Lloyd

That Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons songbook is filled with recognizable, melodic and popular harmonies is a well known fact. The art of making a play based on an artists songbook is not new and has met with varying degrees of success, proving one thing, to really play well, there must be written a strong book to go with the music.

In the case of Jersey Boys, the book is excellent. So good, that it elicits in the observer the emotions of a first rate melodrama; laughs, interesting characterizations and yes, a few tears here and there. The playwrights found enough drama in the true (ok, mostly true) story of the "Boys" to use it as their book. It is a fairly typical story of the rise to fame, complete with egos run amok, vanity on parade, jealousies and financial scandal. Another classic story of failures leavened by redemption.

Though the basic storyline is not really new, the performances are strong, so good that you end up caring for each of the main characters. And that is what good stage performances are ultimately about, making you care. Well worth seeing...and listening.

This CD is great! I saw the show in Vegas and it brought me right back to the history of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. "Oh What A Show"!

Love the CD. Saw the show on Broadway and they were selling the CD for
$25.00 I went on Amazon and bought the same CD for half the price. Amazon is great.

The tape compliments the play very well. The tape and the play are fantastic.

This a great CD. One disclaimer- there are a couple of times that foul language is used in speaking parts on the CD- similar to use in the live musical. Not a problem now that I know where they are on the CD, I just skip it and keep enjoying the great songs!

This is a great classsic soundtrack (as are all Andrew Lloyd Webber Soundtrack's) The condition was perfect and i was very pleased with my purchase.

I gave this as a gift to my younger sister, and she is thrilled. She deeply enjoys the rich music. USPS is the worst shipper possible, buyer beware! Overall worth a buy.

I will watch or listen to anything with Gerard Butler! Of course The Phantom of the Opera is wonderful, but I love the soundtrack and movie to hear him. I even watched 300 just to see the body. Listen to this all the time.

The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) Wonderful soundtrack; one of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's best and most famous with haunting melodies - sure to please. A don't miss!!

The movie was quite moving, as was the music. Okay, I know NOTHING about opera, but in my honest opinion, all the performers gave very good performances. Emmy Rossum has the voice of an angel in "Think of Me". Gerard Butler offers a decent rendition of one of the most recognized songs of the movie/play, "Music of the Night". Just listening to the soundtrack, I instantly recall the scenes during which the songs were performed vividly. If new to opera, I'd say it's a fair introduction. But when has Andrew Lloyd Webber ever given us anything but his finest!!

With 356 four- and five-star reviews already posted, there is not much more to be said about this show or this recording. This is almost the complete musical--good solo lines, strong choral parts and orchestrations that become part of the package, not just background.
I cannot give this a five-star rating, because the lyrics and dialogue are very difficult to understand at times. This is partly because of the accents, and partly because of unprecise enunciation. If you want this as background music, or listen-to-on-the-headset-while-walking, it is fine. But to immerse yourself in the story, you must stay glued to the libretto.

"The Phantom of the Opera" is a show I like, but for the wrong reasons.

For many it's their first musical often because as a global hit there are productions around every corner. The result is a lot of people, including myself, being attached sentimentally to the show rather than for its artistic merit.

That's not to say it doesn't have its moments - despite very self-indulgent and over extended "Music of the Night" has become a standard. The reprise of "All I ask of you" with Michael Crawford's haunting falsetto can be moving and "The Point of no Return" can be a showstopper. "Poor Fool, he Makes me Laugh" is funny and "The Mirror" is a haunting revelation of the Phantom, but this revelation can become tiresome with the over repetition of the melody - unskillfully transposed to add some interest by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The title song also needs to be re-arranged into the 21st century as the synthesized drums have not aged well (there was some improvement in the 2004 film cast). In this particular recording Sarah Brightman can also be unintelligible at points.

Still, there is no denying the music is catchy and hard to dislike (except when it's repeated throughout the show many times). It's no "Fair Lady", but because of its few redeeming tracks, its very high quality recording, Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman's definitive performance of their roles and its place in musical theatre history, the 1986 cast recording of "The Phantom Of the Opera" is a must buy for anyone who listens to music.

As a PHANATIC, this double box set is a must-have. I must say that the box is cute, it has the complete libretto (with ALL dialogues)... all inside a little cute box.

