Big BandMosaic Select: Randy Weston (MS-004)
Mosaic Select
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"Weston’s pianistics have an individuality all their own. When Randy plays, a combination of strength and gentleness, virility and velvet emerges from the keys in an ebb and flow of sound seemingly as natural as the waves of the sea." - Langston Hugehes, Original liner notes |
Like his early mentor Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston’s piano style is both original and steeped in jazz history. He drew upon the rhythmic drive of the Harlem masters, the rich chords and wide voicings of Ellington and the spare, jabbing right hand of Count Basie. To this mix, he would later incorporate melodic and rhythmic forms from all over Africa. And from the outset, he was a gifted composer with an early penchant for ¾ time; many of his tunes would become jazz standards eclipsing their creator in popularity.
Despite the irresistible melodic and rhythmic appeal of his music, Weston has never achieved the popularity that he deserved. Throughout the decades, he has moved from label to label and from continent to continent making magnificent music and avid converts everywhere he played.
A SENSE OF JOY
This set, spanning 1957 to ’63, offers highpoints of every facet of his music, all of which exudes a joyous spirit that is the nature of the man himself. The earliest, Piano-A-La-Mode (Jubilee) is a solo and trio date that focused on Randy’s unique and vibrant piano style. A year later, Little Niles with a sextet featuring Johnny Griffin and Live At The Five Spot with Coleman Hawkins and Kenny Dorham, both for United Artists, reveal a prolific and startling fresh jazz composer as does a previously unissued 1960 Roulette album with Cecil Payne, Ron Carter and Roy Haynes.
Perhaps Weston’s greatest contribution is fusing jazz with authentic forms of African music. His first albums in the field, Uhuru Afrika (Roulette, 1960) and Highlife (Colpix, 1963), are masterpieces that blended richly arranged ensembles with such great soloist as Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard and Booker Ervin with galvanizing polyrhythmic drum ensembles.
It is an honor to bring these extremely rare gems back to life; mastered in 24-bit from the original master tapes with astounding sonic results.
Read More About Randy Weston:
Track Listing, Personnel & Recording Dates »
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Weston |
| Lots of variety and lotsa heart. I especially like the quartet with Cecil Payne, Ron Carter, and Roy Haynes. From trio recordings to big band, this is a big hearted intro to a neglected jazz musician/composer/band leader. | |
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Randy Weston Revisited |
| First off thank you Mosaic once again for a great mini box set. I have some Randy Weston on Lp. But nothing like this . Some the Lp's I own are Black Lion Freedom Recordings. This stuff is wonderful. A great addition I might add to my ever growing Mosaic Collection . Looking forward to exploring more of this three cd format. | |
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Excellent compilation set covering an under-appreciated artist |
| This is a wonderful compilation of albums by Randy Weston. They show not only his outstanding ability as a performing artist, but also his composition and arrangment talents. His African music/jazz fusion pieces are very interesting. His UHURU AFRIKA suite ranks right up there with the extended works of Ellington, Dizzy, et al. A bonus in the set are the arrangements of Melba Liston. This is an excellent 3 CD album for those looking for an overview of Randy Weston's work. | |
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thank you! |
| this is some of the best earlier period Randy Weston i've heared. just ordered the Andrew Hill Select box. i'm looking forward to that McCoy Tyner Select box. | |
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Monkian Weston |
| From Tangiers to Tunis to Dakar to Algiers the great (6 feet plus...) kept spreading the same spiritual pianistic creed : " In Monk's music each note is a message" Cheers to all Readers and Listeners... majid | |
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Weston is great! |
| Randy Weston is not only physically imposing, his music stands out as well. The compositional output of Mr. Weston is original and well-crafted-unlike many hard bop "compositions" which tend to be blues riffs with predictable rhythmic hits. Westons compositions are real compositions and coupled with the superb arranging skills of Melba Liston make for a rich listening experience. The african elements that Weston employs (particularly the highlife/Colpix sessions) are mostly succesful and represent a unique synthesis of jazz and African sensibilities. Some of it is dated sounding (not as dated as sections of Max Roaches Freedom Now suite) but some of it could have been recorded yesterday. Weston is not a particularly florid player-he exhibits some of the restraint of Ahmad Jamal which help shape his compositions-but he can keep pace with the lightning speed right handers as well.Like many tasteful and technically skilled players (Guitarist Tony Purrone for example)speed only appears when neccesary. W | |
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Thank you Mosaic |
| Live at the Five Spot is one of my all-time favorites recordings and has been unavailable for years. I still play my vinyl, but I'm anxiously awaiting the CD's, which I ordered today. I've never heard Coleman Hawkins play like that, and Randy Weston is fantastic. I wish Melba Liston had made it to the gig. Thank you, Mosaic guys, for the great music. | |
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Another Great Select |
| What a great set of music this is! Weston's compositions are nothing short of fantastic. (Another error on the box here: "Little Niles" not "Little Miles") Otherwise, another great Mosaic set! | |
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A Revelation |
| The music of Randy Weston deserves a wider audience, and Mosiac provides the springboard with this stunning and revelatory presentation of Mr. Weston's music. Influences range from Basie and Monk, to voicings drawn from Africa. The live set from the Five Spot, with Coleman Hawkins and Kenny Dorham is spectacular. As is every track in this wonderful set. The Randy Weston set is Mosaic doing what no one other jazz label does: presenting jazz music that ought to be known widely, but often isn't. Jazz that is intelligently selected, beautifully mastered and wonderfully presented. Please keep them coming! | |
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Another Winner! |
| Mosaic does it again with this new entry in its Select Series. This is my first exposure to Mr. Weston's varied musical palette and it certianly won't be my last. All of the sessions in this set are a delight and showcase an artist who's talents need to be more widely recognized. Hopefully, this set will help the cause. Maybe we can see a Select Randy Weston Volume II in the future? Thanks to Michael and the staff at Mosaic for this one! | |
Mosaic Select: Randy Weston (MS-004)
Limited Edition: 5000 copies
3 CDs - $44.00
