Third Stream Music

Third Stream Music

Third Stream Music

ASIN: B000063NC6

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
One of the group's first combinations of jazz and classical. It features guest appearances by Jimmy Giuffre & Jim Hall. This album is making its worldwide CD debut thanks to Wounded Bird Records. Remastered. 2002.

Third Stream Music,The Modern Jazz Quartet,Wounded Bird Records,Cool,Group,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Third Stream
Django
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • One of the most unique sounds in all of music...
  • Rudy remaster is remarkable
 Django
The Modern Jazz Quartet
Manufacturer: Prestige
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000EMGIJ6
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Tracks:

  1. Django
  2. One Bass Hit
  3. La Ronde Suite
  4. The Queen's Fancy
  5. Delaunay's Dilemma
  6. Autumn In New York
  7. But Not For Me
  8. Milano

Amazon.com

Pianist John Lewis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Kenny Clarke were fresh from serving as the rhythm section in the Dizzy Gillespie orchestra when they went into the studio in 1953 to record--only their second session together. "Autumn in New York," which would go on to become one of the group's staple performances in concert, summarized their cameo-like pictorial strengths. The December 23, 1954 session produced two of the group's enduring masterpieces--"Django," Lewis's tribute to the then-recently deceased French gypsy guitarist, Django Reinhardt, and "One Bass Hit," with its delightfully understated exchange between Lewis and Jackson. The "La Ronda Suite" fills out a great collection. --John Swenson

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars One of the most unique sounds in all of music..........2007-02-14

I agree with the reviewer below me, the sound of this remastered CD is excellent and perfect for this kind of choral jazz music. I have to say that it took me a while to really get into these guys but now I am completely hooked! To me, there has never been a group that sounds quite like these cats. I have never heard the great Percy Heath sound as good as he does on this recording. It was an absolutely, incredible performance! I'm blown away everytime I hear this album and decide to turn up the bass a bit. Man, it's a trip to see how fast and tight he is. However, the whole group led by legendary Milt Jackson really is as close to perfection as your going to get in this recording. I would have purchased this CD just to hear the song "Django"! Also, their version of "Autumn in New York" gives me such a warm, serene, feeling inside my body every time I listen to it. Yes, everytime.

Overall, this is just one of those recordings that as a jazz fan you have to own. It's a classic on anyone's list and RVG does another fantastic job as the "messenger" releasing it to sound as perfect and clear as if you were in the studio listening to it live. These guys were some kind of foursome and although I am huge fan of the horns, I still put these four at the top of my list of all-time favorite quartets. I highly recommend that if you are new to jazz and do not own this album then please purchase it immediately. You won't be disappointed!

5 out of 5 stars Rudy remaster is remarkable.......2006-03-24

this ancient jazz classic never sounded better.Rudy Van Gelder did an excellent job remastering this one with the 24- bit.He proves that it does matter who takes up the task of remastering this wonderful jazz classic. just keep them coming Rudy.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Brubeck!
  • A must buy
  • The Perfect Quartet
  • Jazzman since 1942
  • Degree'd
 The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall
Dave Brubeck
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005AWMW
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

  1. St. Louis Blues
  2. Bossa Nova U.S.A.
  3. For All We Know
  4. Pennies From Heaven
  5. Southern Scene
  6. Three To Get Ready

Tracks:

  1. Eleven Four
  2. It's A Raggy Waltz
  3. King For A Day
  4. Castilian Drums
  5. Blue Rondo A La Turk
  6. Take Five

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Brubeck!.......2007-05-13

I listen to this one and, wow! Jazz at it's best. It never tires. Over 40 years old and still tops my list!

5 out of 5 stars A must buy.......2007-03-05

This is a classic album with Dave Brubeck at his best. A collectors item.

5 out of 5 stars The Perfect Quartet.......2007-01-03

I think that Paul Desmond was second only to Johnny Hodges as an alto player. I have always considered
this group supurb.

5 out of 5 stars Jazzman since 1942.......2006-11-10

I purchased the CD in order to compare it with my original vinyl LP version of the concert,which I bought end of 1960. The result: The original LP played with a o.5 mg Shure system on the grooves transfers more feeling between the group and the great audience in the Carnegie hall that night. Maybe its also a little bit psychology involved. However, could it be that the zero/one editing technique is somewhat weaker than the transfer of soundwaves to the mother printing material??
Anyway The concert on CD is a must in all that Jazz collections, therefore the 5 stars.

5 out of 5 stars Degree'd.......2006-01-31

This is no doubt the most important, most exciting representation of the post-Take 5 quartet on record. Both Brubeck and Desmond are on fire, and the rhythm section of Gene Wright and Joe Morello insures the flames remain bright. And unlike the studio album, "Take 5," the odd time signatures by this time have become so second-nature to the musicians that extended, extemporaneous improvisation is the order of the night. Simply put, "At Carnegie Hall" recalls the earlier college concert dates but with the addition of a state-of-the-art rhythm section and the bold, virtuosic confidence that come with experience and success.