I used to have a 80' double K7 set, given by my aunt when she saw the Phantom for the first time back in 90'. The main difference is that those K7 had the COMPLETE DIALOGUES, with NO cuts. And these CDs do not have little dialogues... but it still worths buying.

Had just finished watching the film version and realized how much better the original cast sounded.

I chose to purchase this after my 4 year old became obsessed with the Highlights of Phantom of the Opera CD. We both like this one much better. I had forgotten some of the songs over the years since the Highlights CD does not cover them all. The 'new Phantom' as my son calls it is wonderful. My son listens to it every day during his rest time and I often catch him humming songs from the CD around the house!

What a rare treat to hear such a wonderful voice! The music transcends the various languages( Latin, Italian, French, Spanish and almost no English) and communicates directly, beyond intellect, deeper to sooth the soul. This we expect from Opera and Religious selections such as Pucinni's "Nessun Dorma" and Lloyd Webber's "Piu Jesu". A favorite is the solo rendition of "Time To Say Good-bye". Orchestrations are as light and lyric as the voice. Some tracks are found on other CD's and the enclosed photos are a bit risque, but again, the music reaches a much higher plane than most. You won't be disappointed.

I bought this for my brother for Christmas. It came when it was supposed to and was in perfect condtion. Wonderful experience, would order from this dealer again.

So many times when a person buys a CD there are only a couple of songs that they consider good. On this CD there are over half the songs that are more than good. They are great. This CD has all the Sarah's greatest hits and more. I would highly recommend this CD to anyone who loves Sarah Brightman.

Love Sarah Brightman, however, this CD doesn't have one song on it in English. While I enjoy a mixture of her other CDs that are bilingual, this entire CD consists of songs in other languages I don't understand. Very disappointing. Played it thru only once. Probably won't play it again. No speakers on my computer so I can't "test run" these. My own fault, I guess.

An absolutely dreadful CD, with one decent rendition (Ave Maria); the rest -- pure awfulness.

It's like listening to Susan Alexander Kane (Citizen Kane's second wife) sing a whole album. Brightman's voice wavers & quivers all over the high notes. Oh, it is SO bad.

I sit here at my computer and try to think of superlatives adequate to accurately describe this album....and there just aren't any. It is worthy to be the best selling classical album of all time....but it's more than that. It's just a must have, a collection to soothe the savage breast. For those times when I have lost hope, when I am past care.....I will sit with closed eyes and listen to this. And revive my soul.....

This is a most enjoyable cd. The music selection is varied, creative and powerful. I think this concert was so special. I'm not particularly classical music oriented, but I did enjoy this music and have listened to the cd many times over. It is the depth of voices, clearness of notes and the fun the 3 tenors were having that really enchanted me. These three tenors have such a gift to give and do give it most generously. Most of the songs are classic Italian so that even people like myself who aren't necessarily opera buffs will enjoy hearing these voices even if they cannot understand a word. Most likely I will order more of this type of music.

I respectfully agree yet disagree with Ms Barbara Eisner who wrote the review of the 3 Tenors 1990 concert. She is right that Carreras was not on par with the other 2 but that is only because at this late stage in his (Carreras) career he was not in the very fine voice he once was due to overuse of his voice and his battle with leukemia, which he valiantly won!. If you could appreciate, as I do,Carreras' 1970's richly-gorgeous and velvety voice in recordings of operas such as Lucia, La Boheme, Donizetti and liter Verdi operas you would have seen his mid 70's peak voice would have been every been as excellent as Domingo and Pavarotti were in the 3 Tenors 1990 concert. In fact, I dare to say he would have blown both men out of the water..with the possible exception of Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma. Just listen to Carreras singing with Caballe on youtube in Adriana Lecrouveur and Tosca and you'll see what I mean!!!

Saw this concert on TV and was so moved by their voices and the opera experience, had to order and was not disappointed. I listen to it and feel relaxed, excited and amazed. I listen to alot of different music (mostly rock) so people who know me were curious and listened too and were surprised how much they liked it.

Arrived in fine time. Knew what I was getting, based on several viewings and listenings on PBS. Met my expectations. Good quality of used CD.

This is a wonderful soundtrack from the movie. I am obsessed with the movie and the soundtrack follows exactly as it is on the movie. With having 2 cds and the movie music is split, you can play your favorite song and section as often as you like. Great buy.

The music is very soothing and the soundtrack makes you think you are almost there. It is good to listen to and can relax you.

