Tokyo Bop

tokyo bop

Track Listings

1. Hot Rod Heart

2. Red Lip Stick

3. Blue Cafe

4. Let's Have a Party

5. Tokyo Bop

6. Saddle Shoe Stomp

7. My Boy Elvis

8. Chotto Matte

9. Rip It Up

10. One More Part

11. Hot Rod Lincoln

12. Please Don't Touch

13. Drink You off My Mind

14. Lonesome Train

Tokyo Bop,Hot Rod Lincoln,Conny,Alternative Pop/Rock,Pop,Rock,Rockabilly,Rockabilly Revival

Tokyo Bop

Average customer rating:

the best!
My favorite period of the Evans trio
One of Bill's best
Simply...Great!
Top of his trio

The Tokyo Concert
Bill Evans
Manufacturer: Ojc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Since We Met
I Will Say Goodbye
The Paris Concert, Edition One
California Here I Come
The Paris Concert, Edition Two

ASIN: B000000YJ7
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

Mornin' Glory
Up With The Lark
Yesterday I Heard The Rain
My Romance
When Autumn Comes
T.T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune Two)
Hullo Bolinas
Gloria's Step
On Green Dolphin Street

Customer Reviews:

the best!.......2006-07-27

This live album is a MUST have for fans of Bill Evans, but jazz fans in general.

Not only is Bill on top of his game here, the drumming of Morrell and bass playing of Gomez, you could say, almost steal the show.

A terrific collection of songs and a great recording as well.

Buy it!

My favorite period of the Evans trio.......2006-07-02

Traditionally, the most historically significant period of Bill Evans' career was from the late 50s to the early 60s, when bassist Scott LaFaro was in his trio with Paul Motian. This is probably accurate, since that trio totally revolutionized what was acceptable for piano trio, with its floating time and the use of bass as an equal melodic voice. But one thing evident when listening to that trio and then to later editions of the band after LaFaro had tragically been killed in a car accident is that Evans hadn't reached his full, majestic potential as a commanding pianist until those later groups. His new level of command is actually evident in recordings a year after LaFaro's death, like "How My Heart Sings." Part of this, I'm sure, has something to do with compensating for the loss of LaFaro's voice in the dialogue; Chuck Israels was not as busy a bass player so that band was much more about Evans' own playing.

The present band, with Evans, bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Marty Morell, finds Evans about ten years later, more commanding than ever on the piano, but with a bassist whose voice is nearly as prominent as LaFaro's, though not quite as busy. As important as "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" and "Explorations" are to the piano trio lineage, I like this group's music better. This album documents a live concert somewhat early in the group's career, and the results are absolutely brilliant. The material is a mix of great melodicism and an energy not present in Evans' playing until this point in his career (or slightly before, check out "California Here I Come" with Gomez and drummer Philly Joe Jones). Evans is in top form and is a commanding presence, while Gomez is warmer and more melodic than any bassist I can think of, while also displaying great inventiveness and virtuosity. Marty Morell, while no Philly Joe Jones or Jack DeJohnette (his two predecessors in this group) has a sense of swing that perhaps matches Evans' own unique way of swinging better than either of those two. My personal favorite tune on here is LaFaro's "Gloria's Step," revisited from the first trio's days, but done faster and with a chilling intensity. After Evans introduces part of the theme by himself, the band lurches as Gomez and Morell come in on the bridge in one of those "whoa" moments which make jazz as spontaneous and special as it is.

This album is fully accessible to anyone as Bill Evans is never sonically offensive. If you like this, check out "Since We Met," the other pinnacle of this same edition of the trio, recorded at the Village Vanguard. The two albums are similar and equally brilliant.

One of Bill's best.......2005-09-21

I keep returning to this album time and time again. I think it is the tight interplay that the trio had honed by this time after working together for about 3 and a half years. The sound quality is especially good and each member of the trio is in peak form. For all you bassists this album is a chance to study the great Eddie Gomez who gets a solo on almost every song and takes the melody to the challenging Twelve Tone Tune Two or T.T.T.T. This tune is a finger buster and must be heard to be believed. Bill is playing with more aggresive drive then usual especially on Gloria's Step. The trio as a whole really shines on the Kern standard Up with the Lark. My favorite tune on this album is the Bobby Gentry tune Mornin Glory where Bill and Eddie are at their most lyrical. I realy wish they would releash the tunes that didn't make the album which include Waltz for Debby, Emily and Twelve tone tune. Overall I recommend this album to anyone who digs piano jazz at its highest level.

