Customer Reviews

Live at Peacock Lane Hollywood

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

 

 

Maynard always generated a lot of excitement at his performances, so his fans never tired of hearing him live. Now that Maynard is gone, we can feel fortunate that he left us some outstanding live recordings, and this is one of them. Those who never got an opportunity to hear Maynard in concert may be tempted to think that his remarkable range and power on the trumpet were produced with the help of studio tricks or numerous retakes. These live recordings demonstrate that he could do it all without tricks and in real time.
Some of the arrangements in this set can be heard on Maynard's other recordings. For example, he recorded Bill Holman's "Dancing Nightly" a few times, and "Geller's Celler" reappeared a couple of times, each time under a different title depending on who was the featured. (In this case it was Herb Geller on alto sax.) Overall, this album draws from some of the best big band arrangers of the time: Al Cohn, Jimmy Giuffre, Neal Hefti, Johnny Mandel, and Marty Paich. From barn-burners and swingers to ballads and blues, these tracks recreate a great performance both in the ensemble work and the solos. There's even a novelty medley called "Christmas for Moderns" to give you something for your holiday playlist.
As I post this review, there are four releases of this CD available on Amazon and its affiliates at a wide range of prices, so shop around for the best deal. If you want more albums featuring Maynard live, I recommend "A Message from Birdland" (1959) and "M.F. Horn 4 & 5" (1974).

Maynard at his best, in Birdland Dream Band period...killer sidemen like Mel Lewis, Richie Kamuca, and Willie Maiden are feautured, in addition to Maynard...nice balance of up tempo numbers and ballads like "My Funny Valentine"

the packaging and cd itself are that of a brand new item, and the sound quality in the cd is excellent.

Maynard at his best, in Birdland Dream Band period...killer sidemen like Mel Lewis, Richie Kamuca, and Willie Maiden are feautured, in addition to Maynard...nice balance of up tempo numbers and ballads like "My Funny Valentine"