I absolutely love this soundtrack. The movie is great and these cd's have all of the music. It's a wonderful buy and I would recommend it over all of the others.

Excellent! No more words for this release. The soundtrack is a great souvenir from the motion picture. The Phantom of the Opera was, is and will be a treasure and and heritage for all mankind. This special edition is for a true Phantom's fan and collector. The work-art is so fine. Enjoy the music, the lyrics and the story in itself.

I cannot get enough of this soundtrack. I listen to this almost daily and when I am not listening to it, I am humming or whistling or down right belting out the tunes of this most beloved musical of all time!

I was in highschool when the musical debuted with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in 1986. I have been familiar with Weber's music and the voices tied to the characters that became an overnight phenomenon world wide.

However, I did not have an opportunity to see the stage show (until just this year) so was delighted when they had made a movie of it. Thank you, Joel Schumacker! The movie tied the music and the story line together and I have been hooked since. So it was for obvious reasons why I purchased the movie soundtrack.

I am amazed and a little dismayed over the reaction Gerard Butler received as the movie Phantom. I knew nothing of this actor prior to this film. After seeing the movie, I was in love with this man and had to learn who he was and anything else about him. Off to the internet I went in search of this actor who made such an impression on me. I learned that Gerry (as he likes to be called) was not a stage-trained vocalist before he took on this role. Now, some people say that was obvious as they did not like his vocals. Many fans are true to the original London cast. And that's OK. But does that mean you cannot be open minded and realistic enough to know that Michael Crawford is not and will not be the only man to ever portray our beloved Phantom?

It would have been disastrous to have Mr. Crawford portray the Phantom for the movie. It would have been even more disastrous if Sarah Brightman played Christine. The point is these 2 beloved people are past the age where they can realistically play these young roles. It was much more realistic to have younger fresh actors take the roles. Christine was only 16 years old in the original novel. The Phantom was in his very early forties. The actors chosen were spot on age wise. Emmy Rossum was 16 when she signed on. She also trained at the Metropolitan Opera at the age of 7. Gerard Butler was 34. A tad younger, but it didn't really matter yet it was more acceptable that a 34 year old recluse would be sexually attracted to a 16 year old budding diva and vice versa.

I am a trained singer. I have sung in the finest concert halls of Europe. I have heard many, many trained vocalists. BUT NONE OF THEM DO TO ME WHAT GERARD BUTLER'S VOICE DOES TO ME. It doesn't bother me at all that he is not a classically trained vocalist. In fact, after finding out that he wasn't trained when he took on this challenge, made me admire him even more. While I was listening to POTO for the first time, you couldn't tell me that he wasn't trained. I knew his vocals were much different than Michael Crawford's, but I felt his voice fit the role for the film. Gerard has a deeper, richer, fuller voice that is sexy as heck and a voice that I now prefer over Mr. Crawford's tinnier, higher tenor.

Gerard's raw passionate performance knocked me off my feet. I fell in love with Gerry after watching Phantom because of the way he moved me so. His voice is so seductive and rich and sexy and captivating. His "Music of the Night" leaves me breathless. His "Point of No Return" seduces the heck out of me (and the entire female population). His sad, pleading "All I Ask of You" before Christine rips his mask off during "Don Juan Triumphant" is heartbreaking. Heartwrenching, growling "Down Once More" has me crying for his pain. He grips me in the core of my womanhood and won't let go. In this way I feel like I am Christine....drawn to the hypnotic power of his voice and the raw sensuality that draws me to him. I can't explain it, I can only FEEL it. And I can't get enough of him.

Emmy Rossum's Christine was a standout, breakout performance. This young lady CAN SING! Her voice is so clear and vibrant and sexy and she possess an incredible range. This gal has a future in music. I would keep an eye on this one!

I also feel Patrick Wilson's voice is just angelic and beautiful, but he lacks the passion that Gerard seems to have in spades.

Although Minnie Driver did not sing her own vocals, her performance was without a doubt brilliant as La Carlotta. She sings the ending title song "Learn to Be Lonely". She does a beautiful job.

The orchestrations are slightly different than the musical but all in all, it is the same music we all fell in love with back in 1986. The orchestrations are fuller with 110 piece orchestra, 90 voice choir and an added guitar that gives this familiar music a fresh rock n roll edge, but not enough to take away from the classic orchestrations we all love.

