This 1962 recording represents Oscar Peterson at his most commercially accommodating, yet his trio with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen never fails to swing. The program includes such familiar melodies as the title track (which began life as Duke Ellington's "Happy Go Lucky Local"), "Georgia on My Mind", and "The Honey Dripper". With the notable exception of the gospel-like original "Hymn to Freedom", most of the tracks clock in at around three minutes. This reissue contains several alternate takes that were wisely left off the original LP, including such unlikely jazz vehicles as "Volare" and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy". --Rick Mitchell

Rethink Your Favorite Muscial Style!!!, 04 May 2007
Having grown up with the popular music of the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and loved music from Classical to Heavy Metal but not Jazz. In the past two years I have been introduced to Oscar Peterson and I could almost throw all other genres away after living with this album for the last six months. This is absolute total musical perfection and an awesome early 60s recording.

Looking forward to getting to know other albums.

ahead of its time and quite simply adorable., 01 Mar 2007
I love this album. I listened to Oscar when i was a child, my dad was always playing it and countless other jazz records and it reminds me of good times. Setting aside nostalgia this makes me realise just how talented Oscar Peterson is, hes one of very few pianists that still gives me the shivers. I can truely relate to this recording and i shall look out for more classic Peterson Trio recordings in the future. There isnt a dud in this collection, its a true classic worthy of 10 stars at least and I hope you love it as much I do.

Essential Oscar., 13 Dec 2006
There is not much that can be said, that hasn't already been written about this album. This is definative Oscar Peterson and should be in everyones collection. It is also by the best trio that Oscar Peterson ever had,and has truly stood the test of time. In short, if you havn't got it, get this essential album NOW.

Essential Peterson, 16 Sep 2006
This is the Oscar Peterson album that everybody should have. Committed followers know its one of the very best, and newcomers won't find anything too dificult on it. This is the first CD I ever bought 21 years ago and I've been playing it ever since.

The basic feel of the album is blues. C Jam Blues, Night Train, Thing Ain't What They Used To Be, Moten Swing and Honey Dripper are all blues or blues related. However there's great variety amongst these tracks, contrast the mellow version of "Things Ain't What..." with the swinging version of "Honey Dripper".

On this album Peterson makes everything sound effortless, whether its his uptempo playing or superb ballad playing (such as on I Ain't Got It Bad..). My favourite track is Ellingtons Band Call. At the end of the track Oscar plays 3 increasingly syncopated resolutions leading on the 4th occasion to the end of the tune.

Perhaps the only thing you don't get on this album is the virtuoso Peterson (try the "The Trio" or "Tracks" for this). Sure some of this stuff requires excellent technique, but even at this level Oscar still has another gear.

As previous reviewers have said, special mention should be made of "Hymn To Freedom". This is a marvellous Peterson original with a great performance. A fitting way to end a superb album.

Night Train - A DREAM of a musical journey., 28 Mar 2006
This CD is quite simply breathtaking in its virtuosity and emotional refinement. We have become used to the genius of Peterson but this selection informs us that there are degrees of excellence to which few aspire and even fewer reach. Peterson does - and with such aplomb!
Outstanding, for me, is the track of his own composition - Hymn to Freedom - where the tremoloed chords stress the struggle against the bigotry and injustice which human beings accord to other creatures. It is surely a great epitaph to two of the greatest who ever lived - anywhere:- Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King. It is also a credo for all of humanity carefully to examine our consciences and let them rest easily with our souls.

Do hear this selection - it is quite simply spellbinding.

Originally released in March 1964, this collaboration between saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist João Gilberto came at seemingly the end of the bossa nova craze Getz himself had sparked in 1962 with Jazz Samba, his release with American guitarist Charlie Byrd. Jazz Samba remains the only jazz album to reach number one in the pop charts. In fact, the story goes that Getz had to push for the release of Getz/Gilberto since the company did not want to compete with its own hit; it was a good thing he did. Getz/Gilberto, which featured composer Antonio Carlos Jobim on piano, not only yielded the hit "Girl from Ipanema" (sung by Astrud Gilberto, the guitarist's wife, who had no professional experience) but also "Corcovado" ("Quiet Night")--an instant standard, and the definitive version of "Desafinado". Getz/Gilberto spent 96 weeks in the charts and won four Grammys. It remains one of those rare cases in popular music where commercial success matches artistic merit. Bossa nova's "cool" aesthetic--with its understated rhythms, rich harmonies, and slightly detached delivery--had been influenced, in part, by cool jazz. Gilberto in particular was a Stan Getz fan. Getz, with his lyricism, the bittersweet longing in his sound, and his restrained but strong swing, was the perfect fit. His lines, at once decisive and evanescent, focus the rest of the group's performance without overpowering. A classic. --Fernando Gonzalez

Rethink Your Favorite Muscial Style!!!, 04 May 2007
Having grown up with the popular music of the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and loved music from Classical to Heavy Metal but not Jazz. In the past two years I have been introduced to Oscar Peterson and I could almost throw all other genres away after living with this album for the last six months. This is absolute total musical perfection and an awesome early 60s recording.

Looking forward to getting to know other albums.

ahead of its time and quite simply adorable., 01 Mar 2007
I love this album. I listened to Oscar when i was a child, my dad was always playing it and countless other jazz records and it reminds me of good times. Setting aside nostalgia this makes me realise just how talented Oscar Peterson is, hes one of very few pianists that still gives me the shivers. I can truely relate to this recording and i shall look out for more classic Peterson Trio recordings in the future. There isnt a dud in this collection, its a true classic worthy of 10 stars at least and I hope you love it as much I do.

Essential Oscar., 13 Dec 2006
There is not much that can be said, that hasn't already been written about this album. This is definative Oscar Peterson and should be in everyones collection. It is also by the best trio that Oscar Peterson ever had,and has truly stood the test of time. In short, if you havn't got it, get this essential album NOW.

Essential Peterson, 16 Sep 2006
This is the Oscar Peterson album that everybody should have. Committed followers know its one of the very best, and newcomers won't find anything too dificult on it. This is the first CD I ever bought 21 years ago and I've been playing it ever since.

The basic feel of the album is blues. C Jam Blues, Night Train, Thing Ain't What They Used To Be, Moten Swing and Honey Dripper are all blues or blues related. However there's great variety amongst these tracks, contrast the mellow version of "Things Ain't What..." with the swinging version of "Honey Dripper".

On this album Peterson makes everything sound effortless, whether its his uptempo playing or superb ballad playing (such as on I Ain't Got It Bad..). My favourite track is Ellingtons Band Call. At the end of the track Oscar plays 3 increasingly syncopated resolutions leading on the 4th occasion to the end of the tune.

Perhaps the only thing you don't get on this album is the virtuoso Peterson (try the "The Trio" or "Tracks" for this). Sure some of this stuff requires excellent technique, but even at this level Oscar still has another gear.

As previous reviewers have said, special mention should be made of "Hymn To Freedom". This is a marvellous Peterson original with a great performance. A fitting way to end a superb album.

Night Train - A DREAM of a musical journey., 28 Mar 2006
This CD is quite simply breathtaking in its virtuosity and emotional refinement. We have become used to the genius of Peterson but this selection informs us that there are degrees of excellence to which few aspire and even fewer reach. Peterson does - and with such aplomb!
Outstanding, for me, is the track of his own composition - Hymn to Freedom - where the tremoloed chords stress the struggle against the bigotry and injustice which human beings accord to other creatures. It is surely a great epitaph to two of the greatest who ever lived - anywhere:- Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King. It is also a credo for all of humanity carefully to examine our consciences and let them rest easily with our souls.

Do hear this selection - it is quite simply spellbinding.

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands of times by thousands of artists and continue to be a top staple for jazz as its played all over the world. They have spilled over from jazz into other mediums. They introduced the wider world to the music of Brazil. Arguably the earlier Getz/Byrd, album put Brazil on the wider musical map but it was this album that exposed it in all its exotic glory.

Brazil is a land in which there are as many genres of music as there are in the rest of the world put together. The influence of Jobim and Bossa and their quintessence as captured in these songs, on this album, continues to be a point of departure and return for any number of musical offshoots in their home country, and beyond, to this very day.

From a musicological point of view the impact of this album is unprecedented. There is no other album which has so vividly alerted such a huge proportion of the world to what was going on in a previously little known lesser part of the world, the repercussions of which are still playing out, with vivacity and freshness, almost fifty years later.

Sax Max, 02 Jun 2006
Bossa Nova was and is not to everybody's taste. Many jazz aficianados can't stand Astrud Gilberto's singing either. The thing with this session in particular, however, is Stan Getz's playing. There is only one word for it - divine! Which is why I suspect there are so many accolades for this CD. The brevity and melodiousness of his ideas is quite exceptional, not so on many other examples of his work before or after.

