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A Love Supreme
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Masterpiece
  • Coltrane does it again!
  • Rookie Coltrane Listener
  • Deeply moving...
  • Indispensable to all music listeners
 A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
Manufacturer: Impulse Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Kind of Blue
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  4. Time Out
  5. My Favorite Things

ASIN: B0000A118M
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Tracks:

  1. Acknowledgement
  2. Resolution
  3. Pursuance
  4. Psalm

Amazon.com

A Love Supreme is a suite about redemption, a work of pure spirit and song, that encapsulates all the struggles and aspirations of the 1960s. Following hard on the heels of the lyrical, swinging Crescent, A Love Supreme heralded Coltrane's search for spiritual and musical freedom, as expressed through polyrhythms, modalities, and purely vertical forms that seemed strange to some jazz purists, but which captivated more adventurous listeners (and rock fellow travelers such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, and the Byrds), while initiating a series of volatile, unruly prayer offerings, including Kulu Su Mama, Ascension, Om, Meditations, Expression, Interstellar Space. From the urgent speech-like timbre of his tenor, to the serpentine textures and earthy groove of Elvin Jones's drumming, Coltrane's suite proceeds with escalating intensity, conveying a hard-fought wisdom and a beckoning serenity in the prayer-like drones of "Psalm," where Jones rolls and rumbles like thunder as Garrison and Tyner toll away suggestively--all the while Coltrane searches for that one climactic note worthy of the love he wants to share. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Masterpiece.......2007-06-26

There is nothing I can add to what has already been said about this recording. Simply amazing and will always withstand the test of time.

5 out of 5 stars Coltrane does it again!.......2007-06-11

This is one of the top 5 albums of all time. Coltrane is on fire, McCoy is on fire, Jimmy Garrison is on fire, and Elvin is murderous. Out of all of tunes, my fav is Pursuance. It's passionate, has a hard bopish-avantgarde feel and yet it still swings. Out of the park!

4 out of 5 stars Rookie Coltrane Listener.......2007-05-26

For years my very good friend who prides himself on being a music aficionado and "snob", much like Jack Black's character in High Fidelity, has been raving about John Coltrane and a "Love Supreme". I however, have been firmly encamped in the classic rock, blues and pop of the 50's, 60's & 70's. I always felt the jazz style that Coltrane and others of that genre played, was way above my head. Though I appreciated the musicianship to the degree I could, I didn't particularly care for it. I didn't "get it".

But now as I reach the half-way point in my fifties, I wanted to force my self to listen and try to see just what it is about Coltrane that so many folks find extrodinary. So my friend recommended A Love Supreme. I listened and listened and virtually immersed my self in the recording until passages became familiar. Now I have a glimmer, an embryonic appreciation of the man's gift. I put it on for my 17 year old daughter and she loves it! It grows on you and I think maybe for the first time I'm experiencing what that type of jazz can do for you. Live & learn!

5 out of 5 stars Deeply moving..........2007-04-20

This is a deeply spiritual album. It never ceases to move me in some way everytime I hear it. It feels so real and authentic that if you're not careful, you may shed a tear of joy or two. It's just one long suite, made by Coltrane after he kicked his heroin habit and found his soul and God again. It's not often one describes a jazz album as moving (Miles's Sketches of Spain is the only one who comes to mind), but there's really no other way to describe this wonderful, transcendent, beguiling album.

5 out of 5 stars Indispensable to all music listeners.......2007-04-08

Like "Kind of Blue" this is a recording accessible to all listeners, resisting facile classifications (fusion, jazz, modal, musician's music, general public's music, etc.). Coltrane's Promethean questing sweeps up and includes the listener, taking him or her through the hero's journey, which concludes on an affirmative note of thanksgiving and peace. Moreover, the musical motifs are in themselves memorable, satisfying the listener's need for a musical stronghold in which to ground the spiritual thrust of the extra-musical religious-spiritual meanings.

Of the recordings after "A Love Supreme," "Transition" achieves a similar visionary ascent, though much of the recorded documentation of Coltrane's last two years is likely to prove inaccessible or at least less engaging to the average listener. It's music "in" but also "of" the moment, a record of pain and anger, protest and revolution, carrying an unmistakable political subtext that frequently overwhelms the main musical text.

Arguably the most influential instrumentalist of the past 50 years, Coltrane left the listener plenty of choices, should the recordings after "A Love Supreme" prove unsatisfying. "My Favorite Things" is the perfect antidote to the cloying soprano sax sound of Kenny G. (as is the soprano sax playing of the deeply expressive and moving traditionalist, Sidney Bechet). For every serious musician, however, perhaps the one recording by Coltrane that belongs at the top is "Giant Steps." Once a musician has mastered the dominant-tonic movement of popular harmonies, the next essential step is learning how to negotiate the "Giant Steps"/"Count Down" harmonic movement that Coltrane introduced. Before learning the theory, however, a listener needs to experience the stunning freshness that is its musical result. With the motivation, the theory is likely to be realized far more efficiently and effectively.
Mingus Ah Um
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • every once in awhile...
  • MINGUS' BEST
  • An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus
  • How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus
  • A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece
 Mingus Ah Um
Charles Mingus
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Time Out
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  5. Moanin'

ASIN: B00000I14Z
Release Date: 1999-02-16

Tracks:

  1. Better Git It In Your Soul
  2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
  3. Boogie Stop Shuffle
  4. Self-Portrait In Three Colors
  5. Open Letter To Duke
  6. Bird Calls
  7. Fables Of Faubus
  8. Pussy Cat Dues
  9. Jelly Roll
  10. Pedal Point Blues
  11. GG Train
  12. Girl Of My Dreams

