Customer Reviews

What Now?

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This isn't a live album. It was recorded over two days in Sear Sound Studio in New York, without any overdubs. The program is comprised of Wheeler originals -- and just for the record, the band is Wheeler (flugelhorn), Chris Potter (tenor saxophone), John Taylor (piano), and Dave Holland (bass).

It's still early, but I'll climb out on a limb. I think Down Beat is going to give this CD five stars. I'll bet money it's going to make most critics' Best of 2005 lists. It's far and away the best CD I've heard this year. If you like jazz, you need this CD.

There are a couple of ways to view the background of this session. Wheeler and Taylor released a duet CD on CAM Jazz earlier this year. But I expect a more common comparison will be to 1997's "Angel Song," which has proven Wheeler's most popular record. "Angel Song" deserved every bit of acclaim it received, and "What Now" is a worthy successor. If you like one, you'll like the other. And I can't imagine anyone not liking both.

Jazz is often described as conversation. This quartet proves that metaphor beyond any doubt. The first thing that struck me about this CD was how intently these guys listen to each other. I've never heard more fluid interplay. And Wheeler's tunes are perfectly suited to this dynamic, blurring the line between composition and improvisation.

I've heard a hundred all-star albums pairing first-rate musicians. Sometimes it works. Often it doesn't. But every once in awhile you strike something special, a chemistry that can only be described as magical. That's what happened here. It's so good, you almost don't want them to record a follow-up for fear it would disappoint.

Music like this doesn't come along often. Cherish it.

Best Kenny Wheeler Album in two decades, probably since Widow In The Window. And the best recorded ever (James Farber, ladies and gentlemen). How many different albums has Chris Potter been on now where he sounds great and totally different? Even from track to track, he makes you go who is this guy again?

Jazz albums without drums can be real same-y after awhile, even Kenny's haven't been too hot (Angel Song for instance, nice but overrated). Not this one. Dave Holland picks you up by your seat and only lets you off into the cotton wrapped bronze that are the hands of John Taylor. Kenny has never sounded stronger and the tunes have that wistful bite of the ECM material, but with a real coppery shine. Yes, reverb, but less so. Never heard of CAMJazz before, but they have an interesting catalog.

Highly recommended after just three listens. 5 Berets. Plus track 1 is named "Iowa City".

I agree with the other reviewers of this album, on the whole. This is a fresh and breezy set of well crafted and skilfully executed songs. The magic is in the interplay between Kenny Wheeler and Chris Potter (on flugelhorn and tenor sax respectively) but that's to take nothing away from either John Taylor on piano or Dave Holland on double bass. Their accompaniment as a rythm section (there is no drummer on this album) and their solos are just as integral to the overall enjoyment of the album as those from the two leads.

A great modern jazz CD, especially considering it was recorded live in the studio, with no overdubs. Wheeler wrote the entire album and while there's not a dud to be found, I do have my favourite songs: "Iowa City" opens the set, "The Lover Mourns", as the title suggests, is a gloriously sad ballad and "Verona" is so engaging, you don't even notice that it's nine and a half minutes long. But trust me; every song on here is great.

As you might glean from the other reviews, this is an excellent album. It's heady stuff, but remains quite approachable. Like "Angel Song," repeated listens reveal additional nuances of every sort.

With all due respect, I disagree that the disc is marred by "sound problems." The sound is fantastic, and clear. The clicking/clipping noted by another reviewer is (to my ears) nothing more than Holland playing the double bass. I base this view on the fact that you can pretty clearly hear Potter's valve workings on several solos. The album (as noted by Mower B. yard) sounds tremendous.

This recording presents an excellent drummerless quartet stretching out on eight tuneful pieces. Each player gets a chance to shine and all step up with outstanding solos on track after track. Anyone who is a Wheeler, Taylor, Potter or Holland fan should pick this up. Having said that, however, I must insert a caveat. There is noticeable clipping on some of the cuts, resulting in an annoying clickety clack in several places. At first, I thought this might just be Holland making an unusual amount of noise sliding up and down the neck of the bass, but unfortunately, it seems to be a recording artifact. So for that I dock the CD a star. I will approach other recordings from this company with caution.

The clicking noises some reviewers refer to are from Holland's hand on the neck of his bass. You can hear this about 4 minutes into the first song and during his solo mid song - all consonant with his changing position on the neck with great strenght and speed. At the opening of the second song, some pad noise can be heard from the sax, but it goes away soon. In other words, this is a wonderfully recorded and beautifully played cd of exceptional music.

I've owned this disc for over a year now, and find it more rewarding with each listen. Without drums, this remarkable jazz quartet has an ethereal, floating quality that simply must be experienced. The playing is at a very high level, the compositions unique, and the sound of the recording superb. Yep, the "sound problem" noted by one reviewer is a function of the high-resolution, life-like recording--no reason to shy away from this CD. When I first saw the rather shoddy-looking album cover, though, I assumed this was rap or hip-hop music.

I can't seem to get this one out of rotation on my CD player.

I am very dissapointed in how I have ordered this item and still yet to receive it. It has been over a month and still waiting...........