V.S.O.P.: The Quintet

Artist: Herbie Hancock
Label: Sony
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Live
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 074643497626
EAN: 0074643497626
ASIN: B0000025BP

Release Date: 1990-10-25

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Listmania:

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Tracks:

One Of A Kind
Third Plane
Jessica
Lawra
Darts
Dolores
Little Waltz
Byrdlike

Similar Items:

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Quartet
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Customer Reviews:

All stars at the height of their powers........2005-09-18

This has been a desert island disc for me for as long as I can remember. Can you call this jazz? Can you even call it music? It's something that feels like a whole lot more. This music teems with life, people, thought, emotion, creativity, joy, and insane energy like no jazz I've ever heard before or since. And Ron Carter flat out rocks the bottom out of it on acoustic bass. Give these guys a nobel.

The two selections that always kill me are "Jessica" and the hard rocking "Lawra". Jessica features a beautiful arrangement: the bass plays the lovely and poignant melody solo, accompanied by rich, dissonant, single note arpeggios from Hancock which lay out the complex terrain the soloists will then negotiate. Later, the bass is doubled by the trumpet which refines the texture even more.

The same group did a poignant and deeply beautiful version of Maiden Voyage on another live album called "VSOP" but that recording exists only on vinyl. Still the live version of Maiden Voyage is available on some compilation CD. Get it and live well!

This jazz is not a set of solos with other instrumentalists passively watching. Hancock, the Socrates of this group, pushes the band into a state of musical aporia: he doesn't accompany solos, he questions them, challenging each musician with his absurdly inventive figures; and he's coming with both jazz and modern western musical arguments. And when it's his solo he dives deeply into the darkest part of the woods and then, when you think he's lost, he's emerged out into the bright light.

Tony Williams seems to be playing in a state of ecstasy: he pounds new worlds into being and the horns have to dance in his garden or die. Ron Carter rocks out on acoustic bass - he keeps the pulse and he untethers Williams and Hancock to play with the rhythm and meter.

Hubbard plays superb and complex music on his solos; Wayne Shorter then steps beyond music and shows us that a horn can be as expressive as natural language.

Great album soundwise.......2005-01-21

I personally enjoy listening to this album because of it's sound quality. Obviously due to the stellar line-up the improvisation would be good and it certainly exceeds this expectation. But this album goes further. It has the best sound of any live recording I have heard. Hancock's piano can be heard swirling away over every subtle nuance of William's ferocius drumming. Carter's bass is heard amazingly well. I amagine he would have been using a fingerboard pickup aswell as the bridge pickup to get the sound of his bass' deep rumblings. Being a bassplayer myself i am pleased with this outcome. As always the horns of Hubbard and Shorter ring out loud and clear.
Overall I recommend that you purchase this album whether you be a fan of Hard Bop, Be Bop, Free Bop or even perhaps Fusion.

One of the finest quintets in jazz history.......2005-01-07

I love the way that V.S.O.P. (aka Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, the late Tony Williams on drums, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and flugelhorn and Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano saxophone) are real better 2day since they put out they first album which was a tribute to Miles Davis. I like how they change the direction of what they do into their music. For instance, they play all kinds of stuff that takes 'em back first where they started.

Now on the 1st track "One of a Kind" (one of my favorites) such a sweet song with more rhythm and nice touch from Freddie and Wayne doin' their horn work. We had my man Mr. Herbie Hancock doin' some work on the piano while his other the legendary Ron Carter workin' on the bass and the late jazz great Tony Williams doin' his set on the drums, first after they did their intro to the song, the horns come play at the end of the set. For instance, good trumpet solo my man and idol Freddie Hubbard (like how he does his thing on the high notes he did at the end of that solo) and now Wayne Shorter is also doing much work on his solo he does on soprano saxophone which is more unique.

Anyway long period short, Track 2 "Third Plane" written by Ron Carter is such a genuine song which reminds me of the greats I listen y'know the Miles Davis quintets, Donald Byrd, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Al Hirt, Lee Morgan, Thelonious Monk, just to name a few. Also forgot Chet Baker also. They do more softly than they did be4. I love they the way that they move their sound a little bit more than they do the other songs they did.

Now Track 3 "Jessica" written by my man Herbie Hancock is such a sultry and soft ballad that is more quiet, kinda easy-listening to me similar the song "Blue in Green" which I have on Miles Davis' CD "Kind of Blue" (truly one of my all-time favorites and inspirations). Freddie Hubbard doin' quietly and softly on playing flugelhorn with unique sound from legendary Miles Davis and also my mentor Wynton Marsalis. The others are doin' more real on their solo thing, know I'm mean.

