Live at Yoshi's [Live]

Live at Yoshi's [Live]

ASIN: B00005KG99

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
That Pat Martino's new Live at Yoshi's is a stunning display of jazz-guitar prowess should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the six-string legend. That the disc is one of those lucky live albums that captures a night when everything seemed to be falling into place for Martino and his trio of organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Billy Hart is perhaps more than even the guitarist's most ardent admirers could have hoped for. DeFrancesco and Hart are both predictably awe-inspiring, but it's the telepathic chemistry between the three band members and the understandably thrilled audience that really blasts Live at Yoshi's into a higher realm of live jazz albums. The trio's interplay on the laid-back version of "All Blues" seems to reach a new peak with each chorus, culminating in Martino's beautiful closing unaccompanied cadenza, and the guitarist and DeFrancesco seem to inspire each other to ever greater heights on the ballad "Welcome to a Prayer." Those enamored of Martino's fleet-fingered heroics will have plenty to feast on here--from the breakneck tempo of the opening "Oleo" to the hard-swinging "El Hombre," Martino and DeFrancesco trade lines with an assurance that few musicians can muster. Martino has one of the more inspirational personal stories in music. A guitar legend in the '70s, he had to completely relearn the instrument after a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1980--and he can now lay claim to one of the more inspirational live albums released in years. --Ezra Gale

Tracks:

Oleo
All Blues
Mac Tough
Welcome To A Prayer
El Hombre
Recollection
Blue In Green
Catch

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

That Pat Martino's new Live at Yoshi's is a stunning display of jazz-guitar prowess should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the six-string legend. That the disc is one of those lucky live albums that captures a night when everything seemed to be falling into place for Martino and his trio of organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Billy Hart is perhaps more than even the guitarist's most ardent admirers could have hoped for. DeFrancesco and Hart are both predictably awe-inspiring, but it's the telepathic chemistry between the three band members and the understandably thrilled audience that really blasts Live at Yoshi's into a higher realm of live jazz albums. The trio's interplay on the laid-back version of "All Blues" seems to reach a new peak with each chorus, culminating in Martino's beautiful closing unaccompanied cadenza, and the guitarist and DeFrancesco seem to inspire each other to ever greater heights on the ballad "Welcome to a Prayer." Those enamored of Martino's fleet-fingered heroics will have plenty to feast on here--from the breakneck tempo of the opening "Oleo" to the hard-swinging "El Hombre," Martino and DeFrancesco trade lines with an assurance that few musicians can muster. Martino has one of the more inspirational personal stories in music. A guitar legend in the '70s, he had to completely relearn the instrument after a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1980--and he can now lay claim to one of the more inspirational live albums released in years. --Ezra Gale

Customer Reviews:

Maybe you had to be there..........2007-04-06

I bought this album some years ago, hoping to enjoy some inspired live music by the legendary guitarist playing with a hot band. I was very disappointed at the time, and just filed it away. Listened to it again recently and nothing has changed. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but...

... I cannot see how this could be a great jazz guitar album or even a good one. It's a live peformance by a respected musician (well, there's three of them here actually), but one who is playing his axe in the cracked record zone. Lick after lick is repeated like a formula (mantra?) and recycled and ... well, that'll do.

Some are impressed with that fact that Pat can play a clean, fast scale; yes he can, but so what? Plenty of musicians from any given genre can do that. So this might satisfy those who go crazy about a technique on display, but this is technical meandering in place of true improvising; flashy noodling instead of going for something more. Technique should be the means to an end, not the end in itself, and here I reckon Pat loses the plot. I cannot detect any emotion or touch of grace, and I found myself waiting for something more lyrical to emerge. I wholeheartedly agree with the reviewer who found himself wishing for some space between the notes.

Most were still rather generous with their rating, but I can't do that - not even out of respect for Pat's reputation, or for the contributions of Billy Hart and Joey DeFrancesco. Not comparing apples and oranges here; on it's own merits this album fails to inspire. It is flashy performing, but to my ear it lacks heart and soul. No doubt Pat's fans will be upset with this opinion. Sorry, but I'm just not moved in any way by this album.

Call a Thing What It Is!.......2006-09-01

I started my college career as a music major at a Historically African American University. So I have personal experience with reverse discrimination when it comes to great White players not getting the recognition they deserve in the eyes of African American Musicians/Jazz fans. I have to wonder if that's not what I'm seeing here. Just a thought!

Mention Martino to any of these guys I'm talking about and it's always Wes this and Wes that! Yeah, I know Martino's style very well and he does repeat alot of his licks. He's not always the most lyrical guy in the world either! So he's not perfect! Wow! What a revelation! The fact is that he's earned a right to be a lengend and no one can take that away from him! So there!

Look, I love Wes just a much as the next fan. The problem I have with Wes is that he's dead! There's not likely to be any new Wes Montogomery Live CD's out anytime soon!

