Customer Reviews

Mosaic

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A list of Jazz Messengers alumni reads like a jazz Hall of Fame; Wynton Marsalis played With Art Blakey's group in 1980. In the Messengers' 35+ years of existence, this is arguably its finest incarnation and their most exciting album. Saxophonist Wayne Shorter, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, trombonist Curtis Fuller, and Pianist Cedar Walton provide both distinctive compositions and emotional solos. Since the group has three horns, the two who aren't soloing are playing as an ensemble in the background giving the group a small 'big band' feel. Drummer Art never takes a self-indulgent solo; he is a solid, consistent presence. What sets this collection apart from others is the music. Each selection stands alone as a superior piece of writing that has been covered many times since this release. This recording was made in 1963 just before the individuals set out on their own respective roads.

If you are just starting your jazz collection or you are a drummer looking for some new inspiration among the stale rock radio crowd, then getting Art Blakey's MOSAIC would be a good place to start. This is one in a series of tremendous albums Blakey did for Blue Note in the late 50's and early to mid 60's. And of all of his albums, this is one of the five essentials-not only for jazz collectors, but anyone who claims to have a well-rounded view of music.

MOSAIC provides ample inspiration for the drummer-check out his four minute drum solo in the title track; it's great. Blakey seemed to have a sixth sense for knowing just when and where to place the beat. He knew where to throw in a little low tom or some ride cymbal etc. Plus, he's proof that more drums don't make you a better drummer. The guy usually played with a four piece or, at most, five piece kit.

Listen to the beautiful piano intro with Art's steady cymbal work in "Down Under" -awesome! And then the horns kick in. Wow. THIS is some of the best jazz I've ever heard. In Ken Burns' film JAZZ, Blakey was quoted as saying that if his band didn't have the audience tapping their feet or nodding their heads they were doing something wrong. No complaints here. This tune is one of the high points of the album. The same goes for "Children of the Night" which contains AMAZINGLY gorgeous horn harmonies over an infectious piano vamp.

"Arabia" does indeed sound middle-eastern with the melodic horn line. And "Crisis" begins with a beautiful bass line which is then joined by Art and the pianist. Just great horn harmonies again. This album is such a treat to listen to. I recommend it highly along with BUHAINA'S DELIGHT, MOANIN, and MEET YOU AT THE JAZZ CORNER OF THE WORLD (LIVE). As an aside, I saw Wayne Shorter at the Chicago Jazz Festival this past summer, and I can assure you he has lost none of the fire that he so brilliantly brings forth on this recording.

Essential.

This is one of the most soulful, driving recordings I have ever heard, bar none. I first owned a copy of Mosaic upon being mercifully turned on to it by a couple of hip peers back in 1981. I went looking for it again recently upon having a jazz revival of sorts, and was thrilled to see it being offered in CD reissue. Folks, this is epic music not only in terms of Art Blakey and his many personnel configurations through time but in terms of the history of jazz music itself in America. Everyone should own a copy of this album at some point to hear the sheer propulsion, emotional penetration, waterfalling chords, bountiful melodic content, utterly towering musical abilities of the sidemen as well as Buhaina (Blakey) himself, and the overall presence of soul in this recording. The first reviewer must have had cotton swabs in his ears. This set of Messengers with the legendary Wayne Shorter of Weather Report, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard (Red Clay), Cedar Walton and Curtis Fuller is as good a jazz group as can be found anywhere in the history of the art and this particular musical session was one of Blakey's finest. Get it and enjoy.

A hard bop and Blakey classic. With the addition of Curtis Fuller on trombone to the already all-star horn line-up of Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter, the sound is even more full and lush than usual. Compositons as well the solos are well constructed. FH,WS, and CF all have great solos on pretty tough material. Blakey is his usual hard swinging self capping off another great session. This cd has it all! Trumpet, tenor Sax and trombone. You can't go wrong here. Another wonderful production by University of Blakey!

This album deserves five stars. This is the hardest, meanest hard bop band ever, period. If you enjoyed 'Free for All' arguably the best hard bop album, you will love this one too. The same hard swinging, in your face, hard bop jazz is found here. Blakey' solo on Mosaic is worth the price of admission. Highly recommended.

This is the most recent reissue of "Mosaic," the first album by what is arguably the greatest edition of Art Blakey's jazz messengers. This band features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, Jymie Merritt on bass (he had not yet been replaced by Reggie Workman) and Art Blakey on drums. It was recorded in 1961.

