Search - Various Artists :: JVC Jazz Festival Live! A Night Of Chesky Jazz : Town Hall, New York

Great Live Tracks...wish there was more

Keegan R. Lerch | Bethlehem, PA | 06/09/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great live compilation produced by Chesky Jazz, from the June 24, 1992 date at Town Hall in New York City for the JVC Jazz Festival. Featured on the first two tracks, composed by Tom Harrell, are Phil Woods on alto sax and Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn. Phil Woods is in fine form, but is almost blown away by the playing and solos of Harrell, who doesn't waste a single note! Jim McNeely (piano) and Bill Goodwin (drums)join them on these tracks.

The next group to perform is composed of Fred Hersch (piano), Erik Friedlander (cello) and Tom Rainey (drums). They play a beautiful rendition of the Brazilian tune "Frevo," on which Hersch plays a passionate piano solo. Rich Perry (tenor sax) and Scott Colley (bass) are added to the next two songs, which were penned by Fred Hersch. Both feature interplay between the artists in a somewhat open feeling 'jam.'

Vocalist/Guitarist Ana Caram is featured next, with her sensuous vocals and great Bossa guitar playing. She is joined in a duet with bassist David Finck on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Caminhos Cruzados" and by guitarist Romero Lumbabo on "O Que Vier Traco."

The famed Paquito D'Rivera plays clarinet on another Brazilian tune, "Seresto." It is a beautiful rendition with D'Rivera playing lyrically with his characteristic sound. D'Rivera is joined by Phil Woods on the last track, both on Clarinet, playing Dizzy Gillespie's "Birk's Works" and "Estamos Ai'." They both interweave solo clarinet passages in virtuosic style and create a pleasing finale to this album.

Also featured on this album (the liner notes and album listing does not list which songs they specifically play on) are: Raphael Cruz (percussion), Daniel Freiberg (keyboards), Joe Lovano (tenor sax), Jamey Haddad (percussion), Jorge Rossy (drums), and Peter Washington (bass).



Overall, this is a good representation of the 1992 JVC Jazz Festival in NYC, but I feel that this could have been made into a Double-disc album, to give a better feel of all that went on that night. Also, the recording levels seem to be a bit low.

Check this out for a sampling of some great live jazz from the early 90's by some of the current stars of jazz."