Customer Reviews

Young at Heart

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

 

 

YOUNG AT HEART is a fitting climax to the life and career of a
great drummer and composer. Tony Williams has always been a
bulwark of musical wizardry, and his Jazz work over the decades
is the stuff of legend.

This Columbia date from the mid-late 1990s finds Williams
at the helm of a sterling trio with bassist Ira Coleman and
pianist Mulgrew Miller, and the session is simply delightful!
Those who like a classic Jazz trio full of melody, playing
full-out with no stops, listen to this.

A wonderful collection of ballads ("On Green Dolphin Street"),
standards ("This Here") and originals (Miller's stunning opener,
"Promethean" and one of Williams' haunting themes from THE
STORY OF NEPTUNE), this is a great treat for longtime listeners,
and a special nugget for beginners who want a prime case of
what this music is all about. Swinging and cohesively free, this
is a showstopper.

With luck, Blue Note will re-release all of Williams' recordings
with this rhythm section plus the astonishing trumpetry
of Wallace Roney, soon. In the meantime, here is Jazz of the
highest order. Come in, please.

When Tony brought this group to New York, the "New Yorker" complained that Tony used an immense set and was too loud. That was the innovative point of his piano trio, that the drums would finally play an equal role in the proceedings. Narrow-eared critics always believe drums are too loud if they don't merely "accompany" melody instruments. In accordance with this cocktail piano tradition, the recording engineer and his 3 or 4 assistants here relegate one of the greatest drummers in jazz history to the background (right of center), and artificially promote a merely competent pianist (aside from a certain harmonic piquancy) to the foreground. The tone of the drums (as that of the piano, for jazz) has been well recorded, but the drums cannot be heard over the piano. I want to actually listen to the nuances of those brushes, not just imagine them! The rather boomy string bass sound often lacks definition and thus tends to cover Tony's expressive bass drum work. Lip service in the liner notes is given to Tony's stature as a musician, but he is kept "in his place" with conventional studio mastering. A shame. Retaining "Young At Heart" as the title for posthumous release in this country is indefensibly cruel. I much prefer the series of quintet albums on Blue Note beginning with "Foreign Intrigue" and tragically concluding with "The Story of Neptune." From a purely jazz point of view "Civilization," the second, is probably the best overall, though the last contains the tremendous rhythmic tour de force "Creatures of Conscience," and Wallace Roney on trumpet improves with each successive recording. The sound quality on these can be rather harsh and flat, and there are balance problems, but the drums are definitely not slighted! Mulgrew Miller appears on them all, but in proper perspective.

this is a great trio cd and shows off tony's gentler side that has not been captured that often

If you're any fan of modern jazz, Tony William's final album is surely one to have. He plays about as well as he did during his Lifetime era. Yet, TW is not the only attraction on the album. Pianist Mulgrew Miller displays a fine lyrical touch. Although the album is a bit low-key, the performances are well worth repeated listenings.

The lose of drumming great Tony Williams in 97' was something the jazz community has yet to recover from. This excellent trio CD is well recorded, and is some of his most inspired work since the 60's! In the area of the recording itself; yes- there is a slight studio polish to it, but not enough to detract from the music, or the sound of the musicians. Sony was very proud of its gear(re: liner notes), but don't drop a letter of complaint, as I'm sure all the engineers are live wire types!!- hehe. Humor aside, pick up this wonderful album and remember the genius that was and is Tony Williams. cheers jb

Nowhere yet have I read mention of the fact that this is really a Mulgrew Miller CD - in every way, shape, and form - one that just happens to have the great Tony Williams on drums. And contrary to another review of this CD, the drums are NOT mixed forward at all; Tony is filling his normal role, which is to say giving snap-crackle-pop, innovative, and forward-propelling support, from behind his kit.

When I first heard a friend's Japanese release of this CD last year, I counted the weeks and days until it would be available in the States. This is primo Mulgrew Miller, in a simpatico setting, recorded perfectly.