I love jazz and I like this, but I can't say I can listen to Bossa Nova all the time. Stan Getz on this CD, however, I don't think I'll tire of...

Getting in the groove, 31 Dec 2005
Great album for bossa nova. Fun to listen and get in the groove of dreaming of Brazil.. or mellow enough to have in the background for a wine party.

Getz/Gilberto, 06 May 2004
I think you either have an innate love of this sort of music built in or it is something that will be totally lost on you ...if its there and you stumble across it you will never look back..
I already had 7 of the tracks on other cd's but the three i did'nt have are absolutely enchanting and worth the price on their own.
I could listen to this a thousand times and find something new in Stan Getz's incredible intonation every time.
If you hav'nt heard this stuff before,if you have an open mind,like walking on a deserted beach just where the sea meets the sand,if you love living ...you might just love this...
The best Bossa Nova there is.

Mark

Pure Cool, 26 Feb 2004
I've been listening to jazz for about 5 years now and wanting to broaden my taste i thought this would be a good direction to go. And what a direction to go!! The album has the ever popular Girl From Ipanema but the more i listen to it, the more i fall in love with the beauty of the other songs. Stan Getz ability is beyond words, as goes for Jobim on the guitar. The voices of Joau and Astrud Gilberto round the album off superbly causing you to hum and sing with them. This album has shown me there is more to bossa nova than i thought. So buy it, and then sit back, close your eyes and think of Brazil!!!

Rethink Your Favorite Muscial Style!!!, 04 May 2007
Having grown up with the popular music of the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and loved music from Classical to Heavy Metal but not Jazz. In the past two years I have been introduced to Oscar Peterson and I could almost throw all other genres away after living with this album for the last six months. This is absolute total musical perfection and an awesome early 60s recording.

Looking forward to getting to know other albums.

ahead of its time and quite simply adorable., 01 Mar 2007
I love this album. I listened to Oscar when i was a child, my dad was always playing it and countless other jazz records and it reminds me of good times. Setting aside nostalgia this makes me realise just how talented Oscar Peterson is, hes one of very few pianists that still gives me the shivers. I can truely relate to this recording and i shall look out for more classic Peterson Trio recordings in the future. There isnt a dud in this collection, its a true classic worthy of 10 stars at least and I hope you love it as much I do.

Essential Oscar., 13 Dec 2006
There is not much that can be said, that hasn't already been written about this album. This is definative Oscar Peterson and should be in everyones collection. It is also by the best trio that Oscar Peterson ever had,and has truly stood the test of time. In short, if you havn't got it, get this essential album NOW.

Essential Peterson, 16 Sep 2006
This is the Oscar Peterson album that everybody should have. Committed followers know its one of the very best, and newcomers won't find anything too dificult on it. This is the first CD I ever bought 21 years ago and I've been playing it ever since.

The basic feel of the album is blues. C Jam Blues, Night Train, Thing Ain't What They Used To Be, Moten Swing and Honey Dripper are all blues or blues related. However there's great variety amongst these tracks, contrast the mellow version of "Things Ain't What..." with the swinging version of "Honey Dripper".

On this album Peterson makes everything sound effortless, whether its his uptempo playing or superb ballad playing (such as on I Ain't Got It Bad..). My favourite track is Ellingtons Band Call. At the end of the track Oscar plays 3 increasingly syncopated resolutions leading on the 4th occasion to the end of the tune.

Perhaps the only thing you don't get on this album is the virtuoso Peterson (try the "The Trio" or "Tracks" for this). Sure some of this stuff requires excellent technique, but even at this level Oscar still has another gear.

As previous reviewers have said, special mention should be made of "Hymn To Freedom". This is a marvellous Peterson original with a great performance. A fitting way to end a superb album.

Night Train - A DREAM of a musical journey., 28 Mar 2006
This CD is quite simply breathtaking in its virtuosity and emotional refinement. We have become used to the genius of Peterson but this selection informs us that there are degrees of excellence to which few aspire and even fewer reach. Peterson does - and with such aplomb!
Outstanding, for me, is the track of his own composition - Hymn to Freedom - where the tremoloed chords stress the struggle against the bigotry and injustice which human beings accord to other creatures. It is surely a great epitaph to two of the greatest who ever lived - anywhere:- Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King. It is also a credo for all of humanity carefully to examine our consciences and let them rest easily with our souls.

Do hear this selection - it is quite simply spellbinding.

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands of times by thousands of artists and continue to be a top staple for jazz as its played all over the world. They have spilled over from jazz into other mediums. They introduced the wider world to the music of Brazil. Arguably the earlier Getz/Byrd, album put Brazil on the wider musical map but it was this album that exposed it in all its exotic glory.

Brazil is a land in which there are as many genres of music as there are in the rest of the world put together. The influence of Jobim and Bossa and their quintessence as captured in these songs, on this album, continues to be a point of departure and return for any number of musical offshoots in their home country, and beyond, to this very day.

From a musicological point of view the impact of this album is unprecedented. There is no other album which has so vividly alerted such a huge proportion of the world to what was going on in a previously little known lesser part of the world, the repercussions of which are still playing out, with vivacity and freshness, almost fifty years later.

Sax Max, 02 Jun 2006
Bossa Nova was and is not to everybody's taste. Many jazz aficianados can't stand Astrud Gilberto's singing either. The thing with this session in particular, however, is Stan Getz's playing. There is only one word for it - divine! Which is why I suspect there are so many accolades for this CD. The brevity and melodiousness of his ideas is quite exceptional, not so on many other examples of his work before or after.

I love jazz and I like this, but I can't say I can listen to Bossa Nova all the time. Stan Getz on this CD, however, I don't think I'll tire of...

Getting in the groove, 31 Dec 2005
Great album for bossa nova. Fun to listen and get in the groove of dreaming of Brazil.. or mellow enough to have in the background for a wine party.

Getz/Gilberto, 06 May 2004
I think you either have an innate love of this sort of music built in or it is something that will be totally lost on you ...if its there and you stumble across it you will never look back..
I already had 7 of the tracks on other cd's but the three i did'nt have are absolutely enchanting and worth the price on their own.
I could listen to this a thousand times and find something new in Stan Getz's incredible intonation every time.
If you hav'nt heard this stuff before,if you have an open mind,like walking on a deserted beach just where the sea meets the sand,if you love living ...you might just love this...
The best Bossa Nova there is.

Mark

Pure Cool, 26 Feb 2004
I've been listening to jazz for about 5 years now and wanting to broaden my taste i thought this would be a good direction to go. And what a direction to go!! The album has the ever popular Girl From Ipanema but the more i listen to it, the more i fall in love with the beauty of the other songs. Stan Getz ability is beyond words, as goes for Jobim on the guitar. The voices of Joau and Astrud Gilberto round the album off superbly causing you to hum and sing with them. This album has shown me there is more to bossa nova than i thought. So buy it, and then sit back, close your eyes and think of Brazil!!!

One of Dexter's best, 25 Jun 2004
This is a cracking album and I totally agree with the other reviewer as this is a disc that is frequently in my CD player.
Although my preference would be for the other Blue Note recorded in Paris with Kenny Clarke and Bud Powell, this is a hugely enjoyable set, Dexter playing with his customary wry sense of humour and backed by a hard-hitting rythmn section. Like many other discs of the era on the Blue Note label, the recording quality is good and the standard of material is very high. No duff tracks on this one.
Dexter's style of playing with his huge, impressive tone was unique - owing something to the more Romantic players of the generation of Coleman Hawkins but taking on the harmonies and rythmns of Be-bop. This is a good introduction to one of the kings of the tenor including barn-storming swingers, a latin treatment of "Love for sale" and a couple of exceptionally well crafted ballads. Recommended.

Dexter Gordons tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique!, 09 Aug 2001
This is Dexter Gordon at his finest. As one of the most prolific sax players off his time, this album is a showcase for his talent to play and embellish on the most simple melodic lines. As a sax player myself, the album influenced me massively, his tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique. This version of 'Cheesecake' is perhaps his best recording, with his repetition and variation you can't help but get taken into his own world of sound. This is the first album of his that I bought and I have subsequently nearly completed my collection of Dexter Gordon - I need not say more, except buy it and you will understand what I felt when first hearing it.

Rethink Your Favorite Muscial Style!!!, 04 May 2007
Having grown up with the popular music of the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and loved music from Classical to Heavy Metal but not Jazz. In the past two years I have been introduced to Oscar Peterson and I could almost throw all other genres away after living with this album for the last six months. This is absolute total musical perfection and an awesome early 60s recording.

