Metal Reviews

A highly capable and astute jazz recording that is never out of focus and never out of tune.

My annual hearing of this most excellent rendition of Glazunov is due, so I will be spending the remainder of the evening, mostly, with this interpretation of this Russian composer.

Late night musings.

The musicians which are grouped together, on this recording, and elsewhere, alongside, with bandleader Hank Mobley, produced some of the most memorable Be-Bop jazz which came to be known, later, as a standard form of the established aforementioned subgenre, many years later, now truly in much and almost in the oblivious history of modern jazz, whatever that may mean nowadays, and to whom, these works may carry any air of urgency or to be nameable as canonical, if any at all. No matter the currency of the social condition, this work remains an essential of the genre itself.

A 1960 release in be-bop idiom.

Mr. Blakey and Co. dazzle and put to rest any hindrance of doubt about the prowess and the strict adherence to the rigors of sharp cymbal work, brazen and violent melodies and an abiding bass-work that never leaves the ground of structures to fend for itself.

A 20th century (1977) jazz album that is so rich and abundant with ideas that it manages to surprise even the listener who is well-versed and accustomed to the high road of jazz extraordinaires.

When I had first heard this release, I was utterly confused about the brilliance of the recording and now that almost two and half years passes by and I have been able to absorb its complexities and the myriad of original ideas in which it was conveying to the listener, it does not confuses anymore, but yet still amazes with its crystalized clarity, and likewise, with its wonderful tonal subtleties. Without taking this releases out of its real proportion, it can easily be said that, it is a modern classic, and it belongs as such to the masters of the modern society, as few as they are, itself belonging to canons which came before it, and rightfully so. Released in 1998.

It cannot be stressed well-enough that contemporary jazz, that is, the offspring of Hard Bop, and its renaissance, that is to say, Neo-Bop, and also its second offspring, Jazz-Fusion, is directly heard, on this release. My listening pleasures, and the frequency with which I have listened to this release have not been much, in respect to Like Minds, with Gary Burton, at the helm, but this particular release, is indeed, a modern recording, released in 2011, from some 14 odd years ago, yet, entirely from the 21st century. Although, it is a modern offering, it retains, its canonical touches, even though, no real traces of the hard boiled melodies, are truly heard, whereas, the listener hears gentle, sweeping melodicism, noticeable, and well planned-out, vivid coherencies, concordance, rather than, opaque erosive melodies, and explosive violence, discordance, from the early to the mid-1960's of the Hard Bop era.

A live release of some magnitude with blazing, and earth-shattering performance, by Mr. Jones and his most loyal Co., performed in 1967, to a small but devoted audience. Two-disc.

Once there was all other jazz originators and then there was the dark majesty of Mister Wayne Shorter who would defuse even the greater lit jazz halls and deelectrify them out of light.

A wholly uncompromising, and an entirely unreachable brilliance from every single musician involved on this recording, with Mr. Shorter weaving esoteric Jazz Noir.

A landmark release and one that to the present day, remains so.

Never played as frequently as the rest of Shorter's discography but since I have played quite a few of his albums this album was next. The recording here offers often repetitious rhythms and simple melodies accompanied by hypnotic piano undertones and subliminal bass-lines.

Delightful and engaging.

Extensive spans of time in which I have not returned to this release.

Sweet and lovely.

Top-notch in all ways conceivable.

Moving into the evening's cloudy skies and this album seemed most apt.