The differences between this edition of the Jazz Messengers and its predecessor (the other greatest edition, featuring Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano, in addition to Shorter, Merritt, and Blakey) are evident from the very start of this album. Though the previous group had a lot of energy, this group takes the intensity up a level, both through their fast, advanced playing and their more modern compositions, courtesy of Wayne Shorter's new position as musical director (consequently Shorter would be instrumental in moving jazz forward over the next two decades). Whereas the meat of the older messengers is in groove and deep swing (albeit with sophistication), this group comes out and beats the crap out of you, especially on the turbo-charged title track. They do prove that they can still groove on the medium tempo number, "Down Under," but the energy level is always high and most of the numbers are medium up to way uptempo.

I have been a Messengers fan since I first got into jazz about seven years ago, but I have never been able to warm up to this particular album. The title track amazes me but doesn't move me, and I feel the same way about the other tunes, with the exception of "Crisis." "Children of the Night" is also a good tune but for some reason it's not as memorable as Shorter's other contributions to this band. The musicianship is at a very high level but there is still something rough with this explosive new group, like they haven't quite found a new voice yet. The next album, "Buhaina's Delight," actually took a step back into the medium tempo groove world of the previous group, but this band reached its pinnacle on "Free For All," which gets honors as my favorite album EVER. That album features musicianship and energy every bit as high (and higher) than it is here, but with a much more together musical vision. I believe this album is critical to understanding "Free For All," which is worth understanding, and it is a good album, but not the best this group would record. Get it anyway; it's an important link between the two best editions of the Jazz Messengers.

Brilliant! If I was being exiled to another planet and could only bring a couple of CD's with me, it would be this one (along with Andrew Hill's POINT OF DEPARTURE and Coltrane's A LOVE SUPREME). I haven't been always partial to Art Blakey's recordings, but this album is one of my all time favorites of all the jazz in my collection. The combination of the three horns and Art Blakey's indestructible big beat sound is not to be missed. This is what jazz should be. I am hoping that this eventually becomes part of the Rudy Van Gelder Edition Blue Note Series.

a generous offering by art blakey. the six selections are written by four of the sidemen. the way blakey plays he can afford to be generous, his solo on mosaic, the title track, is one of the best drum solos i've heard, even the metronomic cymbal he uses during his solo caught me between being distracted and wondering if someone else was playing a percussive instrument. the solos, particularly by curtis fuller and freddie hubbard, are spectacular. all selections are moderate to up tempo. my favorite piece is arabia by curtis fuller, for reasons previously mentioned, the soloing. and the ensembling.

Blakey used the three horn lineup on 1963's Ugetsu (on Riverside) as well, but I think these songs are slightly trickier to play so when the Jazz Messengers blaze through them like they're on the Indianapolis Speedway, this Blue Note release is slightly more pleasurable to listen to. Exotic. Confrontational. Sublime. These are adjectives that turn up in my pocket when I think of this album. Great early 60s bop from one of the best small band of the early 60s. Wayne Shorter and Fred Hubbard both contribute songs and truly amazing playing here, also.

The version of The Jazz Messangers that put MOSAIC to wax was not the most virtuosic, perhaps, but the five tunes on this offering are timeless jazz at its energetic best. What Blakey did, as no other group leader before or since, was to mine the talent vein of emerging artists and alloy them into a group capable of producing memorable music from the onset.

The year was 1961, and jazz was headed in two directions. One course had been set in the 50s by the Blue Note label, mainly recording post- and hard-bop artists, though the release of "Birth of the Cool", featuring Miles Davis, ran counter to their general artistic philosophy. The other trend was toward "cool" or "modern" jazz, typified by the West Coast school, Dave Brubeck, Chico Hamilton and Miles, to name a few.

MOSAIC is a leaf on the Blue Note tree. Lyrical, gutsy, bluesy, passionate, the music churns and billows, with leader Blakey, as always, driving and prodding his disciples toward the finish line. There are many influences heard here: on 'Arabia' the Middle-Eastern, modal strains ring out; on 'Children of the Night', the tone is haunting. There are plenty of instrumental pyrotechnics, with the three horns ( Curtis Fuller is added on trombone to the usual quintet ) in harmonic splendor or in counterpoint. Wayne Shorter, continuing his role as composer and tenor sax virtuoso, is especially tight and focused on 'Down Under'.

In all, this is an exceptional record, with much of the excitement of 'The Big Beat', 4.5 stars worth.