Looking forward to getting to know other albums.

ahead of its time and quite simply adorable., 01 Mar 2007
I love this album. I listened to Oscar when i was a child, my dad was always playing it and countless other jazz records and it reminds me of good times. Setting aside nostalgia this makes me realise just how talented Oscar Peterson is, hes one of very few pianists that still gives me the shivers. I can truely relate to this recording and i shall look out for more classic Peterson Trio recordings in the future. There isnt a dud in this collection, its a true classic worthy of 10 stars at least and I hope you love it as much I do.

Essential Oscar., 13 Dec 2006
There is not much that can be said, that hasn't already been written about this album. This is definative Oscar Peterson and should be in everyones collection. It is also by the best trio that Oscar Peterson ever had,and has truly stood the test of time. In short, if you havn't got it, get this essential album NOW.

Essential Peterson, 16 Sep 2006
This is the Oscar Peterson album that everybody should have. Committed followers know its one of the very best, and newcomers won't find anything too dificult on it. This is the first CD I ever bought 21 years ago and I've been playing it ever since.

The basic feel of the album is blues. C Jam Blues, Night Train, Thing Ain't What They Used To Be, Moten Swing and Honey Dripper are all blues or blues related. However there's great variety amongst these tracks, contrast the mellow version of "Things Ain't What..." with the swinging version of "Honey Dripper".

On this album Peterson makes everything sound effortless, whether its his uptempo playing or superb ballad playing (such as on I Ain't Got It Bad..). My favourite track is Ellingtons Band Call. At the end of the track Oscar plays 3 increasingly syncopated resolutions leading on the 4th occasion to the end of the tune.

Perhaps the only thing you don't get on this album is the virtuoso Peterson (try the "The Trio" or "Tracks" for this). Sure some of this stuff requires excellent technique, but even at this level Oscar still has another gear.

As previous reviewers have said, special mention should be made of "Hymn To Freedom". This is a marvellous Peterson original with a great performance. A fitting way to end a superb album.

Night Train - A DREAM of a musical journey., 28 Mar 2006
This CD is quite simply breathtaking in its virtuosity and emotional refinement. We have become used to the genius of Peterson but this selection informs us that there are degrees of excellence to which few aspire and even fewer reach. Peterson does - and with such aplomb!
Outstanding, for me, is the track of his own composition - Hymn to Freedom - where the tremoloed chords stress the struggle against the bigotry and injustice which human beings accord to other creatures. It is surely a great epitaph to two of the greatest who ever lived - anywhere:- Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King. It is also a credo for all of humanity carefully to examine our consciences and let them rest easily with our souls.

Do hear this selection - it is quite simply spellbinding.

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands of times by thousands of artists and continue to be a top staple for jazz as its played all over the world. They have spilled over from jazz into other mediums. They introduced the wider world to the music of Brazil. Arguably the earlier Getz/Byrd, album put Brazil on the wider musical map but it was this album that exposed it in all its exotic glory.

Brazil is a land in which there are as many genres of music as there are in the rest of the world put together. The influence of Jobim and Bossa and their quintessence as captured in these songs, on this album, continues to be a point of departure and return for any number of musical offshoots in their home country, and beyond, to this very day.

From a musicological point of view the impact of this album is unprecedented. There is no other album which has so vividly alerted such a huge proportion of the world to what was going on in a previously little known lesser part of the world, the repercussions of which are still playing out, with vivacity and freshness, almost fifty years later.

Sax Max, 02 Jun 2006
Bossa Nova was and is not to everybody's taste. Many jazz aficianados can't stand Astrud Gilberto's singing either. The thing with this session in particular, however, is Stan Getz's playing. There is only one word for it - divine! Which is why I suspect there are so many accolades for this CD. The brevity and melodiousness of his ideas is quite exceptional, not so on many other examples of his work before or after.

I love jazz and I like this, but I can't say I can listen to Bossa Nova all the time. Stan Getz on this CD, however, I don't think I'll tire of...

Getting in the groove, 31 Dec 2005
Great album for bossa nova. Fun to listen and get in the groove of dreaming of Brazil.. or mellow enough to have in the background for a wine party.

Getz/Gilberto, 06 May 2004
I think you either have an innate love of this sort of music built in or it is something that will be totally lost on you ...if its there and you stumble across it you will never look back..
I already had 7 of the tracks on other cd's but the three i did'nt have are absolutely enchanting and worth the price on their own.
I could listen to this a thousand times and find something new in Stan Getz's incredible intonation every time.
If you hav'nt heard this stuff before,if you have an open mind,like walking on a deserted beach just where the sea meets the sand,if you love living ...you might just love this...
The best Bossa Nova there is.

Mark

Pure Cool, 26 Feb 2004
I've been listening to jazz for about 5 years now and wanting to broaden my taste i thought this would be a good direction to go. And what a direction to go!! The album has the ever popular Girl From Ipanema but the more i listen to it, the more i fall in love with the beauty of the other songs. Stan Getz ability is beyond words, as goes for Jobim on the guitar. The voices of Joau and Astrud Gilberto round the album off superbly causing you to hum and sing with them. This album has shown me there is more to bossa nova than i thought. So buy it, and then sit back, close your eyes and think of Brazil!!!

One of Dexter's best, 25 Jun 2004
This is a cracking album and I totally agree with the other reviewer as this is a disc that is frequently in my CD player.
Although my preference would be for the other Blue Note recorded in Paris with Kenny Clarke and Bud Powell, this is a hugely enjoyable set, Dexter playing with his customary wry sense of humour and backed by a hard-hitting rythmn section. Like many other discs of the era on the Blue Note label, the recording quality is good and the standard of material is very high. No duff tracks on this one.
Dexter's style of playing with his huge, impressive tone was unique - owing something to the more Romantic players of the generation of Coleman Hawkins but taking on the harmonies and rythmns of Be-bop. This is a good introduction to one of the kings of the tenor including barn-storming swingers, a latin treatment of "Love for sale" and a couple of exceptionally well crafted ballads. Recommended.

Dexter Gordons tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique!, 09 Aug 2001
This is Dexter Gordon at his finest. As one of the most prolific sax players off his time, this album is a showcase for his talent to play and embellish on the most simple melodic lines. As a sax player myself, the album influenced me massively, his tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique. This version of 'Cheesecake' is perhaps his best recording, with his repetition and variation you can't help but get taken into his own world of sound. This is the first album of his that I bought and I have subsequently nearly completed my collection of Dexter Gordon - I need not say more, except buy it and you will understand what I felt when first hearing it.

Excellent music for all ages and tastes. You can't go wrong with this!!! , 18 Oct 2008
This music album was made in 1963 and it's totally timeless and as fresh in 2008 as when it was first made. I'm 43 and my dad is 70. My 8 year old son and all of us can't get enough of this. Getz's Chega De Saudade (One note samba) is totally the best jazz funk ever and all the other melodies are totally gold as well. You can buy this for yourslef or as a gift for a friend and it's totally priceless - worth a 100 times it's weight in gold. Enjoy!!!!

Great disc - everyone should have this in their collection, 20 May 2007
I grew up during the '60s and this was another of the great musical themes of the time but I believe its much more enduring than the Beatles and will outlive rock. That aside I just love the relaxed happy snap and swing of '60s Bossa Nova and no one does it better than Getz and friends - ironic really when you think of it - an American jazz musician driving the popularity and enduring for 50 years that way!
If you don't know something from this disc I'd be surprised and whilst I know my own kids aren't wrapped in it, I don't understand that and think they will come round any day soon!
If you like sax and latin styles you should give this a go (that's one of the other discs you should have by the way "Getz a go go" live with Astrid Gilberto, again very much of the time yet timeless. I love the interpretative irony of the telephone song).

The best Stan Getz Album, 07 Mar 2000
The best Stan Getz album money can buy. Relaxing soothing sounds to wind down to. Jazz Masters have excelled themselves with this selection.

Very cool and laid back., 16 Jan 2000
Very relaxing,just the thing after a hard days work. You can't help relaxing with a drink listening to this . A very well put together cd, good mix of classic tracks,well balanced to give you a cool and laid back evening!

Rethink Your Favorite Muscial Style!!!, 04 May 2007
Having grown up with the popular music of the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and loved music from Classical to Heavy Metal but not Jazz. In the past two years I have been introduced to Oscar Peterson and I could almost throw all other genres away after living with this album for the last six months. This is absolute total musical perfection and an awesome early 60s recording.