Track 4 "Lawra" written by Tony Williams is a great 4/4 upbeat songs which takes u back from the modern jazz days or when bebop was made from legendaries like Charlie "Bird" Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, etc. Wish I could play like that, which I told everyone I play the trumpet and I always sound good. Wish everybody thought of it before I got into Amazon.

Track 5 Introduction to Players/Darts ('nother written by Herbie himself) can't say much 'bout it but all their solos are excellent incl. the introduction from Herbie. This is definitely a favorite I like when I was listening.

Track 6 "Delores" written by Wayne Shorter cool work and nice work from saxman Wayne Shorter along with his teammates playing along w/ him.

Track 7 "Little Waltz" nothing much 2 say 'bout that one but will get back in2 it later

And now Track 8 "Byrdlike" ('nother one of my favorites and the last tracks that's on this CD) this use to take me back from the days I listen to Duke Ellington, Freddie Hubbard (I'm sorry, did I say his name right), Grover Washington, Jr., Charlie Parker, Al Hirt, Wynton Marsalis, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, etc. Is so upbeat and so fast and s*** and it's makin me f****** go bananas knahmsayin.

What I like most about this album is that there's is no change, no lack, no worries or no turning back. I think everybody should get this 'cuz Jazz is falling apart here 'cuz it's needed some class, some spiritual, some feeling in it, some soul, and some thought in it. Maybe well have Wynton Marsalis who is the Artistic Director of Jazz @ Lincoln Center and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orch. (whom I may work with in the future) is definitely need to resurrect what Jazz is missing in our country, like 2 me, I study, I learn, I read, I comprehend, and discuss about the diffrent terms of jazz. Now that smooth jazz is playing (which I love the most) is getting stronger as ever than classic jazz which we're talking and discussing to right now. I pray that we'll keep our culture as strong w/o ever falling apart or going down. This album is a must-have who wants to revisit the missing days of jazz and beyond.

One of the finest bands in jazz history.......2004-10-18

The musicians in the VSOP quintet, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams all played on numerous records with each other in the 60's, sometimes all together, sometimes one or two or three with other musicians. In any form, their albums were always exceptional. In the late 70's, after nearly a decade of experimentation with jazz fusion (Shorter's Weather Report, Hancock's Headhunters, William's Lifetime Band, etc.) the five reunited for several albums and tours. The music they made was nothing short of incredible.

If the group had remained as a solid, tight "band" for a long period of time, like Miles Davis' quintets of the late 50's and middle 60's, or Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, VSOP would have undoubtedly be recognized as one of the most influential and finest working bands in jazz history. On this album, the group combines freebop with a bit of what they had picked up in fusion...more erratic drums, a heavier sound, etc. It all comes together beautifully to create an album that really builds off the aesthetic of 1960's Miles Davis. Everyone is top notch here, with no one stealing the show, and no one lagging behind. Each band member contributes at least one tune. My personal favorite is One of a Kind by Freddie Hubbard (which features a luminous soprano solo by Shorter) Third Plane by Ron Carter (excellent solos all around) Dolores by Shorter (Hubbard's finest moment here, IMO, and the churning group improvisation of Darts.

What's really fantastic about this band, and this album, is the LISTENING. They are all picking up on what each other is doing, and thus are constantly building, slowing down, picking things back up, burning, cooling off, all as one. Hearing Hubbard and Hancock interact, Shorter and Williams duel, and Ron Carter at like the unbreakable tree in the storm is just inspiring. This really is freebop (or however you term it) at it's best, and for anyone well versed in the jazz language, and who has heard the music of these players, this is quite simply a stunning, and immensely enjoyable listening experience. I find myself invigorated when I listen to this album, and I think you will too. My only sadness is the days of this band are gone, and will never return, as Hubbard can no longer play, Ron Carter is in semi-retirement, Williams has passed on, and Shorter and Hancock are involved in other activities. Thus, it's imperative people listen to albums like these, so we can always treasure the moments of glory created when these five exquisite musicians were in the same band, working together to create one of the highest forms of aural art: jazz.

The Milesian Influence.......2003-11-05

Essentially a second quintet ghost band, VSOP sounds better in 2003 than it did in 1977. One of Freddie Hubbard's last great outings before he blew out his lip, it's too his credit that he doesn't try to emulate Miles as closely as say a Wallace Roney does. For me. Delores and Third Plane are standouts but the band is in fine form and the interplay between Tony Williams and Herbie reaches many of the same heights as on Live at the Plugged Nickel.

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