At Newport [Live] [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
In 1957, the Newport Jazz Festival presented three of the greatest jazz divas on successive nights, with the tape recorders rolling the whole time. Shortly thereafter came the original LP, Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday at Newport. The constraints of vinyl, and the fact that she had not yet achieved the same stature as Holiday and Fitzgerald, kept Carmen McRae out of the picture. So the six previously unreleased McRae selections--along with three new Fitzgerald tracks--somewhat justify the new packaging of this album. But that reason doesn't really suffice. As William Ruhlman points out in his game but candid liner notes, none of the singers comes off very well here. Fitzgerald sings wonderfully, of course--when didn't she?--but her trio falls in and out of synch. Worse, the stage announcer's audible suggestion that she move closer to the microphone results in overmodulated distortion on four-fifths of the set ("Too Close for Comfort," one of the songs she sings here, is all too appropriate). Holiday, in her later years, sang with a reduced vocal range and waning energy, which she sometimes countered with sly sagacity. Here, two years before her death, she offers, alas, only a pallid version of that. Relatively few in-performance recordings of McRae exist from the 1950s, and this one offers a big, eager-to-please voice and plenty of technical fireworks. But McRae sounds almost frighteningly chipper. When she acknowledges applause with improbably bright "thank you"s, she sounds like Alvin the Chipmunk's older sister. Later "live" sets betray none of this nervousness, and you don't have to listen to too-loud Ella and too-tired Billie to get them. --Neil Tesser

Tracks:

I Want to Talk About You
My Favorite Things
Impressions [#]
Introduction by Father Norman O'Connor
One Down, One Up
My Favorite Things

Average customer rating:

The last Gasp of the Big Band Era
What ELSE is on this CD? Who really cares?
Diminuendo in Blue and Crescendo in Blue
Gonsalves Flirts With Woman in Audience
A legendary performance burnished

Ellington At Newport 1956
Duke Ellington
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000IMYA
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

Star Spangled Banner
Father Norman O'Connor Introduces Duke & The Orchestra/Duke Introduces Tune & Anderson, Jackson...
Black And Tan Fantasy
Duke Introduces Cook & Tune
Tea For Two
Duke & Band Leave Stage/Father Norman O'Connor Talks About The Festival
Take The A Train
Duke Announces Strayhorn's A Train & Nance/Duke Introduces Festival Suite, Part I & Hamilton
Festival Suite: Part I - Festival Junction (Live)
Duke Announces Soloists; Introduces Part II (Live)
Festival Suite: Part II - Blues To Be There (Live)
Duke Announces Nance & Procope; Introduces Part III (Live)
Festival Suite: Part III - Newport Up
Duke Announces Hamilton, Gonsalves, & Terry/Duke Introduces Carney & Tune (Live)
Sophisticated Lady (Live)
Duke Announces Grissom & Tune (Live)
Day In, Day Out (Live)
Duke Introduces Tune(s) And Paul Gonsalves Interludes (Live)
Diminuendo In Blues And Crescendo In Blue (Live)
Announcements, Pandemonium (Live)
Pause Track

Tracks:

Duke Introduces Johnny Hodges
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (Live)
Jeep's Blues (Live)
Duke Calms Crowd; Introduces Nance & Tune
Tulip Or Turnip
Riot Prevention
Skin Deep
Mood Indigo
Studio Concert (Excerpts)
Father Norman O'Connor Introduces Duke Ellington/Duke Introduces New Work, Part I, & Hamilton
Festival Suite: Part I - Festival Junction
Duke Announces Soloists; Introduces Part II (Production)
Festival Suite: Part II - Blues To Be There
Duke Announes Nance & Procope; Introduces Part III (Production)
Festival Suite: Part III - Newport Up (Production)
Duke Announces Hamilton, Gonsalves, & Terry/Duke Introduces Johnny Hodges (Production)
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (Production)
Jeep's Blues (Studio)
Pause Track

Amazon.com essential recording

When Duke Ellington took his orchestra to the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956, the band was in need of an uplift, some humongous event that would revitalize its image in the wake of bebop, hard bop, and so many more jazz currents. Ellington got the lift he needed when he called "Diminuendo in Blue" with set-closer "Crescendo in Blue" tacked on the end. Tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves got the nod from Ellington to segue from "Diminuendo" to "Crescendo," and he blew doors. With one rousing 27-chorus solo, Gonsalves blew a fever into the crowd and jump-started Ellingtonia for another generation. Trouble with all this is that the living document of the Newport show is almost fully manufactured, recorded in a studio with crowd madness dubbed in. So this two-CD historical correction is an awesome addition to the centennial-era reissues on Columbia (including Anatomy of a Murder, Such Sweet Thunder, First Time: Count Meets the Duke, and Black, Brown and Beige). The producers revisited the Newport gig after four decades because they discovered an extant Voice of America tape--the one whose microphone Gonsalves blew his solo into, and the VOA tape catches the whole Newport set in its organic glory. Alternately tender with layers of brushstroke orchestration and blazing with the band's well-seasoned tightness, this new Newport is one for the generalist and the Ellington completist. It's got the revived original gig as well as the original commercial release. And they make great siblings, illustrative of the live-event charm and the music industry's dogged labors in reinventing it on record. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

The last Gasp of the Big Band Era.......2007-06-27

Perhaps that isn't a totally fair statement but rock and roll meant the end of the big band era. Here the Ellington band got back together after a short hiatus and produced some great music. I like the Newport Suite and the standards. Jimmy Hamilton, an underrated clarinetist, is very impressive. And of course, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Clark Terry and Britt Woodman contribute great solos. Diminuendo in Blue and Crescendo in Blue is exciting but the solo by Paul Gonsalves has always been overrated. If you want to hear a great extended tenor sax solo in concert, listen to Rahsaan Roland Kirk on Perdido with Charles Mingus at Carnegie Hall. This aside, there is much to like here and things were never the same again.