At the same time, the earlier recordings have their own strengths. Nowhere does the quartet sound more genuinely inspired than on "Jazz at Oberlin," "Jazz at the College of the Pacific," and "Jazz Goes to College"--performances that are characterized by in-the-moment creation and the sheer joy of discovery. Listen to Brubeck's heavy-handed bitonality and polyrhythmic thunder on "St. Louis Blues" from the Carnegie Hall date. It's in many respects dramatic and engaging but in a calculated, crowd-arousing manner that is not the case on the earlier, 1950's live recordings. Even though the other members of the rhythm section--usually Bob Bates and Joe Dodge--are clearly not marquee musicians, they're as empathetic and supportive a pair of team players as the two emerging stars could ask for.

Forget "Time Out" and go directly to "At Carnegie Hall." But on the way be sure to check out Oberlin, College of the Pacific, and those other academic venues so vital to Brubeck's and any jazz listener's education.
The Complete Last Concert
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • F.R.S
  • A Sentimental Favorite, but Somewhat Overrated
  • Down Home Swingin'. (no dancing please!)
  • A Great Summation of the MJQ's career
  • A great concert disc, and a jazz classic
 The Complete Last Concert
The Modern Jazz Quartet
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002IO8
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Softly As In A Mornig Sunrise
  2. The Cylinder
  3. Summertime
  4. Really True Blues
  5. What's New
  6. Blues In The Mirror
  7. Confirmation
  8. Round Midnight
  9. Night In Tunisla
  10. Tears From The Children
  11. Blues In H
  12. England's Carol

Tracks:

  1. The Golden Striker
  2. One Never Knows
  3. Trav'lin
  4. Skating In Central Park
  5. The Legendary Profile
  6. Concierto De Aranjuez
  7. The Jasmine Tree
  8. In Memoriam
  9. Django
  10. Bags Groove

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars F.R.S.......2006-03-18

This is one of the greatest albums that I have ever listened to.
Each disc all the songs are great, they bring back many old memories. I'm just sorry three quarters of the band are no longer with us.

3 out of 5 stars A Sentimental Favorite, but Somewhat Overrated.......2004-07-30

This is a fine album, with good to very good live versions of some classic MJQ tunes. However, the quartet's "last concert" was not really their best. At times, the music on these discs is a bit too staid and careful, and one gets the feeling that the decision to disband (temporarily, as it turned out) was motivated at least in part by a slight loss of enthusiasm for a project in which these musicians had been engaged, by 1974, for over two decades. This impression is reinforced by the inclusion, in this CD reissue, of some of the weaker material that was wisely omitted from the original 2-LP set.

The excitement the MJQ at its best generated in live performance is much better captured by the excellent "Dedicated to Connie" (ASIN B000002J4T) and "European Concert" (ASIN B000058TGY, but currently out of print). Both were recorded in Europe in 1960, when the group was at the height of its ability but still had something to prove, and both feature taut, committed performances of an intensity that "The Last Concert" doesn't quite match.

5 out of 5 stars Down Home Swingin'. (no dancing please!).......2004-04-13

I'm not going to write a lot about this album; other customers have already sumed it up quite well. This album has almost no elements of slow boring classical, as one might recall albums as No Sun I Venice or Concorde, it swings just as hard as for instance, Miles Davis would. A new comer to MJQ , but not jazz will love this album!!!!!!!!

5 out of 5 stars A Great Summation of the MJQ's career.......2003-08-09

If you are looking for an answer to the question what the Modern Jazz Quartet is all about, you have come to the right place. In 1974, the MJQ had been in existence for almost 20 years, and vibraharpist Milt Jackson (now sadly deceased) became tired of the somewhat rigid structure of the quartet. Thus, the MJQ decided to disband and to give one more concert at New York's Avery Fisher Hall. Here, sensing that this might really be the last time they had a chance to play these songs, the quartet gave every tune a special treatment.
The classical aspect of their music, so often likened to chamber-music, is well displayed in several tunes from their "Blues on Bach" album, but if you listen to Milt Jackson when he swirls and weaves his melody around the steady pulse by both drums and bass, you realize that this interpretation is beyond both classical music and Jazz. However, their reading of "Concierto de Aranjuez" is far closer to the original than the one done by Miles Davis on "Sketches of Spain".
Standards such as "Summertime" and "'Round Midnight", as well as tunes that recall the quartet's origin in Dizzy Gillespie's band, such as "Confirmation" and "A Night in Tunisia", are also present. But mostly the tunes are by pianist John Lewis and, with stronger leanings to the blues, by Milt Jackson. Lewis' "Skatin' in Central Park" and "One Never Knows", for example, are both lovely ballads, whereas Jackson's "Really True Blues" and "The Cylinder" are more deeply rooted in the realm of Jazz and Blues.
This only shows how much the music and the programme of the band was always built around the contrasting musical personalities of John Lewis, the quartet's musical director, and Milt Jackson, their main soloist, who embodies perfectly grace, style, time and swing at the same time. He was certainly one of the great masters of Jazz, and his at times forceful and energetic, but also often cool and crisp playing is to me the main attraction of the quartet. This edition is the first complete rendition of the now legendary concert (needless to say that they gave many more afterwards), and for that fact alone, the CD deserves six stars. If your new to the MJQ, you cannot find a better and more comprehensive collection of their playing. If you are a fan, what took you so long to get this marvellous highlight of their career? Get it!

