With the thank yous together with huzzahs from their 1976 one-off reunion silent resounding, the reconstituted Miles Davis Quintet minus Miles went on the route inwards 1977, spreading their 1965-vintage gospel according to the Prince of Darkness to audiences inwards Berkeley together with San Diego, CA. In doing so, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, together with Tony Williams, addition interloper Freddie Hubbard look to pick upward where they left off, amongst a repertoire generally novel to the 5 collectively together with developed from there. It isn't precisely the same — yous fille Miles' brooding presence together with sense of infinite inwards Hubbard's busy, fiery playing, together with Hancock is a to a greater extent than harmonically daring, assertive histrion than he was amongst Miles — but the interlocking telepathy together with private virtuosity of the musicians is pretty amazing. This also isn't the best tape from the tour; they were fifty-fifty tighter together with to a greater extent than volatile inwards Nihon 5 days afterward on Sony's Tempest inwards the Colosseum. The V.S.O.P. tours amount to a pit halt inwards the full general shape of Hancock's evolution, but their influence upon the direction of jazz every bit a whole inwards the '80s together with '90s would hold upward staggering
This has been a desert isle disc for me for every bit long every bit I tin flame remember. Can yous telephone yell upward this jazz? Can yous fifty-fifty telephone yell upward it music? It's something that feels similar a whole lot more. This music teems amongst life, people, thought, emotion, creativity, joy, together with insane liberate energy similar no jazz I've ever heard earlier or since. And Ron Carter apartment out rocks the bottom out of it on acoustic bass. Give these guys a nobel.
The 2 selections that ever kill me are "Jessica" together with the difficult rocking "Lawra". Jessica features a beautiful arrangement: the bass plays the lovely together with poignant tune solo, accompanied yesteryear rich, dissonant, unmarried authorities annotation arpeggios from Hancock which lay out the complex terrain the soloists volition together with so negotiate. Later, the bass is doubled yesteryear the trumpet which refines the texture fifty-fifty more.
The same grouping did a poignant together with deeply beautiful version of Maiden Voyage on around other alive album called "VSOP" but that recording exists alone on vinyl. Still the alive version of Maiden Voyage is available on around compilation CD. Get it together with alive well!
This jazz is non a gear upward of solos amongst other instrumentalists passively watching. Hancock, the Socrates of this group, pushes the band into a Blue Planet of musical aporia: he doesn't accompany solos, he questions them, challenging each instrumentalist amongst his absurdly inventive figures; together with he's coming amongst both jazz together with modern western musical arguments. And when it's his solo he dives deeply into the darkest purpose of the woods together with then, when yous intend he's lost, he's emerged out into the brilliant light.
Tony Williams seems to hold upward playing inwards a Blue Planet of ecstasy: he pounds novel worlds into existence together with the horns ask hold to trip the low-cal fantastic inwards his garden or die. Ron Carter rocks out on acoustic bass - he keeps the pulse together with he untethers Williams together with Hancock to play amongst the beat together with meter.
Hubbard plays superb together with complex music on his solos; Wayne Shorter together with so steps beyond music together with shows us that a horn tin flame hold upward every bit expressive every bit natural language.