Looking forward to getting to know other albums.

ahead of its time and quite simply adorable., 01 Mar 2007
I love this album. I listened to Oscar when i was a child, my dad was always playing it and countless other jazz records and it reminds me of good times. Setting aside nostalgia this makes me realise just how talented Oscar Peterson is, hes one of very few pianists that still gives me the shivers. I can truely relate to this recording and i shall look out for more classic Peterson Trio recordings in the future. There isnt a dud in this collection, its a true classic worthy of 10 stars at least and I hope you love it as much I do.

Essential Oscar., 13 Dec 2006
There is not much that can be said, that hasn't already been written about this album. This is definative Oscar Peterson and should be in everyones collection. It is also by the best trio that Oscar Peterson ever had,and has truly stood the test of time. In short, if you havn't got it, get this essential album NOW.

Essential Peterson, 16 Sep 2006
This is the Oscar Peterson album that everybody should have. Committed followers know its one of the very best, and newcomers won't find anything too dificult on it. This is the first CD I ever bought 21 years ago and I've been playing it ever since.

The basic feel of the album is blues. C Jam Blues, Night Train, Thing Ain't What They Used To Be, Moten Swing and Honey Dripper are all blues or blues related. However there's great variety amongst these tracks, contrast the mellow version of "Things Ain't What..." with the swinging version of "Honey Dripper".

On this album Peterson makes everything sound effortless, whether its his uptempo playing or superb ballad playing (such as on I Ain't Got It Bad..). My favourite track is Ellingtons Band Call. At the end of the track Oscar plays 3 increasingly syncopated resolutions leading on the 4th occasion to the end of the tune.

Perhaps the only thing you don't get on this album is the virtuoso Peterson (try the "The Trio" or "Tracks" for this). Sure some of this stuff requires excellent technique, but even at this level Oscar still has another gear.

As previous reviewers have said, special mention should be made of "Hymn To Freedom". This is a marvellous Peterson original with a great performance. A fitting way to end a superb album.

Night Train - A DREAM of a musical journey., 28 Mar 2006
This CD is quite simply breathtaking in its virtuosity and emotional refinement. We have become used to the genius of Peterson but this selection informs us that there are degrees of excellence to which few aspire and even fewer reach. Peterson does - and with such aplomb!
Outstanding, for me, is the track of his own composition - Hymn to Freedom - where the tremoloed chords stress the struggle against the bigotry and injustice which human beings accord to other creatures. It is surely a great epitaph to two of the greatest who ever lived - anywhere:- Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King. It is also a credo for all of humanity carefully to examine our consciences and let them rest easily with our souls.

Do hear this selection - it is quite simply spellbinding.

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands of times by thousands of artists and continue to be a top staple for jazz as its played all over the world. They have spilled over from jazz into other mediums. They introduced the wider world to the music of Brazil. Arguably the earlier Getz/Byrd, album put Brazil on the wider musical map but it was this album that exposed it in all its exotic glory.

Brazil is a land in which there are as many genres of music as there are in the rest of the world put together. The influence of Jobim and Bossa and their quintessence as captured in these songs, on this album, continues to be a point of departure and return for any number of musical offshoots in their home country, and beyond, to this very day.

From a musicological point of view the impact of this album is unprecedented. There is no other album which has so vividly alerted such a huge proportion of the world to what was going on in a previously little known lesser part of the world, the repercussions of which are still playing out, with vivacity and freshness, almost fifty years later.

Sax Max, 02 Jun 2006
Bossa Nova was and is not to everybody's taste. Many jazz aficianados can't stand Astrud Gilberto's singing either. The thing with this session in particular, however, is Stan Getz's playing. There is only one word for it - divine! Which is why I suspect there are so many accolades for this CD. The brevity and melodiousness of his ideas is quite exceptional, not so on many other examples of his work before or after.

I love jazz and I like this, but I can't say I can listen to Bossa Nova all the time. Stan Getz on this CD, however, I don't think I'll tire of...

Getting in the groove, 31 Dec 2005
Great album for bossa nova. Fun to listen and get in the groove of dreaming of Brazil.. or mellow enough to have in the background for a wine party.

Getz/Gilberto, 06 May 2004
I think you either have an innate love of this sort of music built in or it is something that will be totally lost on you ...if its there and you stumble across it you will never look back..
I already had 7 of the tracks on other cd's but the three i did'nt have are absolutely enchanting and worth the price on their own.
I could listen to this a thousand times and find something new in Stan Getz's incredible intonation every time.
If you hav'nt heard this stuff before,if you have an open mind,like walking on a deserted beach just where the sea meets the sand,if you love living ...you might just love this...
The best Bossa Nova there is.

Mark

Pure Cool, 26 Feb 2004
I've been listening to jazz for about 5 years now and wanting to broaden my taste i thought this would be a good direction to go. And what a direction to go!! The album has the ever popular Girl From Ipanema but the more i listen to it, the more i fall in love with the beauty of the other songs. Stan Getz ability is beyond words, as goes for Jobim on the guitar. The voices of Joau and Astrud Gilberto round the album off superbly causing you to hum and sing with them. This album has shown me there is more to bossa nova than i thought. So buy it, and then sit back, close your eyes and think of Brazil!!!

One of Dexter's best, 25 Jun 2004
This is a cracking album and I totally agree with the other reviewer as this is a disc that is frequently in my CD player.
Although my preference would be for the other Blue Note recorded in Paris with Kenny Clarke and Bud Powell, this is a hugely enjoyable set, Dexter playing with his customary wry sense of humour and backed by a hard-hitting rythmn section. Like many other discs of the era on the Blue Note label, the recording quality is good and the standard of material is very high. No duff tracks on this one.
Dexter's style of playing with his huge, impressive tone was unique - owing something to the more Romantic players of the generation of Coleman Hawkins but taking on the harmonies and rythmns of Be-bop. This is a good introduction to one of the kings of the tenor including barn-storming swingers, a latin treatment of "Love for sale" and a couple of exceptionally well crafted ballads. Recommended.

Dexter Gordons tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique!, 09 Aug 2001
This is Dexter Gordon at his finest. As one of the most prolific sax players off his time, this album is a showcase for his talent to play and embellish on the most simple melodic lines. As a sax player myself, the album influenced me massively, his tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique. This version of 'Cheesecake' is perhaps his best recording, with his repetition and variation you can't help but get taken into his own world of sound. This is the first album of his that I bought and I have subsequently nearly completed my collection of Dexter Gordon - I need not say more, except buy it and you will understand what I felt when first hearing it.

Excellent music for all ages and tastes. You can't go wrong with this!!! , 18 Oct 2008
This music album was made in 1963 and it's totally timeless and as fresh in 2008 as when it was first made. I'm 43 and my dad is 70. My 8 year old son and all of us can't get enough of this. Getz's Chega De Saudade (One note samba) is totally the best jazz funk ever and all the other melodies are totally gold as well. You can buy this for yourslef or as a gift for a friend and it's totally priceless - worth a 100 times it's weight in gold. Enjoy!!!!

Great disc - everyone should have this in their collection, 20 May 2007
I grew up during the '60s and this was another of the great musical themes of the time but I believe its much more enduring than the Beatles and will outlive rock. That aside I just love the relaxed happy snap and swing of '60s Bossa Nova and no one does it better than Getz and friends - ironic really when you think of it - an American jazz musician driving the popularity and enduring for 50 years that way!
If you don't know something from this disc I'd be surprised and whilst I know my own kids aren't wrapped in it, I don't understand that and think they will come round any day soon!
If you like sax and latin styles you should give this a go (that's one of the other discs you should have by the way "Getz a go go" live with Astrid Gilberto, again very much of the time yet timeless. I love the interpretative irony of the telephone song).

The best Stan Getz Album, 07 Mar 2000
The best Stan Getz album money can buy. Relaxing soothing sounds to wind down to. Jazz Masters have excelled themselves with this selection.

Very cool and laid back., 16 Jan 2000
Very relaxing,just the thing after a hard days work. You can't help relaxing with a drink listening to this . A very well put together cd, good mix of classic tracks,well balanced to give you a cool and laid back evening!

Really is "The Essential" Charlie Parker!!, 22 Sep 2006
I must admit I hadn't heard much Charlie Parker before buying this album as an introduction to bebops founder and one of the world's finest saxophonists to date. After listening to both CD's in this double set right through various times I was addicted and I'm sure I shall buy much more of his work very soon. Many of the bebop enthusiasts I know agreed that the choice of song's on this album were very well selected and clearly outline the saxophonists different stages in his musical career. I recommend this album to diehard bebop fans and everyone else alike either to hear the amazing musicianship, unpressedented composing skills or just to know where every musician in the world hs gained some kind of influence. Pure Genious!!!