Simply...Great!.......2003-01-22

Bill Evans was among those artists who did their very best work in "live" performances, and this Tokyo Concert was one of his very best examples. The trio was really in a groove, together and yet, stretching out and the audience is hanging on every phrase; they really love him. I know all Evans fans have their favorites, but nobody uses those brushes like Marty Morell. P.S. The Tokyo concert was originally recorded by Sony engineers and the sound quality is surprising clear.

Top of his trio.......2001-08-31

I think this album will be head to head with 'Since we meet' album,, on the other side ..'Since we meet' album was more agresive than this.....I would say that this album is more beauty (considering the song and rythmic Marty moorel gave to this album)

Average customer rating:

Eric Alexander almost reached greatness on NLIT...
The search is over . We have another great Tenor sax player.
I think he's reached critical mass
It's A Keeper

Nightlife in Tokyo
Eric Alexander
Manufacturer: Milestone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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It's All in the Game
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ASIN: B00009QG7B
Release Date: 2003-06-17

Tracks:

Nemesis
I Can Dream, Can't I?
Nightlife In Tokyo
I'll Be Around
Cold Smoke
Island
Big R.C.
Lock Up And Bow Out

Customer Reviews:

Eric Alexander almost reached greatness on NLIT..........2007-02-20

This is a brilliant CD that belongs on the shelves of any sax-loving jazz afficiondao, but it's also frustrating how close Alexander came to greatness on this particular album but fell short. In fact the first 4 tracks have a compunctory by-the-numbers feel that really prevents them being anything more than sterile showcases for Alexander's technical virtuosity on tenor saxophone. On the second half (tracks 5-8) the band starts to cook, with Alexander and the rest of the quartet improvising more freely, playing more as a unit than as a four guys taking turns soloing. This is when the magic really happens and why the CD is brilliant. Unfortunately I still couldn't escape the feeling that Alexander is playing more from his head than his heart. If he'd trusted the music more ("use the Force, Luke!") and gone with the flow on these jams I think thuis would have been a jazz album for the ages.

The search is over . We have another great Tenor sax player........2006-11-11

This album clearly demonstrates Eric Alexander's virtuosity. He belongs amongst the tenor sax giants; John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson and Sonny Rollins. In my view he is the best 'new' Sax giant around.

This album is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish. Apart from Alexander's phenomenal tone and dexterity, he is a polished musician who has created a superb album with 'Nightlife in Tokyo'.

He is accompanied by Harold Mabern on piano, who clearly revelled in the making of this cd. His playing is extraordinarily satisfying and enjoyable.

Do I need to say anything about Ron Carter on Bass? It is self-explanatory.

Joe Farnsworth is on drums and creates a great groove.

Like 'Longboard Jazzer" this album carries my highest recommendation. I feel unable to add much to his excellent review below which I endorse.

I think he's reached critical mass.......2004-01-25

Some guys work at it forever, learn the idiom, become quite competent, and that's about it. They never really find their own distinctive voice. Other guys just seem to have it right from the beginning. Somehow, they intuit the entire history of jazz early on, emerge on the scene as full-blown monster musicians, and everyone's shaking their heads as these cats transform the music as twenty-somethings.

Then there's guys like Eric Alexander. I'd pegged him for a journeyman--a guy with significant chops who knew the hard-bop/post-bop language inside out, but didn't really have much original to say conceptually, tonally, or compositionally. A better-sounding and higher-echelon journeyman, but still a journeyman.

Until this date.

Granted, I haven't heard every single disc he's put out over the years, but I've heard my share. And I must say that, at least to these ears, he's experienced a quantum leap forward, vaulting himself out of the vast swamp of saxophonic proficiency into the highest plateaux of wind instrument brilliance. There's simply so much more substance, res, power, ease of execution, maturity of conception, tonal and timbral depth, sheer authority, and brash confidence here than ever before that he hardly seems the same player.

It's like he's suddenly become an Old Soul.

A Sax Master.

An Overnight Sensation (albeit a decade-plus--and scores of discs as leader and sideman--in the making).

Let's start with his tone. OK, he's not Pharoah Sanders yet, but he's darn close. He's finally come into that huge fullness of tone that characterizes the best tenor sax players. And he's worked hard to nail the tone center throughout his instrument's register. Indeed, he sounds just as authoritative up high as in the middle or lower registers.