What ELSE is on this CD? Who really cares?.......2007-04-29

I've owned this record ("record" - what an old-fashioned word!), in some form or another, for about thirty-five years. And today is Duke's birthday anniversary, and Diminuendo and Crescendo was on the radio, and I listened. And the goosebumps came, and the tears of joy and emotion still flowed. The sense of occasion is matched by the magnificence of the performance - one of the greatest ever performances by the greatest band of all time. And, by the way, a masterpiece composition which did not receive its due on the original recording. What is NOT great here? Some of the highpoints: Jimmy Woode's pedal points in Diminuendo, Hodges' fills in Crescendo, the strutting Trombone section of Woodman, Jackson and Sanders - a miracle of section playing. Duke's jabs and fills (of course!), Woodyard in what is possibly the highpoint of his career, Cat Anderson taking us home at the end. Oh - and Paul Gonsalves! This performance is the apotheosis of everything from the wildest New Orleans Street Parade to the wailingest Albert Ayler collective avant-gospel freakout - and all what is in between. If you don't have this...well, why DON'T you have this?

Diminuendo in Blue and Crescendo in Blue.......2007-01-29

Specially, I like the long solo of Bud Gonsalves. It's really swings.

Gonsalves Flirts With Woman in Audience.......2006-05-08

There is so much wonderful writing on this release already, so I will make it quick. On Ken Burns History of Jazz, George Wein talks about this marvelous concert. He said that a very attractive blonde woman was dancing in an isle to Diminuendo in Blue/Crescendo in Blue. Gonsalves was "playing to this woman" and it caused quite a stir in the audience. Ellington then spurred Gonsalves to continue on and on. A great historical anecdote that makes the recording even more special. The fact that this performance is reputed to have rekindled Ellington's career makes it all seem more fun!

A legendary performance burnished.......2006-04-01

In the reviews that I read (not all), I did not see a mention of what an excellent job Columbia did in the remastering. I owned the LP when it was first issued and it has been a lifelong favorite; so it was a very pleasant surprise to hear how much the sound was improved on this release. (The whole series of recent Columbia remasterings is excellent.)

A legendary performance? Oh yeahhh, the missing Voice of America tape, Philly Jo Jones driving the band (apocryphally) with a rolled up newspaper, and the Dancing Blonde In The Black Dress who got the crowd on their feet and roaring during the Gonsalves solo. The Time cover, and the renaissance of the band. And a performance that easily supports the weight of the legends...

The format of this release, complete and with the studio recordings appended, is very interesting; it corrects and completes the historical record. It's good to hear the studio recordings, now seeming oversmooth and plump, in comparison to the real thing.

I consider it an essential recording.

Average customer rating:

It Started Here For A Lot Of Rock and Rollers..
A gem.
Fantastic look at a true legend
One of the all-time classic live blues albums
Not too shabby!

At Newport
Muddy Waters
Manufacturer: Chess
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000059T1V
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

I Got My Brand On You
(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
Baby, Please Don't Go
Soon Forgotten
Tiger In Your Tank
I Feel So Good
I've Got My Mojo Working
I've Got My Mojo Working, Part 2
Goodbye Newport Blues
I Got My Brand On You
Soon Forgotten
Tiger In Your Tank
Meanest Woman

Customer Reviews:

It Started Here For A Lot Of Rock and Rollers.........2007-05-21

Newport 1960, the mecca of a yearly festival of live Jazz that crossed over the greats of the day, and I do mean Greats,into a larger audience where the money and acclaim justifiably started to flow was not lost on this wonderful blues-man who with the likes of jazz men like Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker and others did a lot of good for inspiring groups like the Stones and others whose homage to Muddy is clear.
Creating rock and roll from pure live excitement from albums like this and another legend's stellar album, BB King's Live At The Regal LP are benchmarks for much that followed.
As to this wonderful CD, great sound, nice notes, mono studio bonus tracks found on the live portion makes this a worthwhile companion with historical importance while not forgetting the contributions made by Middy's band of pianist Otis Spann,the harmonica of James Cotton, an artist in his own right,and a special treat, the inclusion of the poet Langston Hughes within the proceedings.

A gem........2006-09-05

This is Muddy Waters rocking out! He is in fine voice, a force of nature, with a hard driving band. Forget the labels, this is joyous rock n' roll.

Fantastic look at a true legend.......2005-04-13

According to the liner notes from this one, Muddy had a tough time with Blues festivals. First he was too electric and loud. The next year he was too acoustic and quiet. From the sound of this one, he finally got it just right.

This is not a barn-burner. Oh, it has plenty of energy, but if you're looking for the jolt found on his Blue Sky-era recordings, you're going to be a bit disappointed. This is smoother blues. Not mellow, but not as rowdy. Remember, the younger Muddy Waters was trying to find wide-acceptance of his misic. (It is a shame he didn't find that until the last few years of his life)

The song selection is fantastic. "Tiger in your tank" is fun. "Got my mojo working" is a foot-stopmper. But, my favorite is "Goodbye Newport Blues", which was allegedly penned on the stairs to the stage and ad-libbed by the band. But, what a band to have ad-lib!

