Customer Reviews

Moodsville

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Tommy Flanagan must have been an obvious choice for the Prestige Moodsville series, which the liner notes explain were intended to provide a a compilation of performances where "imporant names in jazz can just relax and play the tunes they like" and where the "emphasis will be on relaxed, thoughtful and expressive jazz, after hours music if you will". In this set, Flanagan and his trio play a selection of little known 1930s ballads. In addition to Flanagan on the ivories, his trio features Tommy Potter on bass, who adds just a touch of depth and movement, and Roy Haynes on drums, who treats the skins to a light touch with the brushes. The fourth track, Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday" is a beautiful solo piano number. The penultimate song, "Jes' Fine", is the only song written by Flanagan. It picks things up just a touch and adds some counterpoint and a more insistent bass line. But then Tommy brings us back to the mellow mood in which we started with the final song, another Duke Ellington number, "In a Sentimental Mood".

Rudy van Gelder captured the exquisite sound in his usual manner by setting up a couple of high-fidelity microphones and letting the players and room speak for themselves. If I close my eyes, I'm in the Village Vanguard listening to him live.

My only complaint is that the album is only 34 minutes long. When I'm in the mood for Tommy Flanagan, I could listen to him and his trio all night. I'd suggest another Tommy Flanagan Trio album, "Overseas", as an excellent complement to this one. Or catch Flanagan in different surroundings on any number of early Dexter Gordon recordings or on Sonny Rollins' "Saxophone Colossus", which is perhaps my all time favorite be-bop album.

Flanagan is one of the great living exponents of the Bud Powell lineage. Throughout his career, Flanagan has taken these roots and developed his own distinctive sound. This 1960s performance has it all. Except for one fat, wonderful and hard driving blues, it is all ballads. Arguably, this is one of the most beautiful piano ballad albums ever recorded and, in my opinion, the Flanagan album to own. The warmth, emotional depth, and unique subtlety of Flanagan's interpretations cannot be described with words. Highest recommendation.

Not only is the music brilliant, but the sound of this recording (Rudy Van Gelger) alone is worth the price of admission. This is classis Tommy playing beautiful songs and getting first rate swinging and at times very sensitive accompaniment from Tommy Potter and Roy Haynes. I myself am a jazz musician and I think this is a must have CD.

any tommy flanagan album is a perfect background music for entertaining at home. its melodic but its not an elevator music.

Tommy Flanagan laid down some of the best piano sounds around. This trio session with Tommy Potter on Bass and Roy Haynes on Drums was recorded almost exactly 48 years ago in 1960.
The Prestige Moodsville series was not meant to be just "Mood" music, but much of it can certainly perform that function. These mostly laid-back cuts stand up to serious listening as well as being great "bachelor pad" music. The sound is quite good throughout - nicely re-mastered.

This Tommy Flanagan is short and sweet. It is the most listenable jazz I've ever heard. Just a simply piano, bass and drums. But what sound? What exquisite jazz "thinking"! This is 'easy listening' with quality and intelligence.