Live at the Village Vanguard [Live]

1. Prayer for Peace

2. Obtuse Angles

3. It Should Have Happened a Long Time Ago

4. For Turiya

5. Fiasco

6. In the Year of the Dragon

7. Vanguard Blues

8. Mumbo Jumbo

9. Song for the Whales

Live at the Village Vanguard,Geri Allen With Charlie Haden & Paul Motian,Diw Records,Free Improvisation,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Post-Bop

Jazz

Music

jazz

Tracks:

Rocker
Autumn In New York
Godchild
The Lady Is a Tramp
It's Only a Paper Moon
My Shining Hour
All Across the City
While We're Young
Last Night When We Were Young

Customer Reviews:

You are there realism.......2007-07-19

Just like you are there with what may be the greatest working piano trio in the world today. Blue Note has really captured it with sound that is completely natural. Charlap and company have such grace and elegant refinement as they convey the heart of this wonderful music. The venue is well suited to their mastery and the sound is so natural and real. Bill Charlap has such a deep saturation and enjoyment of this music it just flows out of him. These musicians don't need to prove anything, but like the professionals they are they just let it flow and get in the groove. And you can tell they're having fun at it and the crowd sure is eating it up. They sure can swing and get your feet tapping along. This trio is so tight that they move along as one. Bill Charlap Trio is my favorite contemporary jazz trio, and I have most of their recorded output. I can't say enough. Get this one, since it really captures them live for the first time. A great starting point that will likely lead you to many more gems on record.

4 ½ stars.......2007-06-04

From Charlap's solo choruses in "Rocker," at once burning hot and supremely cool, to the wistful "Last Night While We Were Young," this is an absorbing and sometimes startlingly good record. Although it doesn't seem right that Charlap tends to get most of the attention - i.e. the focus on Charlap in interviews about the trio's work, his lone cover photo here, and some critics' annoying habit of dubbing the unrelated bassist and drummer "the two Washingtons"- he really is a fine player. His solos are consistently interesting and invigorating; his technique is impressive; and how about the way he uses the piano? Even if one may grow weary of a certain right hand tremolo/trill effect as transitional device, Charlap's quiet but hip comping, use of lower registers, piano-rattling glissandi, and superimposition of left hand and right hand are extremely effective and rather unique. So too are his undulating lines, at once muted and strong, and his enviable ability to create a translucent, ethereal musical space. It is for these reasons that "Autumn in New York" garnered such a reverent response from the Vanguard audience - and "My Shining Hour" such a raucous one.

Speaking of "My Shining Hour," let me not be guilty of the same Charlap-centered commentary I lamented earlier. As the liner notes point out, "the incandescent playing captured here is made possible by trust," a trust which in turn is only possible thanks to the rock-solid foundation provided by Peter Washington on bass and the combustible energy released by Kenny Washington on drums. Although I feel that Peter has not yet been ideally captured on recording, it is quite evident from this album and others that Kenny sets the fire under the band and leads them to "Shining Hour" heights. The very swinging feel of a potentially square tune like "Rocker" and potentially static arrangement of "While We're Young," as well as "Last Night While We Were Young's" magical coda, owe much to Kenny's fire, too.

It should be no surprise, then, that numbers like "Lady is a Tramp" cook when the Charlap Trio plays `em, and ballad arrangements like "All Across the City" are so good they almost hurt. But "While We're Young" also provides indisputable proof that this group can play in 3. So let's hear some more waltzes, and more of that glorious ebb and flow that another pianist named Bill inspired at the same Village Vanguard :) How about more bass and drum solos too?!? (come now, 2 bass solos and 1 drum solo really are not enough for a whole album). Then, consider the possibilities of straight 8, Latin, funk, mixed meter...you know these guys can do it. To me, this would make a visit to see them at the Vanguard or Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola that much more memorable - and their group that much better.

A Great Snapshot of an Excellent Trio.......2007-06-01

After many years of widespread acclaim as one of the best working groups in mainstream jazz, the Bill Charlap Trio has finally issued its first live recording, and the results are most impressive. Individually, the group's members are all virtuoso musicians of the highest caliber, and in any setting they can be counted upon to deliver vivid, engaging performances (see for example Charlap's collaborations with Warren Vaché and Peter Washington's work with the great Tommy Flanagan). However, when they play together their rapport is so strong that each seems to bring out the best in the others, and even on the trio's studio recordings they sometimes attain a level of controlled intensity that is downright mesmerizing, both on uptempo numbers and on slow ballads. Here, they reach that level again and again, and the interplay among them is consistently thrilling; each plays with great energy and creativity, but also with great precision, and they are so perfectly attuned to one another that when they improvise together they do so with a degree of cohesion and unity that is nothing short of astonishing. ("My Shining Hour" provides an especially good example of this.) Their own enjoyment of what they can do is both palpable and infectious, and while they never indulge in the kind of showboating that sometimes mars live recordings, the presence of an attentive and appreciative audience does seem to inspire them. The sounds made by that audience are not the least bit obtrusive, but their applause helps to create a pleasant atmosphere of immediacy, as does the immaculate sound achieved by engineer Joel Moss. The disc is also nicely programmed, though there are fewer rarities than one might expect given Charlap's extensive knowledge of the American songbook and his penchant for reintroducing overlooked but worthy material.

In all, this is a most welcome document of an exceptional group in action. It is also long overdue, so let's hope that volume two will follow in short order!

Live At The Village Vanguard: The Master Takes

Average customer rating:

The master at work
Got Soul?
great live coltrane musical magic act.
Excellent introduction to the Quartet
One of the greatest of live music albums

Live At The Village Vanguard: The Master Takes
John Coltrane
Manufacturer: Grp Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live at Birdland
John Coltrane: Crescent
Giant Steps
Coltrane Plays the Blues
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B0000065KK
Release Date: 1998-02-24

Tracks:

Spiritual
Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
Chasin' The Trane
India
Impressions

Amazon.com

John Coltrane's legendary 1961 stint at the Village Vanguard marked one of many watersheds in his career. For the first time on record, Coltrane was delving into extended solos, featuring another saxophonist in his front line and extending the rhythmic palette of his group to include East Indian tinges. Eric Dolphy stands out in the Village Vanguard sessions, both for his poingnant bass clarinet work on "India" and for his dragon-like alto sax elsewhere. As usual with the "classic" Coltrane Quartet, pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones create a storm of crisp chords and torrential rhythms. This creates an ideal foil for Coltrane's irrepressible saxophone creativity. Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

The master at work.......2007-07-17

One of the few (I can name about fifteen) essential live albums out there, and the live Trane album to get first. Village Vanguard is simply a key part in tracing Coltrane's entry into free jazz, and not just because it features Trane's protégé Eric Dolphy (an accomplished artist in his own right - Out to Lunch rules!) adding a ghostly bass clarinet to "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" - John's own soprano sax playing on that same song gets almost as intense as it later was on "Ascension", though only for a brief moment for two. And don't tell me the classic "Chasin' the Trane" isn't free jazz, because it is. Even without the historical significance, Village Vanguard would be a must-have for "Spiritual" alone - that song conveys a huge range of emotions without actually speaking a word. A spiritual indeed, and a deeply moving one at that. As it has often been pointed out, the entire set conveys plenty of emotions: devotion, happiness, fury, the state of being content, etc. I don't think this should be bought before A Love Supreme or Giant Steps - you need an idea of the man's capabilities before you pick this up, otherwise "Chasin' the Trane" would probably seem like pure noise to you (though it is, in fact, one of Coltrane's stronger achievements), and "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" is merely good, rather than breathtaking like "Spiritual" and "Chasin' the Trane". Regardless, this is an essential document of John Coltrane's work.

