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Milton Nascimento: “Txai” (Columbia 46871)
On his 1990 CD, Txai Milton Nascimento explores the music and culture of the people protecting the Amazon rain forest. The recording features sound clips of the indigenous people as well as an impressive line-up of Americans and Brazilians. Janine Santana examines the album in this Retro Review.
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Modern Jazz Quartet: “Concert in Japan ’66” (Atlantic [Japan] 1027-1028)
The Modern Jazz Quartet’s stage manners were always immaculate. Dressed in tuxedos or fine crafted suits, they projected an air of dignity usually reserved for string quartets. However, on one night in Tokyo, they let themselves loose, and in the process created some of the most memorable performances of their repertoire. The concert was recorded…
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The Complete Atlantic Studio Recordings of the Modern Jazz Quartet (Mosaic 249)
One of the reasons for the Modern Jazz Quartet’s longevity was the wide appeal of their music. Cool jazz adopted them as their own for the fugues and Third Stream works, while boppers could appreciate their strong roots in the blues. Mosaic’s 7-CD collection of the MJQ’s studio albums from 1956-1964 offers generous helpings of…
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Modern Jazz Quartet: “Lost Tapes” (JazzHaus 101731)
The Modern Jazz Quartet was never as stuffy as their critics claimed. Their music changed and evolved subtly through concerts and recordings. Lost Tapes, a new CD of recordings from Germany offers the opportunities for fresh comparisons, and in this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe traces the changes in MJQ arrangements through this and previously released…
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Two Trips Through The “Money Jungle”
The 1962 LP Money Jungle brought together the prototypical power trio: Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach. The personal tensions between these giant personalities was reflected in the music, which was less like sparks flying and more like landmine explosions. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe examines this classic recording and a new tribute…
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Nancy Wilson: “Yesterday’s Love Songs/Today’s Blues” (Capitol 96265)
In the 1960s, Nancy Wilson’s popularity rose as jazz’s audience waned. Much of her success was due to an extraordinary series of albums on Capitol. In his first contribution to our pages, Michael Canty offers his thoughts on one of those classic albums, Yesterday’s Love Songs/Today’s Blues.
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Ornette Coleman: “The Shape of Jazz to Come” (Atlantic 1317)/ “Change of the Century (Atlantic 1327)
Few albums had the impact of Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come and Change of the Century. They generated an incredible amount of critical buzz, and there was little middle ground: either you loved it or hated it. In 1960 (and today), Amy Duncan loved it, and she shares her reactions to the…
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Peter Appleyard & The Jazz Giants: “The Lost 1974 Sessions” (Linus 270135)
It’s hard to go wrong with an all-star recording featuring Bobby Hackett, Urbie Green, Zoot Sims, Hank Jones, Slam Stewart, Mel Lewis and leader Peter Appleyard. While reviewer Thomas Cunniffe praises the music on the newly-released The Lost 1974 Sessions, there are severe problems with the production of the disc which call for a new…
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Phil Woods: “I Remember…” (Gryphon 788)
In 1978, Phil Woods composed and arranged I Remember…, an album-long suite which memorialized eight jazz masters: Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond, Oscar Pettiford, Oliver Nelson, Charlie Parker, Willie Rodriguez, Willie Dennis and Gary McFarland. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe notes that the album is also a memorial for Dr. Herb Wong, whose liner notes…
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Ella Fitzgerald & Ellis Larkins: “Pure Ella” (Decca/GRP CD 636)
In 1950, Ella Fitzgerald had the good sense to partner with pianist Ellis Larkins for the LP Ella Sings Gershwin. That classic album and its followup Songs in a Mellow Mood were reissued on CD several years ago on a disc appropriately titled Pure Ella. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe details why these recordings…