UPC: 8718627232699
Format: CD
Release Date: Nov 20, 2020
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If you're looking for some potent jazz, look no further. Pianist Herbie Hancock's V.S.O.P. - LIVE UNDER THE SKY is about as heavy as it gets. This release features the legendary mid-1960s Miles Davis lineup, minus Davis, of course. In the great trumpeter's stead, however, is the fiery Freddie Hubbard.
Recorded live in Japan during the summer of 1979, this double album features Hancock and his group combining the funky groove of hard-bop with the seeming lawlessness of '70s fusion. No one player outshines another on this record, though many of the sparks that ignite the music come from drummer Tony Williams, who swings elegantly, but fills the gaps in between phrases with thunderous tom-tom rolls and piercing cymbal smashes, his playing spurring each soloist on to higher vistas. Even though most of this material is hard-hitting, there is some sensitivity on LIVE UNDER THE SKY, too. For example, bassist Ron Carter's tune "Tear Drop" is dark and subtle. On this selection, Carter's bass solo is abstract yet easy to follow. Towards the end of the chorus, the drums fade out, leaving room for Carter and Hancock to create an intimate musical dialogue. (Note: The entire second disc of the 2004 reissue consists of previously unreleased performances.)
Recorded live in Japan during the summer of 1979, this double album features Hancock and his group combining the funky groove of hard-bop with the seeming lawlessness of '70s fusion. No one player outshines another on this record, though many of the sparks that ignite the music come from drummer Tony Williams, who swings elegantly, but fills the gaps in between phrases with thunderous tom-tom rolls and piercing cymbal smashes, his playing spurring each soloist on to higher vistas. Even though most of this material is hard-hitting, there is some sensitivity on LIVE UNDER THE SKY, too. For example, bassist Ron Carter's tune "Tear Drop" is dark and subtle. On this selection, Carter's bass solo is abstract yet easy to follow. Towards the end of the chorus, the drums fade out, leaving room for Carter and Hancock to create an intimate musical dialogue. (Note: The entire second disc of the 2004 reissue consists of previously unreleased performances.)