Customer Reviews

Monterey Moods

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

 

 

After being blown away by the 2005 release, In My Time, I was enthused when I learned that Wilson was going to release another cd. Not only is the cd worth every penny, the Monterey Moods Suite is exquisite -- Wilson's band is on point in interpreting musically the compositions. This is a cd for every big band jazz lover's collection. Don't sleep on it!

I was thrilled that this still-swinging (nearly 90 years young) legend released another new album...and this one's a gem from first note to the last! The "Monterrey Moods Suite" is brilliant, capturing the main theme in a variety of settings.

Too bad this was not a live recording, which would have been a real treat. Anyhow, the New York-based musicians here are largely the same ones that contributed to Mr. Wilson's previous album "In My Time," which I highly recommend if you have not heard it yet.

Gerald Wilson is a wonderful composer and conductor of traditional big band music but I think he misses on this one. All of these tracks seem to get stuck in a rut interrupted by uninspired solos particularly the flute solos of Hubert Laws. I have never been a big fan of jazz flute except for James Spaulding's playing on various 1960's Blue Note recordings.

This sounds like an assembly of smooth jazz artists who have put aside the drum loops and electric bass thumps to produce a traditional big band jazz recording. This does not compare to his previous release "In My Time." Maestro Wilson conducts a stellar cast of musicians on that recording playing excellent material.

I was lucky enough to see the live performance of this commissioned piece at the 50th anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival in September 2007.
Live, the orchestra sounded stellar. This was Wilson's Los Angeles Band (none of the musician's on the recorded version performed here.) The arrangements were rich and full with heavy brass.

The studio recorded version starts out interesting but kind of gets bogged down with the repetitiveness of the pieces. I like the songs at the end of the disc better, especially the Mini Waltz.

Even so, I still think Mr. Wilson is a master composer.
If you don't buy this one pick up the original 1998 THEME FOR MONTEREY or his other recent masterpiece IN MY TIME.