Search - Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell :: Jazz at Massey Hall (20 Bit Mastering)

The concert to end all concerts.

Ronald H. Greer | Tallahassee, FL United States | 07/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At Massey Hall, on that night in 1953, five great masters of the idiom shared the stage. And despite the pitiful turnout (the Beboppers had the misfortune of having to play on the same night as a prize-fight), the music was great. Bird was in top form, playing as brightly as he had in years - and on a plastic sax, no less. Dizzy was blowing to the rafters. Then, beneath these two invincible melodies were Bud, Max, and Mingus, who were weaving a splendid mesh for the frontmen to stand on. I'd give an arm and an eye to sit in that hall on that night (hell, there were plenty of vacant seats in the house anyway.)Unfortunately for me or anyone else who'd sacrifice body parts to hear that wonder of musical creation first hand, there is no known method by which to travel back in time. It is also unlikely that donating body parts would improve the chances of the discovery of such a method in the near future. So what do we do? Well, at present, there is only one thing to do: listen to this CD. Though Charlie Mingus's bootleg tapes were pretty low on the quality scale from the outset, this remastered edition makes quite a few improvements on the last CD edition. One of the most infuriating things has been corrected; namely, the the piano solos - they are clear now! Other than that, the sound is just better all-around. Brings us a bit closer to 1953 - while we get to keep all of our limbs and organs! Just pay the money and wallow in the preserved genius of those five on that night. Bird Lives!"

The best in the business

Mike | New Jersey | 12/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bird, Dizz, Max, Bud and Mingus are simply the best in the business and this remastered version of the concert at Massey Hall is proof! Mingus rips it up on the bass while the other four play flawlessly. This is a must have for any jazz collector and the new version allows the listener to hear every note being played on this memorable evening."