5 out of 5 stars A great concert disc, and a jazz classic.......2001-08-17

I wish I'd been there on the night of November 25, 1974 as the MJQ took the stage at Avery Fisher Hall. It was a concert that was truly a climactic end to the Modern Jazz Quartet's 22 years. (At the time it was not known that they would reassemble ten years later, albeit without as much musical interest.) John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath and Connie Kay played their hearts out, creating some of the finest renditions of their repertoire ever. Fortunately, every note was captured in crystal-clear sound and is on this 2-CD set.

As for highlights...there are so many the whole set could just be called one continuous highlight of the quartet's legacy. But there are some standouts: the opening, disarmingly-complex "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise," the bluesy "Summertime," the funky "True Blues," the smokey "'Round Midnight" (featuring one of Milt's best solos on record for which he gets a deserved spirited ovation), the very sweet and sentimental "Skating In Central Park," the virtuostic "Blues in A minor," the delicate "One Never Knows," the energetic "Jasmine Tree," and two encores that are the group's signature pieces, "Django" and (of course!) "Bags' Groove" in what I promise you is the wildest rendition of this piece you will ever hear. All the selections have intricacy and interplay (each man knew when the other was going to breathe) beyond what can be described here. Suffice it to say these four men get textures, colors and tones that are quite unlike any other jazz group, and any other group of musicians in any genre. It's hard to appreciate today how innovative their approach was in the 1950s and 60s because so much of what they've done has become so assimilated by pop, jazz, TV and movie music, and classical. (Of course, they did a lot of assimilating of their own; it was a symbiotic relationship.)

Despite the overall high quality of music here, there are a few lowlights, and they underscore the reasons the MJQ became unglued and, frankly, *needed* to disband. They were being pushed more and more into Lewis' Third-Stream mode towards the end, and a lot of the compositions were forced and contrived. (Of course this conflict existed from the beginning, but Jackson and co. managed to actually feed off the tension. By the late 60s, though, Jackson was sounding in a rut.) I love the Third-Stream movement of music (and if you don't know what this is, go to any good music dictionary and look up "Gunther Schuller"), and wish more exploration had been done in this area (the economics made it prohibitive). But many of Lewis' "serious" compositions are, honestly, pretentious hybirds that Jackson and the others never could quite get down on. The audience applauds politely, but there's not much real enthusiasm for the sprawling and unoriginal "In Memoriam," the dry, dutiful reading of Rodrigo's famous "Concierto de Aranjuez" or the incredibly pretentious "Tears For The Children." (With a title like this you know it's going to be pretentious, and it delivers.) These tunes were kept off the original LP of this concert, and frankly, it was no loss. It's worth having here only for completeness' sake.

Still, these are but small nicks on a great masterpiece of an historic evening. If there were only a handful of jazz albums I could own, this would be one of them. (Pyramid and The Comedy would be two other MJQ albums on that list.) Of course we all know the group got back together again, but they never again made music like this.
Bach: The Brandenburgs
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • THAT was a Brandenburg?
  • Lossy Compression
 Bach: The Brandenburgs
Jacques Loussier Trio
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000IFQLSC
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

  1. I. (Allegro)
  2. II. Adagio
  3. III. Allegro
  4. I. (Allegro)
  5. II. Andante
  6. III. Allegro Assasi
  7. I. (Allegro)
  8. II. Adagio
  9. III. Allegro
  10. I. Allegro
  11. II. Andante
  12. III. Presto
  13. I. Allegro
  14. II. Affettuoso
  15. III. Allegro
  16. I. (Allegro)
  17. II. Allegro
  18. III. Adagio Ma Non Troppo

Amazon.com

In bringing a sprightly jazz-trio sound to classical works, most notably by J.S. Bach, pianist Jacques Loussier has been dismissed as a lightweight popularizer by both hardcore jazz fans and serious classical enthusiasts. Yet he must be doing something right to be at it more than 45 years after founding his Play Bach Trio. Loussier's strategy in tackling all six of Bach's beloved Brandenburg Concertos, he said, involved "reducing his music to its essence" rather than elaborating on the musical texts as he once did. As ever, the notes are exceptionally clean and the rhythms neat, though bassist Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac and drummer Andre Aprino give them a bit more oomph. Lo these decades after crossover ventures such as Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo a la Turk," and the Modern Jazz Quartet's superior Bachian delights, the jazz-meets-classical concept can be a bit dated. But Loussier's commitment to it can't be denied.   --Lloyd Sachs 

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars THAT was a Brandenburg?.......2007-01-11

I have always loved the Brandenburgs, but this treatment is excellent. I first heard this in the car, and called to get the performer and CD ID. Listening where I could really pay attention was more rewarding. Lousssier has adapted Bach with flair, and made it new again. Bravo.

