If you like jazz, you'll like this disc
935211
The great sound you are used to from Chesky.  This is a live, in the club, recording.  It reminds me of Jazz at the Pawnshop.  These guys are having fun playing together and by playing this disc you get to share in the fun!  If you like jazz, you'll like this.
2930073
"We have some of the absolutely  greatest living modern jazz musicians in this band!"

Released on the 50th anniversary of the band's first gig in Feb. 1966, these tapes have never been heard before except for an illegal  release in 2000 which didn't include all the music heard here.  Recorded  on a 2 track machine using six mics (2/7) and ten mics (3/21), and using a 4 channel mixer, you get the feel of being in the audience.  The sound is very good from highs to the low end--sharp and clean but warm.  The 92 page booklet (actually closer to a small book) has interviews with band members, and essays, along with some great unseen  period photos.  There's also a list of soloists for each tune--a nice (and needed)  addition.  The tri-fold cardboard package is a bit taller than a jewel case which makes it harder to put on a CD shelf.  And a minor quibble--the discs slip inside slots which are a bit too tight (maybe yours will be different) which could lead to disc scratches.  And the booklet can easily fall out of either side of the front slot if you're not careful.  But all in all this is packaging  befitting music of this caliber.  I gave this set 5 "stars"--4 for the great performances and an added  "star" because this band set the bar for this kind of music that other bands would follow.  This was in it's own way trailblazing music using a large band in 1966--the era of Miles Davis' second great band with Shorter and Coltrane's group,  which was reaching  to the outer edges of jazz during this same time.  And all three groups played the Village Vanguard during this  period.

The first disc is devoted to the initial gig on Feb. 7, 1966.  The band features Jones, Lewis, Hank Jones-piano, Sam Herman-guitar, the great Richard Davis-bass, Jerome Richardson and Jerry Dodgion-alto sax/clarinet/flute, Joe Farrell-tenor sax/clarinet/flute, Eddie Daniels-tenor sax/clarinet, and Marv Holladay-baritone sax.  Also included are four more trumpets (including Snooky Young), and four trombones (including Bob Brookmeyer) that really beef up the sound.  With tunes like "Back Bone", the title tune, "Big Dipper" and others, this is a fantastic set  of big band jazz--especially when you consider the period when this band first played the Village Vanguard.  Crowds couldn't get enough of this music and this night set up a twelve year Monday night residency for the band.

The March 21, 1966 set (Disc 2)  has the same core set of players with Pepper Adams in for Holladay.  Also included are the four trumpets and trombones with slightly different personnel.  Tunes like "Low Down", "Lover Man",  "Don't Ever Leave Me", "Willow Weep For Me", "Mornin' Reverend", and others are even more proof that this was one hot band.  Thad Jones arranged and conducted both sets and it's easy to hear how tight his work was and how the band responded to the music.

If you're familiar with the Jones/Lewis band you have an idea of  what's here.  But I have to say even I wasn't totally prepared for how great these gigs are.  Part of it is because the initial gig is here but it's the arrangements and the playing that ultimately show how good this band was.  This is the band (mostly) blowing up a storm, with both band and audience reveling at the level of musicianship.  If you can, think back to 1966 and jazz at that time.  Listening to these gigs in 2016 is vastly different  than hearing them in 1966.  The impact of this music was pretty huge at the time.  And thankfully much of that impact can still be heard in the solos and the exciting ensemble work--razor sharp arrangements and a group of musicians who sound almost as surprised as the audience at what's happening on stage.  I can't comprehend how great it must have been to sit in the audience next to this powerhouse band, listening to this great jazz.  This is well worth adding to your shelf of big band jazz.
1920420
If you love modern jazz, this is a great tune. Good to dance by.
829192
I have several Coltrane discs, but I picked this one up for ambience reasons - to group a certain type of song together for consistency's sake.  This one delivers.  I have recommended it to my friends who aren't especially into jazz but want to get acclimated.  Sometimes jazz can be intimidating, so helps when the songs recommended are this sublime.  The complaint that it covers the same songs as Coltrane original issues is well taken, but it's okay when they're this good.
4427497
This CD is a wonderful combination of slow, soothing, sexy, upbeat music that makes you want to keep on listening to it. I won't call it full-on, traditional jazz with multiple instruments..etc. - it's more slow jazz with a little acid/electronic vibe - a nice combination of beats/rhythms/taps which allows for easy listening. The album starts off with slow but soothing music, with a surreal ambience that captures you, then progresses to faster, more upbeat, funky-jazzy music during the 2nd half of the CD.