This one is must for those who want to move beyond blues/rock.

One of the all-time classic live blues albums.......2004-01-18

Muddy Waters' July, 1960 appearance at the Newport Folk Festival was recorded and issued as one of the first live blues albums, and one of the very best as well. A bit short at only nine songs (plus four studio recordings), but that's just about the only complaint you could possibly lodge against this classic recording.

The sound on the remastered 2001 edition is simply excellent...the original masters have been transferred in high-resolution digital audio, bringing up Andrew Stephenson's bass overall, and moving Muddy's singing several layers forward in the mix.
And the result is superb. The Muddy Waters Band of 1960 included top-notch harmonica player James Cotton, guitarist Auburn "Pat" Hare, drummer Francis Clay, and the great Otis Spann whose superb piano playing graced almost all of Muddy's 1960s recordings (listen to the swing he adds to "I Feel So Good"). And Muddy Waters himself is in his prime, his big, confident voice possessing tremendous power.

Talking about highlights is a meaningless excercise..."Muddy Waters At Newport" features the definitive renditions of the classic "Got My Mojo Working" and the swaggering "I Feel So Good", but literally everything is superb, from the hits ("Hoochie Coochie Man", Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go") to the little-known songs ("Soon Forgotten", the then-newly recorded "I Got My Brand On You" and "Tiger In Your Tank"). And the live portion of the album winds down with the slow lament "Goodbye Newport Blues", which is pretty generic and obviously slapped together for the occation, but it actually works quite well (and pianist Otis Spann provides a good lead vocal).

The original live recordings have been augumented by four bonus tracks recorded just prior to Muddy's Newport appearance, three of which appear "live" as well. Notice how the live recordings of "I Got My Brand On You", "Tiger In Your Tank" and the slow "Soon Forgotten" are almost twice as long as the studio versions.
The fourth song is one of Muddy's least-known songs...a mid-tempo blues shuffle anchored by a great rhythm section and with some superb harmonica playing by James Cotton. A fine little gem.

"Muddy Waters At Newport" is a must-have for any self-respecting blues fan, casual or fanatical, and one of the greatest items in Muddy Waters' catalogue.

Not too shabby!.......2003-09-10

I can't quite say I enjoyed this CD, but seeing as how this was my first Waters album, I have concluded it was a good place to start. It has some of his classics ("I Got my Mojo Working" and "Hoochie Coochie Man"), and a whole bunch of others.

Of considerable interest also would be the fact that not ALL of the tracks are live, both classics listed above are in pre-recorded format, along with another.

Tracks:

Introduction
An Evening Prayer
A City Called Heaven
I'm On My Way
It Don't Cost Very Much
Didn't It Rain
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
When The Saints Go Marching In
I'm Goin' To Live The Life I Sing About In My Song
Keep Your Hand On The Plow
The Lord's Prayer
Walk Over God's Heaven
Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho
Jesus Met The Woman At The Well
His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Amazon.com essential recording

It was 1958 at the Newport Jazz Festival, and the announcer said it all: "Ladies and gentlemen, it is Sunday, and it is time for the World's Greatest Gospel Singer, Miss Mahalia Jackson." And, with that all-too-appropriate introduction, Jackson broke into a stirring rendition of "An Evening Prayer" that set the tone for a classic performance. Over the course of her 45-minute set, she performed pop-tinged numbers ("Didn't It Rain"), a few trad tunes ("I'm Going to Live the Life I Sing About in My Song"), and songs immersed with soul ("Keep Your Hand on the Plow"). On all of these numbers, Jackson's voice rang loud and clear, backed simply by piano and organ. Recorded at a time when her longtime fans were questioning her increasing fame and popularity, the "Queen of Gospel" proved shiningly, once again, that she still knew how to use her God-given gift of voice. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

What to hear Mahalia MOVE a crowd THIS is the one to have in your collection.......2006-08-25

This is Mahalia Jackson at the peak of her career, And of all places the Newport Jazz Festival. Known for Jazz & Blues...Listen to what Mahalia does simply singing Gospel!!! The crowd was MOVED! And you will be too!

ONE OF COLUMBIA'S LEGACY HIGHLIGHTS--IN MY OPINION THE BEST REAL REISSUE.......2006-01-04

Here we hear the great artist in an original-restaured recording of the 1958 NEWPORT FESTIVAL, being in good form and having a great athmosphare.
Fortunately COLUMBIA-LEGACY found the original tapes and went on to restaure the real tapes, giving up the company's old goal to mix the live-recordings with studio-cuts to commercialize it.
Thank God the Legacy producers gave us back a time-document so precious and unique and i pray for more such holy sounds.

It's all Good, even when it's so-so.......2005-11-07

The Queen of Gospel sings live in 1958 long before there was "MTV Unplugged". Most of the tracks are clear but a few clearly show what happens in a live concert when Ms. Jackson steps away from the microphone or claps. It's raw, powerful and un-choreographed and that's what makes this album a one of a kind. Need further proof, listen to the cheers of "more" and "Brava" at the end of tracks "Didn't It Rain" and "The Lord's Prayer". If you want a clear track of "His Eye Is On The Sparrow", sorry but you'll need to buy something else of Ms. Jackson.

Awesome.......2004-12-18

Man o Man! You just have to hear this! It starts out saying, Today is Sunday and we've got the greatest Gospel Singer in the world! WOW is right! Then at the end when you hear the crowd cheering her on, it's so moving it'll make you cry.