4 out of 5 stars Lossy Compression.......2006-12-24

Loussier and his trio have produced recordings of Bach that are absolutely mandatory. He has a gift for producing something between free improvisation and the original work that must be experienced. Yet in this recording his gift for going right to the heart and theme of the music takes away much of the power of the original Brandenburg concertos. He makes excellent music but the six hands of his trio are incapable of reproducing the staggering complexity of the Brandenburgs. These concertos are quite unlike Bach's concertos for solo instruments or even concertos for multiple keyboards--the Brandenburgs weave multiple themes each from a unique grouping of instruments. Of necessity, Loussier's trio homogenizes the work--complexity is the soul of Bach and in an interpretation that must, of necessity, compromise thematic elements, the soul of the concertos is lost.

Loussier's interpretations excel when he adds to the work being interpreted rather than simplifying the work as in this interpretation. When he takes a concerto for a solo instrument and adds the bass and drums the richness of Bach's original is preserved and highlighted in a new and intriguing way.

Still, even Loussier's less-successful work is head and shoulders above 99% of the feeble reinterpretations of the great master. Loussier understands Bach, loves Bach and provides an angle on Bach's music that should be part of any library; however, don't start with this one.
Blues on Bach
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • MJQ's Blues on Bach
  • To my mind wholly successful
  • Fabulous Album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • INTERESTING.................................
  • Unique and enjoyable MJQ
 Blues on Bach
The Modern Jazz Quartet
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002I6B
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Regret?
  2. Blues In B Flat
  3. Rise Up In The Morning
  4. Blues In A Minor
  5. Precious Joy
  6. Blues In C Minor
  7. Don't Stop This Train
  8. Blues In H (B)
  9. Tears From The Children

Amazon.com essential recording

In the MJQ's early years, critics often found something incompatible between John Lewis's European classical leanings, particularly the baroque, and Milt Jackson's unfettered gifts improvising over bop-blues changes. This 1973 date is structured by that dichotomy, alternating between Lewis's compositions (based on some of Bach's best-known melodies) and a series of original blues, the first three by Lewis, the last by Jackson. Lewis emphasizes the contrast by playing harpsichord on the Bach tunes. His treatment of Bach can drift toward the merely pretty, as in his handling of "Sleepers Awake," but there's a genuine beauty in "Don't Stop This Train" and "Tears from the Children," based on Bach keyboard works. Jackson's fluent solos on the blues are a continuing delight, while Lewis demonstrates once again that he, too, is a musician imbued with the same roots, inserting a telling variation on "St. James Infirmary" into "Blues in A Minor."--Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars MJQ's Blues on Bach.......2006-08-25

I bought the CD to replace my vinyl version, which I had not played in years, and I am so pleased to hear again the MJQ's takes on Bach classics alternating with their own compositions. This is a CD that I can listen to over cocktails and dinner as stimulating background music ... or focus on without any distractions to appreciate the artistry of the musicians and arrangements.

If you like the MJQ, this is one of their best albums; Pyramid and Concorde being my other favorites.

5 out of 5 stars To my mind wholly successful.......2005-10-18

I'm a bit surprised to find myself liking this more than most reviewers, for I enjoy playing the CD with regularity. It is true that the "Bach" numbers are hardly "jazz" in the conventional sense, while the others are. But does this really matter? It seems to me that this brilliant and sensitive foursome does equally well in each of the two modes adopted, and - even more importantly - THAT THEY DO NOT JAR. To me, the tracks do offer some sort of unity, by bringing out for one thing the universality of great music, but also for another by implictly stressing how Bach was, in a sense, a precursor to jazz, and how the MJQ, even WITHIN its jazz formulation, plays music Bach would have found totally intelligible, admirable, and congenial. Enjoying this CD requires some lateral thinking! - Joost Daalder

5 out of 5 stars Fabulous Album!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2004-06-22

I have to up-date my review! I just played this album, and heard that it really is a great album. Classical, Jazz, Blues, Vibes, MJQ, what more can you want? This album is fabulous. It holds its own, as good as classics such as Concorde, Fontessa, Django, and The Sherrif. You might not like this album. It depends on what you want, what you like, and what your looking for. If you're looking for like swinging jazz with a lot of blues influence, and melow classical melodies with a little jazz feel and tingy percussion instruments, then you'll love this album, just like I do. You have to admit though, this was a landmark recording in MJQ's history.