I truly admire and LOVE ALL the performances of the movie. Gerard, while not a trained singer, put his entire heart and soul into this role and rose to the challenge and did the best job anybody could have hoped to do. That to me, no matter what the critics say, impresses and amazes me the most and Gerard deserves the credit of a job exceptionally well done.

If you are a fan of Weber's musical - you need to have this soundtrack!

The advertising was listed the cast of the movie version, while it actually contains only Donny Osmond from the movie everyone else is not from the movie version with Maria Friedman as it states on the website. Sent it back, since this copy was improperly advertised.

I actually got to see this cast perform live in Canada. While they made changes in production when adapting for the movie, the basic feeling of the play remains. It is just like watching it live. I highly recommend this if you enjoyed any of Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber's other plays: Phantom of the Opera, Les Mis., etc.

I purchased this cd to give to my child along with the dvd "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Overcoat." This cd is a recording of the Canadian cast which produced Joseph in 1992. It is not the audio recording of the dvd production starring Maria Friedman, Sir Richard Attenborough and Donny Osmond as advertised.
Donny Osmond shows the amazing vocal skill and talent he possesses as a performer in this audio production. The production is well done, however the only criticism I have is that I do not care for Janet Metz as the Narrator. Her voice is to high and does not blend well with Osmond's.
I would like to see the dvd movie version of the "Joseph" soundtrack released on cd. With the vocal talents, musical arrangements and full orchestra it would be a cd well worth purchasing.

I also have been searching for the ORIGINAL Joseph for years. Scepter Records number SPS 588X. I have the vinyl album right in front of me - and no way to play it or record it to disc. It is too scratched and old. Doesn't anyone out there have a decent recording of this? Why is it not on CD? I have also heard all the other versions out there...and none can compare to the original recording by the Joseph Consortium.

There are many CDs available with different casts, but there isn't one that is better than this one.

Very good album from the British musical masterpiece. Nevertheless, the song "The music of the night" has been replaced from the original score. It has some little changes in its lyrics but is good. In order to have a good souvenir from the recording and for the whole performance, I recommend the 2 CD box set with the original cast.

I really enjoy the music and singing of the original Phantom of the Opera. I have been looking for just the musical CD for sometime. I play it alot whil I am cooking, cleaning etc. The sound is great and so are the voices of Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. The original soundtrack is the best and it gives me such a lift to hear such beautiful voices. I have recently bought a CD of Sarah Brightman just because I have the recording of the Phantom.

Very good condensed version of Phantom of the Opera. Transaction was speedy and quality excellent.

This is an excellent compilation of the best songs from this production performed by the original performers.

I first got the whole phantom CD, and was bored by all the speaking and segways. The songs even sound different. Especially "Music of the Night" I thought they were two different singers till I got the highlights CD. SO much better! I never saw the musical, I think sitting through all that might be kindof boring after listening to the long version. THIS IS GREAT! Music of the night, and all of it sounds perfect. SO GLAD I got this CD!

It may not be the film soundtrack and therefore be missing at least two nice tracks, but the sound of this particular recording is much better than the one from the movie. I fully recommend it for those who enjoy actually sitting down and listening to great music on a great sounding CD.

An incredible highly melodic and memorable score matched by an irreplaceable cast headed by Ian Gillian as Christ and Murray Head as Judas.
Murray's vocals especially his opening "heaven on their minds" is incendiary and Ian Gillian puts so much passion into his role that it is simply mindblowing especially his ear piercing metallic screams.
This is a recording for the ages and THE ONLY GRIPE I HAVE BUT IT'S A BIGGGGGGGG ONE IS WHY IN THE HECK WOULD THEY RERELEASE THIS ON CD WITH A DIFFERENT COVER?????
MANY TIMES THE ART ON AN ALBUM MAKES AN ARTISTIC STATEMENT AS STRONG AS THE MUSIC WITHIN!
WHAT THE HECK IS THEIR PROBLEM?
I GREW UP WITH THIS ALBUM FROM AGE5 ON AND THE BROWN COVER WITH THE ANGELS IS HOW IT WAS RELEASED.
DO THEY THINK THAT THE ORIGINATORS OF THIS CREATION GOT IT WRONG?
WHAT A BUNCH OF JERKS!
DO US A FAVOR AND RELEASE IT THE WAY THE ARTIST INTENDED IT TO BE NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE!
Besides that, this recording is stellar and if you love rock opera then here's the gold standard.

