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4.0 out of 5 stars
What, you don't have this?? :-), March 14, 2003
The V.S.O.P. Quintet is an all-star agglomeration of sorts of 60's Blue Note jazz greats; think Miles Davis' 60's quintet with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet instead of Miles, OR the band that recorded Wayne Shorter's phenomenal _Speak No Evil_ with Tony Williams! as the drummer instead of Elvin Jones, OR the band that recorded _Maiden Voyage_ with Wayne Shorter on tenor instead of George Coleman. This band played in the late 70's, mostly in Japan it seems, as by that time acoustic jazz was completely passe in America (and not old enough yet to be retro), whereas it was huge in Japan.
This hard-to-find live recording (hope you see it up there under "Used and New"!) showcases the Quintet live in Tokyo in 1979. Compositions by all five members (Hancock, Shorter, Hubbard, Carter, and Williams) are featured on this disc, many of them unavailable elsewhere, to my knowledge. It's a terrific performance (although the twangy, nasal bass sound that was so typical of the period is unfortunate), and fun to listen to.
One of the most exciting things about this performance is actually the audience! The liner notes go on and on about how much and endlessly it rained that night, and how in this outdoor performance how wet everything and everybody got, and this audience is certainly hardcore to be out there, mostly without umbrellas or rain gear. They cheer this band on like rock stars, and it's really heart-warming. Incredibly responsive to the Quintet's every move, a signature moment is in "Fragile", when Tony Williams begins the song with a series of cymbal crashes, and the crowd lets up a rousing cheer between each one. Hard to believe Herbie Hancock did his disco album the same year as this.
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