Undercurrent

1. Undercurrent

2. Funk-Cosity

3. Lion's Den

4. Pot's On

5. Groovin' the Blues

6. Ballade

Undercurrent,Kenny Drew,Classics Records Fr,Hard Bop,Jazz,Pop

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: Not as compelling as I hoped, still ok Magic Inventing (and perfecting) a Jazz Format If all the encounters were like this one .. Undercurrent

Undercurrent Bill Evans , and Jim Hall Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Intermodulation Alone Together Concierto Moon Beams Live (Dig) ASIN: B0000691U0 Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

1. My Funny Valentine
2. I Hear A Rhapsody
3. Dream Gypsy
4. Romain
5. Skating In Central Park
6. Darn That Dream
7. Stairway To The Stars
8. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
9. My Funny Valentine (alternate take)
10. Romain (alternate take)

Album Description

Duet albums were rare in 1962 and encounters of this quality are still rare. Bill Evans and Jim Hall, two modern jazz giants, were in peak creative form at the time, Evans leading his own trio and Hall working with Sonny Rollins's quartet at the time.

These two masters challenge and complement each other brilliantly on a series of standards and jazz originals. Newly remixed and remastered in 24 bit, this new edition of Undercurrent, which contains two more tunes (tracks 7 & 8) and two alternate takes (tracks 9 & 10) added to the original United Artists album, sound exceptional.

Customer Reviews:

Not as compelling as I hoped, still ok.......2007-02-03

This CD has gotten a certain amount of attention due to its similarities with "Metheny Mehldau" (or vice versa). There seem to be a lot of people who love "Undercurrent", including the people who write the Penguin book on jazz reviews, so the fact that I just like it may not be popular with some people. The first thing is that the sound on the "Undercurrent" CD is muddy. My other complaint is that rhythm doesn't gell for me on most of the songs, some of the playing comes off as tentative. As a result, some of the songs float by without making much of an impression. The CD opens with "My Funny Valentine", and includes an alternate version. Atypically, I think the alternate version is better than the original CD version, I believe it swings better. The program consists of mainly standards, with "Romain" by Jim Hall being an exception. "Romain" is one of the better songs, Jim Hall sounds more inspired and takes a more prominent role than in the other songs. In closing, listen to the samples, and figure out if you'll like it.

Magic.......2007-01-03

Every time I hear this, it's new. The inventiveness of these two as individuals is amazing; but together - unbelievable.

Inventing (and perfecting) a Jazz Format.......2006-11-17

While there is some precedent in early blues records for the piano/guitar format(Scrapper Blackwell and Leroy Carr come to mind), Bill Evans and Jim Hall are THE innovators for this instrumentation in jazz - their achievements on "Undercurrent" and "Intermodulation" established the standard by which subsequent piano/guitar sessions, including those of Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson ("a Salle Pleyel"); Joe Pass and Jimmy Rowles ("Checkmate"); Bill Frisell and Fred Hersch ("Songs We Know"); John Abercrombie and Andy LaVerne ("Timeless", "A Nice Idea", "Nosmo King"); and, in some tangential way, Cecil Taylor and Derek Bailey (On FMP's 1988 11 CD Cecil Taylor in Berlin release), are judged.

In their duet recordings, Evans and Hall first grappled successfully with some very tough issues that arise in piano/guitar duets - in this context, it can be very difficult to keep the instruments from stepping on each other's lines, but Evans and Hall each manage to carve out independent roles for themselves that each contribute to a very cohesive whole. To my ear, Evans is at the top of his game during these sessions, while Hall was only beginning to develop into the master that he is today (This is not to denigrate Hall's acheivement, but to point out that a great player then became substantially more accomplished over the next 40 years). From that perspective, these are Evans' sessions - his voicings, solos and accompaniments in these sessions outshine Hall's, and I can almost feel Evans accommodating some of Hall's less successful strategies. Still, the sum of their contributions is a beautiful, subtle mosaic of wonderful, meditative versions of standards.

It is instructive to compare the Evans/Hall sessions to some of the others mentioned above. Joe Pass and Jimmy Rowles come closest to duplicating the chemistry of the Evans/Hall sessions, except that Pass dominates "Checkmate" in the way that Evans dominates "Undercurrent". Pass and Peterson are almost too accomplished as soloists to cooperate on duets - their duets, which come after each plays a number of solo pieces, sound more like simultaneous solos that cooperative undertakings (although I can hear them smiling while they're playing). Frisell and Hersch create - what? sound tapestries? - that are not quite as experimental as the songs that Frisell was making with other bands at the time, but not quite as interesting, either - almost as if they were hampered by sticking to standards rather than playing in the genres they are most familiar with.