If you like music such as that of Robert Miles, St. Germain..etc., i.e., music which soothes you yet pumps you up and makes you envision yourself in some sort of fantasy-setting, I'm sure you will enjoy this CD as much as I do.
3053061
This is a good collection of some famous Jazz tunes, it does also have some less well known songs. This means you can play/sing your favourites and still enlarge your repetoire. Guitar chords are provided as well as the  piano part and the vocal line with lyrics. There are some songs that I feel  aren't strictly Jazz, though this can be taken that one can adapt more than  the obvious songs.
4679103
A while back I chanced upon a used cassette of Rubisa Patrol's Desert Marauders and discovered to my delight that the music still sounded fresh and good after all these years. Mark Isham was the trumpeter for pianist Art Lande's ensemble, and we all know that he went on to a successful career as a film music composer. Afterglow presents a collection of tunes from the soundtrack of a movie by the same name, and for these sessions, Isham surrounded himself with some of the finest names in jazz: Charles Lloyd on tenor, Gary Burton on vibes, Geri Allen on piano, Sid Page on violin, and Jeff Littleton on bass. As you might expect both from the title of the movie and the roster of musicians, the end result is a CD of tasty jazz, moody and atmospheric, gently swinging, a little nostalgic. The sound quality is representative of a good studio job, not outstanding in any particular parameter, but more than adequate in every way. A nice set for lovers of mainstream acoustic jazz.
2271054
Having heard snippets of M&WM before I was intrigued by their sound but not enough to shell out for a disc. I came across a used copy at the local  thrift shop(usually not a good sign)and bought a copy at the reduced price. Someone discarded it for a reason I thought but I couldn't resist being the audio junkie that I am. It took me several listens to warm up tho the music, mostly because of the spacey nature of the disc. The spacey atmospherics are enticing and inviting , the music teases and hints at what could be  but unfortuantely doesn't quite fully deliver. The songs give you the feeling of being on a desolate landscape where suddenly urban groovesters appear. Take a listen to "New Planet" and you'll get my drift. The keyboards of John Medeski are enough to hook you in, sometimes jazzy, sometimes funky but always pulling you in. Richard "Groove" Holmes or Jimmy Smith he's not but then again who is? The title track, " End of the World Party" is a funky mix of jazz that projects gloom and happiness at once. I think that is part of what I don't like much about this disc, it has a sad lack luster appeal. "Ice" creates a nice balance between jazz and funk reminiscent of Herbie Hancock back in the day. The songs are sometimes  outright jazz like on the excellent "Mami Gato," unfortuantely their are not enough songs like this as they spend most of their time trying to create a new niche in the jazz idiom. One of the best tracks that mixes elements of electronica, atmospheric jazz and funk is "Midnight Poppies/ Crooked birds" that has a bit of a Latin groove mixed in for good measure. If you like atmospheric jazz that is out there you might like this disc. For my tastes it just doesn't quite deliver but rather promises with moments or songs that have more than just a hook. If you like funky-atmospheric-jazz than this will be for you. However if you like traditional jazz you might stay away from this one. Not a great disc but it does promise enough to maybe keep an eye on their future development on future discs. In the end I would give this a 3.5 for taking the old and trying to create something new.
4861625
"We should be very happy and proud to be living in the same period as someone like Ornette Coleman."  Don Cherry.

"I like him.  He swings, and he's got a good feeling for melody."  Gil Evans.

"I could not play what I play had it not been for Ornette Coleman."  Herbie Hancock.

"I don't know what he's playing, but it's not jazz."  Dizzy Gillespie.