4 out of 5 stars INTERESTING........................................2004-04-13

The Modern Jazz Quartet has always incorporated European Classical music into their lightly swining jazz. A factor that would turn some hard core jazz fans away. For me, I like their light approach to modern jazz. I feel remorsed after hearing an album like Concorde or Fontessa. On this album The MJQ rotate, classical and jazz songs, one after another. I was turned away at first, but its really a good album. Anyone who can swing Bach is a genious, and these four men are. Vibist Milt Jackson brings his blues playing to the classical stuff, John Lewis brings his classical into the jazz stuff, bassist Percy Heath, just brings us a bed to let Milt and John do that, and drummer Connie Kay, just swings delicately, but acts as a front man soloist with his creative use of percussion equitment and his drumset. I'm not going to point out any material, they're all about the same in value. A new commmer may be discouraged listening to this, but once they've heard some other ground breaking MJQ album, they'll come to love this album. I wouldn't hurry up to the store and buy this album, by the MJQ, but if you see it, pick it up.

4 out of 5 stars Unique and enjoyable MJQ.......2003-06-23

Actually my rating would be about 3.5 stars. No, this is not the best MJQ material available. And no, if you're new to MJQ, don't start here -- unless you're coming to them with a classical background.

I like Bach and I like MJQ--so I had to like this one. However, I wish Lewis had done a whole CD with the Bach material and another one with the blues material, expanding each concept to a full CD of material. Each type is worth listening to and in each format Lewis and MJQ had something interesting to say. The alternating track format is, to my ears, jarring -- I'm just getting "into" Lewis doing Bach on harpsicord and we're back to the jazz/blues format. But even that doesn't stop me from enjoying the music--and it is very enjoyable, indeed.

Listening to the Bach tracks with vibes and harpsicord working the theme is good stuff! Lewis' treatment of the Bach themes is very interesting--you'll never miss the basic theme but he manages nice touches to rework and embellish. The blues/jazz tracks are stronger and begin to show what MJQ is all about.

If you're new to MJQ go get a couple others first (Fontessa would be a better starting point). Then, if you're like me and enjoy Bach and MJQ then get this one, its a natural. If you're extending a collection of MJQ then this one is worthwhile mainly because of its uniqueness.
Fontessa
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • one of MJQ's best, of course
  • Thoughtful music
  • FINE SWINGIN LYRICAL ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • I wish to email the guy in Linkoping Sweden please
  • An essential and beautiful recording
 Fontessa
The Modern Jazz Quartet
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002I4D
Release Date: 1990-01-31

Tracks:

  1. Versailles (Porte De Versailles)
  2. Angel Eyes
  3. Fantessa
  4. Over The Rainbow
  5. Bluesology
  6. Willow Weep For Me
  7. Woodyn You

Amazon.com essential recording

This 1956 record marked the beginning of the Modern Jazz Quartet's long and fruitful relationship with Atlantic Records and was one of their most inspired visits to a studio. While there had been excellent bands in the past that created a chamber-jazz genre, such as Red Norvo's trio, John Lewis's vision of a fusion of jazz and classical elements was distinctly original. It's apparent here in the controlled counterpoint of "Versailles," the extended first recording on "Fontessa," with Lewis's spare and precise piano perfectly complementing the looser swing of Milt Jackson's glistening vibraphone sound. The group mingles beautifully around Percy Heath's supple, melodic bass lines and Connie Kay's discrete and gently propulsive beat. Jackson's "Bluesology" and Dizzy Gillespie's "Woody'n You" inspire boppish invention, while the limpidly beautiful standards "Willow Weep for Me" and "Angel Eyes" demonstrate Jackson's ability to shift mood in a single phrase. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars one of MJQ's best, of course.......2007-01-18

wonderful to FINALLY find it in cd; the first MJQ i ever heard, in vinyl, which i still own. but who has the space.

5 out of 5 stars Thoughtful music.......2004-08-03

The MJQ doesn't get any better than this. Call it jazz, classical, third stream. It doesn't matter. John Lewis is a master composer and pianist. The blend of the instruments achieves a high level musicality that's almost mystical. Fontessa is a highlight, and Woody'n You swings relentlessly.

5 out of 5 stars FINE SWINGIN LYRICAL ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2004-02-28

There is no reason why this album by the Modern Jazz Quartet should not get five stars. This particular album swings a litte bit more agressively than some albums before it, but still has the lyrical/classical influences of their past albums. It starts off with the swingin Versailles than goes in to the slow rather boring Angel Eyes, than comes the masterpiece. A four movement composition, Fontessa. It's great. Other ground breaking songs like Bluesology, Jackson's more early popular blues piece, and Dizzy Gillespie's Woody n' You. Over all this album is bright, fresh, melodic, soul clensing, soothing, brialliant, beatiful, clean jazz records of MJQ history. And record history of all time.

