Customer Reviews

Matador

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Flowing and endlessly inventive in its own right, "Matador" is also a great musical document in that it unites half of John Coltrane's quartet and Sonny Rollins' bassist (Bob Cranshaw) behind Green's liquid guitar. While Coltrane in particular was in the midst of reinventing jazz as we know it at the time of this release (1965), his sidemen, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones, seem perfectly at ease with Green's relaxed but firmly swinging approach.

Particularly interesting from an historical perspective is Green's reworking of "My Favorite Things," the show tune that Coltrane had made famous in 1960. Trane reworked it many times, and by the time of his volcanic performance at the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival, it bore little resemblance to the gentle, Eastern-flavored waltz he'd created three years before.

Green brings "My Favorite Things" back to the way Coltrane originally recorded it. Tyner plays the familiar recurring vamp and Jones sets up the waltz beat over which he lays multiple rhythms. Because Green played a single-note style with little or no chording, the guitar easily takes the place of Trane's soprano sax.

The only way that I can describe Green's solo on the tune is that it sings. He stays with the complexity of Jones' drumming as well as Trane would and remains in firm control throughout the course of a great solo that recalls the saxophonist's work and phrasing without ever sacrificing his own unique voice. Careful jazz listeners who have not already done so will enjoy playing Grant's version of "My Favorite Things" back to back with any and all of Trane's incarnations.

The CD includes a great bonus track as well: the Bacharach tune "Wives and Lovers," which was recorded by Dionne Warwick. The original tune fairly oozes swinging '60s easy listening cheese, but as with nearly all Bacharach tunes it retains a nugget of melodic intelligence and integrity and Grant finds this core and taps it.

In fact, all the tunes on the release are nearly impeccable, so the inclusion of "Bedouin" from the great and underrated composer/pianist Duke Pearson is no surprise. Pearson's version on the now-deleted Blue Note release "Wahoo!" is a great Middle Eastern-flavored minor gem, and Green again proves himself up to the task of covering it, as he exploits its minor-keyed, exotic sound. Tyner, as elsewhere, works seamlessly behind Green and contributes a crystalline solo.

In 1965 pop music was getting ready to embark on an era when rock groups would think nothing of spending weeks and months on a recording session. Think of that when you put on "Matador," which Green and company recorded in one session. Yet "Matador" for some reason never found its way to the record bins (except in Japan) until Michael Cuscuna recently rescued it. Go figure.

Some might say that it takes guts to use Coltrane's rhythm section from "My Favorite Things" and go into the studio to do that song as the centerpiece of an album, but Grant Green was a musician to pull it off--with spades. Maybe it's just that I spent so many hours of my wasted youth in listening to Coltrane, but I find Green's rendition of the song as interesting as Coltrane's. And there are some tracks that surpass that even. "Matador" showcases Green as among the most inventive and skillful improvisors of his generation. The title song is a catchy melody replete with improvisational possibilities, and Green exploits them to the fullest. This was a guitar player who could turn a song inside out and discover the possibilities of a simple structure. On the popular front he was eclipsed by Wes Montgomery and George Benson, but his skills are more on the level of Jim Hall (the consummate guitar master to my mind). Tyner's solo on the title track is an excellent example of his improvisational technique at its best. "Matador" is a fine recording, and to my hearing Green's version of "My Favorite Things" is equal to Coltrane's. The rhythm section sounds familiar, but Grant Green's guitar has a linear fullness that washes Coltrane's soprano saxophone from my ear. The solos that emerge from the little riff of Green's "Green Jeans" are magnificently clear and clean--linear in movement and coherence. In Duke Pearson's "Bedouin" Green's explicit statement of the theme is followed with intricate variations. Tyner follows, and Elvin Jones' drum solo is a Jones solo--full of texture and variety. It's a Jones solo. Not as predictable as Blakey, man. The bonus track is Bert Bacharach's "Wives and Lovers," and it's not bad.

I felt very surprised when I heard Green's version of "My Favorite Things", and backed by Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner.
Having Green's inventive guitar work in place of Coltrane's passionate sax, allows one to better compare this music with some of the more transcendental, guitar-influenced, polyrhythmic rock music that came out around the time of this recording
(Hendrix, Doors, Santana, etc.). One can really hear the influence of artists like Coltrane, Green, Tyner, and Jones on rock musicians. Actually on this recording Green makes a strong case for the belief that all the good riffs and sounds in rock music have been sampled or stolen from jazz and blues greats. I mean, listen to Bedouin, or My Favorite Things, and ask yourself if you've ever heard more thoughtful, enlightening jam sessions. Green, Jones, Tyner, and Cranshaw are all very lyrical musicians, and to have them come together on this recording represents a truely special occassion in Jazz. It doesn't get much better than this in a quartet setting.

Over the last few months I have been buying various CDs featuring Grant Green as leader after hearing him as side man on many sessions. On the whole I have been a bit disappointed. He seems to get lost amongst the organ, or when he improvises he could be described as liking his own sound too much for his combos as though he was playing at a gig.
On this Cd, however, he is completely in balence. Only going too far for 10 seconds in the whole session. This CD was released on vinyl in Japan in the 80's but apart from that rare item, we can only wonder why this was not released at the time of recording. It is a marvellous trip into a liberal, but not free kind of jazz, indeed the enjoyment of the combo improvisations seem tangible, the tracks the right length, and the tunes sometimes harping back to the classics, sometimes original, always at the top of the game. His sidemen are of extremely high quality and the CD xfer sounds well done too.
I cannot recommend this guitar led combo more.