Poor Sound Quality Undercuts A Brilliant Performance.......2004-06-13

Born to a poor family in 1911 in New Orleans, Mahalia Jackson grew up singing in her father's church--and soaking up the blues and jazz for which that city is so famous. By the late 1920s she was in Chicago, where her distinctly jazz and blues-inflected singing style nearly got her thrown out of the Greater Salem Baptist Church. But Mahalia persevered, and in the early 1950s a series of radio and television broadcasts launched her first to national and then international acclaim. Some thirty years after her death in 1972, she is still considered the single greatest gospel singer America has ever produced.

I discovered Jackson in a serious way a year or so ago, and since then I have gone out of my way to purchase every one of her recordings that comes my way: if ever God gave breath to a gospel singer, it was to this woman, and her voice grabs you and rings you like a great bell. And after reading several commentaries on the brilliance of her 1958 performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, I was particularly eager to have this one.

Sad to say, the sound quality of this recording is very, very bad. Truth be said, you can actually hear the roars of the audience with greater clarity than you can hear Jackson--and given the power of her voice that is an astonishing thing. At times it sounds as if Jackson and the microphone are at opposite ends of the stage; at other times it sounds for all the world as if Jackson is singing inside a barrel. And more than anything, the recording leaves me with a tremendous frustration--for in its occasional moments of clarity it is very obvious that Jackson was giving a truly brilliant performance.

For all the frustration involved, I do not regret this purchase. If nothing else, it gives one a very clear idea of how Jackson interacted with her audience. But even so, this not a recording I would recommend to someone just beginning to explore the work of this unique and extraordinary artist. Let it be among the last purchases of her work you make.

Tracks:

Introduction By John Hammond - John Hammond
Swingin' At Newport
Polka Dots And Moonbeams
Lester Leaps In
Sent For You Yesterday (And Here You Come Today)
Boogie Woogie (I May Be Wrong)
Evenin'
Blee Blop Blues
All Right, Okay, You Win
The Comeback
Roll 'Em Pete
Smack Dab In The Middle
One O'Clock Jump

Customer Reviews:

One Treasure.......2005-06-05

The Newport festival hosted some fine releases, the standouts included this one, Duke Ellington's 2 seperate outings, Joe Williams, Monk,all captured on wonderfull rereleases. Yet this one comes close if not the best from Basie and his band playing with greatness from their past and then present with such luminaries as Jimmy Rushing,Joe Williams,Lester Young,Roy Eldridge, wonderful remastered sound..total energy lovely packaged..get it and you won't be sorry especially if you are exploring Basie and Jazz for the first time.

wow.......2005-05-02

"One o' Clock" jump is a historical moment, Here you have Count Basie, Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, and Illionois Jaqucet blowing the place up. You can here people cheering them on in the croud and in the band, and you can tell this was a night to remember. For me the real reason to aquire this gem if for the Lester Young. He is incredible on this recording, a masterpiece

Where's the rest, Verve?.......2004-07-14

So, where is the complete version of this concert? In verve's vault, waiting another 5- 10 years, so they can sell it to you again. They missed a big chance od finnaly releasing this historic concert the way it should be, in a 2 cd edition, 24 bit remastered. Check out the Duke ay Newport release and compare it with this. The music itself is 4 stars at least, Lester was not in his prime anymore, and you can hear it, but Joe Williams is just amazing.

This CD belongs in every home, the first CD I ever bought.......2004-04-15

This is a great wild and swinging performance, both the "reunion" sides and the straight band stuff.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s Lester Young toured and performed with the Basie New Testament band quite often. In fact, at times he would simply show up for a rehearsal or stage performance unannounced and just blow. Basie always kept the door open for him and his chair in the section was his whenever he showed up whatever other combos Prez had.

However, even though THE PRESIDENT was in rough shape that weekend (he wasn't dying that happened 3 years later), there are no later day recordings of Prez with the band that capture the swing that the reunion sides do here.

I think it had to do with having Joe Jones and Mr. Rushing present. A lot of his Basie band mates from the 1930s used to say that the big diffeence in Lester Young's 1950s performances was that he really needed a swing rhythm section, despite the excellence of Roy Haynes and other bop influenced young drummers Prez employed in his own combos. Papa Jo, Jo Jones the great drummer of the Basie band, is reunited with Freddie Green and Count Basie, with only Walter Page the original bassist in the 1930s All American Rhythm section being missing.

One of the great things here is hearing Jimmie Rushing--who was a bit more of a stranger to Basie in these years than Prez--swinging the band. The New Testament band reacts to his singing by swinging back at him like they would any other master soloist. You can also pick up on some of the other cuts where Jimmie isn't singing, where his hand clapping and shouting is adding to the fury of the bands swing. If you are lucky enough to be familiar with air checks of the 1930s and early 1940s live performances by Basie, you can hear Jimmie doing the same stuff then. By the way, despite his size, Rushing was renowned as a dancer. One imagines that if Jimmy just wiggled his nose to the music it would have swung a whole lot.

Even if you are so culturally deprived as not to be a Jimmie Rushing fan, you will be after you hear his sides on this CD. Despite a less than adequate microphone or recording level when he sings, you can hear him and the band thundering back and forth with each other swinging.

Illinois Jacquet and Roy Eldrige also shine on this record, on the killer rendition of One O'clock Jump. They were both at the height of their powers here and really burnt it up. Both of them are the real stars of the One O'clock Jump.