Rethink Your Favorite Muscial Style!!!, 04 May 2007
Having grown up with the popular music of the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and loved music from Classical to Heavy Metal but not Jazz. In the past two years I have been introduced to Oscar Peterson and I could almost throw all other genres away after living with this album for the last six months. This is absolute total musical perfection and an awesome early 60s recording.

Looking forward to getting to know other albums.

ahead of its time and quite simply adorable., 01 Mar 2007
I love this album. I listened to Oscar when i was a child, my dad was always playing it and countless other jazz records and it reminds me of good times. Setting aside nostalgia this makes me realise just how talented Oscar Peterson is, hes one of very few pianists that still gives me the shivers. I can truely relate to this recording and i shall look out for more classic Peterson Trio recordings in the future. There isnt a dud in this collection, its a true classic worthy of 10 stars at least and I hope you love it as much I do.

Essential Oscar., 13 Dec 2006
There is not much that can be said, that hasn't already been written about this album. This is definative Oscar Peterson and should be in everyones collection. It is also by the best trio that Oscar Peterson ever had,and has truly stood the test of time. In short, if you havn't got it, get this essential album NOW.

Essential Peterson, 16 Sep 2006
This is the Oscar Peterson album that everybody should have. Committed followers know its one of the very best, and newcomers won't find anything too dificult on it. This is the first CD I ever bought 21 years ago and I've been playing it ever since.

The basic feel of the album is blues. C Jam Blues, Night Train, Thing Ain't What They Used To Be, Moten Swing and Honey Dripper are all blues or blues related. However there's great variety amongst these tracks, contrast the mellow version of "Things Ain't What..." with the swinging version of "Honey Dripper".

On this album Peterson makes everything sound effortless, whether its his uptempo playing or superb ballad playing (such as on I Ain't Got It Bad..). My favourite track is Ellingtons Band Call. At the end of the track Oscar plays 3 increasingly syncopated resolutions leading on the 4th occasion to the end of the tune.

Perhaps the only thing you don't get on this album is the virtuoso Peterson (try the "The Trio" or "Tracks" for this). Sure some of this stuff requires excellent technique, but even at this level Oscar still has another gear.

As previous reviewers have said, special mention should be made of "Hymn To Freedom". This is a marvellous Peterson original with a great performance. A fitting way to end a superb album.

Night Train - A DREAM of a musical journey., 28 Mar 2006
This CD is quite simply breathtaking in its virtuosity and emotional refinement. We have become used to the genius of Peterson but this selection informs us that there are degrees of excellence to which few aspire and even fewer reach. Peterson does - and with such aplomb!
Outstanding, for me, is the track of his own composition - Hymn to Freedom - where the tremoloed chords stress the struggle against the bigotry and injustice which human beings accord to other creatures. It is surely a great epitaph to two of the greatest who ever lived - anywhere:- Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King. It is also a credo for all of humanity carefully to examine our consciences and let them rest easily with our souls.

Do hear this selection - it is quite simply spellbinding.

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands of times by thousands of artists and continue to be a top staple for jazz as its played all over the world. They have spilled over from jazz into other mediums. They introduced the wider world to the music of Brazil. Arguably the earlier Getz/Byrd, album put Brazil on the wider musical map but it was this album that exposed it in all its exotic glory.

Brazil is a land in which there are as many genres of music as there are in the rest of the world put together. The influence of Jobim and Bossa and their quintessence as captured in these songs, on this album, continues to be a point of departure and return for any number of musical offshoots in their home country, and beyond, to this very day.

From a musicological point of view the impact of this album is unprecedented. There is no other album which has so vividly alerted such a huge proportion of the world to what was going on in a previously little known lesser part of the world, the repercussions of which are still playing out, with vivacity and freshness, almost fifty years later.

Sax Max, 02 Jun 2006
Bossa Nova was and is not to everybody's taste. Many jazz aficianados can't stand Astrud Gilberto's singing either. The thing with this session in particular, however, is Stan Getz's playing. There is only one word for it - divine! Which is why I suspect there are so many accolades for this CD. The brevity and melodiousness of his ideas is quite exceptional, not so on many other examples of his work before or after.

I love jazz and I like this, but I can't say I can listen to Bossa Nova all the time. Stan Getz on this CD, however, I don't think I'll tire of...

Getting in the groove, 31 Dec 2005
Great album for bossa nova. Fun to listen and get in the groove of dreaming of Brazil.. or mellow enough to have in the background for a wine party.

Getz/Gilberto, 06 May 2004
I think you either have an innate love of this sort of music built in or it is something that will be totally lost on you ...if its there and you stumble across it you will never look back..
I already had 7 of the tracks on other cd's but the three i did'nt have are absolutely enchanting and worth the price on their own.
I could listen to this a thousand times and find something new in Stan Getz's incredible intonation every time.
If you hav'nt heard this stuff before,if you have an open mind,like walking on a deserted beach just where the sea meets the sand,if you love living ...you might just love this...
The best Bossa Nova there is.

Mark

Pure Cool, 26 Feb 2004
I've been listening to jazz for about 5 years now and wanting to broaden my taste i thought this would be a good direction to go. And what a direction to go!! The album has the ever popular Girl From Ipanema but the more i listen to it, the more i fall in love with the beauty of the other songs. Stan Getz ability is beyond words, as goes for Jobim on the guitar. The voices of Joau and Astrud Gilberto round the album off superbly causing you to hum and sing with them. This album has shown me there is more to bossa nova than i thought. So buy it, and then sit back, close your eyes and think of Brazil!!!

One of Dexter's best, 25 Jun 2004
This is a cracking album and I totally agree with the other reviewer as this is a disc that is frequently in my CD player.
Although my preference would be for the other Blue Note recorded in Paris with Kenny Clarke and Bud Powell, this is a hugely enjoyable set, Dexter playing with his customary wry sense of humour and backed by a hard-hitting rythmn section. Like many other discs of the era on the Blue Note label, the recording quality is good and the standard of material is very high. No duff tracks on this one.
Dexter's style of playing with his huge, impressive tone was unique - owing something to the more Romantic players of the generation of Coleman Hawkins but taking on the harmonies and rythmns of Be-bop. This is a good introduction to one of the kings of the tenor including barn-storming swingers, a latin treatment of "Love for sale" and a couple of exceptionally well crafted ballads. Recommended.

Dexter Gordons tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique!, 09 Aug 2001
This is Dexter Gordon at his finest. As one of the most prolific sax players off his time, this album is a showcase for his talent to play and embellish on the most simple melodic lines. As a sax player myself, the album influenced me massively, his tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique. This version of 'Cheesecake' is perhaps his best recording, with his repetition and variation you can't help but get taken into his own world of sound. This is the first album of his that I bought and I have subsequently nearly completed my collection of Dexter Gordon - I need not say more, except buy it and you will understand what I felt when first hearing it.

Excellent music for all ages and tastes. You can't go wrong with this!!! , 18 Oct 2008
This music album was made in 1963 and it's totally timeless and as fresh in 2008 as when it was first made. I'm 43 and my dad is 70. My 8 year old son and all of us can't get enough of this. Getz's Chega De Saudade (One note samba) is totally the best jazz funk ever and all the other melodies are totally gold as well. You can buy this for yourslef or as a gift for a friend and it's totally priceless - worth a 100 times it's weight in gold. Enjoy!!!!

Great disc - everyone should have this in their collection, 20 May 2007
I grew up during the '60s and this was another of the great musical themes of the time but I believe its much more enduring than the Beatles and will outlive rock. That aside I just love the relaxed happy snap and swing of '60s Bossa Nova and no one does it better than Getz and friends - ironic really when you think of it - an American jazz musician driving the popularity and enduring for 50 years that way!
If you don't know something from this disc I'd be surprised and whilst I know my own kids aren't wrapped in it, I don't understand that and think they will come round any day soon!
If you like sax and latin styles you should give this a go (that's one of the other discs you should have by the way "Getz a go go" live with Astrid Gilberto, again very much of the time yet timeless. I love the interpretative irony of the telephone song).

The best Stan Getz Album, 07 Mar 2000
The best Stan Getz album money can buy. Relaxing soothing sounds to wind down to. Jazz Masters have excelled themselves with this selection.

Very cool and laid back., 16 Jan 2000
Very relaxing,just the thing after a hard days work. You can't help relaxing with a drink listening to this . A very well put together cd, good mix of classic tracks,well balanced to give you a cool and laid back evening!