Oh...my...Word. The first time I listened to this, I was almost in tears. It is that kind of good. This ensemble cast...oh wow...what to say that hasn't already been said. Ian Gillian, awesome. Everyone else, awesome. If you do not have a lump in your throat after listening to this, you are not human. I mean, it is really, "That kind of Good." This is, in some ways, better than the (original) movie soundtrack. Having said that, there are certain points in the movie track I like a tad better. I have not heard the "millenium" version in total yet so I cannot compare this to that. Only song I've heard from that version is "I Don't....love him" and it is maybe better than on here. But this is very well worth the listen.

At 13 years old I bought my first LP, "Machine Head", when it was released in 1972. I subsequently fell head over heels in love with Ian Gillan's voice.

A couple years later, I discovered JCS, and bought the LP, accompanied by the lyrics book complete with ultra-cool hand-drawn illustrations of the faces of each of the primary artists. I was even more impressed with Gillan's voice, as Jesus Christ, and I still marvel at his vocal skills.

I listened to the LP until I knew every bit of it, and could sing all of the songs in sequence (the lyric book was positively ratty after the hours I spent rifling through it). Even now, after having bid adieu to a turntable more than 20 years ago, it is one of the few LPs I still own.

I would recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys rock, opera, musicals or the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice. It has excellent musical arrangements, amazing vocal stylings all presented through a unique vantage point on what many consider "The Greatest Story Ever Told", seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot (played brilliantly by Murray Head).

Look for stand-out tracks, primarily due to the fantastic vocals: "Heaven On Their Minds", "Damned For All Time/Blood Money", "Gethsemane(I Only Want To Say)" and "King Herod's Song (Try It And See)".

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, this opera is a piece of art that would be enjoyed by all.

I have found this soundtrack amazing since the first time I heard it. The orchestrations are outstanding!! This my first encounter with Andrew Lloyd Weber. Took me a while to find a copy on CD but worth the wait. Thank you Amazon!

charles lloyd exhibits generosity and grace in not bringing the musical proceedings to a halt after jason moran establishes his presence with his first note, and moran never lets up. jason moran is lloyd's prometheus and this is probably one of his finest recordings, after going down some dull roads jason moran is back on track. the virtuosity displayed on earlier solo performances and on his recording featuring sam rivers, finds its fit as part of charles lloyd's quartet in arrangements as evenly distributive of work by the four players as displayed by the members of coltrane's quartet on a love supreme. not that you need to time the solos of the players, given a listen the balance is evident.

on the second selection, migration of spirit, lloyd again evokes coltrane, in a different context, as player nodding to coltrane's rendition of nature boy, and his own rendition on jumping the creek of gloomy sunday.

included by the united states poet laureate, charles simic, is a poem in the linear notes entitled `two for lloyd', a title, i would guess, inspired by by archie shepp's four for trane and marion brown's three for shepp, simic's two quartets, the first composed in quatrains, reflecting a poetic formal homage of the musical group setting.

here, simic's on top, moran's on top, lloyd's on top, and the quartet's all it's should be. or, arguably, for those who like to argue about such matters, maybe not, in which case, i eagerly await their next recording. but come what may, this is the recording for now worth hearing and having.

Charles Lloyd continues his musical (and spiritual) journey with a fine album as his group plays both for themselves and the listening audience. Not the warm groove of "Canto" or" Hymn to the Mother" but these are difficult times. There is an exquisiteness to his playing and the mix of sidemen is inspiring. Indeed many of the Lloyd alumni have gone on to fine careers of giving to us and the music.

I have been a fan of Charles Lloyd for a long time. I have never heard him sound better. Great Music by one of the all time greats.

Joe Bordelon
Katy, Tx

Overview:
At age 70 Charles Lloyd has delivered the best performance of his career. However, credit for this fantastic live set belongs to all performers on this group not just Lloyd. Each performer (Jason Moran on piano, Eric Harland on drums, Rueben Rogers on bass) play with telepathic communication and flawless execution on this live set recorded in Europe in 2007. The music at times reminds one of Miles Davis' mid 60's work, Coltrane's mid 60's work, and on some tracks pay tribute to Thelonious Monk. The sound quality of the set is beyond perfect. Each musician's instrument can be heard with crystal clear accuracy. If a pin dropped on the stage, you would have heard it. While I've grown to expect outstanding performances from Lloyd, Moran, and Harland I was not familiar with bassist Rueben Rogers before listening to this set. I have to say I could not have been more impressed in my first listen of his work. Throughout the set Rogers delivers tight walking bass lines that fit perfectly and also has many brilliant solos. This will be on everyone's list of the best albums for 2008 and will top many listeners' list for top album of the year.

