Search - Jimmy Witherspoon :: Spoon Concerts

Jimmy's Fusion

Brandon Sirbu | Cincinnati, OH USA | 01/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I went on a 6 month trip with only a few tapes to listen to and this was one of them. And man did I listen! I probably played this album 100 times, and never got sick of it. This album is one of, if not the best fusions of blues and jazz that I've heard. If you're at all interested, then buy this one. It moves from slow to fast seamlessly and old Jimmy's even got a song dedicated to his mother in the audience. Its a good 'un."

A jazz fiesta in blue

Nikica Gilic | Zagreb, Croatia | 06/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Actually, I own the Italian edition of the CD, which starts with Monterey set (last 5 numbers of this CD) instead of the Reinessance club (LA) set (everything else).



The great, flexible and very suggestive vocal of Jimmy Witherspoon (Spoon) is in the all-stars jazz company in both sets; the mighty tenor of Ben Webster and sensitive but explosive drumming of Mel Lewis connect the sessions (both concerts were held in 1959). On the Reneissance club set The Spoon is joined by a great youngster Gerry Mulligan, who has once again proved how capable he was of working with older musicians, Jimmy Rowles on piano and Leroy Vinegar on bass and it's quite obvious that both the singer and the players now how to merge jazz and blues.



However, it is the Monterey set I really dig; with Coleman Hawkins (ts), Roy Eldridge /tp) Woody Herman (cl) and Earl "Fatha" Hines (p) (in addition to the already mentioned) cook up a storm, with some really hot solos, great accompanyiment and some explosive riffs and climaxes...



The choice of material is brilliant (mostly standards); if you're new to blues or jazz, you should check out this album...."

Soul food

carlucho | Portugal | 12/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have a rare out of print vinyl, from the label"International Joker Production/ The King Jazz Story", from 1972, but my portuguese pressing is from 1979. The themes in it are those recorded at The Renaisance Club, L.A. Calif. Dec.2 & 9 1959, i.e, from "Times Getting Tougher Than Tough" to "St. Louis Blues".

This CD version has the recordings of other session, fact that doubles the pleasure of this jams like they usually happened in those times, where racism in América was a painfull reality, and, simultaneously, they were occurring diferent revolutions in the jazz scene, from the Pacific Coast, passing through Chicago to the East Coast.

But after all, a half century past this blues remain the quintessencial of Jazz: rythm, happiness, dance and, why not saying ... crying out our universal BLUES.

A timeless record."