Got Soul?.......2007-04-14

You want to hear the human soul at its best? Here you go.

great live coltrane musical magic act........2007-03-24

"chasin' the trane," "india," and "impression" are highwire acts of fierce musicianship. there is a nervous tension contained within the rapid fire notes (notes that rub off against each other with a speed producing audio sparks), which moves each of these tunes along towards a breathless climax. heady stuff. "spiritual," is simply one of the most gorgeous coltrane tracks out there. if you don't have this album, get it soon.

Excellent introduction to the Quartet.......2006-03-09

For those not familiar with Coltrane's Classic Quartet (Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones), this is a great springboard for diving into his plethora of works with the ensemble. Though there are only a few cuts on this album, it's about quality, not quantity. Besides, Coltrane blows for 15 minutes on "Chasin' the Train" and about as long on the modal jazz standard, "Impressions". Backed by one of the greatest rhythm sections of all time!

And even within those two cuts, it's not about quantity, but quality. He doesn't exactly play a flurry of notes, but keeps his ideas relatively simple, and just builds and builds for all those choruses (I recall reading somewhere that he blew 96 choruses on "Chasin' the Train").

If you're into Coltrane's playing with Miles, then this shouldn't be that far of a stretch for the ears. This also seems to be one of the very few albums he recorded live with the quartet that didn't feature "My Favorite Things", which seemed to be his Quartet's staple later on.

One of the greatest of live music albums.......2005-10-16

If you are already a Coltrane fan, which you must be if you are considering purchasing a 4 cd set, then I would simply say to you why are you hesitating? This collection is quite simply one of the greatest collection of live music I had the privilge of listening to. It is Coltrane (and his band) at the peak of their powers.If you are a casual jazz or music fan with money considerations, then I would suggest you buy the one cd version that was released while he was alive and use the savings to explore more of his albums. However, once you start listening to Coltrane you will come back to considering this collection because there is simply no comparative recordings that capture his brilliance.

Average customer rating:

Great Music, Great Sound, Great Price
ACCEPTABLE, POLITE & MUSHY
The great Wynton in a week
For the price you gotta love it. and its delectable
Marsalis is a Genius

Live at the Village Vanguard
Wynton Marsalis
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live at the House of Tribes
Standard Time, Vol.5: The Midnight Blues
The Magic Hour
Live in Swing City - Swingin' With Duke
Black Codes (From the Underground)

ASIN: B00003A9NY
Release Date: 1999-12-07

Tracks:

Welcome (#1)
Cherokee
The Egyptian Blues
Embraceable You
Black Codes From The Underground
Harriet Tubman
Monk's Mood
And The Band Played On
The Cat In The Hat
(Set Break)

Tracks:

Welcome (#2)
Uptown River
Down Home With Homey
Reflections
Jig's Jig
Sometimes It Goes Like That
In A Sentimental Mood
Knozz-Moe-King
(Set Break)

Tracks:

Welcome (#3)
Buggy Ride
I'll Remember April
Stardust
In The Court Of King Oliver
Bona & Paul
Four In One
Way Back Blues
Rubber Bottom
Midnight In Paris
Play The Blues And Go
(Set Break)

Tracks:

Welcome (#4)
Pedro's Getaway
Evidence
Embraceable You
A Long Way
The Arrival
Misterioso
Happy Birthday
The Seductress
(Set Break)

Tracks:

Welcome (#5)
The Majesty Of The Blues
Flee As A Bird To The Mountain
Happy Feet Blues
Thelonious
Stardust
Intro To Buddy Bolden
Buddy Bolden
Swing Down Swing Town
Bright Mississippi
(Set Break)

Tracks:

Welcome (#6)
Citi Movement
Winter Wonderland
Brother Veal
Cherokee
Juba And O'Brown Squaw

Tracks:

Welcome (#7)
In The Sweet Embrace Of Life
Local Announcements
Altar Call
Final Statement

Amazon.com

This stupendous seven-CD collection from the all-world trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Wynton Marsalis chronicles the amazing evolution of his underrated live septets at the legendary Village Vanguard from 1990 to 1994. Sequenced to simulate a week-long gig, the set melds together three different incarnations of Marsalis's ensemble: the gifted New Orleans-born drummer Herlin Riley, the ebullient Wessel Anderson on sopranino and alto saxes, and the fluent trombonist Wycliffe Gordon are the constants. The mercurial Marcus Roberts and the fleet-fingered Eric Reed alternate on piano, while Ben Wolfe and Reginald Veal lock it down on the bass. These selections showcase the astounding "school" of musicians that followed Marsalis's first superband with his brother, Branford Marsalis, the late Kenny Kirkland, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Marcus Roberts's articulate lines sonically sigature his uptempto original, "The Arrival," and his solo on Thelonious Monk's "Misterioso" calls forth the soulful spirit of Monk's mentor, James P. Johnson. Eric Reed accompanies the leader with a well-traveled, harmonic magic carpet on "The Seductress" and provides some imaginative ivory ticklings on the 5/4-cadenced "Uptown Ruler," with Herlin Riley's Big Easy backbeats and Mardi Gras Indian chants. Wycliffe Gordon makes a stylistic stop in Kansas City on Count Basie's "Way Back Blues," with his territory trombone tones, and pays his dues to Tricky Sam Nanton on Duke Ellington's "Play the Blues and Go." Reginald Veals's "Brother Veal" rings with his deep sound, while Wes Anderson's Afro-Arabic "The Egyptian Blues" and Todd William's uptempo, Coltrane-like "The Cat in the Hat Is Back" display their horn and composition skills. Another Marsalis cohort, Dr. Michael White, makes a surprise appearance with his Preservation Hall clarinet on the traditional hymn "Flee as a Bird to the Mountain." Marsalis's studio recordings are revisited, from the early '80s tune "Knozz-Moe-King" to the parade pulsations of "Juba and a O'Brown Sqauw" from the 1997 Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Blood on the Fields. His encyclopedic command of the trumpet tradition is in full effect. Check out his bop-ballad renditions of "Cherokee," "Embraceable You," "Stardust," and the muted musings on the short but sweet "Bona and Paul," inspired by two character's from Jean Toomer's literary classic, Cane. Two extended compositions, the 40-minute "Citi Movement," with its aural impressions of urban life filtered through swing, ballad, and Afro-Latin forms, and the nearly hour-long jazz spiritual "In the Sweet Embrace of Life," a movement from In This House, on This Morning, are well paced for this enthusiastic crowd. With Wynton Marsalis's superb playing and leadership, along with his dowm-home introductions of Lionel Hampton, Cassandra Wilson, and Joshua Redman, this potpourri of selections does what all remote recordings are meant to do: it puts the listener at home in front of the bandstand and captures the one-of-a-kind ambience and interplay of live music making. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Great Music, Great Sound, Great Price .......2007-07-13

Most of this material is as good as anything Wynton Marsalis has recorded. Although Marsalis may not be on the "cutting edge," I hear little that is routine or pedestrian on these discs. I hear fine arrangements of jazz standards and creative original compositions (e.g., Black Codes, Citi Movement). The recordings and audio quality are excellent. I especially enjoy the sonorities provided by the 4-horn front lines in these septets. The vast majority of these Amazon reviews are very positive, and deservedly so. Great talents in every field always have their detractors, and Marsalis is certainly no exception. My only real "complaint" is that Wynton does talk a bit too much--he tends to do this in his live shows, but it's all in good fun, and you never feel slighted musically. I've owned these discs for several years now and still listen to them a lot.

