Mosaic Select [Limited Edition]

Grachan Moncur III | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 3, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Limited Edition
• Label: Mosaic Select
• ASIN: B00028G06S
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #243,324 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Saturday and Sunday

2. Frankenstein

3. Blue Rondo

4. Ghost Town

5. Love and Hate

6. Esoteric

See all 8 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Saturday and Sunday [Alternate Take]

2. Air Raid

3. Evolution

4. The Coaster

5. Monk in Wonderland

6. Conversion Point

See all 8 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Hipnosis

2. Slow Poke

3. The Breakout

4. Back Home

5. The Reason Why

6. Gnostic

See all 9 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Avant-Bop, September 1, 2004

By 

A. Johnston (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mosaic Select (Audio CD)

My favorite style of jazz is that with one foot in the avant-garde and one foot firmly planted in contemporary jazz. Think Miles' 2nd Great Quintet and you'll have a blueprint for how this style is done best. While this set is certainly not as good as the music of Miles' 2nd Great Quintet (I argue: what is?), it is an excellent example of how someone can hold onto a steady groove and still get "weird" with the solos. It's impossible to qualify the word "weird" but anyone with an interest in 60s jazz should be able to come to their own median point between "free" jazz and post-bop. I think this comes pretty close to the center of those two points.

While most of this material is authored by Moncur, the set is divided between sessions led by Jackie McLean (the readily-available "Destination: Out!" and the currently out-of-print "One Step Beyond" among them) and Moncur's impossible-to-find sessions as a leader on Blue Note. The former is excellent with much more of a lean toward hard bop with more minor daliances into gronky-sputter-squawk solos. The latter is much more free but not all-out free. One of the Moncur sessions actually features much of Miles' actual 2nd Quintet (excluding Miles and Ron Carter.)

Aside from Tony Williams's two albums as leader on Blue Note ("Lifetime" and "Spring") and Sam Rivers' music from the same period, I'd say this material presents a sort of Rosetta Stone for folks who can't get enough "avant-bop." Avoid it if you can't handle anything even remotely weird. Also avoid it if you can't handle anything even remotely structured. Love it if you live in the middle like I do.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Jazz Compilation, July 16, 2007

By 

directions "neuralbuddhist" (Space Time Foam) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mosaic Select (Audio CD)

In the 60's, many musicians influenced by Ornette Coleman decided to make their sound more "free". However, for every musician such as Albert Ayler who solidly went into free jazz territory, there were many others such as Joe Henderson that retained their hard bop sound but freed it from some of its contraints. Jackie McLean and Grachan Moncur III were among these musicians and with these sessions created a new vocabulary in the language of jazz. Included on the boxset are Jackie McLean's "One Step Beyond" and the Dolphy like "Destination Out" with heavy contributions from Grachan Moncur III. Grachan Moncur's own releases "Evolution" and "Some Other Stuff" are closer to traditional hard bop but he clearly has his own style. The most interesting cut from "One Step Beyond is "Frankenstein" a haunting jazz waltz that is one of the most unusual jazz pieces ever (later covered by Archie Shepp on "The Way Ahead"). Sadly "Bout Soul" is not included in its entirety, only the pieces Moncur played on (including "Soul" with dated vocals, the only weak link on the set). "Hipnosis" released by Jackie McLean that languished as an out of print lp is worth it by itself. "Mosaic Select: Grachan Moncur III" puts together some classic out of print albums and for any jazz fan who is looking to hearing albums that are forward looking but still grounded in melody, this is an essential release.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic exploretory jazz, May 9, 2008

By 

James Quinn "The Bearded Wonder" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mosaic Select (Audio CD)

Granchon Moncur's Evolution is a classic oft over looked offering in the Blue Note catalog and then they throw in two of Jackie McLean's strongest outings in One Step Beyond and Destination Out to boot,people this purchase is a no brainer. What makes this offering even better is the vibe work of Bobby Hutcherson who is in his element when he's allowed to wander and explore musically. A great box set.