Amazon.com

Mercurial bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus was signed to Columbia Records for the briefest of time during 1959. His Columbia recordings, however, remain some of the most inspired, mood-jumping jazz in history. The flowing sadness of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" (unedited here for the first time on CD!) rings like a funeral chorus that pitches headlong into a celebration of Lester Young's life and improvising flexibility, rather than his death. And there's the funky furnace blast of "Boogie Stop Shuffle" (also unedited!), which reaches its glory with Booker Ervin's Texas tenor sax, wrapped tight in bluesy tone. With the index of emotions captured, these songs nail why Mingus is possibly the most relevant jazzer for the '90s generation. He swings and shouts and hollers and somersaults. His tunes either induce foot-stomping with their intensity or reach for poignant yearning with their lyrical tapestry of orchestral colors. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Details

Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars every once in awhile..........2007-03-08

you get a breath of fresh air. its like opening the windows for the first time after a long winter. you've experienced the same thing maybe before but it just feels new.
thats what this disc is to me. i'm not gonna get into technical stuff because i cant. i'll say this tho. in my long ago past i was a horn player. this disc makes me remember exactly what that means. i hear things in here i long ago had forgotten existed in music theory. listening to this after thinking of modern day pop is like comparing picasso to a childs chalk drawing on the sidewalk.

5 out of 5 stars MINGUS' BEST.......2006-12-10

This is Charles Mingus' best and most musically accessible alsbum. Recorded in 1959, it is soul stirring, great hard bebop with some fantastic sax playing by the great Booker Ervin. If you are into jazz, then this is an essential addition to your collection. I can never get tired of hearing this CD.

5 out of 5 stars An excellent album from the multifaceted Charles Mingus.......2006-03-31

This is the CD you should buy if you're new to Mingus. It came out during a highly creative period in his life, and contains some of his most memorable compostions. Ah Um may not be his most ambitious album or his best, but it is one of his most well rounded and diverse, showing many of the styles, quirks and facets that make Charles Mingus one of the top jazz composers of all time. And it's all laid out in easily digestable morsels, ie some of the songs were edited to make them more concise and able to fit on vinyl. Don't worry, the edits are not noticable. Is it bop? Is it post bop? Is it swing? Well, yes and no. Mingus looks not only to big bands, bebop, and hard bop circa 1959, but also gospel, spirituals, pre-jazz and the blues for inspiration. Ah Um is as diverse and eclectic as it is enjoyable. It points the way to the many directions Mingus was exploring or would explore in his later career. Ah Um is a wonderful look into the music of a great mind and is by turns angry, sad, tender, sarcastic, joyful and damn good. You can feel the passion.

5 out of 5 stars How speak of jazz without regard for Mr. Mingus.......2006-03-17

1 of 3-5 star lps- (see "Blues and Roots" and "Dynasty") issued by Mingus in 50's. All his own compositions, the song flow is unparalleled. No song can be called better than another, but, of course, we all favor some. Listen to his eloquent 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat' Charlie's tribute to lester young. Check out 'Fables of Faubus; and think about.... CIVIL RIGHTS! Overwhelming opening funk/jazz piece "Better Git It In Your Soul" Mingus was certainly a master composer, creator, artist and a central link, between at most, 2 other great jazz composers. Buying this cd is a 'no brainer' for anyone of an age that knows what was, is and will be good for as long as we have ears. Companion cd is "Dynasty". The man who entitled his auto-biography "Beneath the Underdog" still gets way too little respect.

5 out of 5 stars A Fascinating and Revealing masterpiece.......2006-01-20

i always knew that Mingus was great...but it was not something that i could attest to through personal experience. i had seen the light that was Coltrane, Davis, Sun Ra, Dolphy...but Mingus' masterpieces somehow eluded me. probably due to the fact that i just simply did not take the time to check them out. well, i picked up Mingus Ah Um (finally)...and it all rang true. not only was this man an excellent bass player, but a true genius in composing. his music shines bright with a broad range of feeling and emotion. the righteous anger is present within the notes...anger that boiled hot over the shakey political/cultural climate of the times. but the music's fire is stoked by coals of passion and sincerity, jazz morphs into the blues and swings into melodies so alive and free that they can't be denied in their originality and greatness. i've been listening to this album only about 10 times and i'm still finding new things revealed to me with each spin. Mingus' vision grows deeper and more profound each time around. and there's so much more to explore and discover.
My Favorite Things
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • My Favorite Things..
  • This Is One Of My Favorite Things
  • John Coltrane: simply beautiful Sax
  • A Timeless Masterpiece!!!
  • His best lyrical work
 My Favorite Things
John Coltrane
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. A Love Supreme
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ASIN: B000002I53
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. My Favorite Things
  2. Everytime We Say Goodbye
  3. Summertime
  4. But Not For Me

Amazon.com essential recording

This 1960 recording was a landmark album in John Coltrane's career, the first to introduce his quartet with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones and the first release on which he played soprano saxophone. It also provided him with a signature hit, as his new group conception came together wonderfully on the title track. It's an extended modal reworking in 6/4 time that brought the hypnotic pulsating quality of Indian music into jazz for the first time, with Coltrane's soprano wailing over the oscillating piano chords and pulsing drums. The unusual up-tempo version of Gershwin's "Summertime" is a heated example of Coltrane's "sheets of sound" approach to conventional changes, while "But Not for Me" receives a radical harmonic makeover. This is an excellent introduction to Coltrane's work. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars My Favorite Things.........2007-06-02

It's John Coltrane - what more do I have to say? Five stars!

5 out of 5 stars This Is One Of My Favorite Things.......2007-03-22

The Liner Notes written by Bill Coss indicate that John Coltrane, one of the giants in the jazz scene, draw his inspiration from other jazz icons such as Lester Young, who was his first real influence and whom he learned "simplicity," John Hodges, who filled his musical experience and became his first main influence on alto, Thelonious Monk, who answered dozens of his musical questions and the first one to show him how to make two or three notes at one time on tenor, Earl Bostic, who showed him a lot of things on his horn, Jimmy Heath, who shared his musical appetite, their friendship and practice together added a great deal to his musical development. Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie were also his greatest influences.

John Coltrane is surrounded by a gifted crew that includes McCoy Tyner (piano), Steve Davis (bass), Elvin Jones (drums). Together they present four notable jazz tunes starting off with my favorite song from the "Sound of Music," Rodgers & Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things," Cole Porter's "Everytime We Say Goodbye," George & Ira Gershwin's "Summertime" and "But Not For Me."