I guess I'm sorta like Miles used to be! Like Miles and unlike some people, I can't stand to listen to one rendition of Autumn Leaves after another and another! Much better to listen to someone who is still above ground, working and at least putting out an occasional original composition! Sheesh!

STEF FROM ITALY IS AN IDIOT.......2005-11-25

Personally, I think Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino are both fabulous. To compare them is silly and irrelevant. They are both stupendous musicians. Both have great time, great ideas etc. What's really annoying is idiots like Stef, (see review below). I can't even remember the exact wording of his stupid review, but I seem to recall him typing something like Pat Martino will never fill Wes Montogmery's shoes, and sorry Pat you don't compare (whatever) They both deserve credit for being great players.

Good, but not the best........2004-11-21

First, let me start out by saying that the interplay between the musicians here is fantastic, as has been noted in other reviews.

A previous reviewer compared Martino's performance here to Wes Montgomery. The one difference I find between the two is that Wes had deeper pockets. By that, I mean that you can listen to one of his records and feel like everything is new. He had such a rich internal library of material from which to draw that everything he played sounded fresh. Martino doesn't quite have that here. If I listen to all the cuts on the record in a row, I get the feeling that he is repeating a lot of material. Yes, his improvisational method allows him to take the same riff and use it in many different contexts, but it doesn't make up for the same-ness of it all.

In addition, I don't really like Martino's phrasing here. Some guitarists (Wes, Grant, and Joe Pass come to mind) derive an incredible impact from the placement of every individual note. For me, Martino's phrasing is too uniform throughout the record. He approaches every tune in much the same way. A reviewer here mentioned the cadenza at the end of "All Blues" as an example of Martino's great playing. Yeah, it's harmonically intricate and technically complex, but it just isn't beautiful to me. It doesn't quite match the character of the tune. The same goes for Martino's playing on ballads - it just doesn't seem quite right to me. Sometimes I find myself wishing he would slow down, leave some space, and give every note a chance to speak.

The #1.......2004-07-24

I play a lot, and listen to a lot of jazz, and this is my favorite, and I think the best recording ever. Joey D is my favorite organ player, and Pat is my favorite guitar player, and this is the perfect album. I only wish I had been able to see this trio while it was on tour.

YOU MUST BUY THIS

linc
www.learnjazzguitar.net

Average customer rating:

Another Tribute to Ella
LIVE - As it should be
A truly LIVE recording
A joy.
A joy.

Live at Yoshi's
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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J'ai Deux Amours
Dear Ella
This Is New
Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver
Keeping Tradition

ASIN: B00003NH92
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Tracks:

Undecided
Slow Boat To China
Stairway To The Stars
What A Little Moonlight Can Do
Sex Machine
Midnight Sun
Cherokee
Love For Sale
Cotton Tail

Amazon.com

Dee Dee Bridgewater's Live at Yoshi's is more than just a glorious paean to the art of scat singing by one of its foremost practitioners. Impeccably recorded, Yoshi's is also that rare live recording that captures the excitement and spontaneity of a performance without sacrificing the crystal-clear sound quality that listeners expect from a studio album. The audio is so good it's easy to imagine yourself smack in the middle of the Oakland, California, nightclub for one of these April 1998 shows. And what shows those were. Bridgewater and her topflight quartet--pianist/organist Thierry Eliez, bassist Thomas Bramerie, and drummer Ali Jackson--put on a fireworks display that showcases the group's thrilling interplay and playfulness while giving Bridgewater ample room to demonstrate why she is one of the jazz world's hottest vocalists, especially when it comes to the vocalizations of scat. A commanding presence in any setting, Bridgewater demonstrates her versatility by shifting gears in a heartbeat from the up-tempo scatted bebop of "Cherokee" to beautiful ballads like "Slow Boat to China" and "Stairway to the Stars." What's more, she takes up the greasy funk of James Brown's "Sex Machine" and a long version of Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" that weaves in snippets of Herbie Hancock's funky Headhunters arrangement of "Watermelon Man." You'll be forgiven if, after the set's rousing finale of "Cotton Tail," you stand and applaud along with the crowd at Yoshi's. --Ezra Gale

Customer Reviews:

Another Tribute to Ella.......2007-03-31

By 1998 Dee Dee Bridgewater had already released a Grammy-Award winning tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, "Dear Ella." But she decided to redux some of that great album in this equally great live album, not released until 2000, even though by the concert's point Ella had been dead for two years.

This is a rip-roarin', cookin' set with some very bright moments. Consider her scat duet with bassist Thomas Bramerie on the set-opener, "Undecided." Or consider her spot-on impression of a muted trumpet (complete with "Growl") on "Stairway to the Stars." Or, consider her wild scatting on "What a Little Moonlight Can Do", done at about twice the tempo of the immortal version of Lady Day. Or consider her hilarious orgasmic vocalese on "Love for Sale", as she "spotlights" a club patron named Paul and moans his name in ways never heard at The Mustang Ranch. (You can hear poor, lucky Paul turn about 3 shades of crimson!) All of these make for a 5-star release, just by themselves.

