Memos From Paradise

Eddie Daniels | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Grp Records
• ASIN: B000008AP8
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,370 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Breakthrough" follow-up approaches the same heights, June 3, 2003

By 

J. Levinson (Media, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Memos From Paradise (Audio CD)

After his 1986 "Breakthrough" masterpiece, Eddie Daniels leapt again into third stream jazz on this album released in 1988, playing music mostly composed by keyboardist Roger Kellaway, including the four-part "Memos from Paradise.", which moves often in the direction of chamber music. Kellaway also arranged all of the music, includings Eddie's composition "Dreaming". Most of the tunes feature a string quartet, which provides colorful contrast to Eddie's melodious warbling.

"Spectralight" opens the program on an upbeat, with boppish passages that allowed Kellaway to use the clarinet and strings in the manner of a lead alto over a sax section, and Daniels is given ample space to improvise. Marimba (Dave Samuels), harp (Gloria Agostini), and percussion, replace the strings on "Eight Pointed Star", an impressionistic, low-key work that has hints of an Oriental tinge. Kellaway uses acoustic and electric pianos alternately, and a fine rhythm section of bassist Eddie Gomez and either Terry Clarke or Al Foster on drums provide support. Daniels' clarinet is the main voice throughout, displaying his virtuosity and improvising ability in equal measure.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mostly jazz, plus classical influence, all brilliant, December 23, 2010

By 

James A. Vedda (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Memos From Paradise (Audio CD)

Don't let the album's title and the presence of a string quartet make you think this is overly mellow background music. On the contrary, this 1988 recording is another brilliant jazz-classical crossover from consummate clarinetist Eddie Daniels, with all the excitement we've come to expect from him.

Roger Kellaway deserves equal billing on this album. In addition to playing keyboards, he composed all the tracks except one (the Daniels original "Dreaming") and wrote all the string arrangements. Kellaway and Daniels have collaborated extensively; an excellent recent example is their 2009 album Duet of One (Dig).

"Spectralight" and "Homecoming" offer plenty of bopish energy, "Love of My Life" is a beautiful ballad, and "Dreaming" and "Heartline" demonstrate what happens when light jazz meets virtuoso soloist. "Eight-Pointed Star" and the four-part "Memos from Paradise" suite bring in the modern classical flavor, but still with plenty of jazz influence, especially in "Capriccio Twilight" and sections of "Flight of the Dove." The string quartet is on eight of the 10 tracks, adding tone colors that you don't commonly hear on jazz albums. Overall, this is satisfying on multiple levels, and is not to be missed by those who appreciate both jazz and classical music.