Really is "The Essential" Charlie Parker!!, 22 Sep 2006
I must admit I hadn't heard much Charlie Parker before buying this album as an introduction to bebops founder and one of the world's finest saxophonists to date. After listening to both CD's in this double set right through various times I was addicted and I'm sure I shall buy much more of his work very soon. Many of the bebop enthusiasts I know agreed that the choice of song's on this album were very well selected and clearly outline the saxophonists different stages in his musical career. I recommend this album to diehard bebop fans and everyone else alike either to hear the amazing musicianship, unpressedented composing skills or just to know where every musician in the world hs gained some kind of influence. Pure Genious!!!

Better than average. Not all of it is genius, 23 Aug 2008
Mr Bungle. With a name like that, you know its gonna be odd, or maybe humorous? Alas, the band have some cool toilet humour included. Some of the talking sections at the end of songs hit the mark, most fall flat however. I dont like the circus sections of the songs. It cheesy, plain and simple. Sometimes the record breaks down into cacophony such as #My Ass is on Fire, which I really enjoy until the 6 minute mark then it gets pointless.

However, there are some excellent songs on here, such as Slowly Growing Deaf, Carousel (which reminds me a bit of Madness when Pattons voice kicks in), The Girls of Porn (extremely humorous lyrics) and Quote Unquote.

They are definately unfocused on a lot of these songs however. I rate Mr Bungle second to Faith No More, as they wrote songs that were both traditional and experimental without losing the focus within a song. The same goes for Patton. I enjoy his screaming, but I dont wanna hear a 2 minute breakdown of screaming. I want structure, not pointless noise.

Some great tracks for sure, but its no Angel Dust.

Offbeat Masterpiece, 10 Jun 2008
I got into Mr Bungle back in high school - predictably via Faith no More - I wasn't sure what to expect upon buying this CD, which was probably a good thing at the time as it really does defy any sort of categorising - the only thing you can say for certain is that it's definitely NOT a Faith No More record, and anyone buying it hoping it's like that defunct band's sound will be sorely disappointed I think...

There's probably every sort of genre you can imagine thrown in there, but they all seamlessly tie together and mesh into the next "song". The musicianship and technical virtuosity of all members involved is astonishing, but despite what you might have heard, there are some great hooks to be had here, and plenty of bizarre humour (if you like that sort of thing in your music) as well as a whimsical (and genuine) importance-of-manners-for children PSA-type thing featuring the eponymous Mr Bungle.

Having had to sell the CD years back, I'm almost certainly going to re-buy soon - if for no other reason than to listen to Trevor Dunn's superlative bass work again - the only gripe I would have however, would be the dated, adolescent themes of Patton's lyrics - songs about masturbation are mildly humourous to listen to when you're 16 years old, but some fifteen years later it just sounds immature and daft. That said, given the choice of listening to this or an Oasis album, I'd pick this every time...

Anyone wanting to investigate Mr Bungle should buy this album, arguably being the most accessible of their releases - just remember to keep your musical mind open

A Carnival for the Human Race, 04 Jul 2007
I did not really know what to expect when I bought this album. It turns out it is a work of twisted Genius. GENIOUS I TELL YOU! This album is a fantastic variety of sounds & styles, from Metal to Jazz to Funk to my favourite; CLOWN MUSIC! In fact clown music or carnival music is probably the closest description for this music. It is varied, an engaging listen, & HILARIOUS e.g Girls of Porn. Every time you listen to a song you discover something new like a new favourite 20 second riff of vocal line. It still happens to me & i've listened to the albums of times! If you try to show this album to people, they will either laugh or they will smile & walk away, ordinary people do not understand the majesty of Mr Bungle, & are worse off for it. The only problem with this album are the long silences at the end of each track, although you can hear some noises, you dont know waht they are. Overall though, the best album I bought in 5 years, & a bargain at just a fiver. BUY IT NOW

terrifying and eclectic, 22 Mar 2007
If you think music should be about unsettling and frightening people as well as uplifting them, this is the album for you. Whilst it proves to give us a bit more access into the thoughts of Mike Patton than we really need, his voice is certainly at its best here; at times soulful and sweet, at others simply deranged. John Zorn provides farmyard alto sax and produces the album superbly - some of the sounds here are truly remarkable. Check out the bizarre stereo panning towards the end of Dead Goon.

Things start well with Quote Unquote, a scary and bizarre meditation on the troubled psyche of John Travolta which is also laugh-out-loud funny. Who can resist Patton crooning "It's the time, it's the place, it's the motion" over swirling horror-movie synths? Carousel is an amusing and menacing ska/heavy metal track about the inherent spookiness of fairgrounds. Elsewhere, all kinds of musical styles are mixed and matched; thrash metal, lounge jazz, Mantovani, surf rock, fusion. The flirtations with funk-rock are now very dated but luckily they're shortlived.

Quotes from David Lynch's Blue Velvet are littered throughout the album and it's surprising the man himself hasn't repaid the compliment and used some of this music for his own movies - it would seem the perfect soundtrack. True, bands like Slipknot and Limp Bizkit probably wouldn't exist without this album - but don't let that put you off.



Brilliant, Simply Brilliant, 12 Sep 2005
Mr Bungle's Debut album is a great rollercoaster ride of music, strange noises, heavy rock and of course Patton's trade mark vocal acrobatics. I loved it. Listening to the demo's of this album you can see the vision they had and pretty much executed it to the extreme in a great 'hello' to the world of music.
The tracks that stand out in my mind are 'Girls of porn' with its peverted lyrics and funky tune, 'Carousel' with its demented and crazy carn-evil feel to it, drwaing all kinds of visions and thoughts in my head, and last but not least 'Quote UnQuote' which is really a very interesting and somewhat creepy track. The rest of the tracks are amazing too and as any Bungle fan would feel the same, I'm sure you will love it.
Its a far cry from Fantomas and Tomahawk or even FNM, but still a very large peice of Pattonasia, and my personal favourate.

Rethink Your Favorite Muscial Style!!!, 04 May 2007
Having grown up with the popular music of the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and loved music from Classical to Heavy Metal but not Jazz. In the past two years I have been introduced to Oscar Peterson and I could almost throw all other genres away after living with this album for the last six months. This is absolute total musical perfection and an awesome early 60s recording.

Looking forward to getting to know other albums.

ahead of its time and quite simply adorable., 01 Mar 2007
I love this album. I listened to Oscar when i was a child, my dad was always playing it and countless other jazz records and it reminds me of good times. Setting aside nostalgia this makes me realise just how talented Oscar Peterson is, hes one of very few pianists that still gives me the shivers. I can truely relate to this recording and i shall look out for more classic Peterson Trio recordings in the future. There isnt a dud in this collection, its a true classic worthy of 10 stars at least and I hope you love it as much I do.

Essential Oscar., 13 Dec 2006
There is not much that can be said, that hasn't already been written about this album. This is definative Oscar Peterson and should be in everyones collection. It is also by the best trio that Oscar Peterson ever had,and has truly stood the test of time. In short, if you havn't got it, get this essential album NOW.

Essential Peterson, 16 Sep 2006
This is the Oscar Peterson album that everybody should have. Committed followers know its one of the very best, and newcomers won't find anything too dificult on it. This is the first CD I ever bought 21 years ago and I've been playing it ever since.

The basic feel of the album is blues. C Jam Blues, Night Train, Thing Ain't What They Used To Be, Moten Swing and Honey Dripper are all blues or blues related. However there's great variety amongst these tracks, contrast the mellow version of "Things Ain't What..." with the swinging version of "Honey Dripper".

On this album Peterson makes everything sound effortless, whether its his uptempo playing or superb ballad playing (such as on I Ain't Got It Bad..). My favourite track is Ellingtons Band Call. At the end of the track Oscar plays 3 increasingly syncopated resolutions leading on the 4th occasion to the end of the tune.

Perhaps the only thing you don't get on this album is the virtuoso Peterson (try the "The Trio" or "Tracks" for this). Sure some of this stuff requires excellent technique, but even at this level Oscar still has another gear.

As previous reviewers have said, special mention should be made of "Hymn To Freedom". This is a marvellous Peterson original with a great performance. A fitting way to end a superb album.

Night Train - A DREAM of a musical journey., 28 Mar 2006
This CD is quite simply breathtaking in its virtuosity and emotional refinement. We have become used to the genius of Peterson but this selection informs us that there are degrees of excellence to which few aspire and even fewer reach. Peterson does - and with such aplomb!
Outstanding, for me, is the track of his own composition - Hymn to Freedom - where the tremoloed chords stress the struggle against the bigotry and injustice which human beings accord to other creatures. It is surely a great epitaph to two of the greatest who ever lived - anywhere:- Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King. It is also a credo for all of humanity carefully to examine our consciences and let them rest easily with our souls.

Do hear this selection - it is quite simply spellbinding.

