Captain Marvel-ous Live !!
4-Legged Defender | ATL. GA. | 03/07/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Historically, this concert brought Stan Getz a whole new audience of younger listeners - Musically, this concert was fantastic, fierce and the highlight of the `72 Montreux shows, and all because of Stan's sidemen at this performance and some truly great compositions by Chick Corea. With Chick on keys (before RTF and those horrid ARP synth sounds) and Stanley Clarke on acoustic upright bass (who never played or sounded better) and the incomparable Tony Williams on a small drumkit, this is one of those legendary shows jazz buffs continue to talk about `till this very day.
Unfortunately, the sole reason I'm not giving this cd five stars (though it does deserve it) is because of the production / mix. Stan and Tony are no longer with us, so the production values by default went to Chick and Stanley, who saw fit to bury Tony`s remarkable drumming and crank up Stanley's bass so that it is the dominant instrument in the mix...`ever see a live concert where the acoustic bass was the loudest instrument?? Me either, and I`ve seen over 600 shows in my lifetime.
I own a dvd of the entire performance, and Tony`s drums were at the same levels as the other instruments, sometimes dominating the mix when he dug into his kit - this show was one of the few truly democratic performances I've heard since Lifetime, and should have been kept that way. And Stan sat on the sidelines and smiled ONLY when he was watching Tony, and took time out to mention him at several points, which didn't make the cd either.
Obviously, I'm a huge supporter of Tony Williams' legacy, and feel this is unjustifiable, though not uncharacteristic given the incredible egos of Chick and Stanley. An incredible event nonetheless, you need this cd, and also seek out 'Sweet Rain' on the East Wind label for another live performance by this amazing quartet that is required listening for all jazz / Stan Getz + co. aficionados.
"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1