Don't forget the Count Basie Orchestra here. I have three other recordings of Bleep Blop Blues (the first with the nonette and two studio recordings). The live jumping version on this CD is the best one I have ever heard. As much as I love the other cuts on the CD, I find myself putting that on repeat and repeat and repeat. Joe Williams does show you why he is the righteous successor to Mr. Rushing, (although Joe Williams always saw himself as more of a disciple of Joe Turner than of Jimmie Rushing). I also love the interaction between the New Testament Band and some of the swing veterans as their riffs rise behind the veterans, especially on One O'clock Jump. Any idea that Basie's new band was not the leading swing organization of its time is quickly dispelled by what the band does here.

And John Hammond LOL: Oh well, at least his introductions aren't faked like he did on the Vanguard recordings of the Spirituals to Swing concerts. His introduction of the Basie New Testament band is interesting in giving you a picture of how many members of the New Testament band came out of the old swing bands even preswing organizations like Noble Sissle's outfit. His patronizing tone really takes you back to what Jazz musicians and African American artists in general had to put up from supposedly liberal (NAACP board member was Hammond) whites just to perform.

This is a one in a million special CD. This was the first CD I ever bought. It belongs in every home!

Send for it yesterday!.......2004-02-28

The word `Newport' conjures magical associations for jazz fans. Duke Ellington referred to his engagement at the Festival there in 1956 as his `second coming' when his career was re-ignited on the back of Paul Gonsalves' saxophone solo during `Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue'; one of the best films about jazz ever made -`Jazz On A Summer's Day' - was recorded at the Festival in 1958 and, of course, the place was the notional backdrop to the film `High Society.' (I don't know if those scenes between Sinatra and the luminous Grace Kelly in the `old town' were actually filmed on Rhode Island but their magic is redolent of something out of Hitchcock's `Vertigo').

Add to this list of treasures the recording of the Basie band's set at Newport, 7 July, 1957. Basie had long been a sort of Wizard of Oz figure, blowing up a whirlwind which lifted his band from the dustbowl of Kansas in the 1930s and deposited it, first, on the national and then, ultimately, the international stage. The edition of the Basie band which played Newport that summer's night was the famed `New Testament' band. This would have been an extraordinary night in any event but, consider, that for this concert that former alumni drummer Jo Jones, blues singer Jimmy Rushing and tenor player Lester Young were re-united there for this gig only and you have the sound of an irresistible force meeting an immoveable object!

Digitally transferred in 24-bit as all recordings are in this Verve Master series, the sound here is superb. True, there are some problems with Rushing being off-mike on one number but this only contributes to the `live-as-recorded' ambience. So frenetic is the general atmosphere, I'm only surprised no-one ended up going home in an ambience!

Listening to this recording forty-three years later, I'm only struck, once again, by the surprise that the world ever thought to move on from this. For sound and power, sheer vitality, the Basie crew could teach rock bands a thing or two. How did we ever go from this, within a few years, to `Basie's Beatle Bag'? As Ebenzer Scrooge was wont to remark, `I'll retire to Bedlam'!

It is entirely appropriate that the concert should be introduced by John Hammond, the man who discovered the Basie band almost by accident, his attention taken by a remote broadcast he heard of the band on his car radio. Truth to tell, though, he makes a bit of a hash of things. He forgets musicians names, fails to recognise the players in his long-winded introduction where any excitement is in danger of dissipating before the band ever blows a note and he gets the running order wrong, building up Rushing's introduction when, in fact, it is a ballad number by Lester!

The `Old' and `New' Testament members sit very well together, the contributions of the thirties players grouped together into a set within a set. Lester's blowing on `Polka Dots and Moonbeams' (one of the ballads he favoured so much in his late period) is, of course, sublime. (I still find it strange to hear Lester in stereo or to see a colour photograph of him - there are several superb photographs within the accompanying booklet - since he is so associated forever with Billie Holiday and the monochrome thirties) and a souped-up version of `Lester Leaps In' is a stand-out.

Tracks:

Rags And Old Iron
No Good Man
Gin House Blues
I'll Look Around
I Love To Love
Work Song
Where Can I Go Without You
Just Say I Love Him
Memphis In June
Forbidden Fruit
Trouble In Mind
Porgy
Little Liza Jane
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
Flo Me La
Nina's Blues
In The Evening By The Moonlight

Customer Reviews:

Incredible performances, flawed sound.......2003-05-22

I won't spend much time talking about how wonderful Nina's singing is -- you wouldn't be here if you weren't already a believer. Forbidden Fruit's "I'll Look Around" is an amazingly beautiful slow torcher. "Just Say I Love Him" is a wonderfully smoky number with a pleasingly spare arrangement that includes an understated Cubano rhumba beat. Nina rerecorded "Just Say I Love Him" in 1993 but the 1961 New York studio version is my favorite interpretation.

