Four Altos

Artist: Phil Woods , Gene Quill , Sahib Shihab , and Hal Stein
Label: Ojc
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 025218173421
EAN: 0025218173421
ASIN: B000000Z5Q

Release Date: 1991-07-01

Related Categories:

Bebop General

| Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General

| Jazz | Styles | Music

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

Hard Bop

| Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Listmania:

Phil Woods: The Early Years
Rounded Original Jazz Classics. Masterpieces.

Tracks:

Pedal Eyes
Kokochee
No More Nights
Kinda Kanonic
Don't Blame Me
Staggers

Similar Items:

Early Quintets
Bird Feathers
Coolin'
Pairing Off
Phil & Quill with Prestige

Customer Reviews:

Maybe clones but certainly no clowns.......2004-08-25

It's true, this album is not essential in the proper meaning of the term. It is just one of the hundreds blowing session dates that has been made in that magic 1957. But this one is an extremely good album anyway. It's a bebop album, a blowing session on common Jazz vehicles in the manner Bird would do. To quote Lennie Tristano "Bird could ask royalties for every record made since his", and that's true because he was the most important innovator in the whole history of Jazz music. Jazz was never the same after Bird's coming and legions of players (I might say every Jazz musician his contemporary or follower) learned his lessons and played the way he intended jazz has to be played. Nothing's wrong with it in my opinion. We can't ask to any musician to be a timeless genius and to invent another musical universe like Bird was and did, but this does not make the music of this lesser players less enjoyable. This album proves it. Four alto players here plays some contrafacts (Jazz standards chord progressions with different theme for not paying royalties) in a strictly Parker fashion but did a really good job. They were not even clones (and certainly not "clowns") in a sense because playing in the Parker manner was the only thing to do then and they do it well by the way. Sure these four alto players were parkerians, but I love Parker like I think every jazz enthusiast so listen to parkerian music is always a pleasure for me. And I love to listen to blowing sessions too because they are the true essence of Jazz music so I really enjoyed this album. I agree with the other reviewer that this is not "essential" (this is why I didn't give it five stars) but the music is absolutly good (this is why I give it four). And how could be different. It was the magic 1957 the zenith of Jazz music ...

Four Bird Clones.......2003-09-17

This is one of several 50's blowing sessions that Phil Woods did for Prestige. Most of his sessions on that label were with a trumpet or regular alto partner, Gene Quill, so a session with three other altoists was a little different. In addition to Woods, the soloists are Gene Quill, Sahib Shihab, and Hal Stein. They are all under the influence of Charlie Parker and end up sounding pretty similar trying to copy his sound (note the cover art which depicts four birds on a wire). I think the casual listener wouldn't be able to tell these guys apart, though Woods and Shihab standout (a little) because of their unique tone.
Three of the tunes are lines based on chord progressions to bop hits of the day: "Kokochee" is based on "Cherokee," "No More Nights" is based on "There Will Never Be Another You," and "Kinda Kanonic" on "I'll Remember April." There aren't any solos here that are better than what Bird would have done, but there are some nice moments, especially from Phil Woods.

The solos are all fairly short, in comparison to other Prestige blowing sessions where some solos seemed to go on forever. Having four altos who all play in the same style may prove a bit much for many listeners however, so this CD is only recommended to big fans of Phil Woods, Bird copyists, and/or 50's bop blowing sessions.

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