My one critique of Ms. Bridgewater is that here she sings with an extremely bright, forward tone. She sounds like she is singing through her teeth, and the album cover rather verifies that. The tone is just fine for the scat and uptempo numbers. (I smiled at the thought of listening to Ms. Bridgewater jam with Charlie Parker on "Cherokee"; if only that could have happened!) But it doesn't sound right on the c.d.'s one true ballad, "Midnight Sun." On her later-released "J'Ai Deux Amours", Ms. Bridgewater sounds like a more complete singer.

A c.d. worth having, if for no other reason than to listen to how a supremely gifted entertainer works the audience. This is a concert I would have liked to have seen! RC

LIVE - As it should be.......2002-05-25

This album takes you there!

You get the energy, wit, humor and extraordinary talent of the incomperable Dee Dee Bridgewater at her absolute best.

She is already recognized as one of the most important jazz singers. She will undoubtedly be heralded as the most significant vocalist of her genre to come in the past several generations.

Anyone who has ever seen her live will attest that she is unbelievable. You want to jump out of your seat and dance. You howl with laughter - she's an amazing comedian. She can turn around and sing the most sophisticated ballad and then follow it up with an uncanny Armstrong horn impersonation. The musicians are fierce, Dee Dee is on fire and the audience is going wild! It's almost as good as being there.

This is Bridgewater at her amazing, fun, funky, hysterical best.

If you love jazz, you will love this album.

If you don't love jazz, this will open up a whole new world.

She's not your Grandma's jazz singer - she's that and a whole lot more!

A truly LIVE recording.......2002-03-06

This CD captures it all - amazing singing, great solos, spectacular scatting, great ensemble work, and most important, Dee Dee Bridgewater's unbelievable stage presence. On recordings, she is one of today's best singers. On stage, she is a goddess.

This CD really does an excellent job of conveying what it's like to see her live. Listen to track 5, her cover of James Brown's "Sex Machine." The fact that she even does this amidst "jazz" is pretty cool to begin with, but then she goes on with a bit of banter with the audience and then does a joke about doing the song "Ella-style." It's not big, I know, but these little jokes and comments throughout the CD just make it such a gem.

Another favorite aspect of this CD is that she does not act like a diva. She is a consummate musician who realizes that she is working with a tremendously talented trio. Thus, we get to hear every single musician shine and stand out in solos on multiple occasions.

However, this CD is not a chops-fest. While the group absolutely tears up the house on tunes like Cherokee (pianist/organist Thierry Eliez is a god amongst men), they also can lay back and let the music and tears flow on music like "Stairway to the Stars."

Don't expect any avant-garde, boundary-stretching jazz here. Instead, be ready for an amazing singer, supported by an incredible trio, tearing into great music with passion and gusto.

A joy........2001-07-09

Dee Dee is great and there is no doubt about that. My first point is to tell you to see this woman live. You will so impressed you will talk about it for days. As for this album? Dee Dee is known as much for her voice as for her stage presence. She is a top notch, extremely intelligent performer. She has sass a wit for days. This is one jazz album that even your friends who are not into jazz will appreciate. Buy Buy Buy.

A joy........2001-07-09

Dee Dee is great and there is no doubt about that. My first point is to tell you to see this woman live. You will so impressed you will talk about it for days. As for this album? Dee Dee is know as much for her voice as for her stage presence. She is a top notch, extremely intelligent performer. She has sass a wit for days. This is one jazz album that even your friends who are not into jazz will appreciate. Buy Buy Buy.

Average customer rating:

Great Music By an Underrated Musician
Enchanted Evening
Another gem

Live At Yoshi's, Vol. 1
Jessica Williams
Manufacturer: Max Jazz Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2
In the Key of Monk
All Alone
Jessica's Blues
This Side Up

ASIN: B0002IQCCA
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Tracks:

I'm Confessin' That I Love You
Say It Over And Over Again
You Say You Care
Tutu's Promise
Heather
Alone Together
Poem In G Minor
I Want To Talk About You
Mysterioso

Album Description

Williams opens the CD with an entrancing solo on "I'm Confessin' That I Love You." She sways gently on "Say It Over and Over Again" by Frank Loesser and Jimmy McHugh and then picks up the pace on "You Say You Care" by Jules Styne and Leo Robin. Both Williams and Drummond pluck their instrument's strings to create a slinky, funk effect on Williams' original, "Tutu's Promise." Then Williams draws out the emotion of Billy Cobham's "Heather" beautifully before reconstructing the standard, "Alone Together." Her thoughtful, expressive "Poem in G Minor" follows. On "I Want To Talk About You" by Billy Eckstine and Anne-Rachel, Williams makes the listener feel like the song is being sung to him. Williams closes with "Mysterioso" by one of her favorite composers and strongest influences, Thelonious Monk.