Songs Highlights:

Prometheus - In Greek mythology Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man. This is an apt title for this creative and explorative song. The song reminds me a lot of Wayne Shorter and Mile Davis' work in the 60's. There is a mood of discovery on this song. The song begins with a solo statement by Lloyd with light backing by Harland on percussion. Throughout the song Harland's light pulsing drums remind one of Tony Williams.

Migration of the Spirit - One can help but think of John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and Alice Coltrane when listing to this passionate performance. The song opens with a moody statement by bassist Rogers. Lloyd then follows with a heart-felt introduction before the rest of the band joins in. The song reminds me a lot of A Love Supreme. Moran seems to incorporate elements of McCoy Tyner and Alice Coltrane's piano playing into his work on this song, which fits perfectly and makes this song something special.

Booker's Garden - This track features Lloyd's flute playing. The track opens with a flue solo by Lloyd and has a light happy airy mood to it. It is the perfect song to follow the somber Migration of the Spirit. At about the 5 minute mark the song transforms when bassist throws a bombshell of a killer walking bass line into the mix, which speeds up the song.

Ramanujan - Lloyd opens this song with an Arabic sounding sax solo. Harland quickly joins in with a killer "rat-tat-tat-tat" tinny drum line that invokes a mood of Middle Eastern coffee house. Moran then joins in and drops some loose runs on the low notes of the piano.

I will admit, I have only recently become a fan of Charles Lloyd, but with this album I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am a fan as devoted as any other for life. 'Rabo de Nube' is definitely the best new jazz album I have heard this year, probably this decade. there just too much to say in praise of it... Where to begin.

This is a new band. Recently Lloyd has been playing a good deal with the phenomenally talented drummer Eric Harland (see 'Sangam' and 'Jumping the creek' both fine albums in their own right, though not quite like this I might argue) and in no way does Harland disappoint. His versatility and ability to be either very subtle or powerful and overstated is there as always and his drumming adds quite a lot to the mix. Jason Moran on piano and Reuben Rogers are new members to the quartet and they could not fit in better. Moran in particularly is just spectacular. He brings an energy and force to the quartet that is right at home and some of his playing is so good its frightening. His solo on "Sweet Georgia Bright" (my favorite song on the album) is just too good to be true. He takes off from Lloyd's solo with almost fanatic energy, cools down a down bit to restate a portion of the head of the song with a variation or two then goes off on his own. The solo grows and grows until reaches almost dizzyingly fast flurries of notes until it hits a solid groove right before the end of his solo. Thirty seconds of the best feeling swing in a sort of stride piano style thats ends with a long fall, at which point the piano drops out to give the bass some room. It is a truly awesome moment. I had to stop to catch my breath, listen to it again and then catch my breath again.

Lloyd himself has never sounded better. Like a fine wine he has just gotten better. His breathy, Coltrane like licks are so subtle and he can do so much. He has a nice range here, from hard-blowing "Sweet Georgia Bright to mor cerebral pieces "Prometheus" and "Ramanujan". He varies his instrumentation a little bit with his flute "Booker's Garden" and the eastern Taragato instrument on "Ramanujan". Booker's Garden is great tune, very interesting, in part because the contrast between its soft, somewhat cautious introduction and the rest of the song, which is perhaps what the classic Coltrane quartet would sound like if it had a funk influence.

Every once in a while an album comes out that's just mind blowing. I can still remember the first time I put 'A Love Supreme' on, or the opening of Mahavishnu Orchestra's 'Inner Mounting Flame' or the way Brecker interacted with the strings on 'Broadband', the first track of his album 'Wide Angles'. Although 'Rabo de Nube" is definitely in its own category when compared to the other albums listed above, it was no less spectacular. This is not an album I can praise highly enough. Although a lot has changed since his earlier Lloyd, Jarret, DeJohnette and McBee quartet, it has been for the better. He has created a true testament to the power of music.