Search - Billy Strayhorn :: Billy Strayhorn Songbook

Excellent tribute to Billy, all artists on CD are brilliant

08/05/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a great find for any fans of Strayhorn. I've had to order four more copies of this CD after playing it for my friends. The Brown version of A TRAIN grabs everyone who hears it. This is a must addition to any serious jazz fan."

Not of a whole.

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 10/24/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"You can't blame Concord for following the recycling and repackaging practices of most other record companies (especially Verve). But the final results are rarely satisfying--disconnected snapshots rather than a cohesive scrapbook. In fact, the variety in the composer's own music is obfuscated rather than brought into focus since the attention is necessarily on the different performers rather than the songs themselves.As for the performances, not one stands out as particularly warm, subtle, or definitive. Gene Harris' "slow" treatment of "A Train" really doesn't do the tune any favors, none of the featured saxophonists begins to capture the sweetness of Johnny Hodges' sound, the Tito Puente performance makes "Passion Flower" recognizable but that's about all. That plus the omission of "Upper Manhattan Medical Group" and I'm beginning to question if the bargain price was such a bargain."