Two extended improvisational pieces recorded in 1975 demonstrate Keith Jarrett’s deep lyricism, expressive technique and mastery of solo piano. Furthermore, his total physical participation with the music is enticing. He once explained the noises he made were his thoughts that can’t get out onto the keyboard.
Michel Camilo is a piano prodigy who could maneuver amazingly between jazz and classical. Piano Concerto, Suite & Caribe welcomes listeners into his classical world. From his opening notes on the full-orchestrated piece to his solo ending, Camilo’s spontaneous energy and exemplary execution will leave you breathless. This is a classical album that I could actually get through and still want to hear again.
The combined energy from trumpeter Clifford Brown, drummer Max Roach and tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins was like the mix of Grand Marnier, Red Bull and Hennessy. At Basin Street rushes off with “What is This Thing Called Love” and never lets up. Brown and Rollins blow like men on fire over Roach’s charging power. Five months after the recordings, Brown’s unfortunate death in a car accident terminated their collaboration. Brown was only twenty-five.
With drummer Max Roach, pianist Tommy Flanagan and bassist Doug Watkins hold down the rhythm section, Sonny Rollins lays out some of his finest solos on Saxophone Colossus. From the catchy opening of “St. Thomas” to the thematic improvisation on “Blue 7,” this album is a jazz masterpiece. The cover is an artwork itself.
The Wu returns; so does the Kung Fu and the dope rhymes. Gone are the raw, straight-from-the-basement beats from 36 Chambers, but the group’s producer RZA has cooked up some flavorful new sounds including the rock-riffing “The Heart Gently Weeps” and the soulful “Stick Me for My Riches.” MCs wise, Method Man’s flow is still gruff and grime; Raekwon’s storytelling is still dark and chil; Ghostface’s delivery is still like the Bunny Energizer, keeps going and going. The only missing element is the eccentricity from the late wild ODB. Despite the controversy around the group, 8 Diagrams is surprisingly good. Funniest line on the joint is from Ghostface: “You like a CD, I burn you and I wreck a few…”
In celebration of Vietnamese women, no champagnes are necessary. A box of tissues will do. The women portrayed in Thuy Nga’s Paris Night 90 are nothing but tragedy, and they carry it throughout their life. Whether through war, economy or husband, Vietnamese girls, Vietnamese wives and Vietnamese mothers all suffered.
The program brings out quite a bit of depressing songs regarding to our women. Bang Kieu croons the dead sister (“Chi Toi”); Hoa Mi tells the tale of a wife turned into stone waiting for her husband (“Ai Xuoi Van Ly”); Minh Tuyet sobs on a personal reflection (“Ganh Hang Rong”); Y Lan weeps all out on the mournful “Tuong Nhu Con Nguoi Yeu.” Y Lan’s acting skill was so great that a woman in the audience almost jumped off the balcony. I would have done the same thing to end the misery.
Sure there are happy tunes too, but the queens of drama overpowered them. If you are going to watch this DVD, prepare to cry yourself a river. And if you’re one heartless bastard, Thuy Nga got some eye candies for your visual pleasures. Most of the young ladies look luscious in ao dai, but Khanh Ha is still one hot MILF. On the flipside, Ha Tran might ruin your imagination.
Birth of the Cool was born as a response from Miles Davis to bebop. He had it with the flying notes of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie; therefore, he focused more on the lyricism and melodic concepts that eventually defined cool jazz. This is the album that marked Davis’s first reinvention of jazz.
Dexter Gordon had a slick, rich and stimulating Bop tone, yet on ballads he would transform into a pussycat and play with deep, soulful lyricism. This extraordinary compilation of Ballads reveals the relaxed, sentimental side of Gordon. “I am a Fool to Want You” will make you sprung.
Jazz syncopation accompanied by samba rhythm section yields bossa nova. Guitarist Charlie Byrd and saxophonist Stan Getz helped sparked the bossa nova movement in 1962 with their collaboration on Jazz Samba. From the discorded “Desafinado” to the mellow-grooving “Baia,” the finger-picking guitar combined with the melodious sax tone creates a perfect mood for late night relaxation.
A four-part suite that placed John Coltrane in God’s divine power. His relentless-driving force and building choruses could chase the devil away. His astonishing virtuosity is in his reading of his own poem on “Psalm.” The words just came out of his horn.