Let your ears feast on the some of the most recognizable sounds of jazz music from one of the greatest jazz artists of all-time, John Coltrane. This is one of the best albums ever made and it's one of "My Favorite Things."

A classic of an album worthy to any jazz lover's collection.

5 out of 5 stars John Coltrane: simply beautiful Sax.......2007-03-11

This album has always been a favorite since I first heard it in 1966. I mourned the loss of the album, but was glad to finally find it here.

Imagine, a jazz great, with a band of stellar performers, playing Rogers & Hammerstiens music, that Julie Andrews sang in "The Sound of Music"!

I think it very simply shows that a great muscian can do justice to any form of music. [Another example is Taj Mahal and the many styles he has played.]
If you can still get it, "My Favorite Things" is worth owning.
Will

5 out of 5 stars A Timeless Masterpiece!!!.......2007-02-18

This is genuine music that soothes the soul. The album consists of 4 songs (all of which are beautiful). My favorite tracks are "Summertime" and "My Favorite Things," but the entire album sends a feeling of achieving a sort of soul- filled nirvana. Great album.

5 out of 5 stars His best lyrical work.......2007-01-05

Sometimes Coltraine can get too carried away with his virtuosity at the expense of asthetics, his notes muddling together into cacophany and chaos. "My Favorite Things" represents the best of Coltraine showcasing his innovation, his masterful control of tone, and a lyrical ear that transforms this Broadway song into a monument of jazz.
My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport
    John Coltrane
    Manufacturer: Impulse Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000QFAG2Q
    Release Date: 2007-07-03

    Tracks:

    1. I Want to Talk About You
    2. My Favorite Things
    3. Impressions [#]
    4. Introduction by Father Norman O'Connor
    5. One Down, One Up
    6. My Favorite Things
    Charles Mingus in Paris: The Complete America Recordings
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Fantasy released this in the 1970's
    		 Charles Mingus in Paris: The Complete America Recordings
    Charles Mingus
    Manufacturer: Sunny Side Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000P46QC2
    Release Date: 2007-05-22

    Tracks:

    1. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
    2. Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
    3. Peggy's Blue Skylight
    4. Love Is a Dangerous Necessity
    5. Blue Bird
    6. Pithecanthropus Erectus

    Tracks:

    1. Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
    2. Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
    3. Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
    4. Reincarnation Of a Lovebird
    5. Peggy's Blue Skylight
    6. Peggy's Blue Skylight
    7. Peggy's Blue Skylight
    8. Peggy's Blue Skylight
    9. Blue Bird
    10. Reprise
    11. Love Is a Dangerous Necessity
    12. Love Is a Dangerous Necessity
    13. Pithecanthropus Erectus
    14. Pithecanthropus Erectus
    15. Pithecanthropus Erectus
    16. Pithecanthropus Erectus
    17. Pithecanthropus Erectus
    18. Pithecanthropus Erectus

    Amazon.com

    Thankfully, the brains behind this double-disc reissue of two almost forgotten 1970 sessions determined that the first CD should be simply the six tracks originally released on the America label. The false starts and incomplete and alternate takes are left for the second disc. This way, the album closes properly -- in a fit of passion, with Mingus's sextet spinning intense yarns out of "Pithecanthropus Erectus," a tune un-recorded in the studio since 1956. Here, Jaki Byard gets a midnight solo, wobbling on the rails between his well-known clustering talent and his deeply lyrical bent. Bobby Jones on tenor, Charles McPherson on alto, and Eddie Preston on trumpet offer a variety of predispositions, mostly post-bop but certainly aware of the tonal advances Eric Dolphy made with Mingus. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" is lovely, slightly tense - which helps with the drama, and "Peggy's Blue Skylight" is dynamic and lazily vigorous. As for the second disc, it's instructional in how Mingus the bandleader thought and led: beyond that, it's for the initiates only. Keep in mind that these tunes comprise the first studio album Mingus made after Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus and show the bassist returning to the forge, readying himself for the great stuff yet to come with George Adams and Don Pullen. --Andrew Bartlett

    Product Description

    This was recorded on October 31st 1970 in a single, sleepless night, the fleeting space of a session that took place almost undetected, and in a sort of urgent calm. The scene was a deserted Decca studio on the rue Beaujon, a stone's throw from the Champs-Élysées. From both a historical and a musical standpoint, this unexpected session it was anything but premeditated undeniably stands apart in the bassist's work; originally released as two records (Pithycanthropus Erectus and Blue Bird), and here reissued for the first time in its entire, intimate dramaturgy, the recordings constitute precious and moving testimony to one of the least-documented periods of his exceptional career; with hindsight, it was a period that saw the decisive moment when, after years of doubt and silence, Mingus found a new confidence, and his faith in his music; it was the instant when he began his final, creative resurrection.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Fantasy released this in the 1970's.......2007-05-24

    While acting like this has never been heard before in America, Fantasy (or maybe it was Milestone) released this music on 2 double albums in the early 1970's. It is a great set of music. This is my favorite version of Pithyecanthropus Erectus. Part of this session was also released on the French label Accord in 1985 and the CD was titled Charlie Mingus Pithycanthropus Erectus. Once again, it is truly a great set of Mingus music. If you like Mingus get it!
    Steal Away
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Real Soul Music
    • Desert Island Essential
    • Music from your bone marrow
    • A TREASURE
    • beyond priceless
    		 Steal Away
    Charlie Haden , and Hank Jones
    Manufacturer: Polygram Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0000046YU
    Release Date: 1995-04-04

    Tracks:

    1. It's Me, O Lord (Standin' In The Need Of Prayer)
    2. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
    3. Spiritual
    4. Wade In The Water
    5. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
    6. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
    7. L'Amour De Moy
    8. Danny Boy
    9. I've Got A Robe, You Got A Robe
    10. Steal Away
    11. We Shall Overcome
    12. Go Down, Moses
    13. My Lord, What A Mornin'
    14. Hymn Medley: Abide With Me/Just As I Am...

