Search - Hamiet Bluiett :: Live at the Village Vanguard

Great late night music.

Rick Mathis | 02/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you are even a casual listener to the music of Hamiet Bluiett, then you know that he can put more soul into a ballad than a roomfull of Motown artists. The great thing is, this album has plenty of them. This is not to take away from the other tunes, but the ballads truly shine through. The atmosphere of the date seems to be very relaxed and I think that this only contributes to the mood.My only regret is that I wasn't in the Vanguard that evening."

Great playing ... far from the adventure's realm.

Rick Mathis | 10/25/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Nice atmosphere...relaxed mood (Ballads & Blues is the first title of this record), with some few moments of climax in stratospheric heights -upper register blowing is really a familiar place for him- and some small exploration on the jungle...but mainly focused in a on-the-tradition flavour and conventional treatment of the songs, than in dangerous avantgarde explorations... maybe the tunes and the moment and the audience carry him to this readings...anyway, great music with some superb moments... the surrendering entering of "You've changed", the exploration around "I can't get started" and personally speaking, the delightful covering of "Darian", a tune from the inspired guitarrist Ted Dunbar, also himself in splendid form, are among the nicest and more shocking moments of this pretty record... specially indicated for sweet & passion moments."