The big problem here is that this Collectibles Records (via Rhino) combo album is poorly mastered. You can't really hear it on the sample clips available above but every single song has an imbalance of too much low booming bass sound interfering with Nina's voice. All the low piano and standup bass lines are overwhelmingly strong. There is even some ultra-low rumble that wasn't removed in the mastering process. To top it off there is a prevalent 60Hz electric power hum found on the seven tracks recorded live at Newport. What were you guys at Collectibles thinking? Spend a little time getting it right next time! Nina Simone is soooo worth it... -Bink

So long,Little Girl Blue. Rest in peace now........2003-04-22

Monday,April 21,2003.One of the greatest singers and piano players of jazz is gone at 70.Nina Simone,born Eunice Waymon in 1933,North Carolina,passed away today at her home in the south of France.
She will remain as one of the most haunting voices in the jazz history,with Lady Day and Dinah Washington.She also will remain as an incredible piano player,among the greatest.She could have been one of the greatest classical piano players too, but she was a black girl,and during the fifties,a black girl (or a man) wasn't supposed to play classical music (remember Art Tatum,for example).
I listened to this record three times before starting to write this review.And believe me,it's very difficult to write about such an immense artist at the time of her death.
Nina recorded several albums for the Colpix label.And they are all masterpieces: "Nina at Town Hall","Nina at the Village Gate","Nina Simone with strings","the amazing Nina Simone","sings Duke Ellington","Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall".
I won't write about each tune;I'll just tell you which ones are to me,tonight,the most emotionnal ones: the very sad "I'll look around" (remember Billie Holiday's version);the hard-bop blues feeling of Cannonball Adderley's "Work song",and tears come at my eyes while listening to Nina's outstanding vocals;the great "Gin house blues";Oscar Brown's "forbidden fruit";the somptuous "trouble in mind",with Nina's imperial piano and vocals,five minutes and thirty-two seconds of terrific music;the Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh's "Porgy",one of the most beautiful songs ever written,in which Nina reachs a very emotionnal peak;the classic "Little Liza Jane".
After listening to these two records,if you're not convinced that Nina Simone was one of the most important jazz artists of all times,then you'd rather have to listen to another kind of music.To me,she was the last of the very great jazz singer.Just one of the most beautiful voices ever.
So long,Nina;maybe eternity will be smooth and soft to you,if your life wasn't.I'll miss you.

It was well worth the wait..........1999-03-24

This is the album that I have waited almost 30 years to own... It was well worth the wait!!!

In late 1969, I first heard the album "Nina's Choice"; a Colpix (Columbia Pictures) compilation of Ms. Simone's fine recordings for that label.

Since that day, I have searched high and low for a copy of "Nina's Choice", for the original albums from which the songs were drawn, or for other albums/tapes/cd's containing these classics.

A former girlfriend's father owned copies of most of Nina's early albums, but prying them from him was literally "Mission Impossible". They went happily with him to the grave...

With the release of "Anthology: The Colpix Years" in 1996, my dreams were partially satisfied... I bought the album at my very first opportunity.

At last, I owned copies of "I Don't Want Him (You Can Have Him)", "Little Liza Jane", "Work Song", "Forbidden Fruit"; and other unforgettable Nina Simone interpretations of songs like "That's Him Over There"....

BUT, I did not have "Memphis In June", or the one song that I just would NOT be without, the incomparable "Just Say I Love Him"....

With delivery of the CD, Forbidden Fruit/At Newport, this past Saturday, my search is over...

I'm still trying to wipe the silly smile off of my face!

My old love has been located, my passion rekindled... Praise the Lord for the great Al Shackman on guitar, and for Nina's poignant interpretation of the most memorable lyrics I've ever known....

Tracks:

Spoken Introduction To John Coltrane's Set - Father Norman O'Connor
One Down, One Up - John Coltrane
My Favorite Things - John Coltrane
Spoken Introduction To Archie Shepp - Billy Taylor
Gingerbread, Gingerbread Boy
Call Me By My Rightful Name
Scag
Rufus (Swung His Face At Last To The Wind, Then His Neck Snapped)
Le Matin Des Noire

Amazon.com

The jazz world was immersed in controversy in 1965 when the bands of John Coltrane and Archie Shepp appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival. Coltrane's own style was undergoing constant evolution, his lines more convoluted and explosive, his sound increasingly ranging to vocal cries and metallic abrasions. He had also become a figurehead of the "avant-garde" or "New Thing," an established star who provided a public forum for younger musicians and the creative ferment largely taking place out of public hearing. Here the Coltrane quartet turns in one of the finest live recordings of their signature "My Favorite Things," always a study in sustained tension with Coltrane's soprano keening over Elvin Jones's rhythmic undercurrents. "One Up, One Down," an intensely propulsive tenor performance, is emblematic of Coltrane's emphasis on shorter phrases and a concentrated expressionism. Shepp's set catches him at a creative peak, a gifted tenor saxophonist whose solos could invoke the breathy lyricism of Ben Webster or meld free-jazz exploration with some pointed rhythm & blues. He's joined by a brilliant band, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and bassist Barre Phillips complementing Shepp's passion with airy virtuosity and drummer Joe Chambers providing an elastic beat for the leader's creative rhythmic detail. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

4 1/2 stars........2007-04-07

this is not john coltrane and archie shepp playing together. this is a 1965 performance at the newport jazz festival of each players seperate quartets. it starts with 2 coltrane tracks, which cover roughly 28 minutes of time, and finishes with 5 by archie shepp's quartet, his set running roughly 33 minutes. coltrane's performance is, as usual, spectacular, and all traneheads should acquire this cd. shepp's stuff is wonderful, too. i have only 2 archie shepp cds in my collection, and after hearing this performance, i came to the conclusion that this is not acceptable. i need to dig deeper into the man's discography. mr shepp and his quartet are inventive and play with intensity and fire. not easy listening jazz. and this will not be for everybody. but it certainly is for me. coltrane fans should definitely love this entire disc.

