Great Friends

Sonny Fortune | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 4, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Evidence
• ASIN: B00008MHB1
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,457 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Cal Massey

2. Is It Not True Simply Because YOu Cannot Believe It?

3. Thoughts

4. Equipoise

5. Synapse

6. East Harlem Nostalgia

7. Insight

8. Awakening

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Forgotten Jazz masters. fase #_____________, March 20, 2005

By 

Peppino - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Great Friends (Audio CD)

Musics from 1986, it seems like only yesterday I found a disc , grazii mille to a friend who operated a Jazz record store and imported this Billy Hart recording session , really a cooperative "leaderless" contribution by all 5 legends of "post -hard bop" JAZZ world!

The flexibility of bop and modal soundscapes, mixed with the "free jazz" sensibilities ALL "friends" posess and the beautiful composing of all make this session a 1000 stars affair!

Despite the current commercialization of jazz musics (to the extent that "they" can commercialize jazz) and the accolades given to so many so-called "young lions" who might not deserve the credits they receive while these fine musicians have been passed over , more/less.

Musics as this still see the light of day again, big thanks to labels as Evidence. These recording labels still define the quality of musics over bottom line sales as well as they are able and we are lucky that they still survive this "McDonald hamburger" era of "sameness equals 'normal'".

Conformity is for squares, 'mano, hehehehe!

There really are no finer front line , musicians who are "brothers in sound" , but posessing each a completely unique and innovative idiom as Sonny Fortune (the northerner)on alto and Texas tenor man Billy Harper.

Cliche as "firey", innovative", passionate are not enough to describe both men's contribution to jazz, and to this recording specifically! They burn as a star, out of control but tamed only by the mystical physical laws! Intricate and delicious lines from start to finish .

Stanley Cowell on piano is not only the same innovative improvisor, but a first rate composer as many already know. The classic "Equipoise" is given the complete treatment here , again!

Reggie Workman (bass) and Billy Hart (drums), do they need any introductions, both 1st call musicians on their respective instruments, and keep time from the metronomic to the most "flexive", they dance and play with the ritmos with furious abandon.

Anyone applied disciple of the Strata East, Black Jazz, Inner City, etc labels will love this set, with everything from the altered blues tribute to another unsung jazz maestro, "Cal Masssy" to the modal contemporary "Synapse" and the Coltrane infused "Awakening", this session logs over 65 minutes of musical magics!

These stellar musicians must be in your constellation, and this recording one of the many reason why!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT FRIENDS AND GREAT PLAYERS, April 18, 2008

By 

K. Prousalis "papillon" (drama GREECE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great Friends (Audio CD)

Well its about time to put things in the right order.WE HAVE HERE FIVE EXCELLENT JAZZ MUSICIANS which play with all their heart and all their mind focused in the real values of jazz.THEY PLAY MAINLY FOR THE HONOUR AND THE TRADITION OF JAZZ AND NOT FOR THEIR NAMES .They play just the opposite to the empty maistream of today they play contrary to what is regarded as an awful must of todays sterile repetitions .Although recorded twenty years ago it still keeps a lot of its fresh aroma.Maybe not so good in timing but has a lot of good improvisation aspects an airy sound and a special sonic signature of realism and authority .THIS RECORDING BELONGS NOT IN THE PAST NOT IN THE FUTURE OF JAZZ . IT BELONGS TO THE PERSONALITY AND IDIOSYNCRACY OF JAZZ WITH A LOT OF SENTIMENTAL VALUE IN ITS LUGGAGE .

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard Bop delight, July 9, 2008

By 

O. Alessandro "Alino" (Felliniland, Italy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Great Friends (Audio CD)

A very good session with a brilliant group of leaders. It's a particoular pleasure for me to listen piano great Stanley Cowell surrouded by some musicians at his level. They're clearly all enjoying their time together, here, as showed by the music they play.