Live At The Village Vanguard Vol.

ecorded in August 1983, hard on the heels of the Timeless album City Gates, Live at the Village Vanguard finds four extraordinary musicians at the peak of their careers. George Adams (only featured on tenor saxophone here, though his flute playing and singing were essential elements of his live performance) is in superb form throughout, from the hard-swinging bop of "Intentions" to the sensuous balladry of "Solitude," and his pianist and long-term playing partner, Don Pullen (the two men formed the nucleus of Charles Mingus' great 1970s quintet, heard at its best on the two classic Changes albums), provides ample evidence of the prodigious technique that allowed him to move effortlessly from crisp bop stylings to free-form freakout without skipping a beat. And, talking of skipping a beat, was there a finer rhythm section working in the 1980s than bassist Cameron Brown and ex-Mingus mainstay Dannie Richmond on drums? True, the Vanguard piano needs a bit of tuning work, and the recording of Richmond's snares and toms may be a little too close and boxy, but as a document of how one of the great working units of modern jazz sounded live in one of the music's mythical venues, Live at the Village Vanguard needs some beating. ~ Dan Warburton|

Recorded in August 1983, hard on the heels of the Timeless album City Gates, Live at the Village Vanguard finds four extraordinary musicians at the peak of their careers. George Adams (only featured on tenor saxophone here, though his flute playing and singing were essential elements of his live performance) is in superb form throughout, from the hard-swinging bop of "Intentions" to the sensuous balladry of "Solitude," and his pianist and long-term playing partner, Don Pullen (the two men formed the nucleus of Charles Mingus' great 1970s quintet, heard at its best on the two classic Changes albums), provides ample evidence of the prodigious technique that allowed him to move effortlessly from crisp bop stylings to free-form freakout without skipping a beat. And, talking of skipping a beat, was there a finer rhythm section working in the 1980s than bassist Cameron Brown and ex-Mingus mainstay Dannie Richmond on drums? True, the Vanguard piano needs a bit of tuning work, and the recording of Richmond's snares and toms may be a little too close and boxy, but as a document of how one of the great working units of modern jazz sounded live in one of the music's mythical venues, Live at the Village Vanguard needs some beating. ~ Dan Warburton