Live at Monterey [Live]

Don Ellis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 28, 1998)
• Original Release Date: 1966
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000009EAC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,265 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly accessible and exciting music, January 16, 2000

By 

Gerhard Auer (Leoben, Steiermark Austria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at Monterey (Audio CD)

If you ever tried to find a melody that fits seamlessly into a meter like 19/8 or 27/16 without sounding forced or predictable, you know how difficult this is to manage. Fluent improvisation in such a complex rhythmic context is, of course, an even harder task. Similar (and, mostly, less complex) experiments by other artists have sounded pretty acedemic; but that's not that kind of 'Well, let's try some new strange meter and see what comes out' stuff - and no 'difficult' or forbidding music, either. The main difference to some less successful records in a similar vein is that the Don Ellis Orchestra SWINGS LIKE HELL! Ellis's quarter tone trumpet in particular dances completely naturally above some of the oddest rhythmic structures you'll ever hear (without being polyrhythmic or free) - something that's quite common in some Eastern music cultures but has rarely been done in Jazz, at least not in such a fully convincing and stimulating way. Emotional highlights of the CD are 33 222 1 222 (the title describes the meter of the track - pretty tricky foot tapping... NB: This piece is not listed above, but it's on the CD!) and the previously unreleased 'Beat Me Daddy, 7 To The Bar', a boogie in 7/8 time. - If you ever considered Dave Brubeck's Time Out, Time Further Out and Time Even A Bit More Out albums (you get the idea) a shade too tame and cool - here's the real thing!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where it all began, April 21, 2006

By 

pjimmy (Poway, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at Monterey (Audio CD)

This album has great insight as to how Ellis and his band could capture an audience.

In the introduction by Jimmy Lyons, you can hear the smattering of courtesy applause from an audience that had no idea of what was about to happen. After the end of the first selection "33 222 1 222", it was clear that the crowd realized they were witnessing something amazing.

By the end of the performance, based on the reaction of the crowd, he not only had the audience hooked, he had 'em landed, cleaned, filleted and fried!

"Concerto for Trumpet" is my favorite selection because I had the chance to hear Don perform it live. It's the piece that got me and the audience "hooked" in 1969.

He was an absolute genius at his craft. Imagine what he could have done with another 20 years?

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Waiting for "Tears Of Joy" on CD, but this is good, January 24, 2003

By 

Gunnar Wiskoff (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live at Monterey (Audio CD)

I got Live at Monterey in my CD collection so I could hopefully scratch a Don Ellis itch that I've been having. Unfortunately, I really need to hear "Tears Of Joy" on CD to really get relief. I have it on vinyl, but it doesn't do a bit of justice to the softer parts, as I hear the needle running through the groove better than I can hear the string quartet.

"Tears Of Joy" really needs to be released onto CD! It's a phenomenal live recording, and it's just not my opinion that it's Ellis' best work.

Look on the web. Do a search on "Tears Of Joy" and you'll get sites that say "my personal favorite" and other similar statements. Then tell Koch Jazz to get busy on getting it out!!