ACCEPTABLE, POLITE & MUSHY.......2007-05-28

It's appropriate that ounce per ounce this 7 CD set is a barn burner of a value for the amount of original music provided. That said, Mr. Marsalas is the Wal-Mart of Jazz, good value of low to moderate quality items with a little bit of everything on show. Everything except intensity, improvisation any interesting playing. At best the 3 bands don't muff their parts & stay tightly focused. But I can't really take it for Jazz; every note seems preordained, laid-out in a light meaningless groove & I never feel anyone ever takes off & flies, leaving the rest of the players scrambling to catch up.
Instead a well trained group of musicians provide archeological coverage of what jazz must of sounded like when it was alive.
I started listening to Jazz at 11 years of age with no encouragement from anyone. My first album ever was "Monk's Dream" I still love that album today & it brings back rich memories of learning to appreciate an obscure musical dialogue.
Marsalas never puts me in mind of anything more daring then a Jackie Gleason alum.
Here are two examples of what I mean; the "drum solo" 10 min. in on Uptown Ruler is unbelievable pallid & of no interest. I don't like drum solos but may a good drummer has sucked me in against my will. Now the next track , "Down Home with Homey" (really that title says it all about how generic this music is) has a bass solo about 90 seconds in that sound like the guy is just plucking the strings till the ensemble comes to his rescue. Compare this to any of many Charlie Haden discs on his own or with Ornette Coleman & I think you'll see the difference between these 3 bands & what the best Jazz is like. I mean there are good moments (Wynton does a few good trumpet licks, the players strike a real groove at times) on this set, it is 7 discs, but the overall effect is really a turn-off. Even at 20 bucks it barely seems worthwhile. Three stars for value, one star for the tunes.

The great Wynton in a week.......2007-05-12

Many people, and critics, says that the best Wynton's perfomance recorded was "Live at Blues Alley"... but after when you listen this set box, your will change your opinion. I will see play to Wynton in three times ( one in septet and two with the Jazz Lincoln). Wynton with your Jazz Orchestra is very good... but in septet or octet is superb. In this set this is the kind of combo. Several tracks are played in spledid way. One o these records is ( alone) one masterpiece: the record number five. The sound is perfect: you feel stay into the Village Vanguard, and all the crew plays very ,very well, standards, or the Wynton's themes. From me is one of the best buy ( also the set is very cheap) in many time, because the music is of high voltage. And is a pleasure listen seat and very near of you to the Wynton's crew. After of listen the records ( or one session... for example) you feel that this evening, or this morning was in Village Vanguard with the group in a super sesssion of pure jazz. Please buy the set!

For the price you gotta love it. and its delectable.......2006-11-25

I know Wynton is not exploring the unknown space here but it is good old fashion good time music and its accessible. For the price it is one of the best bargains out there. Plus there will always a place for classic jazz. This is music for the heart and the roots. I went to college in New Orleans and I will always consider it my alma mater. Love Wyton and his family along with the Nevilles.

Marsalis is a Genius.......2006-06-09

This is easily the most underrated CD of all time. When I received this CD I was blown away. The solos, the leads, everything was great.

Buying this 7-CD set for 30 bucks made me feel like a thief. Most people who gave this CD a bad rating can't get over what Wynton said about Miles Davis. They are both great and enjoying Marsalis doesn't take anything away from Miles Davis.

Wynton Marsalis is the greatest living jazz musician and one of the best ever and he proves it with this CD. It is a must buy for all jazz fans and all trumpet players.

The Art of the Trio, Vol. 2: Live at the Village Vanguard

Average customer rating:

notes on a controversy
Fine piano trio music
The guy is really good, so take a chance on him...
Today's Most Challenging and Refreshing Jazz Trio.
Major, major jazz

The Art of the Trio, Vol. 2: Live at the Village Vanguard
Brad Mehldau
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Introducing Brad Mehldau

ASIN: B0000062VD
Release Date: 1998-03-10

Tracks:

It's Alright With Me
Young And Foolish
Monk's Dream
The Way You Look Tonight
Moon River
Countdown

Amazon.com

This live set, recorded at New York's Village Vanguard in the summer of 1997, presents pianist Brad Mehldau with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy, the same personnel as on The Art of the Trio, Volume One. This is hardcore jazz, with tunes by Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk, Jerome Kern, Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, and John Coltrane. Mehldau hasn't yet earned a place in the highest rank of the jazz pantheon, but if he keeps making recordings of this caliber, he'll blow away a lot of the opposition. He doesn't wear his influences on his sleeve but, with the support of Grenadier and Rossy, executes harmonic reconstructions of standard texts. --Stanley Booth

Customer Reviews:

notes on a controversy.......2005-01-18

Sorry, this isn't really a review of this album. It's a few thoughts on the "controversy" over comparing Mehldau to Bill Evans (see, e.g., the "Major, major jazz" review on this page). Mehldau himself has disavowed the comparison on several occasions, most notably in the liner notes to Art of the Trio Vol. 4, in which he says he only listened to Evans "a little, when I was 13 or 14 years old"--and then goes on to provide a detailed analysis of how his trio functions in a different way than Evans's. If you take this at face value . . . (After I read Mehldau's liner notes, I was hoping someone would get him a copy of Harold Bloom's _The Anxiety of Influence_ for his birthday.)

Some of Mehldau's points (e.g., racial troping and the role of the bassist) are repeated in a well-written review on this page. I'd like to respond to a few of those points--because methinks it has gotten to the point where Mehldau (and some of his fans) doth protest too much.

Let me grant three points immediately: 1) Mehldau is a unique and gigantic talent. His personal expression is not in any way invalidated by similarities or differences with Bill Evans or any other pianist. 2) Harmonically, Mehldau is not an impressionist the way Evans was. 3) Collective improvisation is not the key to the Mehldau Trio as it was to Evans's best trios.

But!

The comparisons to Evans did not come out of the blue, and racial troping (or "profiling") seems to me something of a red herring. I mean, if it were that simple, why isn't Mehldau also frequently compared with George Shearing, Dave Brubeck, Vince Guaraldi, and Chick Corea?

Beyond the obvious facts of performing in a trio and playing in a Romantic, introspective manner, Mehldau is frequently compared to Evans, I believe, mainly because of his choice of repertoire. On his very first album, for instance, Mehldau recorded two Richard Rodgers classics--"It Might as Well Be Spring" and "My Romance"--that had long been associated with Evans. In fact, Evans recorded "My Romance" many times, starting with *his* first album. And on this album (AotT2), Mehldau plays "Young and Foolish," which Evans recorded several times.

Beyond such specific examples, there is a general similarity in what they play, a mix of high-quality standards (Rodgers, Porter, Gershwin, etc.), originals, and unexpected works by contemporaries. That might sound generic enough to be true of nearly any jazz performer--but if you look carefully at what Mehldau plays, you will see it resembles the things Evans recorded much more than it resembles what most other jazz performers, pianists or otherwise, play. Keep in mind, too, that using the "great American songbook" as the basis for major league jazz improvisations (and writing pieces in a similar vein) was quite unusual and not exactly fashionable during Evans's peak years, which coincided with the free jazz and fusion movements. It's less unusual now, after the Keith Jarrett and Wynton Marsalis standards collections, but there is no question that Evans is an important link between pre-bop and contemporary performance of standards material.

Mehldau and Evans also resemble each other in the things they play that are off the beaten path (for the jazz world). Mehldau has covered material by such elder statesmen of the rock establishment as Paul McCartney and Paul Simon--which is still a little unusual for a jazz performer. But the Paul Simon song he recently covered, "Still Crazy After All These Years," comes from the same album that the Simon song Evans liked to cover ("I Do It for Your Love") does. Also, Mehldau has gotten a lot of attention for covering tunes by Nick Drake and Radiohead--just as Evans received attention for covering Johnny Mandel's Theme from M*A*S*H and songs by Burt Bacharach (before he was considered one of the "old masters"). In both cases, they saw the lyrical value of material that others wouldn't might not have thought to convert into jazz.

So the claim that there are "no similarities" between Evans and Mehldau just doesn't ring true. In addition to their similar choice of repertoire--which suggests a great amount of temperamental affinity if not necessarily direct influence--both are classically trained pianists, and you can easily hear that (although I don't think Mehldau's touch is quite as refined as Evans's was).

