Whims of Chambers

Paul Chambers

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 28, 1996)
• Original Release Date: 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000005H3E
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #140,987 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Session, March 13, 2000

By	Frank Bock (Maine/NY) - See all my reviews

Paul Chambers is definitely one of my favorite bass players, so picking up this album was almost essenitial. I was right in thinking that it would be good because it is. Chambers is of course up front, but unlike a lot of bass players solo albums (read Ron Carter), Mr. PC is never in your face. He simply solos more. And there are a bunch of chances on this deal to hear his great arco playing, which always caught my ear.

I disagree though with Amazon's opinion on Donald Byrd. I think he plays quite well. If anyone's lines are not up to par, I would have to say that it's Trane's. But it's the wild card, Kenny Burrell who really does it for me on this album. Philly Joe lights a huge fire under Burrell and his guitar solos really knocked me down on the ground. This is a great session for Burrell.

It is just good though to hear more of Chamber's arco playing. If you want to here some more, you can check out Bud Powell's Scene Changes. PC solos like a mf with the bow on a bunch of songs. And Whims of Chambers is just a good deal to have around. The only drawback is the sound quality isn't too great. Perhaps Bluenote will eventually remaster and release it without all the unnecessary echo. Great album. Get it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good For You!, February 21, 2006

By	G-Man (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

If you are reading this, your interest in Mr. PC has been sparked for some reason. You would be remiss not to buy this album, if not for the great bass playing and composition of Mr PC (Paul Chambers) himself, but also because John Coltrane appears on some of the tunes. Buy this one first, but then check out "We Three" with Paul Chambers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Swing, swang, Swung!, June 16, 2008

By	Hank Hirsh "Hank Hirsh - Six Perfections Musi... (Portland, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

Just look at the personnel here and know that this side swings from the first to the last note.
Super hip compositions from Trane and Donald Byrd, with a nice little ballad thing and a hip bass melody blues from PC. Philly Joe's intro to Omicron will keep drummers up at night for centuries. I love Donald Byrd on minor tunes and he doesn't disappoint me here. Trane lays out for two measures in one of the tunes as though he is thinking about what to play next. That pause in itself is a rare enough occurrence. When he comes back in he lays down what he had been contemplating and we find it was worth the wait. I dig the silence that preceded it as much as the phrase itself, just because it so rare.
Horace and Kenny do a great job of staying out of each other's way and all pianists and guitarists should be made to listen to how they do so. Far too often the two gang up on the soloist and bury him/her with accompaniment.
My personal favorite on the record is Omicron, a line based on the changes to Dizzy's "Woody'n You". Trane only plays one chorus! It is a very nice, concise chorus, but i have been listening to this record for 25 years wishing he had taken at least two more on these deceptively challenging changes.
Great music.