The most interesting comparison is to the Abercrombie/LaVerne recordings "Timeless" and "A Nice Idea". These sessions include a substantial number of the tunes that Evans and Hall recorded, but they are executed by musicians who are much later in their careers than Evans and especially Hall were at the time of the "Undercurrent" and "Intermodulation" sessions. Abercrombie applies a very modern harmonic system to the tunes, using scales and substitutions that were simply not used in the early 60's. While Hall used a standard Gibson hollowbody guitar that produced at easily recognizable tone, Abercrombie uses custom built guitars and sophisticated electronics to create a very distinctive, although much more synthetic, tone. On many of the Evans/Hall songs, Hall uses full chord strumming to accompany Evans - Abercrombie walks bass lines while simultaneously playing fills and chords to create a more textured context for LaVerne's solos. LaVerne, on the other hand, plays in a style that is very reminiscent of Evans throughout these discs - that's hardly a criticism, except that where Evans, Hall and Abercrombie are reaching new heights in the form, LaVerne is maintaining a very high quality status quo.

How to rate these albums? "Undercurrent" and "Intermodulation" get five stars for getting there first and remaining beautiful after all these years. "Checkmate", "a Salle Pleyel" and "Songs We Know" are wonderful, but do not acheive the level of innovation of the Evans/Hall sessions. And Abercrombie and LaVerne have, to my ear, pushed the envelope of mainstream piano/guitar duets even further, and get five stars for doing so.

As to Cecil Taylor and Derek Bailey - well, that's not really a standards disc, is it?

If all the encounters were like this one .. .......2006-01-08

... my girl wouldn't left me and I wouldn't be alone now. Unfortunatly when two people meet, you don't know if the alchemy will start or will continue after the first magic moments, or if something will make all the things collapse dramatically after a while. My last relationship did collapse with my great disappointment (and I had a hard time understanding why believe me), this one instead after more than thirty years still lives on, its alchemy still shines. Maybe Zappa was right "love is not music ... music is the best". You know the statement from Frank ... anyway. The music here is a sort of symbiotic improvisation between two master jazz giants at the peak of their creative power and maturity. The album is splendid, magic and evocative. I mean, two of the best impressionist musicians I know about, Jim Hall and Bill Evans .. consider that making a piano and a guitar work together it is absolutly not easy at it seems.The two instruments are both armonical and melodical and they stand both in the medium register so ... it's not easy, but these masters could do anything they would of course. You have to own Undercurrent. But I agree with the reviewer from Chicago who wrote before me. The remastering it's not something to marvel on. It's flat, the piano is not well recorded at the origin in my opinion, the guitar better but the amount of distortion (unwanted distortion) is very high for both instruments, anyway. The music is so beautiful that owning this one is still a must no matter the audio quality. I had a copy of this one made by a friend but I had to own the original so I bought it. The cover is really one of the most stunning record cover in the Jazz field. It is really a work of art. Now, without the titles on it, it is even better. I love it ... to death.

Undercurrent.......2005-10-03

This is a truely great recording of jazz which has stood the test of time. Even though this was originally recorded in the 1970's it still has a freshness and appeal that will see it be a favourite for a long time to come. This is truely relaxing and inspirational in its interpretation of many tunes from another era. If you appreciate true art you'll love this.

Average customer rating: Another can't-miss session from a golden age. Swept Away Once Again By "Undercurrent"

Undercurrent Kenny Drew Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Right Touch Introducing Johnny Griffin The Cat Walk Lush Life Clubhouse ASIN: B000MG2LQS Release Date: 2007-02-06

Tracks:

1. Undercurrent
2. Funk-Cosity
3. Lion's Den
4. The Pot's On
5. Groovin' The Blues
6. Ballade

Album Description

A consummate pianist/composer, Kenny Drew made his first LP as a leader for Blue Note in 1953. In the ensuing years, he contributed to many great sessions including John Coltrane's Blue Train. This 1960 quintet date with the cream of Blue Note's stable at the time (Freddie Hubbard, Hank Mobley, Sam Jones, and Louis Hayes) represents some of his finest work as a pianist and as a writer.