Also, the claim that Mehldau has "a fire that Evans never envinced [sic]" doesn't wash with me. Miles Davis said he hired Evans specifically because he wanted Evans's "quiet fire." And that fire wasn't always all that quiet, as anyone who has heard Evans's early recordings with George Russell (e.g., "Concerto for Billy the Kid" and "All About Rosie") well knows. Evans was perfectly capable of barnstorming when he wanted to. This was a man who played Beethoven's Third Concerto at his senior recital and who liked to play Rachmaninoff's Third Concerto for his own private enjoyment. If you think you can play those virtuoso masterpieces without fire in your belly, guess again.

Okay, those are my points. I just think the pendulum has tended to swing too much from uncritical comparisons to (blindly following Mehldau's own not disinterested lead) uncritical disavowals of all affinities. Hey, it's a massive compliment to be compared to Evans. And it shouldn't mean that Mehldau isn't his own man, because he most definitely is. It's just that given what he's playing (esp. in a jazz piano trio format), Evans is the obvious point of reference and will remain so, just as Verdi would be an obvious point of comparison for Puccini. Sure, let's be aware of the crucial differences between them. Let's look for and celebrate everything that's distinctive in Mehldau's playing (because there's plenty of that). But when we look through the musical universe, to whom are we likely to compare Mehldau? Verdi? Madonna? Bill Monroe? Stuff Smith? No one picked Evans's name out of a hat.

P.S. If you love piano jazz, get all of Mehldau's albums, including this one (well, maybe except Largo). You see, he's this great contemporary jazz pianist, a little like Bill Evans, only different . . .

Fine piano trio music.......2004-03-28

As a serious fan of Bill Evans, but with little knowledge of the jazz world, I picked up the first four volumes of Mehldau's Art of the Trio recordings following a recommendation from a friend.

Volumes 1 and 3 are studio recordings; volumes 2 and 4 are live (I don't have volume 5, yet, another live volume, this one on 2 CDs). I think Mehldau is great, and I especially like the studio recordings. They are lyrical and melodic, whereas the live recordings tend more toward pyrotechnics and displays of virtuosity.

If you like the kind of music Bill Evans played, you'll certainly like volumes 1 and 3. You may prefer the live ones, especially if you're into Keith Jarrett (at least Mehldau doesn't grunt and squeal all the time). In any case, this is great music, well played and the trio has a great rapport.

The guy is really good, so take a chance on him..........2003-08-16

This is my first Mehldau CD, and I like it a lot. A piano trio live at the Village Vanguard? How can that NOT remind jazz lovers of the two famous Bill Evans' albums recorded live there 36 years earlier? Brad is not quite in that league perhaps, but he's a lot closer than I would have guessed. Of course, he does not want to be known as "almost as good as Bill Evans." He wants to see reviews of other respected young pianists described as "almost as wonderful as Mehldau." If you like piano jazz with an edge, this is for you. He plays standards, but with his own twist and a '90's sensibility. They are recognizable and pretty, but taken in some new directions as well. Kind of like Monk did, and Evans did, and that's great company. On this disc, the trio tackles a Monk original, and a Coltrane original, and a Mancini original, plus Cole Porter and Jerome Kern. The '30's and the '50's and the 60's in only six tunes. Even the few moments of these 73 minutes I don't love are still interesting. Check it out!

Today's Most Challenging and Refreshing Jazz Trio........2001-11-20

This album is the 2nd volume of the trio's production entitled: "The Art Of the Trio". It is also the first of the live recordings of the pianist Brad Mehldau with his partners Larry Grenadier (bass) and Jorge Rosy (drums) at the Village Vanguard in NYC, this time during a summer appearance in 1997.

The album is definitely a highlight of the Trio's material and it brings Mehldau's outstanding musical virtues as a pianist directly into the audience. One of the best way to evaluate the musician is live, in direct with no studio cosmetics or second chances. Mehladau not only passes the test -or any test you wish to give him- but also exceeds any expectations you may have weather you are a Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett or Corea follower. Critics impose a heavy stigma on Mehldau when they compare him to Bill Evans and claim that he is the next successor to the throne. I never buy or reject any artist's music because of his influences, similarities, or differences, but rather on his own capabilities. Within the piano jazz trio format, Mehldau is extremely creative, very sharp, takes risks, very moving, a virtuoso when it comes o technique, and takes jazz into music boundaries where very few artists can go. Without getting into the similarities or differences with the other piano masters, having heard all of the Evans, Jarrett, Corea, and Hancock albums I recommend you that if you appreciate free format jazz piano trios, include this CD in your collection. It will either be one of your best and favorites ones throughout time of the most challenging one if you are an extremely conservative listener. I celebrate that modern jazz has a young pianist with such talent and capacity.

The repertoire is composed of six "covers" and does not including any of Mehldau compositions -as he did in the Trios Vol IV: Back at the Village Vanguard-. During the CD's one hour twenty minutes, the tunes range from "Monk's Dream" (T. Monk) and "Countdown" (J. Coltrane) to classic standards like "Moon River" (Mercer-Mancini) or "It's Alright with Me" (C. Porter) allowing Mehldau to expand his creativity to the max.

Lastly, try not to get to involved with Mehldaus' very extensive comments and reflections that appear in the inside of the CD's cover, like some reviewers who have rejected and criticized Mehldau's thoughts as if the item offered were a book instead of a jazz piano CD. Believe me, Mehldau's language is the piano and his thoughts make a lot of sense when he plays "his jazz" into our souls. Keep speaking Mr. Mehldau, your playing came just in time as jazz piano was getting monotonous.

Major, major jazz.......2001-09-19

It's easy to evaluate a jazz musician's career in retrospect, usually when they're in middle age, and declaring greatness over a large body of work and years of concerts. It's never so easy when faced with a still growing body of work from a contemporary artist. Bard Mehldau is one such artist, and even though he has made fewer than 10 discs, one can say without hesitation that he is a great jazz musician. The proof is in the playing, and this CD is one of many great doorways into that playing.

As a pianist, Mehldau is a virtuoso, secure in both hands and with an effortless variety of articulations at any speed. But he's no Oscar Peterson, he has plenty to say. Plenty.

To his own frustrated bemusement, Mehldau has often been compared to Bill Evans [even among the professional editorials on Amazon] yet that is a shallow case of racial-profiling. Other than being a white piano player, there are no real similarities. Mehldau is lyrical and introspective in the Evansian sense only in the manner with which jazz musicians call ideas from out of themselves. He has a fire that Evans never envinced and a style that is unique and refreshing. Like a lot of modern jazz artists, he has gone to the classical repertoire to expand his harmonic range and his improvisational sense, but where for most jazz players, the classical touchstones are Stravinsky, Bartok and Debussy, Mehldau has turned back to the 19th century, especially the piano music of Robert Schumann. So instead of expanding jazz harmonics by extending tonalities, he uses the more subtle but richer approach of placing simpler chords in an overall harmonic structure that is more complex; basic inversions that give a sense of false cadence, diatonic harmonies over extended pedals to create ambigiuous key relationships, etc. These are all composers' concerns, and that is what Mehldau often does, his improvisations are re-compositions. He frequently takes apart the structure of a tune, examining it from many angles, and does so with tremendous vitality and swing. The approach is more like Sonny Rollins, with the advantage of the harmonies a piano provides. And it's tremendously gripping and exciting, rich in detail and imagination. There is the sense in listening to him that you are discovering what he is right along with him.

Also unlike Bill Evans, this is definitely a soloist-accompanist trio, not a collective. Grenadier and Rossy could not be more solid or sympathetic with the leaders approach, and they are vital in maintaining the ideas and energy. Pervious criticism is cloth-eared and unwarranted. Mehldau is fast becoming an essential part of the music, don't let him get away without you.

Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard
Average customer rating:

Woody Shaw is no joke....

d--n good recording

Total agreement with all the reviewers!!!!!!

It's About Freekin' Time. Does not suck. The Anti-Wynbag.