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands of times by thousands of artists and continue to be a top staple for jazz as its played all over the world. They have spilled over from jazz into other mediums. They introduced the wider world to the music of Brazil. Arguably the earlier Getz/Byrd, album put Brazil on the wider musical map but it was this album that exposed it in all its exotic glory.

Brazil is a land in which there are as many genres of music as there are in the rest of the world put together. The influence of Jobim and Bossa and their quintessence as captured in these songs, on this album, continues to be a point of departure and return for any number of musical offshoots in their home country, and beyond, to this very day.

From a musicological point of view the impact of this album is unprecedented. There is no other album which has so vividly alerted such a huge proportion of the world to what was going on in a previously little known lesser part of the world, the repercussions of which are still playing out, with vivacity and freshness, almost fifty years later.

Sax Max, 02 Jun 2006
Bossa Nova was and is not to everybody's taste. Many jazz aficianados can't stand Astrud Gilberto's singing either. The thing with this session in particular, however, is Stan Getz's playing. There is only one word for it - divine! Which is why I suspect there are so many accolades for this CD. The brevity and melodiousness of his ideas is quite exceptional, not so on many other examples of his work before or after.

I love jazz and I like this, but I can't say I can listen to Bossa Nova all the time. Stan Getz on this CD, however, I don't think I'll tire of...

Getting in the groove, 31 Dec 2005
Great album for bossa nova. Fun to listen and get in the groove of dreaming of Brazil.. or mellow enough to have in the background for a wine party.

Getz/Gilberto, 06 May 2004
I think you either have an innate love of this sort of music built in or it is something that will be totally lost on you ...if its there and you stumble across it you will never look back..
I already had 7 of the tracks on other cd's but the three i did'nt have are absolutely enchanting and worth the price on their own.
I could listen to this a thousand times and find something new in Stan Getz's incredible intonation every time.
If you hav'nt heard this stuff before,if you have an open mind,like walking on a deserted beach just where the sea meets the sand,if you love living ...you might just love this...
The best Bossa Nova there is.

Mark

Pure Cool, 26 Feb 2004
I've been listening to jazz for about 5 years now and wanting to broaden my taste i thought this would be a good direction to go. And what a direction to go!! The album has the ever popular Girl From Ipanema but the more i listen to it, the more i fall in love with the beauty of the other songs. Stan Getz ability is beyond words, as goes for Jobim on the guitar. The voices of Joau and Astrud Gilberto round the album off superbly causing you to hum and sing with them. This album has shown me there is more to bossa nova than i thought. So buy it, and then sit back, close your eyes and think of Brazil!!!

One of Dexter's best, 25 Jun 2004
This is a cracking album and I totally agree with the other reviewer as this is a disc that is frequently in my CD player.
Although my preference would be for the other Blue Note recorded in Paris with Kenny Clarke and Bud Powell, this is a hugely enjoyable set, Dexter playing with his customary wry sense of humour and backed by a hard-hitting rythmn section. Like many other discs of the era on the Blue Note label, the recording quality is good and the standard of material is very high. No duff tracks on this one.
Dexter's style of playing with his huge, impressive tone was unique - owing something to the more Romantic players of the generation of Coleman Hawkins but taking on the harmonies and rythmns of Be-bop. This is a good introduction to one of the kings of the tenor including barn-storming swingers, a latin treatment of "Love for sale" and a couple of exceptionally well crafted ballads. Recommended.

Dexter Gordons tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique!, 09 Aug 2001
This is Dexter Gordon at his finest. As one of the most prolific sax players off his time, this album is a showcase for his talent to play and embellish on the most simple melodic lines. As a sax player myself, the album influenced me massively, his tone and 'behind the beat' timing is unique. This version of 'Cheesecake' is perhaps his best recording, with his repetition and variation you can't help but get taken into his own world of sound. This is the first album of his that I bought and I have subsequently nearly completed my collection of Dexter Gordon - I need not say more, except buy it and you will understand what I felt when first hearing it.

Excellent music for all ages and tastes. You can't go wrong with this!!! , 18 Oct 2008
This music album was made in 1963 and it's totally timeless and as fresh in 2008 as when it was first made. I'm 43 and my dad is 70. My 8 year old son and all of us can't get enough of this. Getz's Chega De Saudade (One note samba) is totally the best jazz funk ever and all the other melodies are totally gold as well. You can buy this for yourslef or as a gift for a friend and it's totally priceless - worth a 100 times it's weight in gold. Enjoy!!!!

Great disc - everyone should have this in their collection, 20 May 2007
I grew up during the '60s and this was another of the great musical themes of the time but I believe its much more enduring than the Beatles and will outlive rock. That aside I just love the relaxed happy snap and swing of '60s Bossa Nova and no one does it better than Getz and friends - ironic really when you think of it - an American jazz musician driving the popularity and enduring for 50 years that way!
If you don't know something from this disc I'd be surprised and whilst I know my own kids aren't wrapped in it, I don't understand that and think they will come round any day soon!
If you like sax and latin styles you should give this a go (that's one of the other discs you should have by the way "Getz a go go" live with Astrid Gilberto, again very much of the time yet timeless. I love the interpretative irony of the telephone song).

The best Stan Getz Album, 07 Mar 2000
The best Stan Getz album money can buy. Relaxing soothing sounds to wind down to. Jazz Masters have excelled themselves with this selection.

Very cool and laid back., 16 Jan 2000
Very relaxing,just the thing after a hard days work. You can't help relaxing with a drink listening to this . A very well put together cd, good mix of classic tracks,well balanced to give you a cool and laid back evening!

Really is "The Essential" Charlie Parker!!, 22 Sep 2006
I must admit I hadn't heard much Charlie Parker before buying this album as an introduction to bebops founder and one of the world's finest saxophonists to date. After listening to both CD's in this double set right through various times I was addicted and I'm sure I shall buy much more of his work very soon. Many of the bebop enthusiasts I know agreed that the choice of song's on this album were very well selected and clearly outline the saxophonists different stages in his musical career. I recommend this album to diehard bebop fans and everyone else alike either to hear the amazing musicianship, unpressedented composing skills or just to know where every musician in the world hs gained some kind of influence. Pure Genious!!!

Better than average. Not all of it is genius, 23 Aug 2008
Mr Bungle. With a name like that, you know its gonna be odd, or maybe humorous? Alas, the band have some cool toilet humour included. Some of the talking sections at the end of songs hit the mark, most fall flat however. I dont like the circus sections of the songs. It cheesy, plain and simple. Sometimes the record breaks down into cacophony such as #My Ass is on Fire, which I really enjoy until the 6 minute mark then it gets pointless.

However, there are some excellent songs on here, such as Slowly Growing Deaf, Carousel (which reminds me a bit of Madness when Pattons voice kicks in), The Girls of Porn (extremely humorous lyrics) and Quote Unquote.

They are definately unfocused on a lot of these songs however. I rate Mr Bungle second to Faith No More, as they wrote songs that were both traditional and experimental without losing the focus within a song. The same goes for Patton. I enjoy his screaming, but I dont wanna hear a 2 minute breakdown of screaming. I want structure, not pointless noise.

Some great tracks for sure, but its no Angel Dust.

Offbeat Masterpiece, 10 Jun 2008
I got into Mr Bungle back in high school - predictably via Faith no More - I wasn't sure what to expect upon buying this CD, which was probably a good thing at the time as it really does defy any sort of categorising - the only thing you can say for certain is that it's definitely NOT a Faith No More record, and anyone buying it hoping it's like that defunct band's sound will be sorely disappointed I think...

There's probably every sort of genre you can imagine thrown in there, but they all seamlessly tie together and mesh into the next "song". The musicianship and technical virtuosity of all members involved is astonishing, but despite what you might have heard, there are some great hooks to be had here, and plenty of bizarre humour (if you like that sort of thing in your music) as well as a whimsical (and genuine) importance-of-manners-for children PSA-type thing featuring the eponymous Mr Bungle.

Having had to sell the CD years back, I'm almost certainly going to re-buy soon - if for no other reason than to listen to Trevor Dunn's superlative bass work again - the only gripe I would have however, would be the dated, adolescent themes of Patton's lyrics - songs about masturbation are mildly humourous to listen to when you're 16 years old, but some fifteen years later it just sounds immature and daft. That said, given the choice of listening to this or an Oasis album, I'd pick this every time...