Then there's his compositions. There's a fairly major Milesish/Tyneresque modal/Latin thing happening here ("Nemesis," "Cold Smoke," in 5/4, I believe)--and Harold Mabern has McCoy's moves stone down, but in his own unique voice. But there's a lot more going on as well--an Afro-Cuban groove on "Island," with it's entirely authentic Caribbean Calypso vibe; heavy blues ("Big R.C."); and very nifty post-bop ("Lock Up and Bow Out"). The thing about these compositions is how natural they sound. There's none of that "Hey, watch me, I can do Wayne Shorter!" vibe. Or, "Look how many idioms I've mastered!" thing happening. Instead, there's such complete familiarity with all major jazz languages that his compositions come out sounding absolutely effortless, almost instinctual, like instant classics. That's what endless hours on the bandstand as well as major woodshedding will get you, if you've got the right stuff.

You can always tell a major session. Everyone seems to play just a little bit better; there's an uncanny electricity combined with warmth and intimacy. The leader's in a zone, and the rest of the guys sense it and find a way to lock into the extraordinary thing that's going down. That's what I sense here. And it can only happen when a player has reached a certain level of maturity. This may be the most important aspect of this disc--Anderson's emergence as a brilliant leader. One sure sign of this is that everyone plays at the top of their capability--and beyond. Now understand, this is a very accomplished band: the great but underappreciated Harold Mabern (piano); Ron Carter, perhaps THE premier bassist of his generation, sounding as good as I've ever heard him; and the simply stunning Joel Farnsworth giving the young lion drummers (of whom there is certainly no shortage) a lesson in swing, coloration, and polyrhythmic dexterity.

Conceptually, there's nothing radical going on here--just highest-order playing from young and old jazz masters. No hip-hop, trip-hop, trance, dance, house, alt-rock, or any other alien influences. Nothing to hide behind. Nothing to give the music some exotic sheen that will fool the unwary listener into thinking more's happening here than really is. Just the classic, naked jazz quartet. It takes consummate musicianship, chutzpah, and conversational interaction of the highest order to separate a disc like this from the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of similar sessions released during any given year. That's one reason, I'm sure, so many guys are (quite successfully, in many cases) resorting to expanded musical palettes and soundscapes. But it's harder--and therefore in a weird way probably more significant--to make great-sounding music in this pared-down environment.

That's why I'm giving this disc my absolute highest recommendation. Do check it out.

It's A Keeper.......2003-09-23

An excellent setting for tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. A wonderful group which includes legend Harold Maybern on piano. Eric studied with George Coleman in New York and it shows, reworking of standard "I Can Dream Can't I?" allows Alexander's melodic sense to really blossom. A world class band playing jazz as it was meant to be....swung.

Average customer rating:

I Love this Album! But don't buy it here!
Exquisite
Bumping Up Against Jarrett and Others. . . .
Jazz Piano ?
Gifted jazz pianist on his own

Live in Tokyo
Brad Mehldau
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Art of the Trio, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0002M5TCU
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

Things Behind The Sun - Drake
Intro - Mehldau
Soemone to Watch Over Me - Gershwin/Gershwin
From This Moment On - Porter
Monk's Dream - Monk
Paranoid Android -Yorke/O'Brien/Greenwood/Greenwood/Selway
How Long Has This Been Going On? - Gershwin/Gershwin
River Man - Drake

Amazon.com

Brad Mehldau has followed his musical inclinations into some surprise territories. First gaining attention as a member of Joshua Redman's quartet in the early 1990s, he could have easily been expected to unfold a new traditionalist's approach to jazz. Instead he's taken that formidable grounding and attached it to a wide range of compositional explorations. The solo piano Live in Tokyo is framed by a pair of Nick Drake compositions, and in between are pieces by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk, and Radiohead, along with one original. The material is all linked by Mehldau's focus on melodic identity and harmonic invention. He succeeds in finding the stately heart of each number, with Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" sounding perfectly natural alongside Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On?" --David Greenberger

Album Description

On Brad Mehldau's Nonesuch debut, he interprets in a live solo performance material from such varied composers as the Gershwins, Theolonius Monk, Nick Drake and Radiohead. Longtime fans of Mehldau's recordings with his celebrated trio are accustomed to such wide-ranging taste.

Customer Reviews:

I Love this Album! But don't buy it here!.......2006-12-18

FIrst I would like to say that this is a great album. The creativity is immense, and I can't help comparing it to Keith Jarret's Köln Concert, and I think that this may surpass it.

However! You may have seen the Import of 'Live In Tokyo' when you searched for it. Or maybe you didn't. But the import is much longer, and it seems to be the entire concert. Of course, on Amazon, it's around $50. But you can get the longer version through iTunes for less than the price of the shorter version ($13). Totally worth it.