Customer Reviews:

Great Music By an Underrated Musician.......2007-06-18

Jessica Williams is a very gifted pianist who combines great technical proficiency with profound musicality. By turns dramatic, lyrical, and meditative, her playing contains echoes of such predecessors as Waller, Garner, Garland, Monk, and Evans (to name just a few), yet her sound is distinctively her own and decidedly fresh and modern. As an improviser she is boundlessly creative and never seems less than fully engaged and "in the moment"; not only does she seem to be able to play anything that occurs to her, but what occurs to her is always interesting and often arrestingly beautiful. The two volumes of "Live at Yoshi's" present her at her best, and in the company of two skillful collaborators whose style complements hers quite effectively. The song selection strikes a nice balance, with a good mix of standards, works by other jazz musicians, and Williams's own lovely and inventive compositions. The sound is also exceptionally good; while the piano is perhaps a shade brighter than would be ideal, the recording captures the subtleties of the performances with impressive clarity and detail. Either volume would be a fine introduction to a musician who deserves to be much better known than she is.

Enchanted Evening.......2005-07-29

I was not in the audience on the night this recording was made at Yoshi's in Oakland, California, but I wish I had been, as it must have been one enchanted evening. Williams is at her best with Ray Drummond and Victor Lewis; the three of them play as one. Williams is the shining star, playing with a purity rarely heard on such live recordings. She has an amazing gift, and in front of a live audience she plays the piano as if she is offering the music rather than showing it off as so many performers do. The sound quality and engineering is superior compared to most live recordings, with no obstrusive background noise, just the enthusiastic applause at the end of each cut from an audience who knew they were hearing something special.

As with all of Williams' recordings, you will find something new here each time you listen, and you will go to places you never imagined music could take you.

Another gem.......2004-09-08

The second recording for Jessica Williams with the
amazing team of Ray Drummond and Victor Lewis for MazJazz,
this one live in Oakland, CA. The interplay between these
three is tightly knit and the emotions that she puts into
her compositions and performance of them just are so equally
shared by the rest of the band. Listen to "Poem in G Minor",
the way she works on a theme or styling, then expands on it,
then comes back to it, so beautifully. Truly one of the
modern masters of jazz piano.

Average customer rating:

Piano Trio---Just Right!
Great Music By an Underrated Musician
Gorgeous
Made me stop and listen

Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2
Jessica Williams
Manufacturer: Max Jazz Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live At Yoshi's, Vol. 1
Jessica's Blues
In the Key of Monk
This Side Up
Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2

ASIN: B0009Q0ENI
Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

Flamenco Sketches
Why Do I Love You
Spoken Softly
Elbow Room
Soldaji
Paul's Pal
Dear Gaylord
Lulu's Back In Town
Summertime

Album Description

Recorded July 9-10, 2003, at Yoshi's at Jack London Square - one of the world's finest jazz clubs - Live At Yoshi's (Volume Two) offers an exquisite set of music. Williams' long-running trio of Ray Drummond on bass and Victor Lewis on drums brings the music to a high level.

Williams opens the CD with an entrancing intro on "Flamenco Sketches" by Miles Davis. She picks up the pace on "Why Do I Love You" by Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern. The trio gently sways on "Spoken Softly" the first original offering by Williams that she dedicates to her friend and teacher, the late Tony Williams. The upbeat and swinging original, "Elbow Room," follows and displays the cohesiveness of the trio. She dedicates this composition to John Coltrane, who she regards as her "musical light." The pace slows again for "Soldaji," a thoughtfully expressive original composition that she dedicates to her dear, recently departed Watson, who was an "Ancient Wise One" in a Scottish Terrier's body. The trio swings with great energy on the standard "Paul's Pal" by Sonny Rollins. Williams then offers another slow, intimate opening solo, this time to begin her final original composition "Dear Gaylord," which she dedicates to musician and collaborator Gaylord Birch. The trio picks it up with a playful rendition of "Lulu's Back In Town," by Al Dubin and Harry Warren. Williams closes the set with a beautiful version of the classic "Summertime."

Customer Reviews:

Piano Trio---Just Right!.......2007-06-27

Ok, let's name some piano masters: Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Erroll Garner, Keith Jarrett, Oscar Peterson.

Of the many pianists I've heard, she's evenly infused all thier styles into her own and it doesn't push too much to one side--creating a new style to the novice and a homage to the advanced.

I've been into MAXJAZZ since Russell Malone joined. After listening to Eric Reed's "Here", I decided to try Jessica (ok, who could mess up Flamenco Sketches [aka Some Other Time]??).

I heard her version.....I bought it! For the last few days, this has been my car riding music. In The Secret---you are to stay in a good mood. This cd picks me up everytime!!

As a Bill Evans fan (huge), I particularly like the ballads Flamenco Sketches, Spoken Softly, Soldaji, and Dear Gaylord. In her ballad style, she captures a framework harmony of Bill Evans with a melodic style invoking Keith Jarrett (Standard Trio without 'humming') and Oscar Peterson.

