Customer Reviews

Matador/Inta Somethin'

5 star:		(4)
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I'm astonished that no one has reviewed this record - sure you see five stars everywhere for 'Whistle Stop' and Jackie McLean's 'Let Freedom Ring'- but this album is actually better than both, with twice as many tracks as either. This album features an earlier take of 'Melanie' from McLean's record that swings twice as hard as the later McLean quartet, especially because of Dorham's leadership. This album captures Dorham and McLean at their best, and most original,with their own sound just a few years out of the Blakey band and with their own hard-bop reedy thing *going-on*.I can't recommend this enough...Buy it and stick it in your bag of desert island discs...

This is a great two record combo. I bought them when they were single album CDs. I love Kenny Dorham but really got these records because I was tracking down all the records from my two main piano men, Walter Bishop, Jr. and Mr. Bobby Timmons. I can't believe that they put both records on a single CD. This thing must be hotter than nitroglycerin. Handle with care.

First let me discuss Inta Something. This is a live date from San Fran with the incredible Walter Bishop Jr. Bish sounds fantastic here. There are a couple of hard bop tunes and couple of standards and a blues. On my disc the laser is burning a hole through the It Could Happen to You track. I literally have the CD player on repeat as I write. I just can't stop listening to this song. They take it mid tempo here and Kenny's solo is off the rails beautiful and Art Taylor brings tears to my eyes. Bish's solo is energetic and full of his bop riffs and runs, nice rhythmic contrast to Kenny D. Jackie lays out on the track. This is a fantastic album. Seems like the players here are the underrated crew, Kenny D vs Miles, Jackie Mac vs Cannonball, Bish vs Wynton Kelly, and Art Taylor vs Art Blakey, but let me tell you something these guys smoke. They might not get the press that the A list guys do but they flat out swing.

The Matador is a really tight studio album with more Jackie Maclean and Mr. Bobby Timmons on the keys. I love me some Bobby Timmons and he sounds great on this record. Overall a really great solid hard bop album.

I can't believe that these two are now packaged as a twofer. Pick it up it is a great value and the two albums are fantastic. If you dig this you might want to check out Kenny Dorham's West 42nd Street album with Bish and Rocky Boyd on Tenor. The do a great So What send off called Why Not? and Stella and Samba de Orfeus. I think it lead by Boyd but after his early demise it is now under Kenny D's name.

The twenty first century, now past its first decade, has moved well past the style of jazz music years 1950's and 1960's. Kenny Dorham, Jackie McLean, Leroy Vinnegar, Bobby Timmons, Walter Bishop, Art Taylor; young leaders of that time, mostly gone. Personally, having heard this ensemble, searched time find the music. Now, its mine.
Music on album "Inta Somethin'/Matador" captures a high point in the work of those musicians.

Caveat: I like my music like my coffee--sans milk and sugar. This CD is espresso!! I concur with the first reviewer (other than diminishing Whistle Stop and Let Freedom Ring) but want to add a few points. One, I love Jackie Mac and KD and own most of their releases. Two, the Inta Somethin' set is a live west coast night club date and they are smoking--especially McLean's incredible solo on Lover Man--powerful and raw. Three, J Mac, KD and BT are in incredible form on Matador's Melanie. I never heard Bobby Timmons play so forcefully on any of his other dates and I have all with the Messengers. Finally, this double LP CD is one of my desert island top 25--it's that good if you're into KD and J Mac.
Butch Walker