Customer Reviews

In the Spur of the Moment

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

 

 

This cd is the bomb! While working in a surgical office, tensions run high. This cd was playing and patients were actually tapping there feet or humming along. Ray Charles is a treat on the piano. This cd is a must for your collection!

I liked this CD, but like someone else said, it didn't seem to have personality in it. I WILL be soon purchasing Steve's tribute to J.J. Johnson, as I expect that will be awesome.

What a wonderful album. The magic of Steve Turre on this cd is that he shows you do not need to play soaringly high notes in order to be a strong, leading trombone player. Unlike the artistry of the likes of Bill Watrous, Steve shows in this CD from the first cut that you can make wonderful music with great tone and careful placement of notes within a moderate range. Thus, when he plays a ballad like "Misty" or a standard like "The Way You Look Tonight" on this cd, he makes them sound easy, and they are wonderful learning tools. Of course, they are also just great songs and very pleasant to listen to under any circumstances. I found myself glad that he restrained from using too much of the conch shells, for while I can appreciate its artistry, I also thought it was kind of annoying.

WOW! Ray Charles comping on standards...how rare is it to hear THAT? Absolutely wonderful work.

Overall, this album is a must for any studying bone player.

excellent album.I bought it really for the Ray Charles content.
Product received was brand new as described.Played perfectly.
I was satisfied with all aspects from ordering to delivery

Trombonist and conch shell virtuoso Steve Turre has assembled three different bands to accompany him on his Telarc debut, drawing special attention to three pianists who are representative of the three musical styles highlighted on this disk. The first four cuts feature Ray Charles on piano, with Peter Washington on bass and Peter Turre (Steve's brother) on drums; their style is "The Blues in Jazz." Alas, this is the weakest section of the CD, with the players seeming to be going through the motions without any real creative spark or fire. Charles seems disengaged and listless on the piano, belying his legendary status, and Turre's playing, while certainly clean and confident, never catches fire. Not a very encouraging start, but fortunately, things get better.

The next three cuts, labeled "Modern and Modal," feature Stephen Scott on piano, with Buster Williams on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Now things start to cook! The cuts in this section include an Ellington medley and originals by Turre and Scott. The playing by all four members of this quartet seems honest and heartfelt; it would be great to have a whole CD of this band.

For the last three cuts, Turre shifts musical direction once again, bringing in pianist Chucho Valdés, bassist Andy Gonzalez, and drummer/percussionist Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez for three cuts of "Afro-Cuban Sounds." Afro-Cuban music seems to be all the rage these days, and I suspect that including this section was as much a marketing as a musical strategy, but regardless of motive, the end result is commendable, as the music cooks right along. This sort of music is generally led by the piercing tones of a trumpet playing some really high notes; to hear the more mellow sounds of Turre's trumpet is quite a different experience, and I could help but think it would have been beneficial to have brought in a trumpeter to provide some contrast and excitement to the proceedings. Things just seemed a bit too buttoned-down with Turre's trombone leading the proceedings throughout in this style of music, although cut 9, "Claudia," did include a string quartet, and the mellow tone seemed quite fitting on his cut.

All in all, this CD is a mixed bag musically, with one weak section (blues), one strong section (modal), and one that was pretty good (Afro-Cuban). My advice to Telarc would be to get Turre in the studio with one good group to cut a whole CD with a consistent style. Sonically, the recording is successful. Labeled "Surround-Sound," this CD was mixed using the notorious "Spatializer." The sound through my two-channel setup seemed open and spacious, with no weird effects.

Wow...if someone can tell me how to assemble a group of incredible pianists to come play like that with me, let me know! Turre is magnificent, and that must have been the secret. It was especially enjoyable to have the chance to listen to Ray Charles laying it down on the keys. An amazing collection of great tunes with wonderful musicians delivering them as I had not yet heard.

Steve Turre is a wonderful trombone player. He plays so expressive and controlled that it seems he could do anything on his instruments. And may be this is what this disc is about. Showing that Turre can do it all. Three different styles and pianists with one central guy effortlessly switching between them. That is where I did not become totally convinced. Technically and even expressive everything works perfectly. But where is Turres own musical soul? I find this cd a bit too neutral, may be lacking a personality. Neither the pianists nor the soloist really show passion!? Turre seems to have had a lot of fun playing in the Afro-Cuban section. But his virtuosity both technical and expressive might reach a lot further if he explores his own depths of musicality. What style is Turres own favorite?
Please show us without restraint!