Jazz at Massey Hall (20 Bit Mastering) [Live, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, The Quintet, Max Roach | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 20, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Debut
• ASIN: B00006EXDS
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,498 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy Jazz has done it again!, August 20, 2002

By 

Jason Bunch "jdbunch" (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jazz at Massey Hall (20 Bit Mastering) (Audio CD)

This really is one of those essential recordings, but the previous release of it on cd was unbearable at times in terms of sound quality. It was easy to know that great music was being made, but you couldn't always hear it so clearly. Well, now you can. This remaster is yet another in the line of superb Fantasy remasters (the best out there in my opinion). Thanks to Fantasy's efforts, you can now hear every note blown by Dizzy and Bird, every bass hit from Mingus, every delicate note of Bud Powell and every drum beat of the wonderful Max Roach. Buy this immediatly if you don't have it already...and if you do, then you already know how important it is for you to buy this again in this format.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The concert to end all concerts., July 24, 2003

By 

Ronald H. Greer (Tallahassee, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz at Massey Hall (20 Bit Mastering) (Audio CD)

At Massey Hall, on that night in 1953, five great masters of the idiom shared the stage. And despite the pitiful turnout (the Beboppers had the misfortune of having to play on the same night as a prize-fight), the music was great. Bird was in top form, playing as brightly as he had in years - and on a plastic sax, no less. Dizzy was blowing to the rafters. Then, beneath these two invincible melodies were Bud, Max, and Mingus, who were weaving a splendid mesh for the frontmen to stand on. I'd give an arm and an eye to sit in that hall on that night (hell, there were plenty of vacant seats in the house anyway.)

Unfortunately for me or anyone else who'd sacrifice body parts to hear that wonder of musical creation first hand, there is no known method by which to travel back in time. It is also unlikely that donating body parts would improve the chances of the discovery of such a method in the near future. So what do we do?

Well, at present, there is only one thing to do: listen to this CD. Though Charlie Mingus's bootleg tapes were pretty low on the quality scale from the outset, this remastered edition makes quite a few improvements on the last CD edition. One of the most infuriating things has been corrected; namely, the the piano solos - they are clear now!

Other than that, the sound is just better all-around. Brings us a bit closer to 1953 - while we get to keep all of our limbs and organs! Just pay the money and wallow in the preserved genius of those five on that night.

Bird Lives!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular, October 8, 2002

By 

Blues Bro "bluesbro" (Lakewood, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Jazz at Massey Hall (20 Bit Mastering) (Audio CD)

I was not sure if this was going to be that good really. It was not recorded professionally and how much can they remaster that old reel tape? Boy, am I glad I gave it a shot and upgrade to this! The sound has been improved 100% at least.. the upgrade is mandatory. Remember that this edition is limited to 10,000 copies.