Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records (2 CDs)

The Blue Note 7 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 13, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B001LLGSLW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #183,742 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE BLUE NOTE 7 MOSAIC, February 1, 2009

By 

Stuart Jefferson (San Diego,Ca) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records (2 CDs) (Audio CD)

Two discs 58 and 64 minutes each approximately. Clean open sound,even on the originals. This is a fine set of tracks that will introduce the "Blue Note sound" to another generation of jazz listeners. For the long time jazz listener it's also a good listen. Most people will be familiar with the original tracks on disc two,for many of them are true classics. If you are new to this era and the "sound" of Blue Note Records,are you in for a treat. What was a pleasant surprise was the reverence that the "new" group(listed in the Amazon description) used in their approach to this music. The arrangements are different but at the same time pay homage to the originals. This group of relatively young players puts their own stamp of originality on each track. In doing so they have breathed some fresh air into some classic jazz,showing that these tunes can(and should) be interpreted anew for all of us to enjoy. It's reassuring to hear classic jazz updated with fresh ears in this age of less and less quality jazz. The group plays with great subtly and finesse and always with a high degree of professionalism. All the players on disc one will be familiar to jazz listeners from the last few years,both as leaders of their own groups and as sidemen in others. I don't know if this set will stay as an Amazon exclusive forever,or if it will be released eventually everywhere,so you might want to pick it up soon. Anyone looking for a set of good jazz from one of the greatest eras in jazz will like this. It's a chance to hear new versions of tracks alongside the originals,all in one package. Hopefully those new to this music will be enticed to look further into the Blue Note era of great jazz and discover all the great music this label has released. For the experienced jazz listener disc one is proof that jazz is still alive and well. The booklet is very informative,with information on the "new" players as well as the original musicians,as well as how these tracks and the group came into existence.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Special edition-only way to go, February 6, 2009

By 

jimac51 (Allentown, Pa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records (2 CDs) (Audio CD)

"Exclusives" in the music business have troubled me in the past. Fans sometimes buy multiple copies of music for special tracks. These are the same people who support a the artist thorugh thick and thin and they ae rewarded with shenanigans by Wal-Mart,Best Buy and Target,who use music as a carrot to bring a customer in the store and have little use for the music again,nor the customer, until it's time to reel in another sucker.
Amazon has teamed up with EMI to celebrate Blue Note's 70th anniversary with this 2-disc set and offering a ton of CDs from the Blue Note catalog that are currently available only at Amazon. Titles include lots of recently recorded titles that deserve a longer shelf life than what they originally recieved and,though a bit pricy,this beats bidding frustration on Ebay. Not even True Blue Music,a mail order venture co-owned by EMI,has these titles. These are not downloads but physical CDs. With a bittersweet sigh,I welcome this "exclusive" because brick and mortar stores actually carrying Blue Note product are disappearing and nobody does web selling music better than Amazon. If any big business seems to treat this stuff with respect,Amazon seems to fit the bill.
The 2 disc set here is the no-brainer way to go to celebrate Blue Note. Bill Charlap is the face of Blue Note jazz in the 21st century,and that ain't bad. All of the musicians here know that many of the greats that came before them(Monk,Blakey,Green,etc.)are gone(but,hey,Hancock is still finding new listeners today)and these guys aren't here to mimic,but to play this stuff in the 21st century,and,hopefully,satisfy both old and new fans-a challenge that they meet with love and energy. As a door opener,it ain't too bad. Putting the original versions of the compositions on a seperate disc makes for a quick comparison for the hard bop fan and,most important,shows the new listener why this stuff was so good the first time around.
The new material was recorded May,2008 in Englewood,NJ(not at Rudy Van Gelder's,but there seems to be something good in the drinking water in Englewood)and these guys are currently on tour to celebrate Blue note's 70th anniversary. It will be interesting to see how they meld together. The tour ends Spring 2009 with a series of dates in NYC,hopefully for possible future audio and video material.
Oh,it's not just Blue Note's 70th-it's also the 25th anniversay of Bruce Lundvall(and Michael Cuscuna)relaunching this wonderful label during hard economic times. All times are hard economic times for jazz. The balance of art and commerce is a difficult juggle and Bruce and Michael should take a bow.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not really the Blue Note 7, but pretty good none the less, April 23, 2009

By 

Rick loves jazz (Sacramento, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mosaic: A Celebration Of Blue Note Records (Audio CD)

I recently listened to the Blue Note 7 live and REALLY enjoyed it. With the exception of Ravi Coltrane, each of the musicians was excellent. They were very creative, stretched out on solos, and the music really swung.

I don't think that the CD is as good. It fails to capture the magic of creativity demonstrated by the 7.

The songs all come from the 70 year Blue Note Records catalog, and some of the arrangements are a little tough to make out. I don't really like their take on Monk's Criss Cross. While Lewis Nash is a virtuoso and was terrific live, there are too many drum solos on this CD. The solo on the title track is evidence of this.

Steve Wilson on alto sax and Peter Bernstein on guitar are revelations! I wasn't familiar with either of them and they should get more play for sure. Grant Green's Idle Moments may be the highlight of the album and Bernstein captures the essence of the piece.

The others in the group (Bill Charlap, piano, Peter Washington, bass, Nicholas Payton, trumpet) are all excellent. Any one of these musicians is a guy that you would want to hear for their own music alone, and they are able to play very well together.

I can easily recommend this album, but if you can hear the 7 live, by all means do so. You won't get another chance to hear this group together again, since only Bill Charlap and his bassist, Peter Washington are actually with Blue Note Records (from this group).