    Amazon.com

    Charlie Haden has always had a penchant for roots music, including folk songs from varied traditions in the repertoire of his Liberation Music Orchestra. It's more than affectation; the bassist's musical roots are in Oklahoma, and his career began in early childhood with his family's country-music group. Those sources loom large in this inspired meeting with pianist Hank Jones over a program devoted largely to spirituals, with a few secular folk songs added in. The feelings communicated here arise from no simple reading of traditional material. It's Jones's unmatched harmonic sensitivity that often works the transformation, his close-voiced chords adding new resonance to summon the depths at which this material communicates. Haden, for his part, is as effective a soloist as he is an accompanist, spare and exacting and making full use of his huge, dark sound and powerful lower register. This is music by two masters, immersing themselves in a profound stream of American music. --Stuart Broomer

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Real Soul Music.......2006-04-04

    If there is a more perfect album for relaxing or quiet time- I don't know what it is. These songs are played simply and with heart. I have bought ten to fifteen copies of this album over the past twelve years- it's just that good.

    You can put it on for reading the Bible, praying or for peaceful music at dinnertime. It can be in the background or turned up without giving offense to those normally allergic to jazz. It's literally the spiritual version of Kind of Blue. I've even given it to new parents because it's just peaceful.

    5 out of 5 stars Desert Island Essential.......2006-03-22

    I have made a gift of this album to a number of my friends. If I had to pick only 10 pieces of music ever, this would be my first choice. Timeless, elegant, soulful, spiritual, dark, sad, silent!

    5 out of 5 stars Music from your bone marrow.......2004-12-06

    The other reviewers are spot-on exact about the loveliness of this music. I shall only add that I gave my copy away about 6 months ago but am only now replacing it -- the tunes are finally sounding a little worn and faded when I play them in my memory. This music accompanies YOU after a while. It is a quiet conversation with a much beloved friend, a silk scarf against the wind, a warm bowl of good soup on a damp chilly day. Enjoy.

    5 out of 5 stars A TREASURE.......2004-04-20

    Hank Jones on piano and Charlie Haden on bass take a journey through the last few hundred years of the music of the common man (and woman). Stripped of fancy finish and shiny veneer, these spirituals, hymns and folk songs are revealed in all their sublime natural glory.

    Gospel, jazz and blues harmonies, applied with the confidence of a master's touch, highlight the homespun melodies in a way that's humble and pure. Imagine suddenly stumbling across a piece of driftwood that takes your breath away with its earthy beauty, or finding an agate that releases a small, blazing rainbow of colors in your hand. This music is just such a found treasure.

    5 out of 5 stars beyond priceless.......2003-07-07

    I heard a short bit of this CD on the radio, and ordered the CD just afterwards. This is my second order- I am getting five copies for friends.
    I think this is some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard, regardless of genre. It is timeless, lovely, graceful, and profound. It shares with other great recordings I've heard the paradox of being technically rather simple and emotionally extraordinarily complex. You do not need to be a jazz buff to like it, or appreciate it; it is direct and powerful.
    If, when I die, I hear music like this, I will know I was good enough on earth to go to heaven.
    Unity
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Not Your Average Jazz Organ Quartet
    • Larry Young, Elvin Jones, Woody Shaw, and Joe Henderson.
    • Unity: One of the Greatest Modern Jazz Albums
    • This is a must have!
    • A Perfect Album for so Many Reasons
    		 Unity
    Larry Young
    Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B00000I41F
    Release Date: 1999-03-09

    Tracks:

    1. Zoltan
    2. Monk's Dream
    3. If
    4. The Moontrane
    5. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
    6. Beyond All Limits

    Amazon.com

    Recorded in 1965, in the afterglow of avant-garde jazz's first significant wave, Unity proved what organist Larry Young's Blue Note debut, Into Somethin', foreshadowed. Young had been a straightforward protégé of Jimmy Smith prior to his Blue Note years, and he later went full-tilt into fusion, eventually joining Tony Williams's Lifetime for their rightly named debut, Emergency. But here Young dug into an exploratory groove that fed in part off the Hammond B-3 tradition and in part off the pulse-oriented rhythmic developments then occupying Cecil Taylor and others. That said, the tunes are all keeled on even tempos, with thoughtful, tight soloing from Joe Henderson and a young Woody Shaw. With drummer Elvin Jones powering the quartet, the music cruises along, but Young's free-flying organ is the most striking point, with its fall-apart deconstructions and its architecturally complex solos and melody statements. More than anything, this recording helped clarify how relevant the B-3 was for the new breed of jazzers. This Rudy Van Gelder remaster improves the sound, both brightening it and bolstering the low end. Also added are a couple of great photos and a new liner essay. --Andrew Bartlett

    Album Description

    The album that put Larry Young and Woody Shaw on the jazz map, this exciting and inventive session with Joe Henderson and Elvin Jones. Churning rhythms, challenging ground breaking compositions and brilliant solo work make this album a classic that exerted great, uncredited influence on the next generation of jazz artists. And one of the most requested Blue Note reissues!

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Not Your Average Jazz Organ Quartet.......2007-01-04

    Larry Young has been referred to as the "Coltrane of the B-3 organ". While I applaud those who appreciate his artistry, I believe that this description does not really do him justice. During the era that this recording was made, jazz organ on Blue Note was dominated by Jimmy Smith, whose success helped keep Blue Note afloat financially. Jimmy played in a blues and boppish style. Larry Young, on the other hand, had a totally different conception. This date from 1965, really showcased his advanced harmonic and melodic style. Additionally, the supporting cast was truly world class; Woody Shaw on trumpet (one of his first dates), Joe Henderson, and the legendary Elvin Jones. This was truly a date for the ages; it sounds just as fresh today as it did when released over 40 years ago! This recording should be in everyone's basic jazz library.

