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This CD is a must have for any one who loves Jazz and espicially for Jazz Guitarists.
The dvd could have been even better, perhaps great, but it's recorded in Dolby 2.0. I enjoyed listening to the cd, quite eclectic. Nice to hear such an unusual compilation. What the f*** was the producer thinking when they could have used PCM. Wasted opportunity to create a great sounding dvd.
McCoy Tyner's resume is very extensive, but he hasn't done much with guitarists. Though Trucks is in his 20's, he's a rock/blues guitarist, so he isn't a jazz young gun. There's a lot of focus on the guitarists, but Tyner's piano is strong, and Carter and DeJohnette are naturally excellent. "Contemplation" is fine, then "Boubacar" and "Baba Drame" are hypnotic. Marc Ribot starts things off with a fast and fun "Passion Dance", then a bluesier "500 Miles". Béla Fleck's three songs aren't bad, and he's certainly brave to take on "My Favorite Things".
The rest are most daring than I'd expect McCoy to play with - Béla Fleck is a banjo player, not even a guitarist. Derek Trucks has a blues and "Greensleeves". Ribot and Tyner also have two improvised duets which aren't quite as good as the quartet songs. The five guitarists are Marc Ribot, John Scofield, Béla Fleck, Derek Trucks, and Bill Frisell. "Blues On The Corner" has a more structured melody, and Scofield again is in fine form.
The only 'safe' choice on that list is John Scofield. This one is a winner. Bill Frisell plays on "Contemplation", a McCoy Tyner song, then "Boubacar" and "Baba Drame" which were on Frisell's "The Intercontinentals". Some of those discs are messes, but some win you over. Banjo is inherently a less expressive instrument than the guitar. You also can't call it a meeting of the old guard with the young guns, since Ribot, Scofield, Fleck, and Frisell are all in their 50's. The CD also has a bonus DVD, with one song by each of the guests. P.
You never know what you're going to get when a jazz artist brings in a series of high-profile guest artists. Since Coltrane's version of "Greensleeves" isn't as classic as "My Favorite Things", it's not too risky a choice. Trucks is pretty good - he plays expressively and a tad simpler than the full-time jazz guys. There was no piano on "The Intercontinentals", but Tyner's chiming piano meshes with Frisell's Telecaster very well. C." sounds exactly like John Scofield from the first notes. The DVD is neat because you can show each player individually, or all players at the same time. Along with an ace rhythm section of Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette, McCoy teams up with five guitarists. Somehow I find it easier to catch the subtleties of jazz drumming when I can see the drummer.
"Mr. Similar to "Passion Dance", it's a very good up-tempo jam. This CD comes together very well, and it's one of the better jazz CD's of 2008. This CD should appeal to just about anyone, and is recommended.
I have been a fan of McCoy Tyner for several years and was interested in seeing and hearing his interaction with the guitar and banjo. This was an enjoyable experience.
I would even go so far as to say that the Bela Fleck tracks are the best on the CD. However, on further listens I have really grown to love the versions of Passion Dance and 500 Miles. This CD is a totally unique addition to McCoy's catalog and succeeds on many levels. Prior to listening to this album I was not familiar with Marc Ribot.
The only knock against the DVD is at times it is hard to hear some of conversations they are having.Song Highlights:Mr PC - John Scofield is absolutely amazing on this classic John Coltrane tune. While I'm not really a fan of Bela Fleck or Dereck Trucks, including them on this album was genious. John plays a ripping version of the melody (usually played by a sax). In addition to being a great CD to listen to, a DVD is included with album that shows the group recording in the studio. At first listen his shredding electric style of playing seemed a little bit too much. Not only do they play great, but their unique style of playing adds great diversity to the album and provides some fascinating variations to some classic tunes.
Instead they picked guitarists who have diverse styles each with their own strongly defined personality. While some Tyner fans might be disappointed that McCoy deviated from his typical albums, I welcome the change. The title of the song is perfect for this deeply moving and reflective song. This trio is joined by 5 different special guest guitarists, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Bela Fleck, Derek Trucks and Marc Ribot. It is wonderful to be able to hear the artists discuss and debate changes to the arrangements, and then to be able to see them record the music.
John Scofield and Bill Frisell fans will love the hearing these jazz guitar legends play for the first time with McCoy Tyner. It was hard to pick the highlight of these tracks, but tradewinds was a new song to me and I love melody. McCoy Tyner style plays with amazing dexterity and power. Overview:Pianist McCoy Tyner teams up with jazz legends Ron Carter (bass) and Jack Dejohnette (drums) to form a powerful foundation in his new CD guitars. McCoy has a nice piano solo as well, and when Scofield comes in towards the end of Tyner's solo with some 2 new chords on his guitar it is just magic. Ron Carter also has a nice bass solo on this one.Contemplation - This has always been one of my favorite Tyner tunes. Frisell's style of play: the ability to play the same chord 10,000 different ways and his mastery of spacing fit perfectly into this tune.Tradewinds - All of the tracks with Bela Fleck on this CD are unbelievable.
This is coming from someone who is not a Bela Fleck fan. If you are a big fan of Tyner, Scofield and Frisell, like me you simply must go out and pick up this CD. The key to the success of this album is that they didn't go and pick the 5 best jazz guitarists. Don't worry about some of the negative reviews on this site. Passion Dance really is a burner of a tune and Ribot's electric assault really works. It is simply amazing at his age that he is still able to generate a tremendous wall of sound with his powerful left handed chords. Bela's banjo playing and McCoy's piano playing are surprisingly just the perfect fit for each.
You will not be disappointed.
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