In her fast tunes, she sounds like a modern Oscar Peterson-Erroll Garner hyrbid with elements of Thelonious Monk.

Overall, this is a piano trio outing---just right!

Whom is this? Don't know much about her--but it's about the music.

Great Music By an Underrated Musician.......2007-06-18

Jessica Williams is a phenomenally gifted pianist who combines great technical proficiency with profound musicality. By turns dramatic, lyrical, and meditative, her playing contains echoes of such predecessors as Waller, Garner, Garland, Monk, and Evans (to name just a few), yet her sound is distinctively her own and decidedly fresh and modern. As an improviser she is boundlessly creative and never seems less than fully engaged and "in the moment"; not only does she seem to be able to play anything that occurs to her, but what occurs to her is always interesting and often arrestingly beautiful. The two volumes of "Live at Yoshi's" present her at her best, and in the company of collaborators whose playing complements hers very effectively. The song selection strikes a nice balance, with a good mix of standards, works by other jazz musicians, and Williams's own lovely and inventive compositions. The sound is also exceptionally good; while the piano is perhaps a shade brighter than would be ideal, the recording captures the subtleties and nuances of the performances with great clarity and detail.

Gorgeous.......2007-02-11

What a gorgeous CD. My very first Jessica Williams CD, and what a CD. I am gonna listen to the rest of her stuff.I don't know if she is not well known enough, but she sure deserves to be on the strength of this CD alone.

Made me stop and listen.......2007-01-09

All I can say is this: I rarely interrupt my workouts for anything, but I heard a cut on WDET-FM and stopped running to write down this album's title. I ordered this one, then some others and finally went to her website and downloaded a bunch of sheet music. I find it ironic that Jessica and Mary Lou Williams coincidentally share a name. I believe that both deserve much wider recognition.

Average customer rating:

Easy Listening At Its Best
Thank you Mulgrew
Miller's volcanic virtuosity is stunning
actually i did not hear the cd..
I don't know...

Live At Yoshi's, Vol. 1
Mulgrew Miller
Manufacturer: Max Jazz Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2
Live at the Kennedy Center
The Sequel
Live at Bradley's
Live at Bradley's II: The Perfect Set

ASIN: B00023GFXG
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

If I Were A Bell
Waltz For Monk
O Grande Amor
The Organ Grinder
Peace
Don't You Know I Care
What A Difference A Day Makes
Pressing The Issue

Amazon.com

On his fine 2002 release, The Sequel, pianist Mulgrew Miller mostly led a sextet (a new incarnation of his late-'80s band Wingspan, hence the title) and showed off his flair as a writer. Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 1, featuring the pianist's trio of several seasons, is dominated by standards and tunes by his contemporaries. Together, these two MaxJazz releases go a long way toward re-establishing Miller as a creative force. As prolific as he has been in the employ of others, he hadn't made much of a splash on his own in many years. Here, teaming with bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Karriem Riggins at the well-known Oakland nightclub, he uses the three-man format as a kind of flying wedge to open up and expansively propel tunes ranging from an 11-minute-plus reading of the Guys and Dolls classic "If I Were a Bell" to late trumpeter Woody Shaw's "The Organ Grinder." Though the McCoy Tyner influence will forever shadow his playing, Miller has mastered a lighter intensity, making understated use of the dark notes while luxuriating in breezy single-note passages up top. His version of Horace Silver's "Peace" stands out for its emphasis of lucidity over sentimentality. On "Waltz for Monk," by his generational running mate Donald Brown, he plays a clever game of hide and seek with his own Thelonian debt. --Lloyd Sachs

Album Description

Miller takes it to the next level now by recording his first live album. Recorded July 22-23, 2003, at Yoshi's at Jack London Square - one of the world's premiere jazz clubs - Live At Yoshi's (Volume One) is Miller's second release on MAXJAZZ. Unlike The Sequel, where he presented eight original tunes, on Live At Yoshi's, Miller puts his stamp on ageless standards in an intimate trio format. Miller's trio is comprised of Derrick Hodge on bass and Karriem Riggins, who played on The Sequel, on drums.

The recording presents over 70 minutes of fresh repertoire the trio performed at Yoshi's. Miller's crisp, upbeat take on "If I Were A Bell" by Frank Loesser opens the CD with great energy. Donald Brown's beautiful composition "Waltz For Monk" follows, leading into Miller's fluttering, graceful opener of "O Grande Amor" by Antonio Carlos Jobim. The trio folds in effortlessly and then moves together at a faster pace for "The Organ Grinder" by Woody Shaw. Miller draws us in with another slow, intimate opening solo, this time to begin "Peace" by Horace Silver. On "Don't You Know I Care," by Duke Ellington and Mack David, the trio is seamless and fluid, allowing Miller to float on top ofthe rhythm. Miller adds a slight swagger to the classic tune, "What A Difference A Day Makes," by Maria Griver and Stanley Adams. He closes at a rapid pace with his one original composition on the recording, "Pressing The Issue."