    5 out of 5 stars Larry Young, Elvin Jones, Woody Shaw, and Joe Henderson........2005-05-20

    "Unity" is an album that belongs in the post-Hardbop category. Larry Young was the first Organist to start to break away from the Jimmy Smith tradition. If you have experienced any of his first few sessions for the Prestige label, you will hear the undeniable Jimmy Smith influence in his playing. Jimmy Smith is the king of the Organ but Young took what Smith had done and refined it. He also added his own material to start a whole new way to look at an instrument that was handicapped by it's own size, but stood out with it's incredible sound. Joining the "Young" organ master is the masterful Elvin Jones with his complicated Rhythmic drumming, Elvin had just left the Coltrane group and, if you have heard any of his earlier sessions with the Coltrane group, you will start to hear his playing change in a way that he is more open to what the soloist is doing yet still keeping the beat and Enhancing the feeling. Larry played the Organ more like a piano so he constructs his solos on lines more than sticking to the more chordal improvisation that was so heavily used by Smith and others. Joe Henderson, a very talented Tenor Saxophonist is often considered to be incredibly original yet you will hear an almost direct relation between him and fellow sax men Junior Cook and Sonny Rollins. Hendersons solos are constructed of broken up phrases that are loud but meaningful statements. Woody Shaw is a very fine trumpeter who sounds like a combonation of Blue Mitchell and Freddie Hubbard. The players are in top form, the Compositions are played with intensity.

    "Zoltan", the opening tune, was composed by Woody Shaw and the solo work done on this song alone is worth the price of the album. Young and Jones play a Duo on "Monks Dream" which is obviously by Thelonious Monk. "Moontrane", another Shaw original, was written for John Coltrane since he was one of Shaws, Youngs, and Hendersons biggest influences. The form is standard 32 bars but the harmonies and Chordal structure are much different than that of many standard jazz compositions. "If" is a Henderson tune resembling the blues but many of the chords are replaced with altered voicings that make it very unique sounding. The group plays a reworking of the standard "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" and features excellent solos from all around. The closer, also by shaw, is a smoker and uses even more complex harmonies and chord patterns that "Moontrane" not to mention the odd number of 5o bars. If you want to hear extremely good jazz, this is one of the best examples.

    5 out of 5 stars Unity: One of the Greatest Modern Jazz Albums.......2005-05-08

    For fans of post-bop jazz, Larry Young's Unity is, quite simply, essential. Young has been called the Coltrane of the Hammond B-3 organ for his progressive, modal, accessible music. Like Miles' Kind of Blue, Coltrane's A Love Supreme and Horace Silver's Song For My Father, this album -- although unfairly unheralded -- is one of those magical musical occasions. Elvin Jones, Woody Shaw and Joe Henderson do some of their best work on this session. A classic.

    5 out of 5 stars This is a must have!.......2004-11-23

    Wow, what a great album. Who would have thought that Larry Young would provide one of the great jazz albums of the 60's. This album is the perfect blend of old and new. A lot of jazz purists scoffed at the organ as having a roller rinky, circus kind of sound, but this album proves how great the organ can be. Along with the outstanding playing of Woody Shaw on trumpet, Unity creates a unique vibe of its own. It's hard to deny the power of this album. Not overly uptempo or funky like some of the organ albums of the seventies and not entirely contained in the boundries of the traditional jazz of the fifties. This album is for any fan of jazz. You will not be disappointed.

    5 out of 5 stars A Perfect Album for so Many Reasons.......2004-06-25

    This album is one of the most satisfying jazz albums I've ever bought. First off, it's a treat to hear the organ in such an up-front and wide-open setting; usually when we hear a B-3's sweet tones it is merely tapping out some cute seventh chords in the background of a blues jam. Larry Young is as unrestricted as any jazz musician can sound within the bounds of a chord progression here, playing lines as melodic and purposeful as Freddie Hubbard or as emotional and forceful as Joe Henderson, who also plays in top form on the date in question, within the same solo, all the while holding down a solid bass line with his left hand so masterfully that many have been led in ignorance to think there is a bass player on the recording (there isn't). Woody Shaw, often hailed as one of the most underrated soloists in post-bop, shows his true talent here as well, placing his unorthodox yet fluid phrases in all of the tunes from his own 60's avant-garde flavored "Moontrane" to the very standard standard, "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," all with the same level of energy and sheer emotion that is par for the course on this fantastic album. So, the soloing is great. Really great.

    Next order of business: Elvin Freaking Jones! Elvin passed away recently, and I'm sure many people are looking for his most characteristic and celebrated recordings to appreciate what a great talent he was and what an impact he had on jazz drumming and on jazz as a whole. Unity is as good a place to start as any. Though he was obviously most famous for his work in thepurpose-driven John Coltrane Quartet, he displayed hisunique polyrhythmically swinging style on a number of records as a sideman including this one and other perennials such as Wayne Shorter's Speak No Evil and Sonny Rollins' Live at the Village Vanguard. It is a joy to hear him communicating with less familiar musicians with the same empathy as he did in the Coltrane quartet. His solos are fantastic as well, with his free, over-the-barline style which often displayed itself in open-ended solos turning up here inside the boundaries of extended form ("Monk's Dream") and in four bar phrases ("Zoltan"). Even within the restriction of specific solo lengths, Elvin plays with the same freedom and motive-oriented melodicism as always.

    And last but not least: song selection. No Larry Young originals here, but three by Shaw and one by Henderson which are wonderful new (at the time) compositions that have become those type of "standards" that get played from time to time but aren't in the Real Book and don't exactly get called at wedding gigs. The very Monk-ish "Monk's Dream" is a Larry and Elvin duet here, a very good choice and a nice variation for the album's general flow. As said earlier, the standard "Softly..." is treated with the same improvisational attitude as the more modern tunes. Great selections.

    Okay, if my bombastic ramblings communicate nothing else to you, please hear this last line: buy this album! 