Best MFT.......2005-07-30

Contrary to what the previous reviewer said, I think this is the best legal version of My Favorite Things. It is similar to the Newport 63 version, but has a new surge of power thanks to Trane's development of new musical ideas. The one snag is that, for som reason, McCoy Tyner chooses to slow the tempo down during his solo; and Trane seems infected by this several times during his solo.

One Down and One Up is a typical Trane theme for 1965; i.e. a tune made up of about four notes, repeated ad nauseum with an ever-rising sense of hysteria. This is a fine performance, but I must admit I find Trane's minimalism from 1965 rather annoying (see Sun Ship for a particularly tooth-grating set of tunes...)

wondefully, wonderfully, splendid performance.......2001-03-24

At first I was reluctant to buy this album solely becauase I wasn't sure how I would like the vibes. Now they have become one of my favorite aspects of the album. It opens with Coltrane playing "One down, One Up," and "My favorite Things." In Coltrane's set, you can faintly hear somebody chanting something, or trying to sing along, or something. This album was my introduction to Archie Schepp and I think I should like to buy something else by him, because his playing is truly haunting. You can definitely here Coltrane's influence on his playing in his screeches and what not, but he has a very deep and original style. We also get to hear him speak his mind about heroin in "Skag." The vibes are a very nice touch, and after hearing this album I don't understand why they weren't more widely used.

Interesting Juxtapostion though not either's best work.......2000-12-28

Shepp and Trane don't share the stage here. Each perform with their working groups at the time. Strangely, Shepp fares better than Coltrane. One Up has never been one of my favorite Coltrane tracks and this might be the weakest of all the officially released My Favorite Things, That said even a weaker Trane set from this time period is worth having.

Shepp on the other hand, makes great use of the rare opportunity to play at such a big festival. He and his group play a set that showcases Shepp's compostional skills and their group empathy. Shepp was never a completely "free" player. His dramatic background would lead him to utitlize his compostions as storytelling. He was branded radical for his "protest themes" speaking about the plight of African-Americans.

Powerful dual set of live music........2000-08-08

Recorded in the summer of 1965, this album throws the listener into a maelstrom of two jazz titans unafraid to test not only their musical boundries, but the listener's as well. The title, "New Thing at Newport" refers to the avante garde style of jazz Coltrane and Shepp unleash throughout the set. The first two tracks are Coltrane's "classic" quartet of McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison on bass. The first track , "One Down, One Up" is a beautiful example of what made this group so incredible. Tyner's soulful melodic chording and lithe solo lines, Jones' detonating sonic assault of his trap set, Coltrane's roaring, honking, and upper scale screetching, all wound around Garrison's pulsing bass work. "My Favorite Things", offers a more delicate form of power. Where the opening track is a rampaging loping dynamo, this version of one of 'Tranes most famous pieces is a soaring majestic exploration. Coltrane's music from 1961 on, especially after '65, tends to either grip or repulse the listener with the same intensity. This material is difficult, not as dense as Sun Ship, Ascension, Om, or Meditations, and may not be for the uninitiated. The second section features, Archie Shepp, who managed to do something few tenors of the avante garde era did, develope his own sound outside of Coltrane's influence. Shepp's tenor possesses a warm distinctive rasp that he collects into searing airy clusters. This parched tone is masterfully demostrated during an extended vamp on the track "Call Me By My Rightful Name". His set, while less dense than 'Trane's, is challenging. The group Shepp fronts consists of the distinctive vibeist, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Chambers on drums, and Barre Phillips on bass. Phillips bows a haunting intro for the mournful spoken word lament for herion junkies on "Scag". Hutcherson's percussive, jagged approach adds a surreal atmoshpere to the material. The entire group really drives into "Rufus..." listen to Hutch absolutely go crazy behind Shepp's blistering vamp before tearing into his own solo. All listeners not familiar with these artists, or the jazz avante garde may wish to tread with caution. This music is intense and uncompromising. People with an open ear for new music are encouraged to check this disc out. After this cd finished I felt myself echoing the audience at the end of "My Favorite Things" pleading with the artists to return to the stage for more!

Average customer rating:

One of a Kind
Not as Good As Others
"We'd like to open up this set, ladies and gentlemen...
His best? Quite possibly...
great music

At Newport
Dizzy Gillespie
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Sidewinder
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ASIN: B0000046LR
Release Date: 1992-08-18

Tracks:

Dizzy's Blues
School Days
Doodlin'
Manteca
I Remember Clifford
Cool Breeze
Selections From 'Zodiac Suite' (Virgo/Libra/Aries)
Carioca
A Night In Tunisia

Amazon.com essential recording

Besides Dizzy Gillespie, no founding father of modern jazz had the tenacity to keep a big band together for an extended period of time. Gillespie managed to do it in the late 1940s and then again in the mid-'50s, creating electrifying music in the process. The band of the 1950s toured the world extensively under U.S. State Department auspices, honing tight sectional play and developing explosive power on a book of new arrangements. Those strengths show in this 1957 Newport appearance, both on the extended treatments of Gillespie's earlier masterpieces, such as "A Night in Tunisia" and "Manteca," and on new material, including Ernie Wilkins's arrangement of Horace Silver's "Doodlin'" and Benny Golson's lustrous "I Remember Clifford." Whether doing comic vocals or letting his trumpet soar over the charging band, Gillespie is in magnificent form here, supported by Golson and Billy Mitchell on tenors, altoist Ernie Henry, and pianist Wynton Kelly. The concert also includes selections from Mary Lou Williams's "Zodiac Suite," with the composer joining the band on piano. --Stuart Broomer

Album Details

Japanese Version Remastered and Reissued featuring Three Bonus Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

One of a Kind.......2004-08-06

Why I waited so long to purchase this classic is as much of a mystery to me as Verve's slowness to publish and promote a newly remastered edition. Rate this one along with Ellington at Newport '56 and Basie at Newport '57 as one of the truly memorable recorded occasions of that 50-year-old festival. It also may be the most satisfying, representative album by the ebullient, many-faceted Mr. Gillespie.

