Customer Reviews

Sunflower

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's a few CTI releases that I've loved over the years (Red Clay, Straight Life, Sugar) and Sunflower. I bought the LP when it first came out I still love this recording despite some of the overly sweet orchestral arrangements.

The other reviews have commented on the music, I'm just going to focus on the quality of the 40th Anniversary remaster compared to the CTI Legacy version issued in 1997 for the benefit of those who may be considering replacing their current cd with the new Anniversary edition. The CTI Masterworks version is not only remastered, it is also remixed and re-edited which has not been made clear in the marketing or packaging. Here are a couple of examples.

The guitar intro on the 1997 Legacy version of For Someone in Love continues once the band enters. On the new Masterworks version the guitar drops out as soon as the band enters.

The Legacy version of Sunflower is 11:04 long (not 10:01 as indicated in the liner notes) versus an 8:51 long version on the Masterworks release. The main difference is that the Legacy version has a long coda with plenty of good playing.

I don't have the original album any more so I don't know which mix/edit is consistent with the original album. I can say that overall the new Masterworks version is more muffled than the Legacy and has less detail in the percussion and leading edge of notes, especially trumpet and electric piano. Since those two instruments, along with the vibes, are the lead instruments that's a big difference in musical quality on a good stereo or headphones. The Masterworks version has more reverb on the trumpet and a fuller sound on the drums, especially on the toms.

Overall I was surprised to find that I preferred the older Legacy version. I was expecting the Masterworks to be much better since there have been so many good remasters of other recordings released in recent years. The music is still great but this remaster is not an improvement over the 1997 Legacy version of the cd.

I had never heard of this particular recording by Milt Jackson, even though I have CDs of his spanning the many eras of his career (including MJQ). But I happened to see this in the store,looked at the stellar cast listed on the back, and grabbed it.

Overall, this recording does not disappoint. But,at times, the players seem to be getting into one another's way. It sounds rather "muddy" and cacophonous in these places. For example, the strings seem especially intrusive on the first two tracks. This is not one of Don Sebesky's better arranging efforts. What a difference it is without strings on "People Make the World Go Round!" I particularly liked Herbie Hancock's acoustic piano solo on this track.

But the overall musicianship is, as one might expect, impeccable. I would recommend this for someone who has already listened to some of Milt's other recordings. But this is not the best place to start.

Beware, you WILL be captivated by this album. It is music for the soul. Jay Berliner's guitar gently opens the door to your heart on the first song, "For Someone I Love." Freddie Hubbard and Milt Jackson take it from there. You are taken by the hand and gently led into the remaining venue. Milt Jackson's vibes on "What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life" will make you weep. The entire album blossoms, like a sunflower.

Yea, another CTI winner. You go, Bags. Loved this when I had the vinyl,
and love it now. The track "For Someone I Love" NEVER ceases to put me
in THAT mood. Serious, sophisticated, gorgeous. Listen to Herbie in the
mix getting into this and scatting. And those fantastic swirling strings
that just carry you away on a cloud. I love the whole date. A classic
CTI from the 70's with some of the best CTI stars at the time. Carter,
Cobham, and Hubbard all kick in on this with Sebesky's perfect arranging
and conducting. I only wish some alternate takes could have been added.
I won't quibble about SKJ being added. Any Bags is good Bags to my ears.
A million stars.

Even if one had never heard Sunflower before, fans of the CTI stable of jazz albums would instantly recognize this CD as a member of the family almost from the first note. I owned lots of CTI albums on vinyl back in the label's heyday (and still do) but I never heard Sunflower until I bought it a couple of years ago while rounding out my CTI collection.
My favorites are the dreamy For Someone I Love, People Make the World Go Round, the magnificent title cut which is also the album's best, and the swinging SKJ. I drop a star from the rating only because the reissue could have been enhanced by alternate takes and cuts recorded for but not included on the original album. We are long past the era of the 30 minute LP and although Sunflower was long for its time, modern technology allows more music to be put on a smaller disc.
I've always been partial to the sound of vibes in jazz and on Sunflower, Milt Jackson gives us some good vibes indeed. If this album was one of those you skipped when building your jazz collection, give it a listen now. The price is right and the sound of the remaster is excellent.

For those of you who are aficionados of jazz in the cool style, "Milt Jackson Sunflower" is a rare treasure of smooth, cool beautiful music. Milt Jackson is the legendary vibraphone player whose artistry is unparalled. On this CD remastered from the original CTI LP (don't get any other CD version!), he plays with Herbie Hancock (piano/keyboard), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Cobham (percussion), and Freddie Hubbard (trumpet). According to the CD liner notes, the CD version adds an additional selection, "SKJ," that was not included in the original album as it was issued. Many of the tunes on this CD are jazz classics, such as "People Make the World Go Round," but never played sweeter than they are here. Freddie Hubbard's trumpet is a cool breeze of brass as it blows through each selction. "Milt Jackson Sunflower" is some of the best mood music I have ever found, romantic without being cheesy, meditative without being "space-y," mellow without being entirely tame.

The CTI jazz albums of the 1970s always featured great musicians but tended to be over-produced, and this 1972 recording is no exception. Milt Jackson, who gave us an extraordinary body of work that should be represented in every jazz collection, is joined here by Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet & flugelhorn, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums. He is also joined by a string section, woodwinds, and auxiliary percussion. All of this tends to get in the way of the man who is supposed to be the featured artist.
If you didn't know that Jackson was the headliner, you'd think this was a Freddie Hubbard album. Freddie's horn is prominent on all the tunes, and he even composed the title track. By the time he and Hancock take their time in the spotlight, there's too little time left for Jackson, who often fades into the background.
This is not a bad album, and it's reasonably priced, but it's far from being a good showcase of Jackson's artistry. Try Bags & Trane (Mcup) (with John Coltrane), The Ellington Album"All Too Soon" (with Joe Pass), or any of the many occasions when Jackson teamed up with Oscar Peterson.

I bought a lot of Creed Taylor productions in the early 70s; they had sheen and panache, and some of the best jazz musicians eeking out a dime in that day. This Milt Jackson release remains timeless, and includes a rare cover of Legrand's mournful "What are you doing the rest of your life?". This is definitely kick-back music, but the interplay between musicians is nothing less than adept and energized.

The sound quality is very good. What is wrong is that the title cut, Sunflower, is only 8:51! This tune was over 10 minutes on all earlier versions of this CD, or vinyl, release! That's like having at 40 year anniversary version of IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA, but the title cut is only 10 minutes, instead of 17:05!!!! All music fans have their favourite songs that they would be sickened to see raped in this manner! YOU BE THE JUDGE OF WHERE THIS PRACTICE IS DOING TO MUSIC EVERYWHERE!!

I knew this LP in 1973 but lost it. The song "For someone I love" is sublime.
A big purchase