5 out of 5 stars I wish to email the guy in Linkoping Sweden please.......2004-02-01

Hi I read your review about the poor Japanese stereo CD. I wish to buy this from you please. My email address is bas@mollenkramer.nl
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5 out of 5 stars An essential and beautiful recording.......2002-12-05

I would truly find it odd to contemplate life without this recording. This is one of those utterly satisfying artistic productions that make one feel that it has been always "there", as part of nature, of creation, whether divinely ordained or not. To those who feel that "classical' music must be "classical" - untainted by jazz - or those who feel that jazz must NOT be "classical", i.e. be "pure" jazz, I would say: listen with an open mind, don't pigeonhole artistic creations, be receptive, and you will enjoy - again and again. The music is quiet, but intense, wonderfully melodious yet profound. As a coherent ensemble, this was one of the best groups ever. The suite "Fontessa" - the piece de resistance of this recording - was a great composition by a great jazz composer, and is beautifully coherent, pointed, subtle and rich. But so are the other tracks. Purchasing this for ongoing musical satisfaction would be one of the very best "investments" one could make. Unhesitatingly recommended - there is just no negative that comes to mind, only great respect and gratitude to the musicians for their warm, vital and inspiring, uplifting contribution. - Joost Daalder
Satie: Gymnopedies Gnossiennes / Jacques Loussier Trio
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Be transported
  • Satie with a Twist!
  • A Win --- on many counts
  • Dumbing down Satie
  • Loussier takes on Satie
 Satie: Gymnopedies Gnossiennes / Jacques Loussier Trio
Benoit Dunoyer De Segonzac , Andre Arpino , Jacques Loussier , Jacques Loussier Trio , and Erik Satie
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

VariationsVariations | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Swing GeneralSwing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000007NGR
Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

  1. Gymnopedie No.1 / Var. 1
  2. Gymnopedie No. 1 / Var. 2
  3. Gnossienne No. 3
  4. Gnossienne No. 6
  5. Gnossienne No. 2
  6. Gnossienne No. 1 / Var. 3
  7. Gnossienne No. 4
  8. Gnossienne No. 5
  9. Gymnopedie No. 1 / Var. 4
  10. Gnossienne No. 1
  11. Pas A Pas

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Be transported.......2006-12-25

In my opinion, the Jacques Loussier Trio is best at interpreting classic Impressionist masterworks.
"Satie: Gymnopedies/Gnossiennes" is haunting and atmospheric musical poetry and, I think, superior to their other attempts at integrating classical and jazz into one musical statement. The entire CD reminds me of the musical equivalent of J.M.W. Turner's Venetian watercolours. Stunning! Also, check out "JLT Plays Debussy".

Jacques Loussier Trio's "Satie" takes the listener on a trip. Gnossienne No. 4 is especially effective in transporting the listener to a quiet "cinema noir" oasis full of intrigue. This jazz trio's technique lends itself much better to interpretations of delicate impressionist masterworks rather than to classic baroque. This is NOT smooth jazz but each piece is "fluid" or "atmospheric", just as Satie would have wanted it! The haunting sound is perfect- translucent as any mountain lake. In my opinion, this is Loussier's best disc and rates as one of the top discs in the classical-jazz hybrid genre, "Third Stream".

5 out of 5 stars Satie with a Twist!.......2006-01-11

I have long considered Satie's Gnossienne to be some of the most emotionally touching and versatile pieces in music. So to pass a lazy afternoon, I went searching for as many versions of them as possible. I found everything from guitar to harp to dancefloor remixes. But there was one interpretation that stood out from all of them: the Jacques Loussier Trio interpretations.

First, I disagree vehemently with what one can only describe as the dense and snobbish two star review below. Satie's music is not degraded here; it is simply reinterpreted into a new genre. But my ears (nor those of any other reviewer, it seems) detect any degredation or "dumbing down" of Satie. Rather, the Loussier Trio handle Satie's delicate pieces with all the care they deserve. They do well at playing minimalistically, using no more notes than are necessary. I can't help but think that this is the way Satie would have wanted it, as his compositions cry out for exactly that style.

While there are a few question marks on the CD (for instance, trying to fit a 3/4 Gymnopedie into 4/4)even the weaker tracks (relatively speaking) are worth a good listen. The Gnossienne (particularly the first four) take the cake, though!

A brief descriptive note before I leave you to buy the CD. Any lover of the "new" European (particularly Nordic) jazz, such as the Esbjorn Svensson trio, or the Tord Gustavsen trio, will UNQUESTIONABLY love the Jacques Loussier trio. Loussier has mastered the type of sparse and dark sound achieved by the said trios.

You are in for a treat, indeed!

5 out of 5 stars A Win --- on many counts.......2004-04-03

My introduction to the Gymnopedies was hearing Blood Sweat and Tears rendition on their 2nd album. I've been entranced by them ever since. I've collected the purist renditions of the work, and then I heard the lead track of this CD on our local Jazz/NPR station, KPLU.

I was immediately obsessed with finding out who/what/where.

I did, and I purchased this disc and several others. I was not disappointed. Other writers here are far more eloquent than I about the musical content; suffice it to say that Loussier remains true to the mood and emotion of the original, and his improvizations on those themes brings a new and fresh point of view to these already beautiful works.

