Search - Milt Jackson :: Sunflower (Shm)

Jazzman

James K. Stewart | Louisville, Ky USA | 07/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yea, another CTI winner. You go, Bags. Loved this when I had the vinyl,

and love it now. The track "For Someone I Love" NEVER ceases to put me

in THAT mood. Serious, sophisticated, gorgeous. Listen to Herbie in the

mix getting into this and scatting. And those fantastic swirling strings

that just carry you away on a cloud. I love the whole date. A classic

CTI from the 70's with some of the best CTI stars at the time. Carter,

Cobham, and Hubbard all kick in on this with Sebesky's perfect arranging

and conducting. I only wish some alternate takes could have been added.

I won't quibble about SKJ being added. Any Bags is good Bags to my ears.

A million stars."

In the cool jazz tradition

counselr | Winston-Salem, NC, USA | 05/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those of you who are aficionados of jazz in the cool style, "Milt Jackson Sunflower" is a rare treasure of smooth, cool beautiful music. Milt Jackson is the legendary vibraphone player whose artistry is unparalled. On this CD remastered from the original CTI LP (don't get any other CD version!), he plays with Herbie Hancock (piano/keyboard), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Cobham (percussion), and Freddie Hubbard (trumpet). According to the CD liner notes, the CD version adds an additional selection, "SKJ," that was not included in the original album as it was issued. Many of the tunes on this CD are jazz classics, such as "People Make the World Go Round," but never played sweeter than they are here. Freddie Hubbard's trumpet is a cool breeze of brass as it blows through each selction. "Milt Jackson Sunflower" is some of the best mood music I have ever found, romantic without being cheesy, meditative without being "space-y," mellow without being entirely tame."

Good Vibes Indeed

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 12/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Even if one had never heard Sunflower before, fans of the CTI stable of jazz albums would instantly recognize this CD as a member of the family almost from the first note. I owned lots of CTI albums on vinyl back in the label's heyday (and still do) but I never heard Sunflower until I bought it a couple of years ago while rounding out my CTI collection.

My favorites are the dreamy For Someone I Love, People Make the World Go Round, the magnificent title cut which is also the album's best, and the swinging SKJ. I drop a star from the rating only because the reissue could have been enhanced by alternate takes and cuts recorded for but not included on the original album. We are long past the era of the 30 minute LP and although Sunflower was long for its time, modern technology allows more music to be put on a smaller disc.

I've always been partial to the sound of vibes in jazz and on Sunflower, Milt Jackson gives us some good vibes indeed. If this album was one of those you skipped when building your jazz collection, give it a listen now. The price is right and the sound of the remaster is excellent."