Customer Reviews

Richie & Phil & Richie

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

 

 

This release is culled from 5 Muse albums, and contains the entirety of "Side By Side" with Phil Woods. The booklet is in error regarding Track 12: Eddie Jefferson doesn't appear on that track. The only Eddie Jefferson vocal is on Track 8, "The Common Touch," taken from "Alto Madness."

A fine release.

This CD highlights the great saxaphone playing of two incredible masters Richie Cole and Phil Woods. You will also hear some cool playing from Eddie "lockjaw" Davis and vocals from Eddie Jefferson on one track. Warning! the music is not for those faint hearted mush types. A lot of fast pace riffs and hot cooking sounds. There are a couple mellow saxy solo numbers that will warm your soul. One fantastic compilation of performances from some top notch jazz giants. Belongs in every jazz lovers collecdtion.

My delight at discovering this session was soon replaced by a sense of exhaustion upon hearing the results. Like the 4-tenor "A Blowin' Session" under the name of Johnny Griffin, technology in this instance is not equal to the challenge of representing these hard-blowing pyrotechnicians in a manner that excites without exhausting the ear. What's missing is a sense of space, or "contextual ambiance," allowing the listener to claim a seat in the playing arena and to choose what to focus on. Instead, all of the players are amplified and jammed together on a postage stamp-sized bandstand that, in effect, is dumped fully-loaded in the listener's lap.

The results are explosive but not necessarily pleasant. The tones of Richie and Phil practically mirror one another rather than reflect the unique identity of each; the bass becomes muddy and obtrusive rather than clear and supportive; the normally shimmering ride cymbal of Jimmy Cobb takes on the musicality of a meeting between a cookware factory and a tsunami.

The better bet might be "Bebop," a more diverse collection of the music's major saxophonists from the Muse archives. It includes a sampling from the Cole-Woods encounter plus much more and is available, moreover, at a budget price (soon, all of these uniquely packaged Muse/32 Jazz offerings--look for new copies to be assured of the enclosed booklet--will be out of print and unobtainable). An explanation for the ready availability and friendly price of "Bebop" is that for some unfathomable reason it's filed under the name of pianist Cedar Walton (who, as I recall, is not even a member of any of the rhythm sections on the collection).

Woods and Cole play for the first several tracks together, then the last few are Richie alone. A potpourri of musical tracks, the disc receives better-than-average three stars due to the action caught between the two alto saxophonists; Cole blazing his "alto madness" speed and Woods exemplifying his technical dexterity.

Audio quality: unsure. Played only in vehicle...so far seems decent.

Hopefully, this helps.

Aloha. .d.