Customer Reviews

Max Roach Quartet

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I really get sick of these lames who discourage people from checking out great sessions because the audio isn't phenomenal. Anyone who says this audio is no better than that of Jazz at Massey Hall, is doing a irresponsibly horrible injustice to this session and its very imaginative, fresh arrangements and soloing. Fact is, the audio is FAR better than Massey Hall. It just sounds like a two-mic session in a small room, but everything is captured (credit the great engineering for achieving this with so little technology to work with!).

To really illustrate how lame that "Massey Hall" comparison is, compare for yourself. One of the problems with the Massey Hall recording is there's almost no bass--which is why Mingus took it upon himself to dub in new bass parts, and that's how that concert was released for many years until finally, a few years back, the original recording of the concert was released. The point of comparing is this: there's no comparison! Anyone who can't hear that all the instruments are at least acceptably and clearly captured on MAX ROACH QUARTET--including Franklin Skeete's big bass tone and the detail of Max's perfect solos--is ineptly unqualified to be reviewing here, and should not be preconditioning potential buyers, listeners of great art. Sad.

The session's "Glow Worm" is an unsung classic and an example of how great artists can make greatness from any tune. Pity the reviewers who have their ears so far up their butts that they simply judge a tune...by its title. I've loved this session for many years, since its original OJC LP reissue back in the '80s. The SLIGHT wow on a couple tracks never ever ruined this music for me. I've always hoped musicians would study this session, so that they might transcribe the arrangements and re-record this music. I guess I gotta commission someone to do that! Or do it myself!

But as long as the irresponsible and self-glorified lame reviewers hammer the point about the acceptable audio...

By the way, if you've let yourself be swayed away from this CD by that other LAME review, the CD is currently out of print--it's not even available to download--and you can't buy it now for less than $30.

This recording was made one month before the legendary "Jazz at Massey Hall" date featuring Max with Diz, Bird, Bud and Mingus. Whereas the latter is truly an historic recording, this one is more of an "historic curiosity," the first extended solo outing by Hank Mobley.

Though recorded in a New York studio, the audio quality is no better than that on the Massey Hall perfomance, which was captured on the marginal equipment Mingus brought with him to Toronto. The tenor saxophone is foregrounded, whereas all of the other instruments, including drums, are undermiked. After an amateurish start on Roach's "Cou-Manchi-Cou," Mobley plays with confidence and authority (though he would sound better several years later on the Mercury release, "The Max Roach 4 Plays Charlie Parker"). Some of the tune choices are questionable ("Glow Worm") and the arrangements for four horns downright dubious. Besides limited fidelity and uneven balance, the recording has noticeable "wow" and surface noice (obviously the digital transfer was made from a disk).

No need to purchase this one unless you're a Mobley completist (besides several worthy solos, he contributes 4 of the 9 tunes) or a Roach-oholic (the last two tracks are unaccompanied drum solos--poorly recorded).