Exquisite.......2006-09-13

Any fan of Mehldau's music will enjoy this cd. It's not my favorite of his live music, only because I love the rythym section and the foundation it allows him for exploration. But hearing him solo on a piano is just as enjoyable in many ways because his approach and the overall tone is a different flavor.

The song selection on this album is incredible. After about half a dozen listens, I'm most impressed with Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me". Such a lovely ballad, and Mehldau plays it with such passion that you can almost hear the heartache in the piano strings. The Monk tune is amazing. Very interesting and different style than the completely INSANE version on Art of the Trio Vol. 2. "River Man" is great. "How Long" is always lovely, and of course nobody does Radiohead better than Brad. The concert-hall vibe is a nice change of pace from the jazz club. If you like great piano, or simply great music delivered with incredible passion, check out this cd.

Bumping Up Against Jarrett and Others. . . ........2006-04-15

I could see a reviewer giving this CD 4 stars, if only because of the sprawling "epicness" of it, which could verge on self-indulgence. I'll take those things to be good, though, and give him 5 stars. This CD is very reminiscent of several of Keith Jarrett's CDs, both his solo concerts and work with his trio. The use of such diverse sources for his material puts Mehldau in very safe and risky territories from track to track, but he then ventures into such ambitious places with all of them that he rarely seems to be "safe." While some would argue the validity of a 20-minute rambling take on a Radiohead tune, I commend him for his use of "non-standard" material for his improvisations. Mehldau has released additional tracks on ITunes, all of which I have purchased, and a couple of those appear on his next CD, DAY IS DONE. The "extended" version of the concert is even more impressive. You can't argue Mehldau's technique (or I wouldn't), ambition, vision, variety, perspective, etc. I loved the ride and listen on a fairly regular basis. I am always curious to hear what he is doing on his next release, and I haven't been disappointed yet.

Jazz Piano ?.......2005-07-27

Precise piano, pianistic, excellent technique and intonation. But Jazz piano - I dont think so. The style is all his own - didnt hear influences of any artist nor idiom except for likely classical training. I made the purchase based on what I'd read in the on-line reviews. This was my introduction to Mr. Mehldau - I was looking forward to solo jazz piano on a par with Roger Kelloway, vintage Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, even recent Keith Jarrett following recovery from serious illness. What my perception missed were the necessary jazz elements of syncopation, harmonic invention and development, and rhythm. It was interesting.

Gifted jazz pianist on his own.......2005-03-26

This CD is my first exposure to the art of Brad Mehldau, and a most impressive artist he is. It's not just the fistfuls and cascades of notes that issue from his fingers, as breathtaking as his virtuosity can be. As with all great jazz artists the beat is ever-present in his playing, even with the fewest notes and at the slowest tempi--the Gershwin standards are wonderful examples of this and perhaps the most appealing tracks on the disc. Elsewhere he elaborates on Nick Drake, Thelonius Monk and Radiohead to always fascinating if sometimes overlong results (the Paranoid Android track lasts almost twenty minutes). A bit of Philip Glass or other minimalist flavor occasionally creeps in with his obsessive dwelling on a single pitch for long stretches--whether you'll respond to that depends on how well you like such things. Still, there aren't many jazz pianists around, I would guess, who can sustain such a concert as this. Definitely worth a listen.

Average customer rating:

wow
Wonderful
The kind of music I spend so much money looking for...
Where's Eddie Gomez?
Great live set

Trio in Tokyo
Michael Petrucciani , Steve Gadd , and Anthony Jackson
Manufacturer: Dreyfus
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000031KDM
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

Training
September Second
Home
Little Peace In C For U
Love Letter
Cantabile
Colors
So What

Amazon.com

This 1997 recording features the late French pianist Michel Petrucciani and his trio of drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Anthony Jackson in performance at the Blue Note in Tokyo. The musicians might seem an unlikely team, as Petrucciani (who died in January 1999) was an unabashed romantic in the lyrical piano tradition that extends from Duke Ellington through Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, while Gadd and Jackson are best known as masters of the contemporary studio groove. Yet they achieve an organic sense of swing, even if Jackson's bass guitar lacks the rich wooden timbre of an acoustic instrument. From the Spanish-tinted "September Second" to the Evans-like "Home" to the closing cover of Miles Davis's "So What," Petrucciani's playing is characterized by melodic clarity, percussive touch, and rhapsodic ecstasy in the pure act of improvisation. The term "happy jazz" is sometimes used pejoratively for facile, formulaic music. Trio in Tokyo proves you don't have to be shallow to know the joy. --Rick Mitchell

Customer Reviews:

wow.......2007-05-17

This hasn't left the CD player since arrival. I bought it specifically for the encore rendering of "So What" that I originally heard on Sirius radio. Happy to say that the rest of the CD is top quality as well.

