13 Feb
Live Under The Sky by Herbie Hancock / V.S.O.P.
- Written by Mark Keresman
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In 1979, a bunch of big-name jazz hepcats got together to revisit/pay tribute to the style of music that put 'em on the map in the first place: Hancock, Williams, Carter, Shorter, and Hubbard, all save the latter alumni of THE Miles Davis Quintet of the 60s, possibly the most respected & influential jazz BANDS of all time, jazz's Beatles, Stones & Dylan all rolled into one. Further, all save Carter came "under attack" by jazz's old guard for their forays into fusion (of, alas, varying quality): Hancock's Headhunters, Hubbard's CTI recordings, Shorter in Weather Report, etc. The group V.S.O.P. was perhaps their way of saying to the world, "Bleep you, we still got it," as, in these live-in-Japan concert recordings, they audibly SURGE with fiery creativity, immediacy and an OOMPH that's practically "rock & roll" as energy levels go, as the Fab Five go to down on modal hard-bop-with-free-jazz-touches originals and select standards. This set was out in '79 as a two-record set -- thanks to the modern marvel known as the Compact Disc, this 2-CD set contains the original album on CD one, and CD two contains a previously unreleased concert performance from the following night. Everybody shines, but Hubbard in particular is amazing, playing with a rare intensity that's practically feverish, surpassing heights on many of his own albums. VSOP - Live Under The Sky is surely one of the best reissues of 2004.
Additional Info
- Artist / Group Name: Herbie Hancock / V.S.O.P.
- CD Title: Live Under The Sky
- Genre: Contemporary Jazz / Modern
- Year Released: 2005
- Reissue Original Release: 1979
- Record Label: Columbia / Legacy
- Musicians: H. Hancock: piano / F. Hubbard: trumpet / W. Shorter: saxophone / R. Carter: bass / T. Williams: drums.
- Label Website: http://www.legacyrecordings.com
- Rating: Five Stars
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