Customer Reviews:

Easy Listening At Its Best.......2005-02-27

I've listend to Mulgrew Miller since before his first recordings under his own leadership, from the period he held the piano chair in Woody Shaw's band. He is consistent. His playing feels like that awe inspiring player playing at the piano in your living room. He'll have you in a serious grove without you knowing how it happened. His playing doesn't have the driving charge that some player can have - Take McCoy Tyner (percussive), John Hicks (hard swinging), or James Williams as an example. Millers playing conveys an ease of style like that of Thelonious Monk. Though he sounds nothing like Monk. However I realize his playing is powerful as it is subtle.

He has the range of McCoy Tyner and the other pianist, however he creates magic differently than they. On this recording his imaginative and fluid style is commanding and pleasant. He is good at playing ballads as he is at swinging. I appreciate each of the tunes especially 'Waltz For Monk', 'The Organ Grinder', and 'Pressing The Issue'.

Both Derrik Hodge (bass) and Karriem Riggins (drums) are new to me, yet they play with years of wisdom. Karriem is outstanding, his timing is like that of Max Roach, perfect; his touch is beautiful like that of Billy Higgins and Victor Lewis. Check him on 'The Organ Grinder' and 'O Grande Amor'.

Derrik Hodge's sound is very rich, it's deep and pleasant. He reminds me of Curtis Lundy with a tone for ballads that brings tears to the eyes. Derrik makes me wish there were more ballads on this recording just to showcase his sound which is resonant.

I wish there were twice the music on this disc. Bring on volume 2!

Thank you Mulgrew.......2004-07-17

Mulgrew Miller is one of the greatest & most authentic younger jazz pianists in our era. I adore jazz in 50-60s and I feel like a part of me die every time each of great jazz musicians from the era passes away. Someone like Mulgrew Miller, who has the tremendous swing and real substance in his touch, tone and improvised melodies that he creates, deserves much more attention. I love his "The Sequel", a perfect studio recording. This CD is a great live recording; you can enjoy his TRUE improvisation and a sense of REAL JAZZ in a live setting. I appreciate both Derrick Hodge and Karriem Riggins who provided a great support to Mulgrew. Especially Karriem Riggins, he did a tremendous job in "The Sequel" and in this one, too. Thank you MAXJAZZ, please keep recording Mulgrew Miller's historical great playing to our later generation.

Miller's volcanic virtuosity is stunning.......2004-07-10

Everything falls into place very nicely on this initial volume from Mulgrew Miller's two-day gig at Yoshi's in the summer of 2003. With the strong support of bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Karriem Riggins, Miller's volcanic virtuosity on the piano is simply stunning. Taking no prisoners with his hard bop dash through the standard "If I Were a Bell," Miller immediately afterward soothes the crowd with Donald Brown's lovely, but only occasionally dissonant, tribute "Waltz for Monk," which might sound to many listeners like more of a salute to Oscar Peterson. The pianist's sensitive side is displayed during his powerful solo introduction to Antonio Carlos Jobim's "O Grande Amor," though the bossa nova rhythm does not enter the picture until the rhythm section joins him. Woody Shaw's "The Organ Grinder" is an overlooked gem, which alternates between a romping theme and a dark vamp. But the leader really pulls all stomps with his extended exploration of what was a once neglected ballad by Duke Ellington, "Don't You Know I Care," and one could easily imagine a singer walking on to join him for his lush arrangement. The pianist's furious post-bop original "Pressing the Issue" provides a surprise ending to this outstanding live set, which benefits from outstanding engineering throughout the CD.

actually i did not hear the cd.........2004-07-05

...but I was at yoshi's during one of the recording night, and mulgrew was fantastic. Hope 'you and the night and the music' will be on vol. 2. kareem riggins on drums was quite impressive. I have been waiting impatiently for this cd to be released, so I went straight here when I heard 'if i were a bell' one the radio (it's the first track): he had me wondering "mmm, that's pretty cool, who's playing this?". Excellent version if very standard.

I don't know..........2004-05-26

This is not Mulgrew at his best. His previous release on the MaxJazz label was better. Maybe because of the tune selection. Concerning the Live at Yoshi Cd the arrangements were so so and that Bass player was rubbish. The format was the same for all the tracks. No solo mulgrew just solo intro. then bass and drums. Mulgrew is still the one though. I would like to hear an all solo mulgrew album.

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Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2
No stopping Mulgrew Miller

Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2
Mulgrew Miller
Manufacturer: Max Jazz Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Live At Yoshi's, Vol. 1
Live at the Kennedy Center
Live at Bradley's II: The Perfect Set
The Sequel
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B0009CTVGS
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Tracks:

Joshua
Comes Love
Road Life
It's Easy To Remember
One Own's Room
Little Girl Blue
Citadel

Album Description

Recorded July 22-23, 2003, at Yoshi's at Jack London Square - one of the world's finest jazz clubs - Live At Yoshi's (Volume Two) offers an exquisite set of music. Unlike The Sequel, where he presented eight original tunes in a sextet format, on Live At Yoshi's, Miller puts his stamp on ageless standards in an intimate trio format. Miller's trio is comprised of Derrick Hodge on bass and Karriem Riggins, who played on The Sequel, on drums.

