Search - Great Jazz Trio :: Love for Sale

A Laid Back Affair, Except For Tony`s Solos...

4-Legged Defender | ATL. GA. | 04/07/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My main discontent with this effort is that there are no uptempo tunes anywhere, which makes for languid relistening. Hank`s playing, as always, is breathtaking and impeccable, Buster Williams is fluid and full of depth and beauty, though I`ll always prefer Ron Carter in this trio, especially when Tony Williams is on the date, as their level of communication was psychic if not supernatural. There`s no interplay between Tony and Buster, they only share last names, but this may be partially Tony`s fault, as Dave Holland always made a point of saying Tony never gave him the time of day when he replaced Ron in Miles`group (something I`ll never forgive him for, as he has no right bad-mouthing the most remarkable drummer in jazz history). All of the tunes are standards, all well-executed, but too laid back for my own personal tastes. The only time there`s a hint of dynamic depth is when Tony digs in, and sometimes it`s a bit unusual, as he`s not really playing traditional jazz fills, this due to the fact that he was doing dates with his own group, Lifetime, a rock/jazz hybrid, simultaneously while recording w/ the Great Jazz Trio on various dates, both live and in the studio. But he still swings like no other, and his hand and foot combinations are all his own. I still recommend all the LP`s/ CD`s available by the Trio w/ Hank, Ron and Tony, and this one as well. I could never wrap my head around the remainder of the various other rhythm sections that followed due to my own prejudice and loyalty to Tony and Ron. So be it."