Some of the best alive jazz I've ever heard. For one, let's larn a expect at our band, shall we? Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax; Herbie Hancock on piano; Ron Carter on bass; Tony Williams on drums. Not alone is that Miles Davis' quondam '60s band (minus the leader, who was inwards retirement at the fourth dimension - Hubbard takes his place), that's also the same basic grouping - other than Shorter - that brought us Empyrean Isles together with Maiden Voyage. Is that prestigious, or what? This is nowhere nigh fusion fifty-fifty though Shorter, Hancock together with Williams are legends of the subgenre. And that mightiness surprise the Headhunters crowd, but nosotros must call back that earlier Hancock moved fusion forwards he was a post-bop pioneer. And that's pretty much what the group's doing here. Not innovating post service bop exactly, but playing it really well, amongst Hubbard channeling Miles circa 1965 on "Darts". It also contains what may Tony William's best composition: the mutlipart "Laura", amongst a lengthy drum solo inserted inwards the middle; together with the eerie "Little Waltz", a moving duet dialog Shorter together with Hubbard, amongst Hancock himself playing sweeping arpeggios together with eventually a spooky, minor-key solo - followed yesteryear an awesome Carter solo spot that oft gets so complex it sounds similar in that location are 2 dissimilar basses playing. Meanwhile, in that location are a few slightly to a greater extent than offbeat compositions, similar Ron Carter's strange "Third Plane", where he plays around first-class bass; together with "One of a Kind", which has a pretty unique melody. Another practiced argue to heed to this album is because of the agency the grouping handles soloing. Whenever a fellow member is soloing, the other members play really complex backing to the solos. The concluding track, "Byrdlike", is nigh the furthest into difficult bop Herbie ever explored, fifty-fifty sounding similar Art Blakey, together with it's worthwhile - peculiarly for Tony Williams' drumming. The 1 loser rails is "Dolores", which wanders far from the original indicate together with totally loses me. In spite of that petty quibble, everyone who has whatever involvement inwards Herbie Hancock should add together this to their shelf every bit shortly every bit possible together with play it every bit oft every bit they tin flame - it easily ranks amongst Empyrean Isles, Head Hunters, Maiden Voyage together with The Prisoner every bit 1 of Herbie's really best
The musicians inwards the VSOP quintet, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter together with Tony Williams all played on numerous records amongst each other inwards the 60's, sometimes all together, sometimes 1 or 2 or 3 amongst other musicians. In whatever form, their albums were ever exceptional. In the belatedly 70's, after nearly a decade of experimentation amongst jazz fusion (Shorter's Weather Report, Hancock's Headhunters, William's Lifetime Band, etc.) the 5 reunited for several albums together with tours. The music they made was zip brusk of incredible.
If the grouping had remained every bit a solid, tight "band" for a long menstruation of time, similar Miles Davis' quintets of the belatedly 50's together with middle 60's, or Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, VSOP would ask hold undoubtedly hold upward recognized every bit 1 of the most influential together with finest working bands inwards jazz history. On this album, the grouping combines freebop amongst a fleck of what they had picked upward inwards fusion...more erratic drums, a heavier sound, etc. It all comes together beautifully to do an album that actually builds off the aesthetic of 1960's Miles Davis. Everyone is top notch here, amongst no 1 stealing the show, together with no 1 lagging behind. Each band fellow member contributes at to the lowest degree 1 tune. My personal favorite is One of a Kind yesteryear Freddie Hubbard (which features a luminous soprano solo yesteryear Shorter) Third Plane yesteryear Ron Carter (excellent solos all around) Dolores yesteryear Shorter (Hubbard's finest minute here, IMO, together with the churning grouping improvisation of Darts.
What's actually fantastic nigh this band, together with this album, is the LISTENING. They are all picking upward on what each other is doing, together with hence are constantly building, slowing down, picking things dorsum up, burning, cooling off, all every bit one. Hearing Hubbard together with Hancock interact, Shorter together with Williams duel, together with Ron Carter at similar the unbreakable tree inwards the tempest is just inspiring. This actually is freebop (or even so yous term it) at it's best, together with for anyone good versed inwards the jazz language, together with who has heard the music of these players, this is quite merely a stunning, together with immensely enjoyable listening experience. I honour myself invigorated when I heed to this album, together with I intend yous volition too. My alone sadness is the days of this band are gone, together with volition never return, every bit Hubbard tin flame no longer play, Ron Carter is inwards semi-retirement, Williams has passed on, together with Shorter together with Hancock are involved inwards other activities. Thus, it's imperative people heed to albums similar these, so nosotros tin flame ever treasure the moments of glory created when these 5 exquisite musicians were inwards the same band, working together to do 1 of the highest forms of aural art: jazz.
Tracks Listing
1. One of a Kind (9:27)
2. Third Plane (7:19)
3. Jessica (7:02)
4. Lawra (9:43)
5. Darts (8:54)
6. Dolores (11:31)
7. Little Waltz (9:33)
8. Byrdlike (8:05)
Total Time 70:13
Line-up / Musicians
- Herbie Hancock / keyboards
- Freddie Hubbard / trumpet
- Tony Williams / drums
- Ron Carter / bass
- Wayne Shorter / tenor together with soprano saxophones
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