The recording presents over 70 minutes of fresh repertoire. Miller's driving, upbeat take on "Joshua" by Victor Feldman opens the session with great energy. The bluesy composition "Comes Love" follows, leading into Miller's swinging rendition of "Road Life" written by the late, great pianist James Williams who was one of Miller's closest friends. Miller then offers a beautiful solo rendition of the Rodgers and Hart classic "It's Easy To Remember". On "One's Own Room," Miller's one original composition, bassist Derrick Hodge plays a slow, intimate opening solo before the trio folds in seamlessly. A second Rodgers and Hart composition, "Little Girl Blue," displays the trio's breathtaking use of space. He closes with "Citadel" a composition by Tony Williams.

Customer Reviews:

Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2.......2005-09-06

I was not familiar with Mulgrew Miller's music until I heard him on Public Radio. This CD is really great music. I liked it so much I immediately ordered Vol. 1 which is equally fresh and relaxing. The man has TALENT and FEELING! I especially liked One's Own Room.

No stopping Mulgrew Miller.......2005-08-03

I dare say that the ears of Orrin Keepnews are amongst the very best in the business. So, when Orrin released Keys To The City, Mulgrew Miller's first album as a leader, back in 1985, it caught my attention. I have stayed with Mulgrew ever since.

I would have loved to be at Yoshi's in Oakland, CA, when Mulgrew Miller was there on those July days in 2003. Both Vol.1 and this Vol.2 are the next best thing. The choice of material is in very good taste, the trio is tight and obviously having a good time. I am happy to see that this album hit the JazzWeek charts in the week of July 20. I suggest you buy the CD before it enters in the Top 10. You will look so much better and will be recognized as a connaisseur by friends, neighbors and business associates alike.
And to Mulgrew: happy 50th anniversary!

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Ain't bad but.....
Live is better zen studio
I wanted more...
Jing Chi Live!

Jing Chi Live at Yoshi's
Jing Chi
Manufacturer: Tone Center
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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3D
Jing Chi
Document
Paris Concert
Vinnie Colaiuta

ASIN: B00008ZL6L
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

That Road
Going Nowhere
The Hong Kong Incident
Stan Key
What Goes Around
Crazy House
Cold Irons Bound
Blues MD

Customer Reviews:

Ain't bad but............2004-08-22

Blessedly, I live in Oakland, walking distance from Yoshis and I get to attend way too many shows there. This was one show that I reallly looked forward to since I'm a huge Vinnie fan and also a Robben and the Blueline fan. I went two nights in a row and saw a total of four sets and enjoyed them all but there seems to be so much more potential for these three guys. Robben's tone is, as always, just perfect, Jimmy is solid and Vinnie is, well Vinnie but the band just never seems to climax. As one reviewer put it, the band just seems hemmed in. I kept waiting for Vinnie to tear it up but it just never happened. Maybe I'm just getting spoiled but I think Robben's other band was more entertaining. Still, this is good disc and I would recommend it to anyone who likes blues/fusion.

Live is better zen studio.......2004-01-30

JING CHI LIVE AT YOSHI'S finds the original Jing-Chi trio in a live setting with a couple of guests. The guests definitely help.
Overall the band still delivers blues/rock with Jazz flavorings. Like the studio version the disc is mostly instrumental but there are 2 vocal tunes. If Blues/rock is your thing then you'll be loving this. Robben Ford is still the featured player on this disc; However, unlike the studio release, I was expecting it. Ford, once again, delivers with his blues/jazz/rock style. No shred, just pure feeling and his tone smokes. His style is still a blend of Hendrix/SRV/Johnson/Beck, which places him in esteemed company. He just might be the best living Blues/Rock guitarist out there. One of the many highlights for him is 'Stan Key'. Jimmy Haslip still is in the background but is solid. Vinnie is given more room to show his stuff and he delivers on songs like 'The Hong Kong Incident'. I have heard better Vinnie, but this should make fans happy.
The two guests are Marc Russo and Otmaro Ruiz. Russo is only on one song, 'Blues MD', but he adds a new sound to the mix and the band definitely sounds better when they add more people to the trio. This is especailly true for Otmaro Ruiz. Ruiz was a member of John Mclaughlin's "Heart of Things" band and he contributes to practically every song. His keyboard sound and style are a perfect fit. He doesn't overplay but adds to every song that he is heard on.
The disc has 8 songs on it and half of them are on the studio version. So, if you want new material then you've got it. Among the new songs are a Bob Dillon cover "Cold Irons bound" and a piece added by Ruiz, 'What Goes Around". I hope this means that he'll be on any future recordings. The studio songs are given more depth live because the trio stretches and Ruiz makes me wish that he was on the first disc. Even a vocal tune like "Going Nowhere" sounds good on this effort. If you liked the first disc then you'll like this one as well. I found the first disc to be mediocre but this one is very good. Jazz/Fusion is taken to new heights when it is performed live and JING CHI is a testament to this.

