Customer Reviews

Blackstone Legacy

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

the writer of the linear notes of the original release compared this recording to miles davis' bitches brew. nothing can be further from the truth. first of all there are no guitars on blackstone legacy. bitches brew has three pianists. on the legacy george cables handles the pianos. unlike bitches brew the legacy doesn't want to bring jazz in an entire different direction by including rock and electronic music. the legacy begins with standard jazz statements and ensembles and lays a groundwork with bass players ron carter and clint houston and lenny white on drums.

bennie maupin and gary bartz, doing the horn work, were used by miles during the 70s, maupin on bitches brew and bartz later on a couple of recordings. at that time nobody was playing bass clarinet like maupin and bartz was the best alto player the 70s produced, so it made good music sense for miles to recruit them. but on legacy they get to stretch within the jazz idiom. listen to bartz on lost and found and new world.

there's nothing brooding or introspective about woody shaw's playing, here if his playing reminds me of anyone it's freddy hubbard.

the strength of the compositions is their length, except for a deed for dolphy, all over ten minutes. boo-ann's grand, a shorter version, appears on jackie mclean's demon's dance.

The comparisons between Blackstone Legacy and Bitches Brew are irresistible, yet somewhat misleading. Upon listening to this recording after many years, Blackstone Legacy has much more in common with a slew of music recorded during this very narrow slice of jazz history, including Gary Bartz' NTU Troop (Harlem Bush Music), Pharoah Sanders' Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun) and Thembi, Roy Haynes Hip Ensemble (Equipoise), Herbie Hancock (Mwandishi), Mtume's Umoja Ensemble, Lee Morgan (his last album) and Doug Carn (Infant Eyes), among others. But I am not merely nostalgic here. These recordings were part blowing sessions and part thematic, mirroring a continued desire for liberation and cultural sensibilities in the arts and in politics. Anyone expecting the rhythms to be "funk-rock" will be very disappointed. Shaw's recording it has endured time through melodic compositions that provide a stellar ensemble with plenty of room for improvisation.

I wanted to like this album when I bought the vinyl twofer. I wanted to like this album when it was reissued--in slightly truncated form--on CD. But I still don't like it that much. It's that I like the idea of the album more than the execution. Lots of wonderful and gifted musicians--Gary Bartz, George Cables, et al--but it still doesn't succeed for me. I think Woody Shaw was one of the great trumpeters; I just appreciate his other albums more than this one.

...FROM THE SCHOOL OF MILES!!! What was a Rare and Hard To Find Double Vinyl Album is now on 1 (One) Compact Disc! Clocking in at almost 79:00 (Seventy-Nine Minutes). TAKE NOTE!...This album is not 100% (One Hundred Percent) musically like Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" which would be deemed as Jazz-Rock-Fusion this is Jazz-Fusion, and is a little smoother. Joining Woody Shaw on this project (His first as a leader) was: Bennie Maupin, Lenny White, and Ron Carter who ALL played with Miles Davis...The first 2 (Two) actually played on the "Bitches Brew" album. To round out the musicians you have: Gary Bartz, George Cables, and Clint Houston. Everybody soars to new heights on an album that will give you Jazz-Fusion album collection that extra added plus!

Being a big Woody Shaw fan, I was elated when they put the two LP's on one CD. This is definitely one for your collection if you are a true bebopper.

Mr. Jazz WRIR-FM Richmond,VA