No real surprises here.  This is basically a reissue of the '93 box set along with a 70 page booklet.  The sound is as good as the original remastered set so don't expect any kind of quantum jump in sonic performance.  This set has been difficult to find and/or pretty expensive for some time now, so it's nice that Atlantic/Rhino reissued it for those who missed it the first time around.  You can still find used sets for a relatively good price but for a few dollars more you can have a new 2015 reissue--and check the prices for a new '93 set--ouch.

The discs are in pretty generic looking cardboard sleeves with the same photo and a list of the tracks on the back--nothing all that great in keeping with Coleman as an important artist.  The booklet is a thing of beauty--besides containing some good information on Coleman and his music  (including many quotes from Coleman and other jazz musicians), along with many b&w/color photos.  There's also a listing of the recording sessions which helps put everything in understandable order.  Everything fits inside a fairly substantial clam-shell box which looks like the original box.

But this music is part of the foundation of anyone's jazz collection--or if it isn't--it should be.  Hearing this music in the present it's difficult to understand quite what all the fuss was about.  But this music still has the capacity to amaze and delight jazz fans who wish to delve a bit deeper into the foundation of the genre.  But if this box set is new to you, you should know that the music is presented chronologically--not as it was originally released, so the impact of those fine individual sets is lost somewhat.  In a world where we're all rich, you should own both the individual albums and this box set.  But even  in "recording order" this music is quite something--quite impressive and exciting--and beautiful.

I won't go into detail about this set or individual tracks--this music has been around for a long time now and most (if not everyone) already owns it.  But if you're coming to Coleman as a "newbie" and want his Atlantic records albums in one nice, neat box, with a great booklet, this is your chance.  Beginning with "The Shape Of Jazz To Come", to "This Is Our Music", to "Free Jazz...", (I chose those because they're my favorites)  and all the other albums, there's a lot of amazingly good/great music here.  Besides Coleman, his sidemen were some of the finest players of the era--including Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell, Billy Higgins, Eric Dolphy, Jimmy Garrison, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, and Scott LaFaro.

If you have an interest in jazz that goes beyond the "usual" (though great) artists/albums--Coltrane, Davis, Gillespie, Parker, Ellington, Basie, Blakey, Evans,  and so on--this really should be on your music shelf.  And now that it's back in print you have no excuse--get this and have your ears/mind opened just a bit.

"Coltrane used to come and hear us every night.  He would grab Ornette by the arm as soon as we got off and they would go off talking about music."  Charlie Haden.
2489894
This cd was recorded live at a jazz club in St Louis, and I wish I could have attended this concert. I actually saw Benny Green and Russell Malone play together a little later at another jazz club, and the enthusiasm with which they play and share with the audience  is very tangible.

This cd has 13 music tracks (and two 'introductions' for each artist). There are two originals, a bunch of standard-y standards (monk, strayhorn, coltrane tunes), and a few 'new standards', ie pop tunes made into jazz ('killing me softly' for instance). It is up there, along Jim Hall and Bill Evans 'undercurrent', as one of the best jazz duo of a guitarist and a pianist. The guitar and the piano complement each other perfectly, with each instrument being in turn melodic or harmonic. The styles of BG and RM differ a bit (complement each other as well), with BG going towards more harmonic sophistication, and RM towards more virtuosity.

The recipe here is the same as their other subsequent cd, 'bluebird', which I recommand equally. I guess this one should be picked first due to its seniority (it is 2 years older), but I cannot come up with a better reason.
4505237
This is a solid jazz set. One that you can't criticize. Every plays well, the song are good. No this isn't the best music of either of these two important jazzmen but like other Trane music of '62, very enjoyable.
1274466
The Comeback on Jazz Row as a single CD.  Legal issues unknown, but if you're a Dexter, etc., fan like me, you may already have this.  About the music: first rate top notch blowing and accompaniment, which should be obvious given the cast of players.  Things would have had to have been way out of whack for it to be otherwise.  You're reading this, so you know more than the average bear about jazz.  Ergo, buy this, you'll love it.
4804726
If you've ever been intrigued by the music of Charles Mingus, one of the greatest composers and innovators in the history of jazz, you owe it to yourself to get this DVD.  I've already watched it 3 times, and will be enjoying it (and others in this Naxos series) for years to come. The footage, all from Mingus's European tour of 1964, includes a live concert and other performances made for European television.  The three venues (Belgium, Norway, and Sweden) were filmed within a one week period.  The camera work is quite good, and the quality of the film is certainly OK for its time.  You get plenty for your money: the DVD is a full two hours long, much longer than most others in this series.