    September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • some brilliant renditions, but can't quite all mix together
    • Cool and Camp
    • September Song Music of Kurt Weill
    • It's a long time between January and December
    • Ain't we Hip?!!?
    		 September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill

    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    1. Lotte Lenya Sings Kurt Weill / Levine, Lenya, Armstrong, Gilford, et al
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    ASIN: B0000029WM
    Release Date: 1997-08-19

    Tracks:

    1. Mack The Knife - Nick Cave
    2. Ballad Of The Soldier's Wife - P.J. Harvey
    3. Alabama Song - David Johansen
    4. Youkali Tango - Teresa Stratas
    5. Lost In The Stars - Elvis Costello
    6. Pirate Jenny - Lotte Lenya
    7. Speak Low - Charlie Haden
    8. Oh, Heavenly Salvation - The Persuations
    9. Lonely House - Betty Carter
    10. Surabaya- Johnny - Teresa Stratas
    11. Furchte Dich Nicht - Mary Margaret O'Hara
    12. September Song - Lou Reed
    13. Mack The Knife - Bertolt Brecht
    14. What Keeps Mankind Alive? - William S. Burroughs

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars some brilliant renditions, but can't quite all mix together.......2006-10-19

    I like the spirit of this album, which is to let the music of Kurt Weill attach itself to the many worlds it came from. This was classical music that also used elements of popular music at the time, all with a very dark and almost mechanical tone. So it would seem fitting to have exquisite voices like Teresa Stratas rub elbows with darker elements like Nick Cave in this collection. There are also the jazz influences developed by Charlie Haden and Betty Carter.

    In all, there are some brilliant interpretations of Weill here. I am a fan of Cave's "Mack the Knife" and David Johansen's "Alabama Song," and how can someone NOT like Lotte Lenya herself on "Pirate Jenny" and the drolling of the immortal William S. Burroughs talking through "What Keeps Mankind Alive?"

    But other tracks feel to be just too short of brilliance. I love that Lou Reed tries to turn "September Song" into a kind of rock ballad, almost a VU "It Was a Pretty Good Year," but the rendition seems a little short of energy and falls flat after a while. Elvis Costello, though magnificent as an overall artist, just doesn't bring new life to "Lost in the Stars."

    Perhaps the problem in the end that the choices were a little too much of the Top 40 Weill (if there really can be such a term). These are songs that have for a long time been regarded as the best of Weill, and it might have furthered the purpose of his music to find new gems and bring them into the sunlight.

    5 out of 5 stars Cool and Camp.......2006-08-24

    This is a very biased review- I originally had much of Weill's work on cassette tape- way back in the olden days- before CD's- so I am already very partial to many of the tracks on this CD- I would recommend it not only to Kurt Weill fans, and the fans of the various artists featured, but I would also strongly recommend this to anyone who likes artsy, camp, fun burlesque, Bohemian European stuff. The record, even though performed by contemporary artists still retains much of it's zeitgeist, it evokes the era in which Weill was writing and it rounds out any great eclectic record collection. It's a great musical discovery for fans of all sorts of genres, and EVERYONE should own at least one recorded arrangement of "Mack The Knife". (You know, for parties and stuff!)

    4 out of 5 stars September Song Music of Kurt Weill.......2006-08-22

    Songs from the film-documentary done by various artists. Excellent choice if you like Mr Weill's music. I saw the film and always wanted the CD. Now I have and I recommend it highly.

    5 out of 5 stars It's a long time between January and December.......2004-06-11

    Kurt Weill is one of those composers who juggles Jewish angst with Catholic guilt: and possibly vice versa. As a collection, it is nonpareil. Each interpretation becomes a definitive reading of the "song". Lord, it is one of the best assemblies of contemporary artists going. Lou couldn't be better; Ms O'Hara, in fine form, performs her deranged puppet-dance to the X. OK. An unknown. Roping-in, such a postmodern figure as, well, you-know-who, to orate Weill's lyrics is never less than exceptional. An amazing collection. Is there a DVD?

    Paul

    2 out of 5 stars Ain't we Hip?!!?.......2003-07-23

    This is the avant version of these songs, everything done with that Downtown fingers-across-the-blackboard screech. They even got Johanson doing it, which is no less than amazing. The sole exception is the Persuasions' "O Heavenly Salvation", but one song does not an album make.

    The mystery here is that there's a perfectly good compilation from the 80s, "Lost in the Stars: the Music of Kurt Weill", featuring many of the same songs--and, if I'm not mistaken some of the same performers. That's the one you want. Too bad it's OP.

    Tijuana Moods
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • masterpiece
    		 Tijuana Moods
    Charlie Mingus
    Manufacturer: RCA
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000P46Q18
    Release Date: 2007-05-22

    Tracks:

    1. Dizzy Moods
    2. Ysabel's Table Dance
    3. Tijuana Gift Shop
    4. Los Mariachis
    5. Flamingo
    6. A Colloquial Dream (Scenes In the City)

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars masterpiece.......2007-05-23

    one of Mingus's best, to be sure, which means, of course, that it's one of the best in the history of American music. a bona fide classic, there's not much that I could say about Tijuana Moods that hasn't already been said elsewhere by other far more gifted critics than myself. at any rate, Shafi Hadi's alto and tenor work with Mingus, for one, was never better than it was on this session. worth owning in any release, but if you can track either down new and at a reasonable price, spring for the single disc or double disc RCA/Bluebird reissues from 1996 and 2001 which feature alternate takes of the whole session. while all these additional performances make for great listening, the composite alternate of Ysabel's Table Dance, in particular, is simply stunning, if not possibly superior to the master. buy and enjoy.
    Live in Japan
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Surprisingly beautiful
    • Coltrane in Japan - Epic and Majestic.
    • LIVE IN JAPAN: epic live
    • Explorations from Coltrane's last band.
    • God Speaks Again!
    		 Live in Japan
    John Coltrane
    Manufacturer: Grp Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000003N61
    Release Date: 1991-05-14

    Tracks:

    1. Afro Blue
    2. Peace On Earth

    Tracks:

    1. Crescent

    Tracks:

    1. Peace On Earth
    2. Leo

    Tracks:

    1. My Favorite Things

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Surprisingly beautiful.......2006-07-12

    I just bought a copy of Live in Japan, with admittedly some trepidation, not knowing whether I would be faced with abhorrent sound quality (Olatunji Concert), uninspired playing (Live at the Village Vanguard Again!), overly-intellectual music that I wouldn't understand (Interstellar Space) or complete [...] (Live in Seattle). When it comes to Coltrane's final years, it is best to be cautious.

