Search - Wynton Kelly :: Complete Live at the Half Note

Strange and Wonderful

Fly By Light | Atlanta, Georgia | 03/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"CD #1 is mislabelled - it really is a Wes Montgomery tour-de-force on jazz guitar, one that jazz guitarists still study and revere today. The recording quality and mix are satisfactory throughout. There are a couple of unfortnate edits, including at least one cut in the middle of a cymbal crash, and some abrupt fade-outs in the middle of songs. Finally, some fans have apparently unearthed the ugly truth that much of this CD was actually recorded in the studio.



CD #2 is something entirely different. This CD DOES actually feature Wynton Kelly. Other than occasional over-done tremolos, his playing is always fluid and tasteful. His chord choices lack the edgy dissonance of the Thelonious Monk school, but a careful listen will reveal tasty voicings slipped in under the radar. Sadly, the quality of these recordings does not compare well to CD #1 - the drums are often too loud and the piano gets buried in the mix. After listening to a great mix with Wes Montgomery, it is a little tough to switch to a bad mix without him, even as good as Kelly was.



The verdict - CD#1 is a "must have". Buy it by itself as Wes Montgomery's Smokin' at the Half Note, and find a better quality recording of the Wynton Kelly trio than CD#2. If you do find one, kindly let me know so I can buy it too."