Live at the Village Vanguard [Live]

Wessell Anderson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 1, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Leaning House Jazz
• ASIN: B00000AGCN
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #428,548 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Now's the Time

2. Dis Here

3. Soul Eyes

4. Snake Charmer

5. I'll Remember April

6. The Star-Crossed Lovers

7. Quick Skeem

8. Red Top

Editorial Reviews

From Jazziz

There's no mistaking the gamesmanship when the laser hits the info on Wessell Anderson's Live at the Village Vanguard. Instead of just working a week and honing the pieces as Irby did, alto saxophonist Anderson bet the farm on the bandstand, documenting his quintet in the act. Those who've caught the genial leader live know that he helms a whirlwind of a band, and indeed this new disc is a tad more loose-limbed than his studio dates for Atlantic - both of which are gems, by the by.

The record mixes standards and originals, beginning with a sideways take on Boots Randolph's yackety sax called "African Cowboy." With an implied grin, it reminds us how far a little wit goes toward making complex improvisation seem a keenly entertaining art. The rhythm section of drummer Jaz Sawyer, bassist Steve Kirby, and pianist Xavier Davis boils over. And the group's sound is pretty much defined by animation. Rolling through the shopworn "I'll Remember April," Anderson makes it seem like he heard it for the first time that morning.

An extraordinarily resourceful improvisor, the saxophonist never blows blather while trying to drum up the next set of ideas. Because he foregrounds old-school blues and swing, lazy listeners have tended to cast him as a conservative. But his tart sound and natural sense of daring have all the intrigue and smarts of forebears such as Jackie McLean and Arthur Blythe. There's an audio verite feel to this Vanguard recording, and the grit of the ensemble has never been so evident.

--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Playful Warmdaddy, March 15, 2000

By 

Joe Corcoran (USa) - See all my reviews

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

Warmdaddy takes a different slant. Although he is well versed in traditonal jazz, he molds the formal structures into playful toons. Often you have to smile. African cowboy, for instance takes a cowboy jingle and makes it jazz. In the serpent, you can feel the snake climb your leg. In the Black Cat, on the Ways of Warmdaddy, the sax creats the image of a cat. So vivid, my dog gets angry.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warmdaddy is the man, November 12, 2001

By A Customer

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

Wess has a GREAT band in this album. The rhythm section is hot, but very responsive, and sensitive at the same time. This album has some INCREDIBLE playing by Wess. My favorite tunes are Snake Charmer, and Star-Crossed Lovers. This is a GREAT ALBUM.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Talent sometimes falters., October 27, 2005

By 

Stephen A. Smith (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

This album makes Wes Anderson sound like a lightweight. He isn't. He's one of the few Marsalis acolytes, along with Eric Reed, who absorbed the classics and carved an original voice. This live session followed two solid studio releases, and he hasn't recorded as a leader since. That's unfortunate, because this is a sour note to leave hanging in the air.

When most players record live albums, they tape a dozen shows and cherry-pick the tracks for release. I suspect Anderson decided beforehand that he was going to record a Vanguard album, but he couldn't book a week-long engagement -- so he just taped one gig and pressed the CDs. The result is thoroughly underwhelming.

At its weakest moments, this album sounds like a saxophonist playing along to Music Minus One. It peaks occasionally, and probably wasn't a bad gig to attend; but there's a higher standard if you're going to release a CD, and this music never comes close. Don't waste your money -- and don't let this form your opinion of Wes Anderson. Check him out elsewhere.