Jazz Masters of the '70's

Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard
Woody Shaw
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rosewood

Woody Shaw Live, Vol. 4

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

Woody Shaw Live, Vol. 3

Tex Book Tenor

ASIN: B0009Y26P4
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Tracks:

Stepping Stone
In A Capricornian Way
Seventh Avenue
All Things Being Equal Are Not
Escape Velocity
Blues For Ball
Theme For Maxine

Customer Reviews:

Woody Shaw is no joke...........2006-11-30

I'd venture to say that at this period of his career he was the best trumpet player of all time. He was the total package...composer, brilliant technician, melodic and adventerous.
After hearing this album its hard for me to listen to Freddie Hubbard in the same way any more since Woody takes Freddies style up about 10 notches.
Woody's career was too short and inconsistant to be considered the Greatest of all time but at his peak (on this album) there was nobody better in my opinion.

By the way, I would not have happened upon Woody's music if it hadn't been for sites such as amazon, allmusicguide etc etc.
Needless to say this music isn't advertised at your local record store and is rarely stocked.
I ordered this album a few months ago off of amazon and since then I've picked up pretty much everything I can find with Woody on it.

One last note, the sound quality on this recording is incredible..it sounds better than most studio recordings.

Great post bop jazz.

d--n good recording .......2006-08-20

I listen to this recording at least once a day in between my booker little and lee morgan,art blakey listenings.What a fresh and exciting,sentimental,fiery live recording this one is tops,peace!

Total agreement with all the reviewers!!!!!!.......2006-08-20

It's so nice to read such wonderful, positive words about my homeboy, Woody Shaw! You guys wrote so well, all I can add is, buy the record, and hear what all the fuss is about. The best review, of course, is best post hard bop trumpeter (with the best hard bop trumpeter being Lee Morgan, his idol and my favorite musician). All the cuts are great, but my favorite is "Escape Velocity", the only cut released while Woody was here. It was on Woody III, my favorite Shaw record; if you can, buy that one, too!
OK, I think you get the gist--buy this record!

It's About Freekin' Time. Does not suck. The Anti-Wynbag........2005-12-15

This is a great session. Woody was definitely the anti-Wynbag. Wynbag and his progeny seem rather sterile by comparison.

For whatever reason, Columbia sat on this after the initial vinyl release in '78 and never released it to CD during Woody's lifetime. Mosaic did not include it in the recent Columbia retrospective. I have owned this on vinyl since 1979 or so and I still find it exciting and fresh. Most of this was recorded at the Vanguard. This is a document of a real, working quintet with NY-style hard-edged playing. These guys play like they've been touring together for years. If you're looking for a crappy-ass LA rehearsal band or a college pick-up band or some lame jam session laboring through Stella and Straight no Chaser, then you should give this one a pass.

But that's just my opinion, K?

Jazz Masters of the '70's.......2005-09-02

Bottom line, this records kills. When Wynton and Crouch would have you believing jazz was dead in the '70's, here's proof positive they were dead wrong. It's sad that guys like Woody were toughing it out in the lean years only to be shunned when the post-Wynton twenty something's were getting all the label and media play. I still can't believe Columbia dropped Woody for Wynton! Maybe now they're trying to make up for it. This document will stand the test of time when many of the "neoclassical" recordings have long been forgotten. This is no rehash. This is music by musicians who clearly know the lineage but have developed a sound of their own. You gotta pay some dues for that! Not only are the performances on "Stepping Stones" stellar, the writing is great as well. Like Miles' legendary ensembles of the '50's and '60's these guys sound like a BAND, this ain't no pickup date. If you want to hear cutting edge hard bop by some of the unsung heroes of the art buy this CD immediately. This music deserves to be heard and it's players given their due.

Average customer rating:

Lift
Pleasant Surprise!
A creative and singular voice catches fire on stage!
pleasant surprise
What?

Lift: Live at the Village Vanguard
Chris Potter Quartet
Manufacturer: Sunny Side
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Critical Mass
Vertigo

ASIN: B00023GG4E
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

7.5
What You Wish
Stella By Starlight
Lift
Okinawa
Boogie Stop Shuffle Sax Intro
Boogie Stop Shuffle

Amazon.com

Tenor saxophonist Chris Potter has been recording as a leader for a dozen years, after a rather audacious start in Red Rodney's band at the age of 20. A melodic player given to deliriously swooping runs in his improvisations--Sonny Rollins is a notable influence--Potter and his quartet stretch out on originals and three covers. From the gorgeous "Okinawa" to the relentless closer, Charles Mingus's "Boogie Stop Shuffle," the four musicians form a perfectly matched combo, playing off each other with evident glee. The live setting has energized them and given them an opportunity to fully explore these compositions, as on Potter's solo intro to the Mingus tune. What's astounding about it is that, at nearly 15 minutes, it never falls into a rut as he finds ever more layers to peer under and pull apart. --David Greenberger

Customer Reviews:

Lift.......2006-08-08

I wouldnt normally take the time to write anything, but I noticed a few things in other reviews (particularly in "book and music lovers" review) that i feel need to be answered. I wonder if "book and music lover" actually listened to this albulm at all. "Mr. Potter has taken a simple bit of instrumental music and labeled it jazz" he says. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Surely, he had to be listening to a different albulm, else he would have heard the amazing tenor of Potter himself (which as a saxophonist myself i appreciate all the more), which although distinctive is certainly on the lines of Coltrane. He would have heard the rythm section: solid when in the background, progresssive in their own solos. He would have heard what is possibly the most brilliant take of the Mingus classic "boogie stop shuffle" (which is amazing all the more because it is in 13/4 time and subdivided in an oscillating time signature (if your not a musician, take my word that its complex and amazing)). I fail to see how this is "simple instrumental music at all.

He then says "Sorry, but good Jazz is loaded with improvisations, and written music is but an out line". This line is particularly aggravating. How does he not realize that except for the heads of the tunes, all of the albulm is improvised. More than hour of improvised music, none of which he managed to hear.

What angers me the most however is what he says last. "Take note Smooth Jazz. You are just a tiny bit above elevator music." Now, normally, i woould agree, i cant stand smooth jazz. But (please note this) THIS IS NOT SMOOTH JAZZ! i do not understand how this albulm could possibly be misconstrued as smooth jazz. I think that just his assertion that it is smooth jazz suggests that "book and music lover" clearly has no idea what hes talking about.

This is more closely a fine work of hard bop, perhaps best in line with the later live Coltrane work (think, say, 1964). It is of course very distinctive, but it is easy to hear the strains of coltrane in Potter's solos. The pianist (Kevin Hays) reminds me particularly, when he's playing piano proper and not the synth, of McCoy Tyner, one of the other central pillars of the Classic Coltrane quartet. I can similar things about the bassist and drummer (Scott Colley and Bill stewart, respectively) but im sure you understand my point by now.

"Lift" is a solid piece of modern Jazz, particularly since so many so called jazz musicians have turned to lesser things. For any true jazz fan, this is a must have. Chris Potter himself is certainly one of, if not right next to Coltrane, one of the best tenor players of now, or any time, and there is no better way to showcase his talent then in this brilliant live performance.

Pleasant Surprise!.......2006-06-15

I've been reading all of BOOK & MUSIC LOVER's posted reviews of various Jazz CDs .... interesting how much he/she despises any form of modern, Smooth Jazz as opposed to his/her worship of "pure" Jazz, even resorting to calling our genre of choice petty names. No wonder the vast majority of the responses to his/her reviews are so unfavorable! Why don't you just review the CDs without any of your patronizing? We get it already .... you don't like Smooth Jazz!

Regarding the Chris Potter Quartet's Lift CD, I purchased it just to see what motivated the above reviewer's consternation ... and I loved it! I don't think that I would have ever found these artists, since I don't possess anything else from them, were it not for my little "crusade". If you don't like Smooth Jazz, then this CD is not for you .... if you do, and you're especially drawn to the unique sounds of live Smooth Jazz, then give this CD a listen. I'll bet you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was!