Last, I'll comment on a technical point. These recordings are stunning. Totally natural sounds, and a stunning mix. Everything is in its place, you hear everything. The SACD version is even better. The older recordings (like the original Bach) are not at all dated in their sound.

I applaud this artist, this work, and this recording. Few of my recent CD purchases have been this satisfying.

2 out of 5 stars Dumbing down Satie.......2004-01-12

Satie's Gymnopedies are beautiful and expressive works -- that have a distinctive sound. This interpretation dilutes Satie with "soft jazz" that is oh-so-familiar -- and not very interesting.

4 out of 5 stars Loussier takes on Satie.......2000-09-12

It was this recording of Loussier playing the works of Satie that got me interested in this musician. Loussier's style lends itself well to Satie (perhaps even more so than Bach), and the music is very nice as a soft jazz CD.
Plays Debussy
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • the first work to die for...
  • "you complete me"
  • Beautiful compliation of Debussy - Jacques Loussier's BEST!
  • joyful
  • Masterful Jazz Renditions of Debussy
 Plays Debussy
The Jacques Loussier Trio
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
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  5. Jacques Loussier Trio: Bach's Goldberg Variations

ASIN: B00004Y6SM
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

  1. Clair De Lune
  2. Prelude A L'apres-midi D'un Faune
  3. Arabesque (From Deux Arabesques)
  4. La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin (From Preludes Book 1)
  5. L'isle Joyeuse
  6. Reverie
  7. La Cathedrale Engloutie (From Preludes Book 1)
  8. Syrinx

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars the first work to die for..........2007-04-18

This is a great CD and the first work is too wonderful to put in words. A great buy!

5 out of 5 stars "you complete me".......2006-02-21

I love classical music,but this recording amazes me.It's a perfect marriage of jazz and classical--body and soul.This cd is enjoyable to listen to because of the imaginative arrangement and superb musicianship.The sound quality is fresh and alive.Each track is a gem.After listening to this cd,you will understand what I mean when I say "you complete me".

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful compliation of Debussy - Jacques Loussier's BEST!.......2003-01-13

I have many other Jacques Loussier CDs and although I completely enjoy his style and interpretations, this by far is my favorite CD. I could listen to it for hours. It is just beautiful!!

5 out of 5 stars joyful.......2002-10-31

Let me just say that these renditions of Debussy's works are an absolute pleasure to listen to. While listening to the album, I realized that many of these pieces could be mistaken for actual jazz compositions, probably because Debussy's music lends itself (more than, say, mozart's) to numerous interpretations. The "Impressionistic" (i know, i know) style of the pieces gives them much more interesting harmonic sequences and opporunity for improvisation. But the most important thing here lies not in the 'novelty' of the jazz feel, but in Loussier's loyalty to the original magical quality of Debussy's music. The entire album is beautiful and sparse without being too simple or forced. Claire de Lune simply lilts, especially when the trio reverts to the original 9/8 meter. All in all, a great album, but not a replacement for Debussy in any way. Only get this if you at least moderately enjoy jazz. Or Debussy. Or good music.

5 out of 5 stars Masterful Jazz Renditions of Debussy.......2001-03-01

OK- So Debussy hated the term 'Impressionism', but that's what stuck to his style, so that's what we call it...

So, on to this CD... The Jacques Loussier Trio play exceptional jazz renditions of more than a handful of Debussy greats, such as Claire de Lune, Arabesque, and L'Apres midi d'une Faune. This is an incredible accomplishment considering some of Debussy's original pieces, such as "L'Apres midi..", were almost entirely devoid of beat and consistent measure. One would assume that such an undertaking would produce garbage, but whoa- here the Trio has created delicious and highly-professional, polished jazz. The Jacques Loussier are not new to this kind of transmogrification of classical into jazz, some of their other CD's are devoted to jazz renditions of Bach and Vivaldi (Four Seasons).

The trio consists of piano, bass, and drums. Each carry their distinctive instrumental essences with complexity yet smoothly and with soul. Taken together, the chemistry of the trio is sublime. Sumptuous!
Focus
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Getz's Classical Side is a Winner
  • Incredible
  • 2.5 Stars: Disappointing
  • Wow
  • Truly hypnotic brilliance.
 Focus
Stan Getz
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000047CY
Release Date: 1997-06-24

Tracks:

  1. I'm Late, I'm Late
  2. Her
  3. Pan
  4. I Remember When
  5. Night Rider
  6. Once Upon A Time
  7. A Summer Afternoon
  8. I'm Late, I'm Late (45 Rpm Issue)
  9. I Remember When (45 Rpm Issue)

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Getz's Classical Side is a Winner.......2007-01-27

All of his life, Getz explored many avenues in music. Yes, all of Sauter's original musical score on this album sound like a film noir movie score from the 50s, but the brilliance of Getz's sound overshadows all of that. Getz's tonality is unbelievable, and "I'm Late, I'm Late" is an all-time treasure (not to mention "Night Rider"), just like "Take Five" was for Dave Brubeck. Getz just can't be remembered for the Samba stage of his life (e.g. Jobim and "Girl from Ipanema"); the "classical" side of his brilliance must shine as well. "Focus" does that for us.

