Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered [Thursday, January 1: Show 1] - Chick Corea, Hart, Lorenz
Bird Feathers [Thursday, January 1: Show 1] - Chick Corea, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Say It Again, Pt. 1 [Thursday, January 1: Show 2]
Say It Again, Pt. 2 [Thursday, January 1: Show 2]
Tempus Fugit [Thursday, January 1: Show 2] - Chick Corea, Powell, Bud
Track Listings (5) - Disc #2
Hand Me Down [Thursday, January 1: Show 2]
Soul Mates [Thursday, January 1: Show 2]
Matrix [Thursday, January 1: Show 2]
It Could Happen to You [Saturday, January 3: Show 1] - Chick Corea, Burke, Johnny [Lyri
Dreamless [Saturday, January 3: Show 1]
Track Listings (7) - Disc #3
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered [Saturday, January 3: Show 1] - Chick Corea, Hart, Lorenz
Bird Feathers [Saturday, January 3: Show 1] - Chick Corea, Parker, Charlie [Sa
Say It Again, Pt. 1 [Saturday, January 3: Show 2]
Say It Again, Pt. 2 [Saturday, January 3: Show 2]
Tempus Fugit [Saturday, January 3: Show 2] - Chick Corea, Powell, Bud
Hand Me Down [Saturday, January 3: Show 2]
Molecules [Saturday, January 3: Show 2]
Track Listings (5) - Disc #4
Sifu [Saturday, January 3: Show 2]
Matrix [Saturday, January 3: Show 2]
Say It Again, Pt. 1 [Sunday, January 4: Show 1]
Say It Again, Pt. 2 [Sunday, January 4: Show 1]
Double Image [Sunday, January 4: Show 1]
Track Listings (7) - Disc #5
Blue Monk [Sunday, January 4: Show 1] - Chick Corea, Monk, Thelonious
Sifu [Sunday, January 4: Show 1]
Molecules [Sunday, January 4: Show 1]
Straight, No Chaser [Sunday, January 4: Show 1] - Chick Corea, Monk, Thelonious
Say It Again, Pt. 1 (Sunday, January 4: Show 2) [Live]
Say It Again, Pt. 2 (Sunday, January 4: Show 2) [Live]
Four (Sunday, January 4: Show 2) [Live] - Chick Corea, Davis, Miles
Track Listings (5) - Disc #6
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Sunday, January 4: Show 2) [Live] - Chick Corea, Hart, Lorenz
Hand Me Down (Sunday, January 4: Show 2) [Live]
Four in One (Sunday, January 4: Show 2) [Live] - Chick Corea, Monk, Thelonious
Matrix (Sunday, January 4: Show 2) [Live]
Double Image (Sunday, January 4: Show 2) [Live]
This six-CD set has its origin, no pun intended, in pianist Chick Corea's desire to go live with an acoustic band that needed absolutely no studio gimmicking or afterthought. In that spirit, he debuted the sextet, which fe... more »atures Corea alongside alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, tenor saxophonist Bob Sheppard, trombonist Steve Davis, bassist Avishai Cohen, and drummer Adam Cruz, with music from one evening in this stretch on one CD. Even further in the spirit of unedited performances, Corea has here packaged the complete sets from three of the Blue Note nights. The sextet is in fine form, pivoting off Corea's sometimes avant-leaning pieces with great intimacy and sureness. Wilson's alto solos are each densely intelligent and modular, studying small nodes and rearranging them continually. There are also great moments where Sheppard and Wilson double on bass clarinet and E-flat clarinet, making for on-the-spot textural studies. The six CDs are built out of largely the same tunes, each taken at least twice over the course of this box set. In addition, the tunes are lengthy, with plenty of exploratory room, making for awesome solos all the way around. For fans of Corea's sharp distillation of impressionism, bebop architecture, and avant-garde nuances, this set is a must-buy. And it has the earmarks of a great all-encompassing digest, not unlike the nine-CD Art Pepper Complete Village Vanguard box set. --Andrew Bartlett« less
This six-CD set has its origin, no pun intended, in pianist Chick Corea's desire to go live with an acoustic band that needed absolutely no studio gimmicking or afterthought. In that spirit, he debuted the sextet, which features Corea alongside alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, tenor saxophonist Bob Sheppard, trombonist Steve Davis, bassist Avishai Cohen, and drummer Adam Cruz, with music from one evening in this stretch on one CD. Even further in the spirit of unedited performances, Corea has here packaged the complete sets from three of the Blue Note nights. The sextet is in fine form, pivoting off Corea's sometimes avant-leaning pieces with great intimacy and sureness. Wilson's alto solos are each densely intelligent and modular, studying small nodes and rearranging them continually. There are also great moments where Sheppard and Wilson double on bass clarinet and E-flat clarinet, making for on-the-spot textural studies. The six CDs are built out of largely the same tunes, each taken at least twice over the course of this box set. In addition, the tunes are lengthy, with plenty of exploratory room, making for awesome solos all the way around. For fans of Corea's sharp distillation of impressionism, bebop architecture, and avant-garde nuances, this set is a must-buy. And it has the earmarks of a great all-encompassing digest, not unlike the nine-CD Art Pepper Complete Village Vanguard box set. --Andrew Bartlett
Ian Muldoon | Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia | 06/12/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Mr Corea has tried to reproduce on these 6CD's the sonic experience of actually being at the club BLUE NOTE to hear his band ORIGIN - thus no overdubbing, editting, minimal equalisation and so on. Technically, there should be no quibbling about the quality of the recording and the sound image of the band - even the faint sound of someone's mobile phone ringing is not a distraction. Most of the works are originals but there are three tunes by Mr Thelonious Sphere Monk, whilst Mr Miles Davis, Mr Charles Parker, Msrs Rodgers and Hart and Msrs Van Heusen and Bourke are represented by one tune each. Naturally there is plenty of space for extended solos and some tunes are played a number of times. An interesting case in point is MATRIX first performed by the then 26 year old Mr Corea on the excellent NOW HE SINGS NOW HE SOBS and reprised here three times, once at 19 minutes, once at 23 minutes and once at 13 minutes. Also intriguing and interesting is the band's theme SAY IT AGAIN which seems a free improvisation which I would have liked to have heard in extended form. Overall though, this acoustic band provides a relaxed and swinging programme of music with a very high degree of musicianship. Good value for money which is graced by some attractive abstract art originals by Mr Corea."