    Well, I was very surprised, in many ways. I have so far only listened to Disc 1 and Disc 4, but both have been a revelation.

    From the beginning of 1966, Coltrane toured with a new band, the Second Quartet, featuring Garrison from his old band, drummer Rashied Ali, pianist Alice Coltrane, and (sometimes) Pharoah Sanders on tenor.

    The new band caused outrage and controversy wherever they went. Stanley Crouch visited a Coltrane concert in 1966, and saw Coltrane and Sanders, both with tenor saxophones, just screaming at each other eternally. There were three people in the audience, including himself. Great saxophonist Dave Liebman was a teenager in 1966. He wandered into a Coltrane concert, and found himself confronted with a half hour version of My Favorite Things in which the band members chanted "Om Mani Padme Om" while shaking tambourines and hitting bells. Liebman says that, after the theme was stated once, there was literally nothing recogniseable - just screaming.

    This period of Coltrane's music is puzzling even to many great musicians. It is doubly puzzling to us now, because almost no recordings were made by the band in 1966. During that year, for some reason, no recordings were made - not even bootlegs or radio broadcasts - except for the Village Vanguard performance, and two concerts recorded by Japanese radio in July 1966.
    Coltrane and his band recorded an enormous amount in 1965 and 1967. The vital, controversial year of 1966 is a howling void.

    I was unimpressed by Live at the Village Vanguard Again, which I regard as being supremely overrated. The version of "My Favorite Things" seemed sluggish, the soloes somtimes verging on the banal, and the band often lacking co-ordination. It was therefore with great interest that I bought these Japanese concerts.

    I have been disappointed before with Coltrane concerts. "Live in Seattle" is still probably the Coltrane recording I dislike most. But I was hoping for something with the majesty and power of the Olatunji Concert. What I did not expect was wonderful peace and joy.

    The Penguin Guide describes the version of My Favorite Things on this album as "the equivalent of bombing Nagasaki just days after laying waste to Hiroshima". It goes on to wonder as to the musical worth of "music as humourless and God-bothering as this".

    I must say I found the opposite to be the case. Coltrane may not be a laugh a minute, but I found the atmosphere on this recording to be surprisingly cordial and light. Whereas you could justifiably call "Live in Seattle" humourless and God-bothering (as well as "trippy" and "blatantly inept") I found the Japanese concerts to completely change my view of Coltrane's later period.

    After reading articles by eyewitnesses to Coltrane's 1966 style, I was expecting something harsher and weirder. Instead, we have here completely sane and engaging sample of music.

    "Afro-Blue" begins with Coltrane playing the theme, as always, and launching on a three minute solo. Then Pharoah Sanders squawks, farts and quacks for ten minutes (I must say, I still cannot get used to Sanders' style at all). Alice Coltrane plays a rare solo after that; then Coltrane blows everything out of the water with a raging soprano solo that cuts up the tune in every way possible. At one stage he plays screeching, toneless phrases obviously inspired by Sanders, though with far more musical judgement. The atmosphere is fierce and bloody, but there is a certain classical tidiness to it, which is a stark contrast to the version on Live in Seattle, which I would rate the worst thing on that album.

    "Peace on Earth" (written, of course, during the Vietnam War) is a stunningly beautiful theme I have never heard before. Coltrane's solo is heartfelt and a voice of protest in a world of violence. Sanders' solo after this is also surprisingly beautiful, thus showing that he can solo without screaming after all. A very beautiful performace.

    "My Favorite Things" is, of course, a piece that Coltrane played every night. He played it even when he went avant garde. Coltrane starts off with alto-saxophone, an instrument he last played with Dizzy Gillespie in the 1940s. He takes full advantage of the horn, making it a pity he never played the instrument much. The sound takes advantage of the lighter sound of the horn, while the low-register honks show you what a soprano couldn't do. Pharoah Sanders' solo is again not worth talking about. Alice Coltrane then enters, playing the My Favorite Things theme in such a harmonically altered way that it is literally unrecogniseable unless you are actively listening for it. Then Coltrane comes in on soprano in a thrilling solo that always touches base with the atmosphere of the original. It is a world away from the tepid version from the Village Vamguard, and also from the ferocious version on Olatunji Concert.

    The sound quality, by the way, is incredible. While it is mono, and there is too much tape hiss, the sound of the two horn players comes through stunningly clear and wonderful. The timbre of Coltrane's horn (especially his alto) is actually better here than on most Impulse recorded live stuff. It is certainly better than the echo-y sound from most of his European concerts. I dont know if the Japanese used better microphones, but there is a silky sound to the horns that I've not heard elsewhere.

    Overall, the Live in Japan concerts (at least the two discs I've heard) are a surprisingly beautiful recording that should be more widely available. I would vote it as second only to Olatunji Concert in documenting this band live.

