Customer Reviews

Summer Wind

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I happen to love gene harris, jeff hamilton, and ray brown, and I own many of their CD's.

you should by this album if:
-you like a live recording with the audience really in to it
-you want to here the best versions of the songs played
-you like straight ahead jazz
-you want to here ray brown's own songs...
'Buhaina Buhaina' and 'The Real Blues'
-you want to here the best drummer at his finest
-you want to here the best bassist at his finest
-you like gene harris
-you dont like CD's with just one good song (this has many)

And now for my song ratings:
1. Summer Wind- this song has alot of energy and an amzing
ending with a great bass solo also...a beautiful song
2. The Real Blues- features Ray in a 24 bar blues than
switching to gene in the 12 bar as they play the hit
section, the coolest song ever written
3. Lil Darlin- beautiful song at slow tempo, energy builds
into wonderful solos buy gene, ray
4. It Dont Mean A Thing- features the drummer in an all new
interpretation of the song
5. Mona Lisa- ray plays meledy at a relaxed tempo
6. Buhaina Buhaina- written by Ray himself, has alot of
energy
7. Cant Help Lovin Dat Man- features gene harris in a
beautiful ballad, the band starts swinging as gene builds
up the song and they reach an amazing level of harmony
and and energy until the spectacular ending
8. Bluesolgy- standard blues, fittingly ends the set

Ray Brown is without a doubt, one of the greatest bass players ever...always in the fun-mode...moods that take on every aspect in the music genre. With Ray is - Gene Harris (piano) and Jeff Hamilton (drums), one of the most compatible threesomes ever to go with their creative styles, and blending to perfection.

Of course there are stand outs - "SUMMER WIND", always associated with Sinatra and Nelson Riddle, but what a great performance this group shells out..."THE REAL BLUES", the Ray Brown tune keeps the gang low-down-diggin' the blues, Harris clearly has the pulse of the moment..."LI'L DARLIN'", composed by Neal Hefti for the great Count Basie, this was one of Basie's stock numbers - but listen to Ray's arrangement, feels real good the way it just flows from each musician.

The entire album is a "gas" - that grooves and loaded with fun the guys are having, is evident from the audience reaction - Concord has captured the moment - "Live At The Loa", and we are there to enjoy the moment...so spin this CD, sit back and give a listen to some the best jazz you'll ever hear!

Total Time: 55:43 on 8 Tracks...Concord Jazz CCD-4426...(1990)

These guys are clearly having fun here. Gene Harris shows his gospel influence and Ray fills in the blanks while being carried along by the ever excellent Jeff Hamilton. Ray Brown shows people that you can play excellent jazz and have lots of fun while doing it. One of my favorites.

It belongs quite some time to my record collection and I can say it is one of my favored recordings made by the Ray Brown Trio. You can hear and feel the pleasure they have playing together and the quality of this live recording is absolutely fantastic. It has nothing to do with Monty Alexander. This must be a type error made by Amazon. Don't even listen to it when buying it, just let it send to your home and I garantee you, you have a great time! Jannes A. Scholten

Yes, it's that good. Nuff said.

But it's also now available as a hybrid SACD for those who want the "improved" format. I bought the original and love it but wish I had known about the SACD version. Pays your money and choose your own poison.

Wonderful music but what do you expect from Gene Harris, master pianist? He is gone but his music lives on.

As you can see below, I reviewed this CD 8 years ago to the day.
Since I'm older and a bit smarter (not much though!), I would like to add a follow up review.

This CD is STILL getting better.
It's absolutely one of the best live jazz trio albums you will ever hear, and we are lucky that it was recorded.

Gene, Ray, and Jeff have the most amazing sense of time. They are rock steady, yet have so much give and take that they can even play behind the beat... TOGETHER!

Gene Harris is perhaps the most underrated jazz/blues pianist. His sense of tension and release, and dynamics are such as you will never hear in any other player. The only other jazz pianist who compares might be Erroll Garner, who of course has a different style, but the masterful timing and dynamics are qualities that those two pianists share.
However, where Erroll swings harder than any other pianist, Gene will hit you like a linebacker with the fattest chords you've ever heard. There is no one else that can get those sounds from the piano.

It's needless to say that Ray Brown is spectacular and plays with his gorgeous sound and timing, and also contributes wonderful arrangements and some of his own compositions. They are never less than thrilling.
Jeff Hamilton is one of the tastiest drummers. He drives the group in numbers like Buhaina Buhaina and It Don't Mean A Thing, yet also displays the most sensitive brush work in Li'l Darlin.

I will conclude by saying that Gene Harris is a true inspiration and bringer of joy!

Buy this CD and enjoy.

This cd is a Ray Brown sleeper and a must for jazz lovers. Ray, Gene Harris, and Jeff Hamilton are superb together as always so enjoy.

An excellent club performance by a jazz trio who are very much "into it" (the music) while having a good time. Boost the bass level abit, to hear Ray hold it up, and lead it away. Nice selections and solos, with the grit of a Santa Monica nightclub, (partly owned by Brown) which certainly gives "street cred" to the album's title, "Summer Wind."

Ray's bass line on the ballad Mona Lisa, is worth finding the original Ray Evans & Jay Livingston chart and learning the melody, on acoustic or electric bass, right in the range where Ray plays it. His intonation, solid time and overall presence is captured beautifully on this disc.