Wonderful.......2007-03-23

This is one of the first Petrucciani albums I bought (on the strength of a glowing newspaper review) and it is stunning. All the compositions are his own, except So What, and they are very strong. MP has great melodic flair, as well as superb technique. Heres a few favourites:
Cantabile takes some beating. Very bluesy with Michel holding a repeated blues lick to a fantastic climax. September Second starts out as latin tinged number which shows that melodic flair. It develops to a number of tremendous climaxs helped by Steve Gadds incendiary drumming.
Little Peace in C for U is a be-bop inspired piece, again with moments of genius from the little man.
Anthony Jackson and Steve Gadd are both excellent. Their backing is sometimes a little more aggressive than some traditional Jazz trios, in particular Gadd adds perhaps more 'rock' based drumming techniques than some may like. However, I have no problem with this, Gadd is never less than immaculate in whatever he does.
The sadness is that there can be no more original MP albums. Happily there are already lots of very good ones to get and this is one.

The kind of music I spend so much money looking for..........2006-02-15

This has to be one of my favorite discs. It puts you right in the middle of a niteclub feeling right from the start. My favorite tune has to be "Home"...starting out with some truly beautiful piano playing, then the drums and bass quietly come in...building and building into a head-bobbing groove...then back to the beautiful starting theme with a well deserving ending ovation. This is the kind of music I spend so much money on CD's looking for and hope to find when I go to a trio concert. Great playing and a great sounding recording.

Born with a bone disease that left Michel Petrucciani with a height of only 3 feet, this incredible man has surpassed any physical problems and became a musical giant. It is sad that he has passed on. But, he has left a huge impression in me and, on this recording, a huge impression I would think on Steve Gadd and Anthony Jackson as well. This whole notion, for me, adds to the magic of this set and made me explore other recordings he has made. Really nice work indeed and gets 5 stars, which is a rare rating from a tough critic.

Where's Eddie Gomez?.......2005-07-17

Jackson is the odd man out on this performance. He does not connect with Petrucciani, & Gadd, as a result, is inhibited & contained. Also, Jackson's tone is not appropriates for acoustic jazz. This could have been 5 stars with Eddie Gomez!

Great live set.......2005-01-07

I bought this mainly because Steve Gadd was on the drums. I'd heard of Michael Petrucciani, but had never heard any of his music.

I must say, I was impressed from the first song. This is a great collection of Jazz, and I love the songs. This is a great trio, and a great introduction to all 3 musicians if you've never heard them music before.

Average customer rating:

Can't go wrong with the tunes or the group
Outstanding!

Live in Tokyo at the Blue Note
Mingus Big Band
Manufacturer: Sunny Side
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000HIVQIA
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

Wham Bam
Opus Four
Celia
Bird Calls
Meditations
Prayer For Passive Resistance
Free Cell Block F
Ecclusiastics

Customer Reviews:

Can't go wrong with the tunes or the group.......2007-01-15

Based out of New York City and boasting some of the city's finest musicians, the Mingus Big Band is one of four ensembles (the others being the Mingus Dynasty, Mingus Orchestra, and Epitaph Orchestra) dedicated to its namesake's music.
"Live in Tokyo" features new arrangements of eight classic Mingus compositions which span three decades and are delivered with gusto and nuance by the fourteen-members of the MBB.
Half of the tunes are culled from the `50s. "Bird Calls," is Mingus' tribute to Charlie Parker and the gorgeous ballad "Celia," features Craig Handy as the lone soloist.
"Meditations" and "Ecclusiastics" were both composed in the `60s with the latter including trombonist Ku-Umba Frank Lacy fervently preaching from the pulpit of the blues.
The program is rounded out with "Opus Four" and "Free Cell Block F," two gems from the `70s, the latter of which was first performed by Mingus' last great quintet which included saxophonist George Adams and Don Pullen. Originally appearing on the album "Changes Two" with the expanded moniker of "Free Cell Block F, Tiz Nazi U.S.A.," the tunes' breezy theme belies its deadly-serious title and provides an excellent backdrop for inspired solos by Handy on flute, Conrad Herwig and Lacy on trombone, and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax.

Outstanding!.......2006-09-30

In December of 1976, Charles Mingus and his quintet performed a series of concerts in Tokyo playing a stripped down version of big band arrangements by Mingus, and of those he admired. Thirty years later, the fourteen piece band that keeps the Mingus name as a legacy performed in Tokyo, playing fully orchestrated versions of the songs Mingus' quintet offered Japanese audiences a generation beforehand. Live In Tokyo is a document of this return engagement.

This is an amazing album. From the opening notes of "Wham Bam", to the final moments of "Ecclusiastics", The Mingus Big Band swings and sways through these songs like a typhoon of exalted joy blowing the roof off the famous Blue Note Club. The band is a Who's Who of jazz performers, featuring Eddie Henderson, Jack Walrath, and Alex Sipiagin on trumpets, Abe Burton, Craig Handy, Wayne Escoffery, Seamus Blake, and Ronnie Cuber on saxophones, Ku-umba Frank Lacy, Conrad Herwig, and Earl McIntyre on trombones and tuba, Dave Kikowski on piano, Kenny Davis on bass and Jonathan Blake on drums. Big band enthusiasts will find themselves exhausted by the extremely powerful horn arrangements on "Opus Four", "Free Cell Block F", and "Bird Calls"; Escoffery's solo sax on "Prayer for Passive Resistance", Handy's solo arrangement of "Celia" and the smooth, cool jazz of "Meditations", a quartet piece which includes Davis' brilliant bass lines, Handy playing a la Eric Dolphy on Melody Flute, Kikowski's piano and Abe Burton's frenetic sax.

There isn't one false note on Live In Tokyo, and like all great albums, the music stays with you. After listening to the album a third time yesterday, I found myself inadvertently pounding out the back beat by slapping my thighs while waiting for the bus. The album lingers on in my head even now, and I haven't played it since yesterday afternoon. Most importantly, the pleasure the musicians take in playing this date transcends the recording process as each piece pulls you in and makes you feel like you're sitting right there with them.

Live In Tokyo is a marvelous tribute to Mingus. It allows his work to breathe again; grow into directions Mingus would have challenged had he lived long enough. But even if you're not a huge Mingus fan, Live In Tokyo is an extremely solid work which will set your foot tapping and tempt you into turning your living room into a temporary swing club. It is a masterful work of art that allows Mingus to live again in the hearts of jazz aficionados' everywhere.

Average customer rating:

The Tokyo Sessions
Roy Hargrove , and Antonio Hart
Manufacturer: Novus
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000008B5Y
Release Date: 1994-02-15

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Preferences
if you don't have this disc, GET IT!!!!!!
1985 at the "Bottom Line"
For those of you who know and love this band..........

Live in Tokyo
Steps Ahead
Manufacturer: NYC (New York City)
ProductGroup: Music
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ASIN: B000006MCH
Release Date: 1995-06-15

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Album Description

The only recording from this legendary line-up!

Customer Reviews:

Preferences.......2002-01-23

The line between a genious solo-artist and a ego-centric maniac is very thin. It is clearly subjective. For me it entirely depends on whether I like the artist (Michael Brecker) or not (Mainieri). This album passes the test, also because of great drumming, but it is not a 5 like other Brecker CDs

if you don't have this disc, GET IT!!!!!!.......2001-05-15

This is absolutely my favorite disc in my entire collection. I borrowed it from a friend first, kept it for a year, and finally found a copy of it for myself. Every time I listen to it, I hear something I haven't heard before. Make sure you listen to "In a Sentimental Mood" a bunch of times! It made me cry the first few, Mike Brecker is such a musical god.

If you are a jazz player, don't miss this!!!!!

1985 at the "Bottom Line".......1999-11-01

The fact that this cd was produced in 1994 as the result of "Steps Ahead" fans wanting to hear recordings from their concert tour in 1985, expresses just how special the performances of this particular group really were. I was fortunate to have caught the group at the "Bottom Line" in NYC. Michael Brecker, Mike Mainieri, Daryl Jones, Mike Stern and Steve Smith were really cookin'!