    5 out of 5 stars Coltrane in Japan - Epic and Majestic........2005-10-10

    "Live In Japan" is a mammoth 4-disc set which documents John Coltrane's first and only concert tour in that country. The occasion took place in July 1966 (exactly one year before Coltrane's untimely death) and this was during the time in which Coltrane's music was at its most free-form, experimental and arguably most innovative. Coltrane's musician personnel had shifted as well. The previous year, drummer Elvin Jones and pianist McCoy Tyner had left and were replaced respectively by Rashied Ali and Coltrane's wife Alice. Also joining Coltrane is second saxophonist Pharoah Sanders who made his debut with the dynamic leader on the earth-shattering free-for-all "Ascension". Bassist Jimmy Garrison was the only long-term member of the ensemble to still be in Coltrane's group. Also of interest is the fact that these Japanese concerts find Coltrane (as well as Sanders) performing on alto sax in addition to the unsual tenor and soprano.
    As for the music itself, it is loaded with fierce improvisational chops with the ensemble stretching the music to its outer limits. The idea of releasing an album of this material was not initially planned in 1966 so, Coltrane and his group of players took the music into an area of no boundaries or limits whatsoever. Although this set may take a few listens to fully digest, it doesn't take long before the listener is completely emmersed in the music.
    Musical standouts in this 4-disc set are as follows:
    Afro Blue: Pharoah Sanders' shrieking tenor solo and Coltrane's nearly 20-minute solo on soprano sax which closes the piece.
    Peace on Earth (Version 1): Alice Coltrane's beautiful piano solo and John and Pharoah's tenor duet.
    Crescent: Jimmy Garrison's extended bass introduction and another standout piano lead from Alice.
    Peace on Earth (Version 2): Pharaoh's excellent alto sax spotlight.
    Leo: Pharoah's ferocious alto solo, Rashied Ali's extended drum feature, John and Pharoah's catfighting alto duel.
    My Favorite Things: Another great extended Garrison bass intro, John performing the melody on alto sax as well as an extended soprano solo in the middle, a flowing piano solo from Alice and another sax duel from John and Pharoah.
    "Live In Japan" isn't recommended for a first-time Coltrane listener. However, this is definitely an essential purchase once you've studied his other musical periods and have made it to this, his final period of pure musical exploration. It also should be noted that all of the music in this set was recorded in mono. Despite this, the sound quality is excellent and every musician comes through sharp and clear.
    This is late-period Coltrane at its very best!!!

    5 out of 5 stars LIVE IN JAPAN: epic live.......2005-09-21

    an epic live event. John Coltrane in japan! this 4cd set is one of the most surprising and amazing live albums of all time. surprising in the fact of how controlled this band is. the music John was recording at this period in his creative life was far more turbulent than what is presented here in japan. alot of his more "out there" stuff would have been what i would have expected him to play if i was attending these concerts. now, there is plenty of wild playing...and some skronk here and there. but everyone sticks to some very tight and beautiful stylings...even Pharoah Sanders. wow. actually, Pharoah is a revelation on here. his playing is shockingly fluid and full of melody and grace. perhaps the eastern climate cooled everyone down a bit...or jetlag maybe? haha. well, whatever the reasons, there can be no denying that this is wonderful music. also great to hear Jimmy Garrison getting lots of extended solo time. his playing is astounding and quite creative. if i had to pick my favorite disc out of all these 4, i would have to go with disc 3. the combination of the serene "Peace On Earth" segway into the fiery "Leo" is the kind of magical music that will leave your jaw on the floor. unbelievable! Live In Japan deserves 5 stars and high recommendation. it stands the test of time as a further testament to Coltrane's power, beauty, genius, and eternal search for the higher plane. a document of perfection in mammoth proportions.

    5 out of 5 stars Explorations from Coltrane's last band........2005-04-04

    Recorded over two nights in Tokyo, "Live in Japan" shows Coltrane's last band in full flight. Trane (on soprano, alto, and tenor saxaphones and percussion) is joined by Pharoah Sanders (on alto and tenor sax, bass clarinet, and percussion), Alice Coltrane (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass), and Rashied Ali (drums). Often maligned as the successor to the much beloved "classic quartet" (with only Garrison left from that band), and for their largely exploratory nature, this is a band largely in transition-- they're finding each other, finding their places together, already some of the bonds are starting to show between the band members that would develop fully by the end of '66, but there's a looseness to these recordings that hadn't existed on a live Coltrane document that adds an interesting spice to the mix. Trane is quoted in the liner notes as stating that knowing you're being recorded tends to cause a tightening up, but he didn't know these shows were recorded, and if that's the result on other contemporary live recordings ("Live in the Village Vanguard Again!"), it shows when compared to this. There are two shows captured here, each is about two hours long and features three pieces.

    Now mind you, you need to be ready for things like fourteen minute bass solos or twenty minute sax solos to be able to digest this stuff, and thats not for everyone-- considering that much of jazz was still in the three minute vein (and many of Trane's contemporaries were playing eight or nine minute pieces as extended), this may be a bit much, but there's a lot to hear on these.

    Whats interesting is to see how far Coltrane is reaching with his playing, his solos (particularly on tenor, although he also solos on alto and soprano) have a quality of almost incompleteness to them as though he isn't quite where he wants to be yet-- comparing these to the urgency and power of his 1967 recordings, you get the impression that he found it then. But on extended solos on "Afro Blue" and "Crescent", Coltrane is looking. Joining him in this exploration is the mighty Pharoah Sanders, whose playinig is no doubt inspiring, check the alto solo on "Peace on Earth" for a good example of this. The rhythm section is also interesting, although the sound quality tends to force Garrison out when the other instruments get aggressive, he's already developed a rappport with Rashied Ali (who to my ears was a better partner for Trane's exploratory phase than Jones was-- and I've always felt that Trane sought his most sympathetic support from his drummers). Ali's playing is actually breathtaking, his stylistic developments after Elvin Jones left the band is pretty incredible. Coltrane's second wife, Alice, adds a unique touch to the piano-- also a harpist, there's a sparseness to her playing on this recording that I suspect comes from her harp background, that nicely offsets the density of Trane and Pharoah's playing.

    The recordings are interesting, certainly worth hearing. Maybe not for everyone, but if you're a fan of Trane's later work, this is essential.

    5 out of 5 stars God Speaks Again!.......2005-03-31

    You see, this time, it is through John Coltrane which is not surprising. Praise the Lord and thank him for creating the man named John.

    Music:

    1. Down the Highway
    2. Ventilator
    3. Under Your Influence [UK-Import]
    4. Sorted
    5. The Singles
    6. Live in Italy
    7. In the Mood for Ska
    8. Destroy the Machines
    9. One Step Closer [US-Import]
    10. Live at Cbgb'S

    Music

    Music