Blues For Red - Paul Bley

Advantages: Fantastic display of Jazz composition
Disadvantages: Jazz isn't for everyone

...with Paul Bley on piano with rolling snare in the background. The piano sets a slow mood for around a minute but then is blown away by a mass introduction of six other musicians. This is obviously the beginning of the reincarnation. This formula is then repeated through the song, a slow part followed by a fast part followed by a slow part again… Vassarlean is the first really slow track of the album. It makes full use of Eric Dolphy on the Bass clarinet setting the sombre mood and the slow, purposeful steps taken by Mingus on Bass. This song could feature as the soundtrack to a depressed, drunken, falling-up-the-road scene in a fifties movie. Track four, "Stormy Weather", is the longest track of the album sitting at 13min 25sec and includes a three minute long bass solo that is quite different to most bass solos. It is slow and plodding... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: It has brilliant songs
Disadvantages: They have all been released before

...A cynical title you might think but just hear me out. They gave us the blue album and the red one then came the three anthologys, BBC Sessions and so on and so on but surely they dont need to give us another one. All of these songs are present on all of the albums and the red and blue albums rendering this one irrelevant. Dont get me wrong I am Beatles fan but this album is just a pointless confirmation that any Beatles material will top the charts. However this is a superb stocking filler and well worth getting to start you off on The Beatles. Song by song this album is invincible and the best album that is out at the moment but if you are a seasoned campaigner and have the rest of their albums I wouldnt bother getting this unless you think Paul needs the money.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Good
Disadvantages: Bad

...Kind of Blue might have received most of the acclaim but Milestones, the recorded debut of the Miles Davis Sextet, is in the same league. This remarkable super group (featuring Davis's trumpet, tenor-saxophonist John Coltrane, altoist Cannonball Adderley, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones) was arguably the greatest one Miles Davis ever led. "Two Bass Hit" features the two saxes trading off with fire and "Billy Boy" showcases the Red Garland trio (showing what they learned from Ahmad Jamal), but "Straight No Chaser" really demonstrates what a powerhouse band this was.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful