of the great talent that fell under the radar, Blue Mitchell is a mighty fine artist with which to start your deeper searches. Blue Soul is a mighty fine place to start with his discography.