Customer Reviews:

Another can't-miss session from a golden age........2007-05-26

The only Blue Note recording under Kenny Drew's leadership and the last to be released under his name for a thirteen-year period, during which time the pianist would relocate to Europe, "Undercurrent" is a strong outing by the gifted pianist, composer and session leader. In the latter capacity, his job is made especially easy by a frontline of Hank Mobley and Freddie Hubbard, whose instant compatibility had been established just weeks earlier on Mobley's sterling "Roll Call" (Blue Note, 1960). Moreover, the rhythm team of bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes had become one of the more efficient power plants in jazz as regular members of Cannonball Adderley's Quintet at the peak of its popularity.

"Undercurrent" has nothing as viscerally infectious as the Adderley's "Sack O' Woe" from the same year but is an admirable program of Drew originals, ranging from the modal, streaming title piece to the self-descriptive "Funk-Cosity" to "Lion's Den," a welcome change of mood and pace, to the beboppish "The Pot's On," an elliptical melody that yields to the reassuringly warm inventiveness at which Mobley has few if any peers.

If none of the tunes is strikingly original or memorable, the same might be said of Drew's otherwise superlative post-Powell piano work. Certainly among the highlights is the opening title tune. Drums and bass walk off eight bars at a flaming tempo, Drew adds a running baroque figure for the next eight, tenor and trumpet harmonize in thirds for the next sixteen then play in unison over a pedal tone for eight more, finally re- harmonizing in thirds for the last eight before Mobley's tenor is suddenly ejected into the jet stream for the first solo. The latter player is simply masterful on this and each of his solo turns, clearly at the very top of his game during the same year that produced his masterpiece, "Soul Station." Hubbard, the comparative newcomer, isn't as fluent as Mobley but complements his frontline companion with a more aggressive, even puckish, approach, alternating between repeated percussive motifs and a soaring, passionate lyricism.

Given the size of the ensemble, the quality of the musicians, and the blowing room for each of the soloists, it's perhaps small wonder that "Undercurrent" falls just short of a personal triumph for the leader (though arguably essential to any Mobley completist). But as a democratic and exemplary Blue Note session, with strong hands vigorously played by five proven winners, this latest RVG remaster deserves a place alongside more heralded recordings during a truly golden age in the music. (Fortunately, Blue Note or Amazon appears to be doing their part where the price is concerned.)

Swept Away Once Again By "Undercurrent".......2007-02-06

Kenny Drew's "Undercurrent" is one of those classic Blue Note albums that most people have never heard of. Originally released on CD domestically in 1987, it was deleted in the early 90s and has only been seen since briefly in a limited edition reprint program or as an expensive import. Thankfully with this RVG Series reissue an almost forgotten classic has returned. Pianist Kenny Drew made invaluable contributions to many Blue Note classics -- "Blue Train" and "Dexter Calling" to name two -- in addition to this fine album as a leader. "Undercurrent" is a magnificent hard bop session from December 11, 1960 featuring the talents of Freddie Hubbard, Hank Mobley, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes. The six compositions, all by Drew, are terrific medium and up-tempo swingers, with the exception of the lovely concluding piece, "Ballade." "Undercurrent" is as good as anything Blue Note recorded in 1960, and should really be picked up now that it is available at a reasonable price.

Average customer rating: Become wrapped up in the music of this amazing talent! Incredibly Soothing... Heaven and Earth Appropriate Title Epiphany!!

Heaven and Earth Perla Batalla Manufacturer: Mechuda Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Mestiza Bird on the Wire/the Songs of Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man Discoteca Batalla Separate Ways ASIN: B00004Z0ME Release Date: 2000-10-01

Tracks:

1. Teotihuacan
2. Heaven and Earth
3. Tears of the Sun
4. The First Time I Felt Rain
5. Burning
6. Turtle Island
7. Starbound
8. Eternity
9. Out of the Labyrinth
10. Salvation
11. Making Up For Lost Time

