Live at the Village Vanguard

Bill Charlap | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 22, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000PC6FP2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,847 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #61 in Music > Jazz > Modern Postbebop

Editorial Reviews

BILL CHARLAP TRIO LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Snapshot of an Excellent Trio, May 31, 2007

By 

Buddy Bolden (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Village Vanguard (Audio CD)

After many years of widespread acclaim as one of the best working groups in mainstream jazz, the Bill Charlap Trio has finally issued its first live recording, and the results are most impressive. Individually, the group's members are all virtuoso musicians of the highest caliber, and in any setting they can be counted upon to deliver vivid, engaging performances (see for example Charlap's collaborations with Warren Vaché and Peter Washington's work with the great Tommy Flanagan). However, when they play together their rapport is so strong that each seems to bring out the best in the others, and even on the trio's studio recordings they sometimes attain a level of controlled intensity that is downright mesmerizing, both on uptempo numbers and on slow ballads. Here, they reach that level again and again, and the interplay among them is consistently thrilling; each plays with great energy and creativity, but also with great precision, and they are so perfectly attuned to one another that when they improvise together they do so with a degree of cohesion and unity that is nothing short of astonishing. ("My Shining Hour" provides an especially good example of this.) Their own enjoyment of what they can do is both palpable and infectious, and while they never indulge in the kind of showboating that sometimes mars live recordings, the presence of an attentive and appreciative audience does seem to inspire them. The sounds made by that audience are not the least bit obtrusive, but their applause helps to create a pleasant atmosphere of immediacy, as does the immaculate sound achieved by engineer Joel Moss. The disc is also nicely programmed, though there are fewer rarities than one might expect given Charlap's extensive knowledge of the American songbook and his penchant for reintroducing overlooked but worthy material.

In all, this is a most welcome document of an exceptional group in action. It is also long overdue, so let's hope that volume two will follow in short order!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was there! This is THE Bill Charlap album to get, April 26, 2008

By 

Guy S. Wiggins "Big Wiggy" (New York CIty) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live at the Village Vanguard (Audio CD)

First off, I had the great good fortune to actually be in attendance that week at the Vanguard when they were recording the music that eventually became this album. I had heard that Charlap was a must see artist and I was not disappointed. It was an extraordinary trio and I remember being absolutely blown away by the swing, the musicality and the rapport this trio had. I've been seeing jazz for many years and it was without a doubt one of the best trios I had ever seen.

Immediately afterwards, I logged onto to Amazon and purchased several Charlap albums including the Bernstein Album and Stardust. They are both fine albums but they did not send me in the way that the music I heard at the Vanguard did and I did not think they captured the groove these guys were able to hit when I saw them live. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when this album came out. And indeed, it magically brings back to life the incredible music I saw that night. I can say without a doubt that every track is superb and it has quickly become one of my all time favorite jazz albums. I've listened to it at least 100 times now and I simply don't get tired of it. This is a classic jazz trio at the pinacle of the form. If you want to discover what Charlap and his trio is all about, this is the album to get.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was there, August 18, 2007

By 

R. J Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live at the Village Vanguard (Audio CD)

My friend and I saw two sets. To watch them up close was a riveting experience. The chemistry they have as a trio is remarkable. It was particularly enjoyable when they played what they new were superb passages. They would nod or smile briefly, knowing what they had played was special. For the second set, we were in the first row. Now; to have it captured on a CD is a real treat. See them if they come to your town. And get to the Vanguard at least once in your lifetime. It is Jazz's mecca.