Akhenaten Suite (Live at Vision Festival XII)

The Roy Campbell Ensemble, Roy Campbell, Billy Bang, Bryan Carrott, Hilliard Greene, Zen Matsuura | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: March 11, 2008
• Label: AUM Fidelity
• Copyright: 2008 AUM Fidelity
• Genres:
• ASIN: B001456ICE
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,123 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great jazz, March 29, 2008

By 

sam (midwest) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Akhenaten Suite: Live at Vision Festival Xii (Audio CD)

Exciting compositions--jazz with Middle Eastern flourishes--coupled with the unusual frontline combination of trumpet, violin, and vibes result in some really intriguing and fun music. The music reminds me of some of Duke Ellington's 60s suites played in a 60s Blue Note vein.

Billy Bang and Roy Campbell are veterans who play from the heart.... sincere and immediate, nothing contrived. The concert is well-recorded, incidentally. Recommended

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Roy's very good live date, October 26, 2008

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Louis O. Moore "third eye" (Lancaster, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Akhenaten Suite: Live at Vision Festival Xii (Audio CD)

This is a great conceptual development by Roy Campbell in using eastern influences and unconventional instrumentation to produce an interesting date. Billy Bang on violin was a great choice for this date because they apparently have a musical bond. Billy Bang also showed his ability to incorporate eastern styles into his music with "Vietnam: The Aftermath" and "Vietnam: Reflections". Bryan Carrott gives the music an otherwordly feel with his vibraharp. The musicians play with passion for most of the recording. Roy Campbell occasionally soars on his trumpet. However, there is some sloppiness. "Akhenaten" is played with great fire and energy, but Roy Campbell and Billy Bang were out of sync when restating the head at the end of the song. Nevertheless this is a solid album worth the investment.

5.0 out of 5 stars cowboy in the boat of ra, May 21, 2009

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Case Quarter (CT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Akhenaten Suite: Live at Vision Festival Xii (Audio CD)

highly melodic and accessible. though i scratch my head at the egyptian titles. i didn't hear any egyptian influences. what i did hear were hispanic influences from the western world, chick corea's spain and strains of the american southwest and mexico, music for adulterated caballeros, the cowboys, particularly on the last piece 'sunset on the nile'. i kind of get the feeling campbell was reading ishmael reed's poem 'a cowboy in the boat of ra' when he composed the music and chose the titles.

on the other hand i know nothing about egyptian music, and maybe egyptian music sounds a lot like certain forms of hispanic music.

i like campbell's music. no exception here. i even recommended his music to my local library.

roy campbell on trumpet, flugelhorn, recorders and arghul
billy bang on violin
bryan carrott on vibraharp
hilliard greene on bass
zen matsuura on drums