Customer Reviews

Live at the Great American Music Hall Part I

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

 

 

If you are very, very dense and by a Maynard Ferguson cd not wanting a big, brassy sound.....You shouldn't be listening to music ever. In short this is a fantastic cd. Including timeless songs such as the searing trumpet feature of "Maria" and of course the one you almost always hear at a Maynard show, "Blue Birdland" the band is tight with one another, the solos go somewhere with excellent melodic ideas and of course Maynard Ferguson in his younger days with that huge sound that we all know and love him for. A must have for any Maynard fan.

This was one of MF's great bands - Randy Johnson on drums, Pete Jackson on the keys, Linn Bivano as lead trumpet. True, the group was primarily British flavored, but any music lover knows music is the universal language, and these cats have the golden touch. The orginal "Maria" sends chills down your spine with the masters soaring sound. The ensembles are great and face it, if you ever had the chance to hear Maynard in concert in the 1970's, this album - and volume II, will take you back to the golden age and the golden sound of the man. The only drawback, and a very minor one, is the conversion from the old original analog tape to digital seems a little "flat" but the selection is most definately a worthwhile addition to your Maynard library.

The first song is great, Lennon's mother. The introduction of each song takes about 1 minute and this is very boring, it takes the tempo away. I had expected more power and faster tracks.

THIS ALBUM IS MAYNARD'S MOSTLY BRITISH BIG BAND FROM THE EARLY 70'S. THE TUNES ARE ARRANGEMENTS OF 70'S POP MUSIC, FOR THE MOST PART. ALL TUNES ARE PLAYED FORTISSIMO! IF YOU LIKE LOTS OF BLAZING, SCREAMING TRUMPETS, THIS ALBUM IS FOR YOU. HOWEVER, SOME OF THE ENSEMBLE PLAYING IS A BIT SLOPPY AND SOME OF THE SOLOS ARE WAY TOO LONG.