Customer Reviews

Solo

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

 

 

About a year ago, upon asking my band director for some smokin' piano playing, I was introduced to Michel Camilo's "Live at the Blue Note" CD. Although I didn't appreciate the CD to its fullest at first (I was unfamiliar with jazz in general and had never even heard of Latin Jazz before), I understood that Michel was an extraordinary musician. After a few months, the CD grew on me and has recently become one of my favorites. I then looked to buy some of his other CD's, and I couldn't wait to get his solo album so I could focus particularly on his chops.

What I found was surprising. "Solo" is quieter, more lyrical, more thoughtful than his "Blue Note" performance. There are no showstoppers, no real crowd pleasers. But what is present is an album well conceived and beautifully played. The depth of each song is amazing. Some people might agree with the previous reviewer who said that some of the songs sound "cocktail party-ish," but I disagree. An incredible amount of detail is put into each phrase so that every song feels truly organic and unique.

It's obvious that Mr. Camilo puts a lot of thought and effort into his art, as even his CD booklet goes into great detail about how he went about recording his first solo effort. This album showcases Michel's softer, poetic side. For smokin' hands, buy "Live at the Blue Note" or "On Fire."

Another demonstration of a master technician displaying his creative composition skill in a variety of modes.

We prefer his uptempo, smoking piano playing, on albums like "One More Once." This material is very slow.

enough with the mumbo jumbo terms from the other guy. i'll write this review in plain english. I found this cd to my distaste sad to say. Don't get me wrong, Michel camilo is my favorite jazz pianist, he rocks out on piano! but on this cd, he is laid back, the songs he plays are like, cocktail party genre, not very active, intense, flair ups, octave voicings that im used to hearing. he plays gently, like slow songs, not much dramatic activity on the piano. if you like to hear relaxed laid back voicings on piano, then you might like this CD. me personally, like to hear him fire up on the piano, so this Cd was not for me.

The mere fact of being laden with Gershwin (the totem), Jobim (the buddy) and Monk (the chalenge) is getting this package nowhere as Telarc (the maker) persues low-cost policy in track listing. That is to say the track titles do not ring the bell like credits do, okay? Camilo's unique key striking... er, pounding technique breathes life into every one of them. The concert piano (a Petroff?) is flanked by obviously two very sensitive microphones, albeit allowing for a hole effect to the mid-octave. How nicely detailed and spread the keyboard lays between the speakers! A bit of adventurer, he makes session hard and sweaty rather than exact and pointed: keeps strings open and marvelously resonant, exerts his right hand on racier numbers (own "Un Son") at the risk of his left lagged behind some. He moans to a tune, toys with "It's Impossible" on Jobim's "Luiza" and finishes the 6-minute "Suntan" off in his trademark manner. Hard, pacy, resonant and bombastic. Mellow he is definitely not. Relaxing, oh yes! You would be better off with this DSD-encoded CD rather than full SACD for two reasons: first, thin Bitstream sound of SACD has no business in Camilo world, and second, SACD is on its way out (as my Sony Music contact tells me).