I wanted more..........2003-12-03

This band has so much potential! Although there are strong performances on this cd it just hints at what it might have been. Robin Ford is great throughout. He is tasteful and blistering when he needs to be. Vinnie is well, Vinnie but very reserved and kind of hemmed in. Haslip is as solid as they come and he and Vinnie are truly what a solid rythm section is about. Yet its not all there. I was at these shows and the tracks here are not the most exciting performances from those nights. I wanted more from this cd. Perhaps next time.

Jing Chi Live!.......2003-05-02

Great live fusion with extended jams featuring a great power trio--guitarist extraordinaire Robben Ford, drummer's drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and Yellowjacket's bassist Jimmy Haslip--assisted ably by Otmaro Ruiz on keyboards and Marc Russo on sax. This disc contains 4 tracks from the studio-recorded version of Jing Chi (Going Nowhere, The Hong Kong Incident, Stan Key, and Crazy House), and 4 new tracks (That Road, What Goes Around, Cold Irons Bound, and Blues MD). Overall the cd has a little more bluesy and not quite as "hard" a feel to it as the studio version. As you'd expect with such a cast of characters, this is great stuff.

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Very Representative

Live at Yoshi's
Oregon
Manufacturer: Intuition
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Oregon in Moscow
Northwest Passage
Out of the Woods/Roots in the Sky
Beyond Words
Prime

ASIN: B000069JM3
Release Date: 2002-08-06

Tracks:

Pounce
The Prowler
Distant Hills
Short N' Stout
Green And Golden
I'll Remember August
Raven's Wood
Crocodile Romancing
What River Is This?
Witch-Tai-To

Album Description

"With Live at Yoshi's, Oregon discovered jamming. Many tracks on the album sound groovy and jazzy. And some even funky." -- JazzThing

Oregon, a band that has existed for more than three decades, is well known for crossing the borders of musical genres, combining stylistic means of jazz with those of classical and world music, and being open to both Indian music and folk with Celtic elements. Recorded in collaboration with successful producer Steve Rodby in August 2001 at Oakland's Yoshi's, one of the best-known jazz clubs in the US.

Customer Reviews:

Very Representative.......2002-08-09

This release reads like a beautifully performed, beautifully recorded and beautifully received (by the audience, whose effects are felt) set from a typical Oregon concert. The fact that it is probably pieced-together from various nights is not important. What is important is the song selection. Missing are most of the "recent nuggets", like Claridade, Anthem, The Templars, etc. Only Green And Golden is left to carry that load. The "Distant Hills" and "Ravens Wood" are very nice, and function as the appropriate "old nuggets". The new composition by Glen is appropriately playful and slightly cracked (like Glen). The free piece and the set closing "Witchi Tai To" give it the appropriate stamp of Oregon. But the new Ralph pieces are a bit lightweight; Paul seems to working a little too hard to make them seem substantive, and the truth is that their melodies are not memorable in the way that Ralph's melodies usually are.

I applaud the group for not making the release one nugget after another, but a single disk with this content leaves you wishing there was a bit more. Perhaps a 2-disk set would have been the answer.

Customer Reviews:

An older Joe Pass.......2007-05-13

There's some really tasty tracks on this but the quality is not consistent throughout. On a number of tracks Joe's playing is a bit sloppy and indistinct. The tracks that live up to his deserved stellar reputation are the ones that spread the creative task across the ensemble. On these, his solo work has more energy and spark and more clarity. This is less the case on tunes where his solo work dominates. A worthwhile addition to any jazz collection, but especially to Joe Pass fans.

Joe Pass Live At Yoshi's Vol. 1.......2004-12-21

Joe Pass was a legendary virtuoso on the guitar. He was among the top jazz players. Even the legends, such as Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, and even Django.

This, fairly modern, release of Pass and his usual sideman of the time (John Pisano-guitar, Monty Budwig-bass, Colin Bailey-drums) captures Pass and his cohorts swinging at a small club called Yoshi's. This is the first of two appearences, on different nights at the jazz club.

There was a lot of magic that night recorded at the club. Drummer Colin Bailey is on fire! And so is Pass. The CD starts off with Newk's, aka Sonny Rollins's Doxy; a jazz standard. Some nice solos delivered by Pass.

Throughout the album, Pass and his men go through the tunes with ease and grace. They treat many of these jazz classics well. Pass's guitar souonds great!

John Pisano is on rhythm guitar. It's not often you have two guitars; one playing lead and one playing rhythm, in a jazz setting, but the two do it hear like it has been a part of jazz for years!

If you like jazz guitar, or just good jazz, you cant go wrong here. The sound is good, it's modern, and it's jazz! What more could you ask for!!!

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