Taking Chances: Live at the Dakota [LIVE]

Terell Stafford

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 13, 2007)
• Original Release Date: March 13, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Max Jazz Records
• ASIN: B000N3STNY
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #131,185 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

JazzTimes
"Stafford possesses a vibrant command of his instrument."

Product Description
Taking Chances combines a mixture of crafty originals and timeless standards. The release kicks off with a fiery intro by Dana Hall on Stafford's A Nick Off The Mark. This Afro-Cuban delight showcases Stafford's extraordinary range and control of the trumpet. Tim Warfield on soprano saxophone and pianist Bruce Barth also contribute engaging solos on this tune. Pegasus, written by Barth, is a bebop-oriented tune that displays the artistic range of the group. The pace slows for a lovely rendition of the ballad Taking A Chance On Love by Duke, Fetter and LaTouche. Warfield on soprano, Stafford on flugelhorn, Barth and Hodge all play exquisite solos. The group has a fresh take on the traditional Jesus Loves Me. The rhythm section vamps while Warfield and Stafford exchange phrases. This culminates when the melody is played in unison with great force. The group finds its groove with Blues For J.T., a funky original by Stafford, which he dedicates to his father. The ballad Old Folks by Hill and Robison showcases Stafford's fluid and lush playing on this standard. Paper Trail by Dana Hall bounces with great energy. Warfield displays why he is one of the great tenor players today. Stafford and Hall build off each other throughout the song with their hard bop phrasing. The evening comes to a close with a bang on Warfield's hip composition Shake It For Me.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Hard Bop, June 14, 2007

By	R. Hayes "Jazzlover" (Minneapolis MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you like hard bop Art Blakey style but with a modern twist then you will love this CD. All the playing is top-notch but of special note is Tim Warfield who blows as good as he ever has. The sound quality is fantastic for a live recording, it makes you feel like you're right there in the middle of all the action. When you look over the track list don't be fooled by the cut Jesus Loves Me. Yes this is the same tune that many of us learned as a little child in our Sunday school class. And it starts out with that same melody but then it transforms in to a hard bop work out as Tim Warfield takes the melody tears it to shreds then puts it back together again. This will easily be one of the top CDs of the year. And one of Terrell Staffords best CDs ever.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great bop from a talented musician, March 18, 2008

By	A. Gillette (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Terell Stafford lives up to the name of his first live album and takes chances with a variety of bop styled pieces. Take, for example, Shake It For Me (tk 8) written by saxophonist Tim Warfield; it's a bold, funky composition with a punchy, staccato melody that provides fertile ground for some unusual solos. Or try Blues for J.T. (tk 5), a groovy, bluesy piece that showcases Stafford's ability to really wail and drummer Dana Hall's creative prowess on a solo late in the piece. The lead off track, A Nick Off The Mark (tk 1) has an upbeat latin flair and the band works
as a team to egg each other on when comping during solos. For a roller coaster ride of drawn out passages, fast breaks, and explosions across the scales falling into gentle piano grooves, try Jesus Loves Me (tk 4). Or, for a mellow melody that slowly picks up steam, check out Old Folks (tk 6). Stafford is a professor of music and the Director of Jazz Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia and his intelligence comes through in the inspired tracks heard on this album.