Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. If
2. As One
3. Allah Be Praised
4. Saudades
5. Pee Wee
6. Spectrum

Disc 2:

1. Seven Steps to Heaven
2. I Fall in Love Too Easily
3. Love in Blues
4. Big Nick
5. Emergency

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #110033 in Music
• Released on: 2006-06-06
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Amazon.com
With the exception of Miles Davis's Bitches Brew, Tony Williams's group Lifetime--the pioneering late '60s trio featuring organist Larry Young, and guitarist John McLauglin--wrote the book on jazz-rock fusion. This 2004 London concert features two former Miles sidemen as well as Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, and Larry Goldings, who was contacted by Williams to join his band before his untimely death in 1997. It brilliantly updates music from Lifetime's seminal recordings Emergency! and Turn it Over. DeJohnette succeeded Williams in Davis's band, and his articulated drumming drives Scofield's blues-trenched, Hendrixian guitar licks and Goldings's evocative organ voicings, electric piano, and digital sampling. Their rewiring of the combustible blues "If," the spacey ballad "As One," and the rock-out numbers "Spectrum" and "Emergency" shows that this music is as durable as it is dynamic. The cooperatively composed title track further highlights Williams's never-ending influence and the exceptional improvisational acumen of these musicians. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews

smoking drums+guitar+keys trio by 3 masters
I picked this disc up tonight and am so happy about it. Scofield is one of my favorite guitarists, and his work on this release is fabulous. Of course Jack DeJohnette is one of the best drummers alive at this point in time, and Larry Goldings plays excellent hammond b3 and electric piano. The track listings above are not accurate, but that shouldn't matter - any fan of Lifetime, any of the 3 musicians, or jazz music in general would be happy with this release!

The Tony Williams Project
When I saw this group and this show live at Yoshis several years ago it was titled "The Tony Williams Project", which identifies the theme of the album. Jack, Larry, and John pay homage to the work Tony Williams did as leader. For the most part they stick to songs written by Tony Wiliams, or songs that Tony's group typically played. Jack really sounds a lot like Tony on the album by playing primarily light, soft, pulsing rhythms with a lot cymbal play. Larry Goldings sounds a lot like Larry Young on this performance. The jazz organ here is more of an explorative, post bop noodling sound, and not a soul jazz or funk sound. It is very similar to the style pioneered by Larry Young. John Scofield also doesn't sound quite like himself here. Unfortunately I don't have a great comparison for his sound, but it has fragments of his usual tone, but in a more subdued meandering style. One thing I don't really recall hearing in Scofield's playing that you hear a lot of on this album is some killer note bending with effects. At times it sounds haunting and it really hits the mark. Overall the tone and sound of the album bears a lot in resemblence to Larry Young's Unity and late Miles Davis work circa 67-68 (only without horns). The mood is very laid back and meandering with a lot of space for soloing. The songs are a bit long but they are filled with great solos. A great live show, and good album, but not a 5 star album.

Song Highlights:
Saudades: This original written by the group is my favorite song on the album. It's got a great groove, its exciting and it features killer solos throughout. If there was more like this on the album this would have been 5 stars for sure (but then it wouldn't really be a Tony Williams homage album).

If: I've never really been a fan of this Joe Henderson song, but I really like this version. There is a lot of energy and great soloing. I think this version is modeled after the version played on Larry Young's Unity album.

Big Nick: A fresh take on a John Coltrane song. I haven't heard too many versions of this song, so this was new and fresh for me. The 5 minute Dejohnette drum solo is a little bit much though.

Outstanding!
Three superb musicians in top form, in an excellent tribute to the great Tony Williams. I particularly enjoyed hearing Larry Goldings in this band; he plays more aggressively and "outside" in this setting than what I have heard from him previously.

Nothing can touch the original Tony Williams Lifetime, but in today's world, this recording is a very exciting breath of fresh air.