Customer Reviews

Like Someone in Love (24bt)

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

 

 

This most recent batch of RVG reissues (2/15 & 3/1/05) features some long neglected Blue Note titles, none rarer than this one, which has been out-of-print as a single disc for nearly 15 years. Of the half-dozen albums that this edition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (Art, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons and Jymie Merritt) recorded in 1960 and early 1961, the sessions from August 7 & 14, which yielded "A Night in Tunisia" (see my review) and "Like Someone in Love," are the finest. Indeed, enough material was recorded over those two dates for two LPs, and while "Tunisia" is generally considered the masterpiece, the selections assigned to "Like Someone in Love" deserve more recognition. In particular, the title track, a beautiful standard frequently featured in the Messenger live repertoire, and Wayne Shorter's "Sleeping Dancer Sleep On," which is one of the truly great Messenger tunes. The other three songs -- Lee Morgan's "Johnny's Blue" and the Shorter penned "Noise in the Attic" and "Giantis" -- further show the burgeoning writing talents of Art's frontline players, who later in the decade would be recognized as two of that generation's most gifted jazz composers. Any Messenger fan who did not get "Like Someone in Love" in its original CD incarnation or via the now OOP Mosaic Set, would be remiss not to fall in "Love" now.

No out takes, no extra cuts.None needed. Flat out, one of the best Jazz records I have ever listened to. That spans
40 years and thousands of recordings.Almost- in the same orbit as "Kind of Blue".Less magic, but more swing.
Shorter's tone is just majestic. A must have for jazz lovers.This review is based on my old, beautiful deep groove vinyl recording.The art on the cover is splendid,too.

It is hard to believe no one made a critic of this lonely work of art… This is an exceptional piece where Lee Morgan’s trumpet perfectly blends with Wayne Shorter’s sax…Bobby, Timmons is incredible…Especially in “Johnny’s blue”…It’s definitely on my top 20 list of jazz masterpieces.

Art Blakey recorded many fine jazz sessions in the 50's and 60's for bluenote, but this 1960 set, from an lp "Like Someone in Love" is one of hin most stunning sets ever. It is pretty much a mello set, but it swings and shows off Blaky's impeccable timing, and his leadeship skills, the players are awesome, the songs are unique and the solos exellent. This is one fine jazz album.

The sessions that produced the Jazz Messengers classic "A Night in Tunisia" yielded enough material for two albums. This one was released a few years later than the first. So it's only natural that one has to look at these tunes as leftovers that didn't make the original album. Still, leftovers as they may be, they are leftovers of an extravagant feast, and are of high, if not the highest, quality.

Honestly, the compositions aren't as good on this album as they are on "Tunisia." With the exception of "Sleeping Dancer Sleep On," Wayne Shorter's tunes aren't his best. "Giantis" is cool, but it is built off of the same classical piece as "Sincerely Diana," off of "Tunisia" so it feels like a bit of a rehashing if you've heard the other album. Lee Morgan's tune, "Johnny's Blue," is a blues which is notably similar to another one of his tunes. The lone standard, the title cut, is done nicely, but not as well as the original Jazz Messengers did it on "At The Cafe Bohemia." It's almost a self-conscious performance of a standard, unusual for a group who turned out a classic version of "It's Only A Paper Moon." The playing on the rest of the album is good, but it never goes to the next level as it does on "Tunisia." Alas, this album lives in the shadow of its partner. Still, it's full of good performances that are worth hearing if you like the Jazz Messengers.