A creative and singular voice catches fire on stage!.......2006-03-19

The thing I love about Chris Potter (and his sometimes employer Dave Douglas) is that he tries to do distinctly different things with each album.

"Gratitude" was a tribute to the many saxophone influences who left their mark in developing Potter's distinctive sound and compositional style. It was a fantastic record that managed to capture the style of this enormously diverse collection of players (Webster, Bird, Brecker, Shorter, Joe Henderson, Ornette...even the often overlooked Eddie Harris!) and still maintained a singular voice which was unmistakably Potter's.

"Travelling Mercies" put a greater emphasis on Potter as a composer and a multi-instrumentalist, but also displayed his desire to explore the possibilities of the studio. Many tracks featured obvious (but not at all out of place) overdubs and loops, and bled into one another. Although the end result was a little uneven, it is still a fascinating record that stands up to repeat listenings. Also worth mentioning is the piano/bass clarinet rendition of the traditional hymn "Just As I Am" (erroneously credited to Willie Nelson???) which closes out the album...I mention this track in particular for its elegant simplicity, and its deeply subtle soul.

This brings me (in a very roundabout way) to "Lift" which is curious in that it is a live album which falls somewhere between his previous two studio albums. Kevin Hays' sometimes unusual, but always tasteful keyboard sounds almost make this "traditional jazz" quartet sound heavily produced at times. And the eternally creative, yet still air-tight interplay of the rhythm section would make you swear you were listening to a studio recording if you weren't holding that CD booklet in your hand that screams in bold capital letters; "LIVE"! Meanwhile, Potter's playing is acrobatic and impressive, but never in a way that is outwardly flashy or undermines the compositions or the overall effect of the ensemble...his playing here is the perfect marriage of technique and soul.

While the very dry mixing does take a slight period of adjustment, it eventually makes you feel like you are in the club with the group; and the playing is incendiary and spontaneous from the first note to the last. This quartet clearly has chemistry oozing from every hair follicle, and the set captured here is an engaging mix of distinctive, well-crafted originals and standards, that culminates in an explosive "Boogie Stop Shuffle" which simply must be heard to be believed!

"Lift" is a must-own for any fan of proficient and creative modern-jazz.

pleasant surprise.......2006-03-14

I've come across Chris Potter by chance,following Dave Holland recordings,and knowing nothing of the artist until the past few days,when I received my CDs,ordered in November(!). Unfortunately it takes sometime to get things by mail over here, in Kuwait, where I live, but it has been worth the wait!
The drumming and bass(7.5) remind me of a powerful recording of "Impressions",of McCoy Tyner memory(Trident was the vinyl),with Elvin Jones and Ron Carter to complete the trio. Potter's quartet,though playing with the same vigour, has different touches: piano wizard Hays plays like old time virtuoso Oscar Peterson and Potter like 1/3 Coltrane + 1/3 of Joshua Redman + 1/3 Brandford Marsalys(and what a nice cocktail!). All in all this album was a really wonderful surprise,for someone like myself that knew nothing about Potter. And music with the 3Bs:Beautiful,Beautiful, Beautiful. I love fast pace swing,and this album has plenty of it,but not only.
PS: THE RATING WAS SUPPOSED TO SHOW 5 stars,NOT 2(?).My mouse must have slipped at the wrong moment.

What?.......2006-02-14

To rebuttle the supposed "Book and Music Lover" in another review...

If someone is looking for Mingus in this music, they are in absolutely the wrong place. Just because Potter plays "Boogie Stop Shuffle" doesn't mean the track or the CD will have Mingus's influence. Quite frankly, Mingus's style is one-of-a-kind and easily distinguishable from others, and Potter's is not even close... and that isn't a bad thing.

Secondly, what is this "simple bit of instrumental music?" The technique and abilities by each musician individually and as a whole unit are showcased in this album and are anything but "simple." And, when asked where the emotion is in the album, how can one NOT feel the energy of this band? From the very beginning of the heads I can feel a surge of emotion through everyone, and that's before all of the improvisation. Check out each player's interaction with one another and you will easily feel the intensity.

Furthermore, the reviewer comments that "good jazz is loaded with improvisations and the music is but an outline" and he fails to hear it in this album. Is that a joke? Does the reviewer believe that the tracks are simply written out? The composed parts of this album are but a small percentage of the overall performance and this reviewer is a fool for believing that there is no emotion, barely any improvisation, and mostly, that this in not good jazz. Chris Potter IS the future of jazz music, as shown each time he releases a new record as a band leader, and also each time he is a sideman.

This record is simply unbelievable. Purchase this for Potter in a live, more traditional setting, and then go out and purchase his latest CD "Underground" or the one previous to this, "Traveling Mercies" to see what else he is a about. All of his albums are distinctly different, but all have amazing playing and shed light to the future of the greatest, most diverse music on the planet.

Plays John Coltrane - Live at The Village Vanguard

Average customer rating:

McCoy Tyner-the most overrated jazz pianist
Deserves 10 stars
A Truly Rewarding Set
Good, just shy of great
McCoy Tyner's Best?!

Plays John Coltrane - Live at The Village Vanguard
McCoy Tyner
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Echoes of a Friend
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ASIN: B00005NY2T
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Tracks:

Naima
Moment's notice
Crescent
After The Rain
Afro-Blue
I Want To Talk To You
Mr. Day

Amazon.com

McCoy Tyner has paid tribute on record to his former boss John Coltrane several times before, notably on the 1972 solo effort, Echoes of a Friend. But he is a different pianist now than he was then. Once a player of volcanic force and eddying intellect, Tyner has become a more elegant, restrained stylist. Recorded at New York's Village Vanguard on what would have been Coltrane's 71st birthday, and released to commemorate the saxophone legend's 75th, McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane could hardly be more even-tempered. Working outside his standing trio--the bassist is George Mraz, the drummer Al Foster--Tyner brings the same lilting delicacy to "Afro Blue" that he brings to the classic ballad "Naima." That isn't to say he lacks intensity in returning to the Trane songbook, which is also represented by the title track from "Crescent," "Moment's Notice," and the infrequently heard "Mr. Day" (from Coltrane Plays the Blues). With his gleaming note clusters, flowing lyricism, and spiritual weight, he makes it clear that the songs and their original singer still mean a lot to him--just as Tyner still means a lot to anyone who cares about the modern jazz piano. --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews:

McCoy Tyner-the most overrated jazz pianist .......2006-02-13

Among all my Jazz-CD's - and there are many of them - this is by far the worst and disappointing one. And yet it is quite revealing. Many Jazz fans and critical reviewers celebrate Tyner as the best Jazz pianist alive. Although I have a huge respect for the musical quality of most Jazz, this shows me that the classic listeners and reviewers are musically just more educated and sophisticated than those in Jazz. Yes, there might be no Jazz pianist in history which has been more virtous than Tyner, and none which is technically better.

But as any classical educated piano professor will tell you, virtuosity makes no good pianist. And thats totally the case for Tyner. If I listen to his recordings, its always the same - huge accord clusterings, incredible fast playing, but no feel for the music, no elegance whatsoever and no interesting development or experimenting. His solos are really boring.

Just listen to Naima, one of the greatest pieces in Jazz. Start with the original Coltrane recording, the wonderful piano in it (NOT Tyner!), the feel for the music. Then listen to Breckers solo on the 2003 Directions in Music recording, playing an incredible interpretation of it, and then go to Tyners interpretation. Imagine how Bill Evans would play it. Then you have to stop this CD after 2 minutes. Its just terrible. Large parts he plays in fortissimo, with his usual style. I can't believe how bad it is. The same is true for Crescent and all the other pieces.

Or listen to "After the rain". That is pure pop-kitsch at worst, with accords and harmonics I would expect on a MTV-music award show, but not on a Jazz-CD. Even Norah Jones is pure experimentation against it!