For those of you who know and love this band.................1999-09-14

My favorite album by these guys was Magnetic, a highly rocking album , by jazz standards. The only thing missing on the studio album was guitar, so to speak. Not a problem, add Mike Stern. This disc, answers THAT musical question in SPADES. This is one moving album, both tastefully and tempo-wise. You can't get "Magnetic" anymore, so get this. Email me if you hate it, I'll buy it from you. Guaranteed. Greg Watkins gwat@flash.net

Average customer rating:

finally!
Miles Davis starts to change his sound
An unusual recording.
A modern construction of Jazz.
miles shines

Miles in Tokyo
Miles Davis
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0007OP2CK
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Tracks:

Introduction By Teruo Isono
If I Were A Bell
My Funny Valentine
So What
Walkin'
All Of You
Go-Go (Theme And Announcement)

Customer Reviews:

finally!.......2006-01-21

this album once available only as an import is finally here.
upon, first listening to "if i were a bell" the tune seemed to be at a faster tempo than the studio version. miles was surprising quick with his muted riffs followed by sam rivers whose solo sounded a bit out of place but was full of possibilites.
loved "my funny valentine". this version has stuck in my mind for some time after listening. miles blowing on this track is vintage with herbie hancock and ron carter are superb thru out and tony williams keeps the pace. "so what" is powerfully done with miles and sam on top of their game. great vamping by herbie with tony playing all over his drumkit. ditto on"walking". on "all of you" ron carter accompanies miles muted trumpet superbly.at this point, sam rivers takes over this piece. outstanding! this is an album that grows on you with each listening and of course the importance of sam rivers on this date is historical indeed. a "must keep" for miles fans.

Miles Davis starts to change his sound.......2006-01-03

Before buying this, you must be sure where you stand on the Miles Davis spectrum. If you're a fan of his earlier work with his first Quintet and are looking for that steady, consistent pulse, be forwarned, you won't find it here. At this point, Miles was starting to make progressive changes from his first group and, although it is much more mainstream compared to where he would soon be, the pulse is often times inconsistent and broken. In other words, the pulse is not consistent, the "feel" changes at least a few times over during the course of a piece. I'm only giving it 3 stars because, although this group is extremely tight, I'm a fan of the work he did with his first Quintet. Those that are fans of his second Quintet, would probably mark it higher. The only number where you'll find that steady, consistent pulse that reminisces his earlier playing is on the last track. Every other number, although old hat for him, goes through constant change to a point where it sometimes becomes unrecognizable and you can't follow it anymore. Fortunately, his group doesn't go too far out and, when they, do, it's usually only for a few bars before they go back in. The saxaphone player does most of the playing outside the form. The pianist, however, is phenomenal and he mostly stays inside the form. But, like I said, you have to know where you stand on the Miles Davis spectrum. If you like the work his second Quintet did, you'll be fine. If you're a fan of his first Quintet because of that steady, consistent pulse he establishes with that group, you'll only enjoy parts of the pieces, but not every part of the piece from beginning to end. This is the best warning I could give you.

An unusual recording........2005-11-04

One of the more bizarre recordings in the catalog of Miles Davis, "Miles in Tokyo" finds the trumpeter with only one missing piece in his "Second Great Quintet"-- the rhythm section of pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams was in place, but while Wayne Shorter was promised to join Davis on tenor sax, he was not yet available, and on the recommendation of Tony Williams, Sam Rivers was brought in for replacement.

Now, I love Rivers' work, but clearly this was not a match that Davis was ready for, and Rivers sounds out of place. The set in the summer of 1964 was largely unadventerous, Davis had not recorded regularly with his small group in several years (1963's "Seven Steps to Heaven" being the only date during between March 1961 and January 1965), and there was a lack of new material (attributed by Davis to having "nothing left" after recording "Sketches of Spain"). As a result, the music Davis was playing was rather tame compared to what the Ornette Colemans and the Cecil Taylors (and for that matter the Charles Minguses and John Coltranes) were doing by this point. While his young band was far more schooled in free jazz, Davis was not ready.

So what we have is Davis playing a bunch of tired pieces with a rhythm section that pushes the level of energy up-- Davis plays well enough, railing away agressively pretty much throughout, but he's nothing compared to Rivers. Rivers' soloing is explosive, fierce, energetic, and unpredictable, often eschewing standard time and rhythmic ideas ("So What"), and yet sometimes surprisingly lyrical ("If I Were a Bell"), so far beyond what the rest of the band was doing that he sometimes loses them. And certainly Davis was unhappy with him, not allowing him to state the themes.

It's really an interesting record, and certainly everyone plays well enough, but Rivers was a square peg and it shows.

A modern construction of Jazz........2005-09-21

Against to my expectations, Sam Rivers plays more traditionally his solo, especially in "My Funny Valentine" than John Coltrane at 1960 in Europe with Miles Davis. It is a bit disappointment to me, but highly recommended.

miles shines.......2005-08-19

There are many fine Miles Davis live recordings. What is unique about this one is Sam Rivers. Essential listening!

