In the early 1960s, there was no shortage of spectacular hard-bop trumpeters recording for Blue Note. So what set Blue Mitchell apart from, say, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd and Kenny Dorham? Unlike his peers, Mitchell’s tone had less heat and sizzle. Instead, he played in a clear, round, breezy style that was fluid and warm. A perfect example of his approach can be heard on The Thing to Do, a perfect album that has just been reissued as part of Blue Note’s Audiophile Vinyl series. The sound is sterling.