The question then remains: Why was he part of one of the greatest Jazz-quartets? I went back to all Coltrane CD's including him. I can only say he was at the right place at the right time. His playing really does fit to Coltrane, all the fury, the virtuosity, the aggresive improvisation over one scale, but without Coltrane, he is just bad and totally lost. And indeed, the worst Coltrane pieces are those where Tyner has an extended solo, such as in "Afro-Blue" on "One up, one down". There you hear all his strict limitations in terms of harmony and developing an interesting solo.

Deserves 10 stars.......2005-02-14

This is such a rewarding CD ! McCoy Tyner's recordings are among my favorites in jazz and in a trio setting he is really allowed to display his incredible virtuosity. Here he is beautifully accompanied by George Mraz and Al Foster. Mraz provides fine bass playing throughout and several of his solos are just outstanding as well. The drumming is perfectly suited to these arrangements of tunes recorded by Coltrane and Foster's drum solo on Afro Blue is wonderful.
I just caught Tyner's more recent trio with Eric Harland and Charnett Moffett performing in LA and they were playing as if they were of one mind. Harland's drumming is terrific as well. After seeing them and then listening to this I for one will never miss an opportunity to hear McCoy Tyner in a trio setting.
Buy this CD if you don't have it. You will be glad you did.

A Truly Rewarding Set.......2004-03-14

This live set of music associated with Mr. Tyner's former boss/collaborator rewards with repeated listening because this trio's music is greater than the sum of the parts. This is special praise considering that the players' individual contributions are unique and outstanding. The range of Tyner's creativity includes the gentle romanticism of "After The Rain", the controlled yet rhythmic passion of "Afro Blue", and the bright, soulful blues expression of "Mr. Day". Please note that it is often overlooked that McCoy Tyner is an outstanding blues player! Throughout this set (in which each tune is a winner), George Mraz(bass) and Al Foster(drums) lay a firm magical carpet while providing their own brands of sonic and rhythmic electricity. Foster listens intently and at times seems to have a particular ESP with Tyner. In paying tribute to John Coltrane, Tyner's two-handed virtousity literally welds musical ideas into the listener's consciousness and thus inspires and rewards.

Good, just shy of great.......2003-12-30

I spontaneously bought this cd yesterday after seeing it in a local cd store. I only have one Tyner solo disc, and a bunch of other discs with him (such as old Coltrane albums).

McCoy Tyner does a great job of adapting Coltrane's sometimes off-the-wall playing into his own style of "controlled agression" piano playing (term not copywrited yet by yours truly). While Tyner has mellowed a bit in the past couple of decades, his playing is still as potent as ever. And what better way to showcase his talent then by adapting Coltrane sax classics into his own style?

I think this disc falls just a shade short of being brilliant. It's good for what it is. Coltrane covers, but just a little bit away from being truly inspired and jaw dropping.

If you are a Coltrane fan, or a Tyner fan, or both, you will enjoy this release.

McCoy Tyner's Best?!.......2002-07-04

I have two McCoy Tyner recordings: "Live at the Village" and "Trident", and, although both seem exceptional, "Live at the Village" just amazes me! Tyner and Co. have captured the essence of Coltrane's music in such a fresh and imaginative way. Moreover, Al Foster (one of my favorite drummers after hearing him here and on Bobby Hutcherson's "Skyline") and George Mraz offer support and empathy in what McCoy is trying to achieve in terms of mood and capturing the essence of Coltrane (which to me represents a spiritul quest through music). I bought this together with Pat Metheny Group's "Quartet" and Nicolas Payton's "Finger Painting: A Tribute to Herbie Hancock", and truely struck a mother lode of outstanding music. For me it doesn't get much better than this.

Average customer rating:

Smokin' Live 1967 Big Band
Big Band Greatness

Live at the Village Vanguard
Thad Jones & Mel Lewis
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009IW9SE
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Tracks:

The Little Pixie
A-That's Freedom
Bachafillen
Don't Git Sassy
Willow Tree
Samba Con Getchu
Quietude
The Second Race
Lover Man

Album Description

The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra was little more than a year old when this album was recorded live at the Village Vanguard, which was the band's Monday night home for every week of its existence. Jones almost single-handedly brought the big band into the modern age with this origanization. Swung hard by Mel Lewis's drums, the band sailed through the complex charges of Jones and Bob Brookmeyer with panache. Soloists include Brookmeyer, Jones, Richard Williams, Jerome Richardson and Joe Farrell. Three bonus tracks have added to the original LP, which has been remixed and mastered in 24-bit.

Customer Reviews:

Smokin' Live 1967 Big Band .......2006-01-01

A great Jazz Orchestra with spirit and class laying down some exciting performance.
We have here the presence of Thad Jones on coronet and his co-leader Mel Lewis on drums with a band of about 20 including trombones,sax,flute,clarinet,piano,bass and guitar playing some extraordinary music in total elegance.
The songs performed here are fast in tempo,medium in tempo,total swing,stomp,even a Fats Waller song and a Latin Jazz Romp..there are also 3 bonus tracks adding another 20 minutes of playing time, a nice cover of Lover Man and 2 Thad Jones originals which were not part of the original LP all here in 24 bit remastered glory.

Big Band Greatness.......2005-07-03

This is a landmark jazz album, presenting one of the great big bands of all-time. Composed of the cream of New York jazz musicians, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band featured the inspired writing of Jones and the driving, swinging-like-hell drums of Lewis. The repetoire was limited--most of these selections can be found elsewhere, notably the Village Vanguard Live Sessions #3 and the album Potpourri. But if you lack these, you'll want this. First class in every way.

I saw the band several times at the Village Vanguard, where it played on Monday nights. It was simply thrilling.

Average customer rating:

Awesome CD from a non-jazz fan.....
Upbeat and exciting
A Latin Jazz Giant
Chucho at his best ...
Chucho at his best ...

Live at the Village Vanguard
Chucho Valdes
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004S9P0
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

Anabis
Son XXI (Para Pia)
Punto Cubano
My Funny Valentine
To Bud Powell
Drume Negrita
Como Traigo La Yuca
Ponle La Clave
Encore - Lorraine's Habanera

Amazon.com

Put the force of McCoy Tyner, the superhuman keyboard agility of Art Tatum, and the delicacy of Erroll Garner into a 6-foot-4 Cuban-born frame, and you'll get Jesus "Chucho" Valdes, one of the greatest piano players on the planet. For three decades, Valdes led the Cuban superband Irakere, with Paquito D'Rivera and Arturo Sandoval. But in the last few years, Valdes has been spotlighting his pianistic prowess in small combos such as the quartet he led during a spirited stint at the legendary Village Vanguard in 1999. Backed by a young group of Cuban musicians--drummer Raul Pineda Roque, percussionist Roberto Vizcaino Guillot, and bassist Franciso Rubio Pampin--Valdes turns the piano into a hurricane of melody, harmony, and rhythm. Valdes's masterful manipulations of African American jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms ring through on the supersonic tempo of "Anabis," the frenetic bebop licks on the tribute "To Bud Powell," and the Thelonious Monk-like block chords on the midtempo "Son XXI (Para Pia)." As an arranger, Valdes ingeniously reworks old Cuban standards such as "The Peanut Vendor" and "Que Bueno Baila Usted" into his own Caribbean-charged compositions, "Punto Cubano" and "Como Traigo La Yuca." Another island gem, "Drume Negrita," is redone with a funky swing capped by the vibrant vocals of the leader's sister, Mayra Caridad Valdes. The climax of this stirring set is "Ponle La Clave," Valdes's atmospheric African drum celebration that percussively points to the motherland that birthed Cuba's folkloric fusions. Valdes's tender "Encore-- Lorraine's Habanera," named for the Village Vanguard's owner--gently brings the eager and amazed audience back to Earth. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome CD from a non-jazz fan............2005-11-12

I'm not a huge jazz fan. I own almost none and don't go out of my way to listen. So when my brother gave me this CD I was surprised at how quickly I came to love it.

