Customer Reviews

Mosaic: A Celebration Of Blue Note Records

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

 

 

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.

"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.

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).

This album is available as a 2 disc Amazon exclusive,with the other disc containing the original versions. For hard bop fans,a quick reference to the source material. For new fans,get to know what the excitement was all about. Follow your own instincts to explore more great music and become addicted as so many of us are today. A great Blue Note performance can make the worst day bearable and a great day better.

The present days musician pay tribute to musician of the golden age of hard bop of Blue Note house. It's great. The songs remain so groovy.
Blue Note un jour, Blue Note toujours...
More that a great jazz record : a great music record !
Nicolas Monachon Duchêne
France

Is this a great tribute album? Why not?, You have seven on demand jazz artists making a great, powerful and tastie record with this classics sellections just in mind,( by the way, I think would be very difficult to chose considering the extended Blue Note Songbook). This musicians are very skilled and they want to sound just like the original record. That's the best part of the record and I think is the most challenging too. What do you think about this musicians, well, take Bill Charlap first, his performace in his own CD-Somewhere- with his trio was absolute great, My favorite performance of Peter Bernstein was on a Joshua Redman CD - Freedom in the Groove, he was classic and modern at the same time, Ravi Coltrane's best was on In Flux CD, just listen the song "Dear Alice", your mind will transform him just as his father. Lewis Nash's best was with Joe Lovano period specially the CD- Joe Lovano quartets, You can hear Nicholas Payton in a great live CD, Peter Martin's- Something Unexpected- this live performance can convince you that this record was suppouse to be him, Peter Washington's best performance was on a Gerald Wilson Orchestra- In my time- you really can hear this bass player over a big band, and Steve Wilson, what can I say, you need to be one of the best to play with Chick Corea. Finally I can say, I'm with Bill, I will wait for Volume 2... and 3...and 4...

Buy this Album!!!! Charlap is a musician with tremendous skill. I live concerts he is a very skilled and informed entertainer. He reminds me of Brad Meldau in the sense of his respect for the music and for the audience. Ravi Coltrane who is just coming off from a tour with Joe Lovano (Sax Summit) is gifted. This is jazz at its best with the best of musicians!!

I was very excited about this release because I am a big fan of many of the contributing artists, and own a ton of classic Blue Note recordings. I can recomend this disc, but feel it lacks genuine passion, it's almost clinical in presentation. I think this would have worked a lot better as a live recording, perhaps at the Vanguard for cool historical perspective. Since these musicians are going on tour to support this disc, get out and see them in person. I am willing to bet they will swing for real on stage. To really celebrate 70 years of Blue Note, grab any of the Van Gelder re-issues and crank the volume!

to hear some young guys do a fine job of some classic 50s jazz and the originals-fine!i love all types of music but anyone with ears should enjoy this.

This album is a statement of where "inside" jazz is today: plenty of dynamics, unusual key changes, and occasional arranged vamps. Unfortunately, these stylistic devices don't make for amazing music. A few of the tracks are worth a spin - just keep in mind what the liner notes admit: that The Blue Note 7 was "not conceived as an all-star group." That sums it up nicely.
1 - Fast paced, angular, modern sound
2 - Heavily arranged, off tempo minor sounds, swings in parts
3 - Slower, drags on, wandering trumpet
4 - Free flowing, guitar and flute solos
5 - A good treatment of a great Monk tune, swung
6 - Sad, strange, butchering of a Herbie Hancock classic
7 - A slow, beautiful, piece but poorly arranged
8 - Fast breaks, smooth swinging interludes - well done
Recommended: 5, 8, 1