"A classic for the Yellowjackets. Soft contemporary sound. Insane fretless performed by Haslip, who combines the bass lines with the melody from the sax virtuoso Mintzer for a result never heard before. Great keyboard playing by Ferrante as always. A grammy winner jazz album."
Let it flow
blender | 02/29/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As always, a true Yellowjackets gem. Forget the rest of the jazz/fusion impostors. Go for the originals.Ferrante and company always make great music, even if not 100% stellar. You can always rely on them for easily accessible music that never grows old.Peace Out."
Underrated... very underrated
NDBx | New York, NY United States | 01/17/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Of all the Yellowjacket recordings, this is an underrated joy. The addition of Tim Hagans on trumpet gives the group an opportunity to create some beautiful textures. Hagans is a very gifted musician, fits right in.
Bob Mintzer shines on this recording with his big-bodied tenor sound, his unique take on melodies, never losing the feel of a piece, while improvising imaginatively. Tim Hagans has his moments too, particularly on "Dewey" where he successfully captures a Miles-like ambience while remaining himself
There are some real standout pieces here where the addition of Hagan engenders an approach that is jazzier than usual. Pieces like "Sueños", "1998", "Sandstone", "Dewey" and "Solitude".
Russell Ferrante and Will Kennedy's ability to play the different styles and their embellishments are essential to this recording as is the indispensible Jimmy Haslip.
For me, this is one of my favorite recordings, definitely top 3, in the 25 years or so that I have been listening to the Yellowjackets.
"
RIVER WALTZ IS SO PRETTY IT'S RIDICULOUS
Donald E. Phillips II | 05/03/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"THIS WHOLE CD IS SMOOTH JAZZ PERFECT, AS THE OTHER REVIEWERS HAVE APTLY INDICATED. RIVER WALTZ, HOWEVER, MAY BE THE PRETTIEST CUT THE 'JAX EVER MADE, IN MY OPINION. AZURE MOON IS VERY TIGHT, ALSO.
RIVER WALTZ IS INDESCRIBABLE...JUST PLAY IT. IT LILTS, IT DRIVES, IT SOOTHES, IT CARVES IMPRESSIONS ON THE BRAIN AND HEART THAT YOU WON'T SOON FORGET. THE SAX LINE IS UNREAL.
AZURE MOON IS A REAL-CLOSE, RAZOR'S EDGE 2D PLACE IN BEAUTY. MAYBE YOU'LL LIKE IT BEST. I LOVE BOTH OF THEM, AND THE REST OF THIS CD. THIS MAY BE THE LAST TRULY LANDMARK CD THAT THE YELLOWJACKETS HAVE TRACKED. IN MY OPINION, THEY PEAKED RIGHT HERE, BUT THEY STILL REMAIN A VERY TALENTED GROUP."