I know absolutely nothing about Chucho but apparently he is one of the "heavy hitters" of jazz. Most of songs are piano driven and there is a great mix of slow smooth songs and frantic piano playing. Some of the songs sound like salsa and none are ever boring which is usually the problem for me with jazz. There is some singing but it's mostly instrumental.

I would recommend this CD to the non-jazz fan looking for something different. This CD is great anywhere and also makes good background music. It's the type of thing you might hear and enjoy (but not recognize) in a coffee house or bookstore.

Bottom Line: A good intro and some serious genre transcending jazz.

Upbeat and exciting.......2001-11-06

Firstly, I can't understand why some reviewers are complaining about the sound quality. I think the sound is amazing, on both my little portable cd player as well as my big surround sound system. This is my first introduction to Chucho, and I simply love it. The wonderful latin percussion and rythmn, as well as the fire and energy emanating from Chucho's brilliant piano playing. Track 6 "Drume Negrita", Chucho's sister, Mayra Caridad Valdes, joins in with a stunning vocal. I really cannot say enough good things about this album. Highly recommended!

A Latin Jazz Giant.......2001-07-01

I bought this cd just last week and loved it. At this moment I just saw Chucho Valdez live in Maracaibo, Venezuela and felt the same as when I heard the cd the first time. Pure latin energy and a beatiful sense of rithm and latin flavor. If anybody wants to get in to the latin jazz, this is the cd to buy.

Chucho at his best ..........2000-09-05

Chucho Valdes, the critically hailed Cuban pianist and leader of the noted big band Irakere, leads a quartet of skillful musicians in this nine song set, Live at the Village Vanguard.

Traditional Cuban music formats are the basis for Valdes' inventive compositions, arrangements and selections, but straying from them, as the group often does here, does not distract. Conversely, they take the listener to uncharted Cuban musical waters.

The disc, chock-full of incredible musicianship, plays over an hour and three minutes. "Punto Cubano" is grandly nostalgic and Valdes' piano playing stands out on this track. "Ponle La Clave" is probably the most aggressive piece in the set - very driving, uptempo and percussion-heavy. Drummer Raúl Pineda Roque and Roberto Vizcaino Guillot (congas and batá drums) are featured soloists on "Ponle". "Son XXI" and "Como Traigo La Yuca" are fine compositions (by Enrique Ubieta and Arsenio Rodriguez, respectively) and their interpretations are set apart by Chucho's impressive chops - the kind that demonstrates Valdes' virtuosity.

"Drume Negrita" features the piano master's sister, Mayra Caridad Valdes, on vocals; the swinging tune livens the set. The song contains a colorful break down where Mayra scats and improvises some quick one-liners:

"Ese Negro no me va a cojer, Ahi viene mi Congo tomando café ..."

Released to the public on April 11th, 2000, Live at the Village Vanguard is Valdes' fourth release for Blue Note. The quartet also includes Francisco Rubio Pampin on acoustic bass.

Chucho at his best ..........2000-09-05

Chucho Valdes, the critically hailed Cuban pianist and leader of the noted big band Irakere, leads a quartet of skillful musicians in this nine song set, Live at the Village Vanguard.

"Drume Negrita" features the piano master's sister, Mayra Caridad Valdes, on vocals; the swinging son livens the set. The song contains a colorful break down where Mayra scats and improvises some quick one-liners:

"Ese Negro no me va a cojer, Ahi viene mi Congo tomando café ..."

Tracks:

Jig-a-jug
My One and Only Love
Count Me Out
Second Snow
Remember
Dialogue
St. Thomas

Tracks:

Herbs & Roots
Wait No Longer
Neverend
Just In Time
Mt. Zion
Slapstick
Lyric

Customer Reviews:

Energy, I Say!.......2004-07-02

Wow, what a gig!

I actually heard about this CD from a friend of mine, who mentioned Joshua's take on Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas". After the stunning 4 minute introduction to the head of the tune, the band takes off.

The drummer, Brian Blade, several months ago held a clinic at a local jazz festival that my high school friends (who happen to be rhythm section players) and I played at. I was at a saxophone clinic at the time, but they said Brian was an amazing player, and this CD really shows his talent on the drums.

The uptempo C-minor blues, "Herbs $ Roots" is probably the most energetic recorded tune I have herd Joshua record to date (though I haven't heard ALL of his recordings yet). I did my best to read the solo transcription to it while it was playing.

In general, what a great, energetic CD with tons of amazing solos and transitions.

P.S. If you haven't been to the VV, I suggest you do so!

fun set.......2004-05-07

two minutes into this double cd, and you will remember why you love jazz in the first place--it's flat out fun! occasionally, jazz artists, critics, fans, et al, get lost in their own rhetoric defending the art of jazz and forget that jazz, like all music, is supposed to be fun. jazz is a wonderful art form, giving voice to the purely improvisational, the free spirit within us that compels us to create, to respond to our environment, and reveal the depth and breadth of feeling carried within us. mr. redman is more than proficient. he is an artist and an improviser of high order. but he also remembers to swing, to dance, and play. right from the get-go this album captures your heart and soul and for the next couple of hours holds you there. when you're done, you don't feel exhausted, but refreshed, like you would have been had you been in the vanguard the night this went down. this is a great live set by an artist who keeps right on enjoying what he's doing. enjoy!

Mr. Redman at his best!!!!!!!1.......2004-01-06

If I had to sum this album up in one word, I wouldn't be able to. This album is by far the best of Joshua Redman's work ( next to the album Elastic) Mr. Redmans albums are always superb, but they're nothing compared to the power he displays in live performances. The first time I saw or heard him play was at the Jacksonville jazz festival in the Spring of 2003 and I was floored! I was so completely mesmerized by his playing that I ran up next to the stage to get closer look and then found myself dancing to his solos. I soon stopped, when Joshua noticed me and began staring at me while he was playing and after taking a solo. He stared at me for quite some time too. The next day I went out and hunted down every Joshua Redman album I could find. This album brings back memories of that night. The energy from him comes thrugh this album so clearly. Every note he plays, packs a punch. A very powerful album indeed. A must buy for any fan of music!!!!

A clash of Musical Revisions and Musical Genius..............2002-04-03

I've had this CD for quite sometime and out of all the CD's I have in my possesion, I believe Joshua is ranked in the Top 5, if not the 1st, of the most influentical Contemporary artists for me and a personal rolemodel for me as a musician myself. This CD also highlights his ascending position in the Jazz World today. Some of my favorite tracks on the First of the two CD's are My One and Only Love. Even though it may seem just as a standard recreation of a valued classic, Joshua's use of glissandos (a techincal term, I know, but listen to the preview and u'll be able to recognize it when u hear it) and lip slides add a whole new level to the piece, one where self-expression is give the song a whole new value to the listener. Also his layed back style of soloing almost in a way, messes with the speed of the song for the better.

One more song I'd like to highlight is Second Snow. A very waltzy type of performance which adds gracefullness that can be like snow. It's soft & relaxed mood adds an atmospheric setting for me. His progression in the improvisation section also moves relaxed and layed back and as he gets further to the end of his solo, it becomes more complicated but not without a purpose, it follows through with a climatic end.

Bottom line, this is a valued CD to have in my collection and I'm sure for most people, you would value it too.

Grooves!!.......2001-10-26

This is a truly brilliant live 2cd set. And live is the way to hear jazz, and this album gives you the feeling that you are there in person. You can feel the excitement of the crowd. Redman and his quartet are excellent, and this set also shows off Joshua's songwriting skills, as all but 5 are written by him. I wasn't familiar with Redman until I purchased this album, and I was not at all disappointed. I mustn't forget the other musicians though, who also deserve to be mentioned. Peter Martin on piano, Christopher Thomas on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. Together, they make for a wonderful album which should belong in all jazz fans' collections.

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