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We Insist!: Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite (Candid 79002)
Over fifty years ago, Max Roach stunned the jazz world with his political Freedom Now Suite. Thomas Cunniffe re-examines the recording as part of an ongoing series of historical jazz record reviews.
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Miles Davis Live in Europe 1967 (Columbia/Legacy 94053)
Columbia/Legacy launches its latest series of Miles Davis recordings with a 3-CD/1-DVD set chronicling a fortnight tour of Europe in 1967. The quintet featuring Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams was in peak form, creating vastly different performances from night to night. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the set, and reveals what you won’t…
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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…