There are numerous listeners who didn't come to Dizzy until the late 1960's and later when, like Louis, he was depending increasingly on showmanship and humor (often admittedly less hip than sappy) along with congas, vocals, and shortened, underpowered (but never uninventive) trumpet solos. To those Gillespie-ites who insist Diz was more virtuosic, daring and even musical than Bird, let this Newport set provide further evidence for their case; to those Diz devotees who feel that Miles may have gotten unwarranted marquee treatment at the expense of the greater star, I'm afraid the comparative neglect of this album can only sharpen their point.

Sure, the band is a trifle ragged in spots, but the fast tempos, erratic programming, improbable mix of the personal, the historical, the exotic, the eccentric, the dramatic, and the sheer excitement of pyrotechnics used not for display but to create aesthetic tension all make for one of the most engaging big band performances on record. And through it all Diz does what he does best--"play" with the music. Music even as supercharged as this should be fun, and Diz like Mozart the master player, is the genius who never allows his art to be anything more nor less than a captivating game.

His trumpet work on "Dizzy's Blues" and "Cool Breeze" is spectacular yet effortless at the same time. "School Days" and "Doodlin'" are colorful party balloons for his audience. His performance of "I Remember Clifford" as well as his thoughtful presentation of Mary Lou Williams betray the man's respect for tradition and his compulsion to balance the manic with the mannered. And his generous solo space to protege Lee Morgan on "Night in Tunisia" speaks volumes about his bigness as a human being as well as a musician.

Last but not least, Al Grey leaves not a shred of doubt about who was the most spirited big band trombone soloist in the history of jazz.

Not as Good As Others.......2003-10-19

As a devoted fan of Dizzy, must respectfully disagree with the opinions described below. The overly-fast tempos of the up tunes destroy any possibility of the band swinging, and the Mary Lou Williams set is deadly dull. "Manteca" comes off best, and "School Days" is very good rock 'n' roll, with Charlie Persip providing a nice backbeat. I have this on vinyl and in mono and it sounds much better that way. The stereo mix on the CD is raw and unbalanced.

For my money, the best live set by this aggregation is "Dizzy in South America, Vol. 1." "Vol. 2" is mostly dross, but "Vol. 1" is superb----Dizzy has never sounded better.

"We'd like to open up this set, ladies and gentlemen..........2003-08-29

One of the top 10 jazz CDs, in my opinion, this catches Dizzy's "State Dept." big band of the mid 50s LIVE, with arrangements by Benny Golson and with Al Grey, Wynton Kelly, a young Lee Morgan, and - as Dizzy tells you at length...the star of the band...PEE WEE MOORE. OK, well, the set opens up smokin' with "Dizzy's Blues", and if Diz ever played better I have yet to hear it. The band then launches into "School Days", which serves as a double 'take-off'. First, Diz shows the Newport audience that he, as well as the Duke, can whip an audience into a frenzy; and secondarily spoofing the 'one note ride' that had become prevalent in jazz as well as R&B to the point of absurdity. However; as absurd as Diz tries to make it, it still works wonders with a great band blowing changes behind it. "Doodles" is the Pee Wee Moore send-up...Golson's "I Remember Clifford" is truly memorable and "Cool Breeze" catches the band roaring again. Mary Lou Williams comes out and is featured, as mentioned by the previous reviewer. The highlight of the set, for me, is the live, wide-open version of "Manteca" - the best version on record even without congas. Diz sort of ends with "A Night In Tunisia", then clowns the REAL end of the show. This set is memorable for all the things that jazz should be - great playing, great showmanship, and tremendous fun. It is a must have CD.

His best? Quite possibly..........2000-07-15

A year after Duke Ellington brought the house down at the Newport Jazz Festival, Dizzy came back and did it, too. The big band captured on this disc, the one Dizzy traveled around the world with for the State Department, may arguably have been his best, featuring Al Grey, Ernie Henry, Benny Golson, Pee Wee Moore, Wynton Kelly, and a young Lee Morgan on trumpet. The energy and volume of the orchestra on tunes such as Dizzy's Blues, Manteca, and Cool Breeze is truly incredible. Benny Golson's recently composed 'I Remember Clifford' is given an appropriately somber and moving arrangement. Mary Lou Williams comes out of semi-retirement to play piano on 'Carioca' and three selections from her own 'Zodiac Suite'. The biggest treat on this album, though, is a funky, often hilarious run-through of Horace Silver's 'Doodlin', where baritone legend Pee Wee Moore shows everybody the true meaning of minimalism. And the playing of John Birks himself has never been better, roaring above the rest of the band at will with machine-gun speed and harmonic precision. Trumpeter Lee Morgan has a breakthrough performance when Dizzy gives him the solo for Night in Tunisia, and Morgan responds admirably. This CD reissue is always exciting, often funny, and absolutely essential.

great music.......1999-11-21

this is a must have disc.all of the genius elements that made dizzy the genius that he is can be found on this disc.his style his humor are all on display in ther fullest zenith.