Average customer rating:

Live from New York to Tokyo
Ray Brown
Manufacturer: Concord Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008KIYW
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

Have You Met Miss Jones?
Meditation
Street of Dreams
Oh, Lady Be Good
That's All
Love Me Tender
How Could You Do a Thing Like This to Me?
Captain Bill

Tracks:

Introductory Announcement
F.S.R. (For Sonny Rollins)
Put Your Little Foot Right Out
Rio
If I Loved You
Introductory Announcement
Summertime
Days of Wine and Roses
Introductory Announcement
Night in Tunisia
Bam Bam Bam

Average customer rating:

Great music, bad vocalizing
Shoot the kazoo player
Amazing improvisations!
ARE YOU KIDDING?? GORGEOUS!!
Bravura and Tenderness in One

Tokyo '96
Keith Jarrett , Gary Peacock , and Jack DeJohnette
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000024Z3N
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Tracks:

It Could Happen To You
Never Let Me Go
Billie's Bounce
Summer Night
I'll Remember April
Mona Lisa
Autumn Leaves
Last Night When We Were Young
John's Abbey
My Funny Valentine/Song

Amazon.com

Keith Jarrett and his regular trio partners (Gary Peacock on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums) turn in an above average performance on this live disc recorded in Tokyo's Orchard Hall. Thanks to ECM's pristine recording, we are treated to every skittering whisper of DeJohnette's brushes, the remarkable geometry of Peacock's bass and, of course, Jarrett's telltale vocal exclamations. And on Tokyo, he gets off to a quick start, letting out a spirited whoop as the bass and drums of "It Could Happen to You" cascade into his rolling melody. From there, Jarrett is in good spirits and fine form, including wonderfully intertwined and melodic renditions of "Billie's Bounce" and "My Funny Valentine." Not only a welcome addition to the Jarrett shelf for fans, but a terrific place to begin an appreciation of the pianist. --S. Duda

Album Details

Japanese Exclusive Live Release featuring Tracks Recorded Live in Tokyo, Japan in 1996. Tracks: It Could Happen to You, Never Let Me Go, Billy's Bounce, Summer Night, I'll Remeber April, Mona Lisa, Autumn Leaves, Last Night When We Were Young, and More.

Customer Reviews:

Great music, bad vocalizing.......2005-10-31

I fully support most of the positive reviews of this album, but I must say the buzzing and moaning and chanting in the background is difficult to bear.

Shoot the kazoo player.......2005-01-06

The music might be very good, too bad I couldn't make it past the third track. Somehow a lunatic with a kazoo managed to find his way on stage and ruin the entire recording. I'm glad I checked this out from the library instead of buying it.

Amazing improvisations!.......2004-10-23

This is a live recording, featuring Keith Jarrett on piano, Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums. On this recording, Keith has brought his improvisational talent to the breaking point, it's almost inhuman: the way he builds his phrases and his timing is just incredible. A must for anyone interested in jazz improvisation!

ARE YOU KIDDING?? GORGEOUS!!.......2003-09-13

As a professional singer/saxophonist with a collection of thousands of records and cds, I often delight in playing new things for people, not only to introduce things to them, but to see their reaction.

My girlfriend was sitting on the couch one night, reading in silence. I put on "Never let me Go" from this CD, and went to work on some reeds in the kitchen.

Less than a minute later, she put the book in her lap and looked up at me. "I can't read this while that's playing - it's so amazing. It just commands your attention. It sounds like backround music, but it's definately NOT - it's so intense, and I can hear the feeling in everything he's doing. It just commands me to listen." So she put her book down and enjoyed.

And I, of course, was ecstatic that she got the fact that Keith Jarrett is one of those few musicians who lock into their inner voice from the moment go and never let go. Whether or not you like his forays into all genres, his experimentations, or even his phrasing or note choices here and there - you have to concede that his PROCESS of creating, along with that of his cohorts, is absolutely vital, essential, and pure.

So put the book down, and dig!

Bravura and Tenderness in One.......2001-08-12

Tokyo 96' is an excellent LP for any fan of the Jazz Piano. Jarrett's volcalizations never intrude on the wonderful music, making this album accesible for anyone. The trio's ability to communicate only gets better with age, and this is one of their peaks. While the moodful melodies and ballads are truly stunning on this album, the spotlight is stolen by Jarrett simply digging into some up-tempo bop standards. Highlights? The entirety of Billie's Bounce and I'll Remember April are ecstatic (the latter featuring a marvelous drum-solo intro punctuated by rhythmic chords on behalf of Jarrett), however, the true gem is the brief, almost frantic and assuredly intense John's Abbey. One can almost see the sparks flying from these three masteful musicians!

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