Jazz Lab & Modern Jazz Perspective

Donald Byrd, Gigi Gryce | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collectables
• ASIN: B0000008ZH
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,914 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Speculation

2. Over the Rainbow

3. Nica's Tempo

4. Blue Concept

5. Little Niles

6. Sans Souci

7. I Remember Clifford

8. Early Morning Blues

9. Elgy

10. Stablemates

11. Steppin' Out

12. Social Call

13. An Evening in Casablanca

14. Satellite

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good disciplined stuff., September 23, 2008

By 

Des Francis (Edmonton, AB CANADA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Jazz Lab & Modern Jazz Perspective (Audio CD)

Viewing the jazz scene in New York circa 1955-60 is serious work. The level of activity was mind-boggling, and it's worth noting how well a lot of this material stands up 60 years later, unlike so much contemporaneous pop music -- much of which was an embarrassment 5 minutes after it was done.

While I was familiar with all the musicians on this double-album set, I didn't know much about the Jazz Lab. Well-executed rigour from Byrd & Gryce in their playing I had grown accustomed to; I also admired Gryce's arranging talents. But this workshop-style outfit -- yet another variation on Miles Davis' Nonet -- was something else again, with the bonus of Byrd's being a rather better trumpet player.

The blues cooker 'Blue Concept' stood out for me, as well as Gryce's superb arrangement of Benny Golson's 'Stablemates' (better, I think, than I've heard the composer do it).

In all, a very nice set with imaginative arrangements at a reasonable price. The re-mastering -- for 1995 -- is respectable. Recommended.