Customer Reviews

Sea Changes

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

 

 

This ranks in my top three jazz trio albums of the moment (my other two being "Bill Evans Trio; Sunday at the Village Vanguard" and "Alan Broadbent Trio; Personal Standards"). This album has some of the most crisp, concise trio playing I have ever heard. Tommy Flanagan is a superb melodist, which makes the album shine. All of the tunes on here are filled with lyrical playing that will stick in your head for a long long time (listen to the title track; you'll like it). Dear Old Stockholm is a solo piano arragement, and it is beautiful.

Every track on this album is worth your time. If you are looking for very cool, melodic jazz then look no further.

Sadly,here is one of the last record by the immense Tommy Flanagan (1930-2001).One of the best ones ? Difficult to say yes,because he committed some fifteen or twenty albums of the same level;maybe not as great as "Sunset and the mockingbird" (one of the most amazing piano records of all times),but...
This exceptionnal album was recorded in New York City,March 11 and 12,1996,with two outstanding musicians: bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash.Both used to play with Tommy for many years.This CD includes many compositions by Tommy:"Sea changes",the very boppish "Verdandi"(it surely could have been written by Bud Powell),"Darlana","Eclypso","Beat's up";some great standards,Irving Berlin's "How deep is the ocean",Harold Arlen's "Between the devil and the deep blue sea",and Johnny Green's "I cover the waterfront";a Bird's song,"Relaxin' at Camarillo";an old blues,and a magnificent one,by Ma Rainey,"See see rider",and a traditionnal,the haunting "Dear old Stockholm".And I think that this sublime version of "Dear old Stockholm",a magnificent tune so rarely played by jazz musicians (Miles Davis,John Coltrane and a few others) is the absolute masterpiece of this album.Tommy's interpretation of this tune makes me think of Tadd Dameron's writing;this is a compliment,as I consider Tadd Dameron (1917-1965) as one of the most important writers and arrangers in jazz,with Duke,Monk and Benny Carter.
Of course,if you want to buy your first CD by Tommy Flanagan,I would urge you to start with the sunset and mockingbird album;but if you already own this CD,I won't tell you to choose this one rather than another;you'll need all of them:"Thelonica",of course,"giant steps"(not Coltrane's one,even if Tommy plays in),"Eclypso","Nights at the Vanguard","jazz poet","alone too long"(another superlative album,a real must).The post-bop era gave us a bunch of immense piano players;among them were Jaki Byard,Sir Roland Hanna,and Tommy Flanagan.They all left us recently.I never met neither Byard,neither Sir Roland;but (...)Tommy Flanagan was one of the very few Giants of jazz.

I don't think Tommy Flanagan ever played anything, either as a leader or a sideman, that wasn't worth hearing. From first note to last "Sea Changes" features the same impeccable muscianship we (and a myriad of his fellow musicians who were blessed to have him on their own sessions) came to expect from him......maybe to count on him is a more appropriate way to put it. What I didn't know about was his skill as a composer: five of the eleven tunes here are Flanagan originals. The uptempo "Verdandi" leads to some rollicking playing all around, while "Delarna" is a lovely ballad; the other three pieces are quite good too. Another highlight is Flanagan's bluesy piano on Ma Rainey's "C.C. Rider" and.....well let me finish by just saying that every cut has much to recommend it. Bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash (great brush work!) offer able support throughout. Fine Flanagan as expected!

Wonderful CD for old timers. The music is soothing and very easy to listen. Piano bar style.

I was fortunate enough to see this particular trio a couple of times. As the other reviews suggest, Mr. Flanagan's small group recordings and performances epitomize the piano trio at its best, and this CD is no exception.

The one thing I would add to the mix here is that Lewis Nash and Peter Washington are brilliant in their own right. Mr. Flanagan is of course a master musician, and he had this configuration going for several years. The interplay between all three musicians is indescribable. If this sounds like excessive praise, all I can see is that I saw these guys a couple of times and it was really something to experience. It's lucky that the recordings exist.

I once heard someone say that if we lived in an ideal world, Tommy Flanagan would be recording every day. So here's one.