5 out of 5 stars Incredible.......2006-07-10

A number of reviewers do not rate this work too highly, maybe because it is at times eccentric, disjointed and very different. However, like many fine works of art, sometimes you just need to stand back, take it in for a while and slowly the appreciation blossoms. This is how I felt about 'Focus'! It starts to haunt you, sweep you along and you marvel at the ingenuity that Stan Getz brings; even though he at times is on the edge of his technique. Enjoy and immerse yourself in what is an amazing collaberation of musical rhythm and musicianship.

2 out of 5 stars 2.5 Stars: Disappointing.......2006-04-22

I hate to be a wet blanket thrown over very warm reviews here, but this album doesn't do much for me. It lacks the bounce and giddiness of the Jazz Samba album, the collaborative briliance of Getz/Gilberto, and the energy of Captain Marvel--all albums that I have listened to repeatedly. This one, however, I have played only 2 or 3 times. What does it sound like? It is Getz playing mostly to string accompaniment. One could call this Getz's "Sketches of Spain" album. It sounds a bit like Getz playing a musical score for a film that you are not watching. For me, the melodies--Getz's strong point--just aren't here. It is an earnest effort, to be sure, but it felt too much like noodling.

4 out of 5 stars Wow.......2006-04-17

I'm a member of WBGO -- the NPR-Jazz station around NYC/NJ, and I'd just bought their 25th-Anniversary compliation of what they hailed to be 30 of the greatest tracks from Verve and Blue Note Records. I'd not listened to all of it yet, but figured that this would be good listening as I worked out. I put the second CD and started pedaling, when Night Rider came on. I had to stop and just listen. It was about the most amazing jazz tune I'd heard in awhile -- a virtuousic saxophone sailing amongst a turbulent sea of strings. After listening to that one song, I had to get the album.

5 out of 5 stars Truly hypnotic brilliance........2006-02-16

Perfection is what this album is all about. Stan Getz's tone says it all ...pure and lush , full of the warmth of a summer evening. He mesmerises you. Just listen to the track "HER" ..a very emotionally moving ballad that Stan wrote in tribute to his mother. It carries you to another hemisphere, the jazz equivalent of astral travel. The feeling he puts into the tune is indescribable.
Stan Getz was a precise musician who never played a wrong note.
Masters like this only come about once in a lifetime.
The Best of the Modern Jazz Quartet
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • best of should have more!
  • sophisticated cool
  • New Swingin' MJQ!!!!!!!!!!!!
 The Best of the Modern Jazz Quartet
The Modern Jazz Quartet
Manufacturer: Pablo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000XN0
Release Date: 1991-11-15

Tracks:

  1. Valeria
  2. Connie's Blues
  3. Le Cannet
  4. Reunion Blues
  5. Nature Boy
  6. Echoes
  7. The Watergate Blues

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars best of should have more!.......2007-01-01

groovy, sultry and satisfying but ultimately truncated version of greatness. This thing needed more of a good thing: additional songs!

5 out of 5 stars sophisticated cool.......2005-02-08

There is an elegance and streamlined artistry to this marvelous compilation of cuts from two albums. Three tracks are from "Together Again", recorded in 1984: # 2, "Connie's Blues" and # 6, "Echoes" both by Milt Jackson, and # 7, bassist Percy Heath's "The Watergate Blues".
Four tracks have been culled from "Topsy: This One's for Basie" recorded in 1985: # 1, "Valeria" and # 3, "Le Cannet", both by John Lewis, # 4, Jackson's "Reunion Blues", and # 5, the great theme song from the film "The Boy with Green Hair" and hit for Nat King Cole, "Nature Boy" (Eden-Ahbez), here featuring a simple but luminous rendition by Jackson.

This is sleek, sophisticated jazz, the ultimate in cool, with perfect integration between these superb musicians, three whom are no longer with us: Jackson (1923-1999) on vibes, Lewis (1920-2001) on piano, Heath on bass, and Connie Kay (1927-1995) on drums.
Perfect music for relaxing or reading, or as a delectable soundtrack for your next classy soiree; though there are some finger-snapping up-tempo numbers (like the terrific "Valeria"), the sound levels are always fairly modulated, and there is a peaceful and harmonious feel to this disc.
The foldout insert has only song list/recording info and a photo of the quartet, the sound is quite good, and total playing time is 45'10.

5 out of 5 stars New Swingin' MJQ!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2004-04-13

This album is more swinging than some of their others, but it still has elements of their past albums. For instance, unique arrangements, classical influences, and Connie Kay's unique use of percussion equipment and sizzle cymbols. A few tunes to point out, Connie's Blues, Nature Boy, and Watergate Blues. ( a tune written by bassist Percy Heath)
Note:
The song selection listed in the page is wrong!

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