Anyone wanting to investigate Mr Bungle should buy this album, arguably being the most accessible of their releases - just remember to keep your musical mind open

A Carnival for the Human Race, 04 Jul 2007
I did not really know what to expect when I bought this album. It turns out it is a work of twisted Genius. GENIOUS I TELL YOU! This album is a fantastic variety of sounds & styles, from Metal to Jazz to Funk to my favourite; CLOWN MUSIC! In fact clown music or carnival music is probably the closest description for this music. It is varied, an engaging listen, & HILARIOUS e.g Girls of Porn. Every time you listen to a song you discover something new like a new favourite 20 second riff of vocal line. It still happens to me & i've listened to the albums of times! If you try to show this album to people, they will either laugh or they will smile & walk away, ordinary people do not understand the majesty of Mr Bungle, & are worse off for it. The only problem with this album are the long silences at the end of each track, although you can hear some noises, you dont know waht they are. Overall though, the best album I bought in 5 years, & a bargain at just a fiver. BUY IT NOW

terrifying and eclectic, 22 Mar 2007
If you think music should be about unsettling and frightening people as well as uplifting them, this is the album for you. Whilst it proves to give us a bit more access into the thoughts of Mike Patton than we really need, his voice is certainly at its best here; at times soulful and sweet, at others simply deranged. John Zorn provides farmyard alto sax and produces the album superbly - some of the sounds here are truly remarkable. Check out the bizarre stereo panning towards the end of Dead Goon.

Things start well with Quote Unquote, a scary and bizarre meditation on the troubled psyche of John Travolta which is also laugh-out-loud funny. Who can resist Patton crooning "It's the time, it's the place, it's the motion" over swirling horror-movie synths? Carousel is an amusing and menacing ska/heavy metal track about the inherent spookiness of fairgrounds. Elsewhere, all kinds of musical styles are mixed and matched; thrash metal, lounge jazz, Mantovani, surf rock, fusion. The flirtations with funk-rock are now very dated but luckily they're shortlived.

Quotes from David Lynch's Blue Velvet are littered throughout the album and it's surprising the man himself hasn't repaid the compliment and used some of this music for his own movies - it would seem the perfect soundtrack. True, bands like Slipknot and Limp Bizkit probably wouldn't exist without this album - but don't let that put you off.



Brilliant, Simply Brilliant, 12 Sep 2005
Mr Bungle's Debut album is a great rollercoaster ride of music, strange noises, heavy rock and of course Patton's trade mark vocal acrobatics. I loved it. Listening to the demo's of this album you can see the vision they had and pretty much executed it to the extreme in a great 'hello' to the world of music.
The tracks that stand out in my mind are 'Girls of porn' with its peverted lyrics and funky tune, 'Carousel' with its demented and crazy carn-evil feel to it, drwaing all kinds of visions and thoughts in my head, and last but not least 'Quote UnQuote' which is really a very interesting and somewhat creepy track. The rest of the tracks are amazing too and as any Bungle fan would feel the same, I'm sure you will love it.
Its a far cry from Fantomas and Tomahawk or even FNM, but still a very large peice of Pattonasia, and my personal favourate.

Leave the Original Alone, 15 Jul 2007
First of, there are three exceptional tracks here - Un Poco Loco, Night in Tunesia & Dance of Infidels. Bouncing With Bud is pretty good too. However, We are then given the dubious pleasure of not one, but two alternative takes of the latter (back to back I might add) There are also alternative takes of Wail, Dance of the Infidels, It Could Happen To You, A Night In Tunesia & Un Poco Loco! This is infuriating, partly because these alternatate takes hardly differ from the the original (in fact takes were blended together to make the original tracks) So you have to wonder, why wasn't this done here? If you must give us alternative takes; but them at the end of CD, so we can hear the original album how it was intended by the artist. Hands off and use some imagination!

Turbulent beauty, 02 Jun 2001
One of the shallowest things that could be said about Bud Powell is that he was a bop pianist, and yet this is how he is most frequently described. Almost certainly this is because of his celebrated association with Bird and Diz, and because of his chronological place in jazz history. But the label gives a very limited picture of a composer and pianist of unusual vision and originality.

Powell suffered from severe mental health problems, and many of his explorations on piano are profound reflections of his innermost turmoil - "Glass Enclosure", "Parisian Thoroughfare", "Dance of the Infidels" and "Un Poco Loco" are prime examples not just of this, but of his compositional breadth and complexity. Perhaps more remarkable, however, are his highly unorthodox interpretations of the bop classics, "A Night in Tunisia" and "Ornithology", both of which he had performed with Bird and Diz.

This volume and its companion, Volume 2, document Bud Powell in a number of settings, and offer alternative takes of several pieces. Rarely are alternative takes so interesting. Powell never quite approached a piece the same way, almost as if, like Eric Dolphy after him, he felt that the moment was lost in the air and it was vital to capture everything the music could express. Recently labels have taken to searching their vaults for previously discarded takes and boost the playing time of CDs by including them on re-releases. Sometimes these extras offer revelations, but more often they add little of value to an artist's legacy. However, the "alternate master" takes on these Blue Notes are essential in themselves to gaining an insight into Powell's turbulent spirit. The invited artists are no less fascinating. In particular, look out for a very young and brilliant Sonny Rollins on one of his earliest appearances on record, and the incredible electrifying trumpet playing of Fats Navarro.

Rethink Your Favorite Muscial Style!!!, 04 May 2007
Having grown up with the popular music of the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and loved music from Classical to Heavy Metal but not Jazz. In the past two years I have been introduced to Oscar Peterson and I could almost throw all other genres away after living with this album for the last six months. This is absolute total musical perfection and an awesome early 60s recording.

Looking forward to getting to know other albums.

ahead of its time and quite simply adorable., 01 Mar 2007
I love this album. I listened to Oscar when i was a child, my dad was always playing it and countless other jazz records and it reminds me of good times. Setting aside nostalgia this makes me realise just how talented Oscar Peterson is, hes one of very few pianists that still gives me the shivers. I can truely relate to this recording and i shall look out for more classic Peterson Trio recordings in the future. There isnt a dud in this collection, its a true classic worthy of 10 stars at least and I hope you love it as much I do.

Essential Oscar., 13 Dec 2006
There is not much that can be said, that hasn't already been written about this album. This is definative Oscar Peterson and should be in everyones collection. It is also by the best trio that Oscar Peterson ever had,and has truly stood the test of time. In short, if you havn't got it, get this essential album NOW.

Essential Peterson, 16 Sep 2006
This is the Oscar Peterson album that everybody should have. Committed followers know its one of the very best, and newcomers won't find anything too dificult on it. This is the first CD I ever bought 21 years ago and I've been playing it ever since.

The basic feel of the album is blues. C Jam Blues, Night Train, Thing Ain't What They Used To Be, Moten Swing and Honey Dripper are all blues or blues related. However there's great variety amongst these tracks, contrast the mellow version of "Things Ain't What..." with the swinging version of "Honey Dripper".

On this album Peterson makes everything sound effortless, whether its his uptempo playing or superb ballad playing (such as on I Ain't Got It Bad..). My favourite track is Ellingtons Band Call. At the end of the track Oscar plays 3 increasingly syncopated resolutions leading on the 4th occasion to the end of the tune.

Perhaps the only thing you don't get on this album is the virtuoso Peterson (try the "The Trio" or "Tracks" for this). Sure some of this stuff requires excellent technique, but even at this level Oscar still has another gear.

As previous reviewers have said, special mention should be made of "Hymn To Freedom". This is a marvellous Peterson original with a great performance. A fitting way to end a superb album.

Night Train - A DREAM of a musical journey., 28 Mar 2006
This CD is quite simply breathtaking in its virtuosity and emotional refinement. We have become used to the genius of Peterson but this selection informs us that there are degrees of excellence to which few aspire and even fewer reach. Peterson does - and with such aplomb!
Outstanding, for me, is the track of his own composition - Hymn to Freedom - where the tremoloed chords stress the struggle against the bigotry and injustice which human beings accord to other creatures. It is surely a great epitaph to two of the greatest who ever lived - anywhere:- Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King. It is also a credo for all of humanity carefully to examine our consciences and let them rest easily with our souls.

Do hear this selection - it is quite simply spellbinding.

A pivotal album of the 20th Century, 25 Oct 2008
Antonio Carlos Jobim goes down with Lennon/McCartney, Gershwin, Amstrong as one of the most influential songwriter/stylists of the 20th century.

To judge the album on its own merits is one thing. Getz turns in small but perfectly formed solos. Astrid Gilberto's voice is ravishing, complementing husband Joao's voice with that incredibly restrained vulnerability that is the essence of Bossa. It is an album of incredible tenderness and instrospection. The studio atmosphere is very intimate with an almost homespun quality. For me its a five star album in its own right.

However, this album has a far larger significance, in the way that Sargeant Pepper did. It changed everything and set off ripples that are still reverberating today.

Each of these songs have been covered thousands