Not much else I can say apart from what the fan from Milwaukee said. This is Grant Green. He works great with Elvin. And they've done a whole bunch together... with and without Larry Young. Check them all out. Keep Green's name alive!

This albums is beautiful. It is real nice to hear them cook on My Favorite Things. I always wonder what Coltrane's Atlantic version of the song would have sounded like had it been recorded by Bluenot. But by this time, Elvin and McCoy had been playing the song for almost 5 years. They knew every in and out, every nook & cranny. Sounds like they enjoyed the freshness of this version with Green. And Green he is. He introduces simplicity to the song, but lifts the song like a balloon in the breeze.

Matador, the song, has that Green styled sound to it. A lot like Jean De Fleur on Idle Moments. As does Green Jeans, another Green original. Both tunes work up a nice, smooth medium tempo, with some mean guitar licks, filled with all sorts of space and feel.

Bedoiun is a treat. Grant played on this Duke Pearson original for the recent release of Bobby Hutcherson's The Kicker which had been sitting in the Bluenote vaults for 35 years. Curiously, Mike Cuscuna who was the reissue producer and liner note writer for The Matador and The Kicker, writes in this album (Matador) that The Kicker was a somewhat disappointing session, and then in the liner notes for The Kicker has mostly nothing but praise. Go figure. Listen to it yourself. Pick it up! Grant is playing on that one too... albeit only on three tracks! But they're good.

So I'd say though, pick this album up. Idle Moments and Talkin' About are great... classics! But this one is too. Get it. The sound is pretty nice Bob Cranshaw's bass is a little muddy, but the rest sounds nice. This session is real nice...

Grant Green was an unassuming personality. Yet, he had the self-confidence to record a set with John Coltrane's rhythm section at the peak of their fame. To top it off, they recorded "My Favorite Things," which had become Coltrane's signature tune. To my ears, this interpretation is better, with momentum maintained throughout. The title track is another finger-snapping up-tempo swinger. The rock of this session is drummer Elvin Jones. His busy, constant chatter prevents Grant from letting up in his intensity. McCoy Tyner seems to enjoy the change-of-pace. This music and the Idle Moments album are the highlights of Grant's career and among the finest in the Blue Note legacy.

If you are a Jazz fan and are looking to venture into Grants Greenery this is the one to get. This album and the classic Idle Moments are probably Grant's best albums. Free flowing, the Matador has a real improvisationational feel to it. Part of the reason is Grant Greens near flawless playing another is his accompaning group. Anong them are Elvin Jones and McCoy tyner, and Bob Cranshaw all ore no slouches here. What makes the matador such a good album is the interratcion between Green, Jones and Tyner they all seem to really complement one another and push each other to new musical heights. The albums center piece is the ambitious my favorite things, which gives Mr. Coltrane's version a real run for the money. Imagine what it would've sounded like to hear both of them jam on the same tune. Other standouts is the grant green composed green jeanes, the completative bedouin and the unrealeased track wives and lovers. There's not much more that I can add to any of the other great comments that have been posted about this album. A worthy pick up for fans of grant green and jazz. We all can't be wrong.

I find Jazz, as a genre, difficult to review. I mean I know why I like a Jazz CD, but getting that over into the written word, especially as I am far from a Jazz critic per se, has proved difficult to me over the years. But I couldn't let the chance of not expressing my delight in this CD pass by, so please excuse my ignorant with regard jazz terms and icons. The first reason why I was drawn to Mr. Grant Green, is, after reading his bio, he seems a un heard of name. I mean I have heard of Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, and the like, but not Mr. Green. Upon discovering him, I choose this 1965 release to start my education. And what a education it is. As one of my fellow reviewers mentions else where it sounds like he is singing on his guitar playing. You can hear that most clearly on 'Matador'. I feel he was brave to want to venture onto a song that Mr. Coltrane had his own 'My favorite Things. I'll leave it up to you to decide if it holds it's own, but being a Jazz guitar lover, over the saxophone, I must say I prefer the version on offer here.
Things continue in the same vein with' Green Jeans', and 'Bedouin'. Words can't describe the beauty, at least not this reviewer, but trust me here's an artist in full control of his art. If that's not all, we also have the pleasure of the bonus cut 'Wives and Lovers'.
Mr. Green has remained in the shadows of the aforementioned jazz greats (especially Mr. Montgomery) and died in obscurity in 1979, at the age of 43, after battling a drug problem for many years, but left a body of work that all lovers of the jazz guitar should check out & see that he truly was the unsung hero of his generation. This is an excellent place to start. I doubt that you'll be disappointed

Another "cool jazz" classic by the talented Mr. Green. This was Grant's best effort from his traditional jazz years which ran thru the mid 60's, before he started to experiment with soul, funk, and bebop later in his career. Standouts from the album include "My Favorite Things" & "Bedouin".
Grant was probably the most under-appreciated jazz artist to ever record an album. Since his untimely death at the age of 43, he has slowly begun to attract the critical accaim he deserved. The evolution of "acid jazz" in the 90's, also lead a resurgence of younger fans as Grant's music was very popular in the genre.

This cd and "Solid" are two of Grant Green's best cd's. Both were recorded with Coltrane's rhythm section, and both are classics. On this one, Grant does his own rendition of "My Favorite Things," and it's great. If you like jazz guitar, this is a must have cd!