Amazon.com

Like the wind that sweeps away the singer in "Teotihuacan," the first song on Perla Batalla's Heaven and Earth, the Los Angelina world-folk singer's deeply soulful voice lifts and carries us through her Mestiza song-cycle. Batalla's Latin ancestry is at the center of Heaven and is an ongoing theme in a superb body of work that includes her critically lauded Mestiza (1999). From the gospel-flavored vocals of the title track to the redemptive, sweeping "Salvation" to her mesmerizing meditation on racism, "Making Up for Lost Time," Heaven is a sublime statement from an artist whose voice and poetry are in union with her rich cultural roots. As well as being Batalla's songwriting and producing partner, guitarist David Batteau's notes shimmer and glide in poetic response to every emotional nuance of the singer's voice--one moment picking out razor-sharp melodic lines and the next moment strumming with passionate abandon. With a generous and wide-open heart, Perla Batalla and her musical caravan--which includes percussionist Claud Mann and the extraordinarily versatile drummer-percussionist Debra Dobkin--invite us to join them on their Mestiza voyage. --Michael Wells

Album Description

Perla Batalla's "Mestiza" voyage continues. Co-written with David Batteau, Heaven and Earth is a compelling celebration of the emotion and depth of living in two worlds. Perla's songs describe a rich and complex blending of history, blood and culture.

Customer Reviews:

Become wrapped up in the music of this amazing talent!.......2004-01-13

Hypnotic, entrancing and completely original, this artist's music will pleasantly haunt you and merit repeated play on your stereo! Look for more titles by this gifted musician!

Incredibly Soothing..........2001-11-07

I cannot count the times I have played this CD while commuting on the Los Angeles-area freeways since the September 11 atrocities...incredibly soothing vocals, clean arrangements. An incredible talent.

Heaven and Earth.......2001-05-15

Perla Batalla's rich voice and soulful delivery astound me every time I hear her. She constantly amazes me with her mastery and personal honesty. When Perla sings, her soul flies and takes you to new realms. If you ever have the opportunity to see Perla in person, she is the most astounding performer you will ever be blessed to witness. She takes you on a journey that will change you forever. She is all voice and heart. If you are looking for pure soul, Perla has it. Buy two CD's, because you will want to share this with a friend.

Appropriate Title.......2000-11-15

This is an appropriate title for a work of great sophistication, polish and depth. Then again it has a beat you can dance to. Material like this should be a template for serious artists who won't give in to the flesh peddlars in the record industry who make music for 14 year olds. I have been a fan of Perla's singing since the early days and the voice just gets better and better. She is without any doubt one of the greatest singers on the planet. What makes this work so elegant and impressive is the quality of the song writing and experienced treatment of the material by seasoned pros who never sold out to make a buck. I believe the lady produced the disc herself and put s everything she has into the songs, literally and figuratively. The addition of Debra Dobkin as a percussionist, plus pristine production really makes this a treat for the ears beyond the magnificent Batalla voice. "Heaven and Earth," "The First Time I Felt Rain," and "Starbound" are utterly astounding in the literate quality of David Batteau's lyrics alongside melodies that have downright pop hooks (I mean that in a complimentary way). Calling this popular music doesn't really do it justice but it is beyond labelling. This album is uplifting, intriguing and then there is the bonus of that gorgeous voice that has only a few rivals today or in the past. Songs like these have a way of lifting you up and allowing you to see the other side of life, the side of joy and celebration of the human spirit. "Heaven and Earth" is a CD you would want to include in that desert island stash and nobody would vote you off the island for your impeccable taste in music. Bless you Perla!

Epiphany!!.......2000-11-04

Perla Batalla has the voice of an angel, the looks of a goddess and the songwriting ability of a poet. I bought Heaven and Earth because I loved Mestiza so much and my favorite songs on the new cd are Out of the Labyrinth and The First Time I Felt Rain, but each and every song is as delightful as the next and I can't seem to get enough of this cd. I'm buying extra copies as gifts for my favorite friends who appreciate great music. I highly recommend this cd.

Average customer rating:

The Undercurrent Scarve Manufacturer: Listenable Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Amoeba Passenger United Abominations The Apostasy Last Kind Words ASIN: B000OCZBVM Release Date: 2007-07-31

Average customer rating:

Undercurrent Kenny Drew Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music ASIN: B000008ASN Release Date: 1995-08-15

Tracks:

1. Undercurrent
2. Funk-Cosity
3. Lion's Den
4. Pot's On
5. Groovin' the Blues
6. Ballade

Average customer rating: Diamond Disc Fantastic!

