Search - Tony Williams :: Ultimate Tony Williams

For once - an accurate title

Derrick Smith | Richmond, CA | 03/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Master drummer Jack DeJohnette (also an alum of Miles Davis' band) personally selected and sequenced the tracks on this collection, with an ear for Tony's strengths as a drummer, composer, and improvising musician. This means a bare minimum of vocals and the sort of tracks that may not have been chosen by a "suit" or a hipster. The music is characterized by structural dynamism (often somewhat asymmetric,) a distinct minor-key feel provided by McLaughlin's guitar and Young's alternately eerie and assaultive organ parts, and a massive wall of syncopation that can never be pinned down to a recurring motif for very long. Those who want most of the best of this period in Williams' career should invest in this disc and spare themselves the expense (and the hideous vocals)of the anthology."

Untimely but ultimately

Jorge Barbarosa | the back 9 | 06/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The material selected for this release is impeccable. Thanks to DeJohnette for his praiseworthy endeavour to memorialize his friend and peer Tony Williams. Tony Williams played with 100's of people throughout his career and capturing the essence and scope of his work may have been and daunting task. Unfortunately we're left with so few to listen to. That is unforturnate. Hence the 4 rather than 5 stars, but it deserves a 5.



This is a release which will not please all people, as it is thick and respledent with the mastery of Tony Williams, those looking for a fusion compilation, or not into the wildly bombastic attack on the traps will probably not be as attentive as those who admire the skills Williams employed throughout his dashing career. Laden with 60ish guitar and Hammond organ styling (analog not digital waveforms) it is a trip back in time when the muscians had what they had and "made do" with the limitations of the technology at hand.



I wonder what Tony Williams would have picked, hence the untimeliness of this release. Enjoy!"

Unfair display of talent

N. Lang | K-town (Kiel), WI | 06/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Where does he get it? I am flabbergasted, to say the least. This collection simply left me shaking my head. All I could say was "It's unfair." How this drummer displayed that much tenacity on the drums was just unreal. It also left me asking a lot of "Why"'s throughout the album, mostly because of the very unorthodox fills inserted. Crazy man, Tony Williams, buy this CD or else."