Customer Reviews

Modern Day Jazz Stories

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

 

 

Courtney Pine has finally found his niche. I have every album that he has released in the U.S. I love his sound, especially this one, every track is smooth, especially the ones with Cassandra Wilson's sexy vocals. I've Known Rivers is an instant classic, so cool and it just flows. The Band really smokes on every cut, especially Dah Blessing. He is my 2nd favortie Sax player of all time. Only the immortal John Coltrane stands before him in my book. He is tremendously gifted and very underrated.

Don't be confused by the title. This record will satisfy your sensibilities regardless of your era.

Red wine accompanies this CD perfectly on a Sunday afternoon. Great live music well translated to CD.

Let me give the disclaimer that I'm not the worlds biggest jazz fan - a lot of it just doesn't grab me. But I do have 200 jazz CD's. My favorite artists are Miles, Coltrane, Keith Jarret (especially with Jan Garbarek), Jan Garbarek, Dizzy Gillespie, Don Cherry, and Anthony Braxton. I love a lot of Hip Hop including A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, the Roots and House of Pain. I've listened to most of the important artists from Louis Armstrong to the Marsalis brothers.

Well on to Mr. Pine. First off all the styles present do jell to form an organic whole. Unquestionably a talented musician - he's got the chops - he's got great tone - you can hear plenty of Coltrane influence in his style. My problem listening to him is I just don't feel the fire in his playing. It just comes across too saccharine to me. Yeah he can play well up-tempo or slow - with crackle or placidly. Listen to any of the horn players I mentioned above playing slow paced music: there's a fire burning in the music no matter how slow they play - when listening to Courney Pine I get the Kenny G. "feel goods": admittedly on a much reduced scale. Anyway thank God this isn't a forum where I'm going to get flamed. This guy has a huge (almost messianic at times) reputation in jazz circles. So all I'm saying is make sure you listen to him before you buy an album; if you want it for personal enjoyment, and not just historical importance. BTW I refer to Wayne Shorter because he's about the closest in STYLE of the sax players that I'm familiar with.

simply amazing work! esp. track#2 is one of the rare times that one can hear drums, scratching and a sax and the whole jam working!