Diamond & Glass Dulcie Taylor Manufacturer: Paras Recording ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000068797 Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

1. Diamond & Glass
2. Easy For You
3. I Have A Ring
4. It Ain't Love
5. Corazon Frio
6. Spirit Of Love
7. You And Me
8. Sometimes Love Ain't Enough
9. Goodnight 'Til Then
10. Cherokee
11. I Don't Know Anymore
12. Never Enough

Customer Reviews:

Diamond Disc.......2004-10-30

Dulcie Taylor's freshman set is an exquisite recording of folk/pop tunes with a touch of country. She has an expressive, lovely voice that quivers with emotion and rides lightly on the melodies. As a songwriter, she wrote all but the title track and gives consistently strong performance throughout. The set does have a couple softer slower tunes, but sparkles with energy on numerous tracks that set your toe tapping and put a smile on your face. My favorite track is the stunning melody of "Easy for You," "I don't blame you Baby for saying goodbye, If your heart isn't in it, you've surely got that right; I don't blame you Baby, do what you have to do, but why is it so easy for you?" "It Ain't Love" is the other stun gun with Dulcie playing dulcimer like a sprite on this midtempo gem, "Love doesn't mean you keep swallowing his lies, turning your head and closing your eyes." "Spirit of Love" pumps with George Nauful's great electric lead guitar & Dulcie vocally sounding a bit like an updated Jackie DeShannon, "Two long years of a hit & miss romance." "Goodnight 'Til Then" is an incredibly powerful song about saying goodbye to your mother as she leaves on her final journey. Dulcie's simple economic images powerfully communicate the conflicting emotions of one called home on such a sad errand. Scott Breadman injects some bouncy percussion on "I Don't Know Anymore" with some distinctive lead acoustic guitar making the track seem incredibly fresh. "Diamond & Glass" is a diamond in the rough, one flying under the radar screen. Bravo!

Fantastic!.......2002-07-09

Every song has some personal and poignant message for nearly all types of life choices and experiences. The song "Cherokee" especially moved me. I enjoy her music more each time I hear it.

Average customer rating:

Undercurrent ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000FDF2ZA Release Date: 2006-06-20

Average customer rating:

Undercurrent Scarve Manufacturer: Listenable ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000MV9NKU Release Date: 2007-05-21

Tracks:

1. Endangered
2. Imperceptible Armageddon
3. Senseless
4. Plundered
5. Assuming Self
6. Fathomless Descent
7. Few Scraps of Memories
8. Rebirth
9. Alteration [*]

Album Details

Erupting Track after Unique Track of Ferocious, Weaving, Blastbeat-fueled Madness, this Mind-blowing Slab of Modern Death Metal Sees Scarve Explore their Art to the Max. Armed with an Explosive Sound Courtesy of Longtime Producer Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, Soilwork) and Stunning Vocals by Lawrence Mackrory (Remember Darkane's "Rusted Angel"), There is Simply No Way of Avoiding the Technical Whirlwind that is "The Undercurrent".

Average customer rating: The Current Has Pulled Me Under! Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars An Inspired Duo One of the best jazz albums ever! Luminous

Undercurrent Bill Evans and Jim Hall Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Cool Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Modern Post Bop | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Adult Contemporary | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Intermodulation Moon Beams You Must Believe in Spring Midnight Blue Metheny Mehldau Quartet ASIN: B000005HER Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. My Funny Valentine (Alt. Take)
2. My Funny Valentine
3. I Hear A Rhapsody
4. Dream Gypsy
5. Stairway To The Stars
6. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
7. Romain
8. Romain (Alt. Take)
9. Skating In Central Park
10. Darn That Dream

Amazon.com essential recording

If Bill Evans brought a kind of muted, ingeniously subtle body of innovations to jazz piano, then perhaps his only parallel in the realm of jazz guitar is Jim Hall. But for all their advances on their instruments, neither Evans nor Hall ever made themselves sound forbidding. And when they joined forces for this session, they sounded fantastically in-step and interwoven, with piano and jazz falling together into a pool of streaming improvisation on mostly slow-tempo pieces. Evans's sense of time and chord placement gets continual book-ends from Hall, who places his diaphanous strums in just the right places to not brook Evans's creative flow but rather to join in it and play almost alchemically. These are calm pieces, maybe too calm considering the constant turbulence in Evans's life. But the pair hit such a high mark with this recording that it reaches the intellect and the emotions at precisely the same instant. Quite a feat. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

The Current Has Pulled Me Under!.......2007-03-07

This record is, in my humble opinion, one of the most intriguing but overlooked albums in jazz history. The cd begins with a never-before released version of My Funny Valentine, which is a real gem, and makes me wonder why it was not favored over the version included on the original album. Evans and Hall shared a marvelous sense of throughfulness and lyricism in their playing which is captured on every track. This cd will bring you countless hours of relaxation, enjoyment, and reflection after a long stressful day at work, or on a cold winter's eve. If you are looking to add to your jazz collection or just looking for some beautiful and introspective music, do not pass over this cd!

Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars.......2005-07-11

Indeed the title applies here; this record should be heard with low lighting, good company, and drink in hand...One of the most inspired pairing in jazz are preserved in this jewel of a recording that sounds as if it was recorded yesterday, A must for jazz lovers, but it can attract music lovers of any genre and age. My particular favorite is a John Lewis (of M.J.Q. fame) composition, included in the soundtrack of a movie - Odds Against Tomorrow - which happens to be a waltz! "Skating in Central Park". A gem!

An Inspired Duo.......2004-06-10

The partnership of Evans and Hall as an unaccompanied duo was an inspired one which produced two albums - this first one and the follow-up, Intermodulation. The two artists had much in common. For example, both were concerned to produce music that had beauty, and even refinement, of sound with no lack of musical substance. Both liked to play quietly, with an emphasis on subtlety and understatement, although they could also 'swing' infectiously at almost any tempo. Both also had years of experience as sidemen or accompanists in other people's groups and this made them particularly sensitive listeners, able to respond to and interact creatively with other soloists.

You can hear that kind of sensitivity and subtle interplay throughout this album, most obviously on the slower pieces but also on the fastest track, the original take of 'My Funny Valentine'. Listen especially to the way in which Hall's guitar fills in behind Evans's statement of the theme and then provides a driving rhythm under the pianist's improvisation. My favourite track is Hall's 'Romain', a moody, rather sombre theme which inspires the most intense and emotive playing on the album. It has some particularly haunting interplay between the players and displays the 'singing' qualities they could draw out of their instruments, especially at the magical point where Hall's solo leads into Evans's. It's good to have the bonus of an alternate take of this number on the CD edition, especially as it is slightly different: a bit slower, darker in mood and almost as good as the originally released version.

Undercurrent was always a rather special album; but in my opinion it is much superior on CD, first because of its enhanced sound quality and the quiet background which this intimate, concentrated music needs, secondly because the bonus tracks on the CD provide the 'added value' of quality as well as quantity. The programme originally consisted, rather oddly, of five slow tempo tracks with one fast one. The addition of the mid-tempo swinger, 'Getting Sentimental Over You' and an alternate take of 'My Funny Valentine' creates a better balanced album, although an extra slow ballad from the session, 'Stairway to the Stars', is well worth having too. It's an album which you can play, if you like, as a piece of chilled out background music which won't disturb the cat; but there's a lot going on under its polished surface to make it music which has to be listened to, and to be returned to again and again.

One of the best jazz albums ever!.......2003-12-29

There was pure magic at this session, the way Bill and Jim interact together on this CD is one of those special things that just happen. Besides these two being at the top of the class in jazz - and both having produced many, many fine recordings before and after "Undercurrant", this one is over the top. My favorite is "Skating in Central Park", but all the tunes are great, pure emotion flowing. The only possible negative thing that might be said is that most of the tunes are ballads, and the tempos don't vary that much. However, when somthing is working so well - why change it?

Luminous.......2002-07-02

This is jazz at its most incredibly beautiful--soft, slow, lyrical, haunting. Bill Evans' piano and Jim Hall's guitar blend together to create an unforgettable, simply gorgeous sound. All of the songs on this album are wonderful and romantic. It's truly a jazz masterpiece.

Average customer rating:

Undercurrent Shani Manufacturer: Solid Discs ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Call of the Wild ASIN: B00000IJB7 Release Date: 1999-04-20

Tracks:

1. Undercurrent
2. Seldom Sea
3. 99 Against 1
4. Middle Of The Night
5. Orbit
6. Who's The Fairest
7. Desert Flower
8. Discreetly Yours
9. Believe
10. Dancing In A Minefield
11. Foolish
12. Undercurrent (Stimulation Remix)
13. Orbit (Remix)

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4. Whipped Cream & Other Delights
5. A Day in the Life
6. A Swingin' Affair
7. A Tribute to James Taylor
8. Alone Together
9. Arthur Murray Dance Party
10. At Town Hall [Import] [Live]

Jazz Music

jazz music