This group was arguably Mingus's best line-up ever, and the tour was easily one of the high-points in the great bassist's long and productive career.  It's a real pleasure to watch this charismatic leader play and interact with his fellow musicians; he was clearly having fun and receiving satisfaction from what this remarkable band was producing.  There's plenty of footage of the great Eric Dolphy--much more than on the John Coltrane Jazz Icons DVD.  Clifford Jordan, Johnny Coles, Jaki Byard, and Dannie Richmond all play well and are fun to watch.  One thing that seems especially notable about this group (besides the collection of talent) is that everyone has a somewhat different style, yet the conglomeration results in some of the most interesting (and complex) jazz music every created by a small group.

Although one might wish for a greater variety of compositions (there are a total of 6), the DVD apparently does include most of the songs the group was playing on this tour.  There are 4 different versions of "So Long Eric" and 3 of "Meditations on Integration," but these are performed quite differently and it's interesting to hear the varied arrangements and improvising from venue to venue.  In summary: Exhilarating !
322393
I've been viewing and reviewing this DVD quite a bit over the last few days. My elderly grandmother received this as a gift from a friend, and as a jazz head, I wanted to watch these two masters at work in original concert footage.

This DVD is really no frills. It's basically about 2-5 minutes of documentary footage narrated by folks who I believe are from Britt's Big Band. After that it's a few film footage tracks by vocalist Billy Eckstine and several tracks by Dizzy Gillespie's big band. Not much in the way of liner notes. Just the music. It's basically a window into what it would have been like to be a young person in this time frame.

The audience for this is strictly people who have a heavy interest in jazz. If you're not as into jazz, you would probably be better served by making an investment in something like Ken Burns Jazz first, a product that is more tailored toward a popular audience.

I was blessed by this because I didn't realize how a much of a *show* big band jazz was. There's much more to this than music. There's tap dancing, flamboyant conducting in the Cab Calloway tradition, and even comic introductions for the Dizzy Gillespie tunes. Watching things like this, I can see why jazz doesn't sell well today. Jazz currently takes itself so seriously that it doesn't make a great effort to provide some visual hooks to get the people to watch and come back.

I would have to see more special features and subtitles for the soloists to give this five stars. I'm a drummer. I know that I'm watching rare big band footage of Art Blakey backing up the Billy Eckstine band on the first half of this, but most folks will just focus on Mr. B himself and will miss a lot of the great musicianship that is supporting him.

I could write about this for days. Watching this with my grandmother triggered some amazing stories about what it was like for her growing up and living through this amazing period in Black Music.

--4 stars

--SD
3539039
I was encouraged by the previous review to pop this CD in my player and give it a listen.  I like world jazz, if its good.  This stuff -- it's
 elevator music.  Or sitting in the dentist's chair music.  But it is NOT music you should go out of your way to buy.
875063
It's great jazz if you lean toward the more traditional style. The best thing to do is search "Kansas City Jazz" and "Tickle Toe" on You Tube. You'll see the clip from the Robert Altman film in which he recreated a Kansas City jam session with today's top musicians playing the music of the greats of yesteryear. If you like what you hear on Tickle Toe, you'll want to get the CD. The two best songs on the disc are both on You Tube. You might also want to watch the "Yeah Man" clip, which pays homage to the legendary duel between Pres and Hawk.
4349217
I bought this one for my mom, and she loved it!  I heard some of it, and though I'm not a big Country fan, it sounded pretty good!  I don't want to give a biased review as my area of expertise is more in the fields of Jazz and R&B, but I did find this disc enjoyable when I heard it.