Grant Green- "Feelin' The Spirit"

[Big Al]

I've had the old CD issue a long time, and never really dug it all THAT much. However, got the new RVG and am freakin' blown away. Don't know what happened...must have grown into this album.

My opinion echoes what Soul Stream said, as an earlier post of mine made clear that I didn't care for this album. Now it's one of my favorites, right up there with Goin' West which has the same lineup.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Hm, the comments on the RVG make me wonder if I should get it - I only have the McMaster edition.

I like this album a lot - about as much as "Goin' west" - but it's far from my favourite GG - I'm not really any too keen on Herbie Hancock. But the bonus track of "Deep river" is really beautiful - much more so than the rest of the album, and one of the most feelingful GG performances.

MG

[Parkertown]

Hi saatvik! Welcome to the big "O."

[jazzbo]

Hi,

Sorry to bump up an old thread, but does anyone have any opinions on the sound quality of the RVG vs. the original CD?

Thanks,

Welcome! I have both the Japanese and the domestic RVGs. . . the US RVG sounds GREAT!

[Soulstation1]

i still ain't heard this one.......

[WorldB3]

My first Grant Green CD and I have been a fanatic ever since. Great soloing over delicious Herbie Hancok gospel piano. While there may be better Grant CD's this is a fine addition to your collection. Get it asap.

I don't have the RVG version but I don't have a problem with the McMaster version of this.

Edited March 10, 2008 by WorldB3

[robertoart]

Hi,

Sorry to bump up an old thread, but does anyone have any opinions on the sound quality of the RVG vs. the original CD?

Thanks,

Welcome! I have both the Japanese and the domestic RVGs. . . the US RVG sounds GREAT!

I didn't know anything could sound better than the JRVG version. I'II have to get the USRVG while it's still cheap and avaliable. A good excuse to listen to this great session again.

[Claude]

Is this actually a RVG which sounds clearly different (preferably better ) from the McMaster?

With the RVGs from the past 2 years (I've only tried a few of them) my experience was that the RVGs sounded a lot like the previous edition, unlike the RVGs from the first years.

[Kyo]

I'll pick this one up when I see it without the annoying CopyCrap that EMI Europe put on all BN discs at the time.

[jazzbo]

Hi,

Sorry to bump up an old thread, but does anyone have any opinions on the sound quality of the RVG vs. the original CD?

Thanks,

Welcome! I have both the Japanese and the domestic RVGs. . . the US RVG sounds GREAT!

I didn't know anything could sound better than the JRVG version. I'II have to get the USRVG while it's still cheap and avaliable. A good excuse to listen to this great session again.

Well, the US version sounds a little different than the Japanese, I like them both, the US has the extra track.

Claude, I hear the RVGs differently in my system than you (in that I hear distinct differences between newer ones and previous editions) and I would say yes, this one is one of the better RVG remasterings.

[Peter Friedman]

After reading this thread with all the raves about this session I decided to revisit it. Hadn't heard it in quite some time. Have to admit, I don't see what merits such highly positive comments. I hear a stiffness and somewhat dull sounding session.

I would rate this one way down on the list of Grant Green recordings. The dates with Sonny Clark are right up at the top for my taste along with Grantstand, Idle Moments, and at least 6 or 7 others I would choose over Feelin" The Spirit.

Just demonstrates that we all hear things differently.

[B. Clugston]

I like this one.

[WorldB3]

After reading this thread with all the raves about this session I decided to revisit it. Hadn't heard it in quite some time. Have to admit, I don't see what merits such highly positive comments. I hear a stiffness and somewhat dull sounding session.

I would rate this one way down on the list of Grant Green recordings. The dates with Sonny Clark are right up at the top for my taste along with Grantstand, Idle Moments, and at least 6 or 7 others I would choose over Feelin" The Spirit.

Just demonstrates that we all hear things differently.

Speaking for myself at the time I heard it I had no other Grant Green to compare it to. While I wouldn't rank it over or close to the Sonny Clark sessions I do have a strong sentiment for it. Just for the work by Herbie and Grant on it I feel it deserves some positive merit.

[sidewinder]

Just listening to this one on the mono vinyl. Nothing profound but very, very enjoyable nevertheless. Grant has a very sympathetic backing partner on this album in Herbie H. and the Warren/Higgins team do their usual excellent stuff in the background.

Strangely the session reminds me very much of the very different Gordon Beck 'Experiments With Pops' - very unlikely material (in that case '60s pop song covers) made into jazz gems by a crack rhythm team treating the material with sympathy but adding a total new spin to it. The crack up-and-coming guitarist on that particular album was one Johnny McLaughlin.

Garvin M. by the way also appears I think as part of Blakey's perscussion team in 'The African Beat'.

Edited March 15, 2008 by sidewinder

[Big Al]

After reading this thread with all the raves about this session I decided to revisit it. Hadn't heard it in quite some time. Have to admit, I don't see what merits such highly positive comments. I hear a stiffness and somewhat dull sounding session.

I would rate this one way down on the list of Grant Green recordings. The dates with Sonny Clark are right up at the top for my taste along with Grantstand, Idle Moments, and at least 6 or 7 others I would choose over Feelin" The Spirit.

Just demonstrates that we all hear things differently.

True dat. This was my opinion of this album before I heard Goin' West. I don't know how/why that album made me change my mind about Spirit. I guess you could say that, for me, this is one of those rare RVGs where the sound of the remaster makes all the difference in the world.

[robertoart]

After reading this thread with all the raves about this session I decided to revisit it. Hadn't heard it in quite some time. Have to admit, I don't see what merits such highly positive comments. I hear a stiffness and somewhat dull sounding session.

I would rate this one way down on the list of Grant Green recordings. The dates with Sonny Clark are right up at the top for my taste along with Grantstand, Idle Moments, and at least 6 or 7 others I would choose over Feelin" The Spirit.

Just demonstrates that we all hear things differently.

Speaking for myself at the time I heard it I had no other Grant Green to compare it to. While I wouldn't rank it over or close to the Sonny Clark sessions I do have a strong sentiment for it. Just for the work by Herbie and Grant on it I feel it deserves some positive merit.

Well I think this was one of the first Grants to be issued on cd. So it might be a session that was an introduction of sorts to Grant for a lot of people. It was certainly one of the very first ones I heard. True it isn't up there with the Sonny Clark collaborations, Idle Moments etc. but I think the pathos in Grant's sound matches the yearning melancholy of the tunes in a good way. Whereas Goin West brings out the playfulness in Grant's music perhaps. Maybe not essential but still indespensible for me.

Interesting that Grant revisited some of these tunes on Iron City. Did they remain part of his live repertoire perhaps?

[danasgoodstuff]

I've (re)listened to this (old version CD) every night for the last three and I don't know what ya'll talking 'bout. Dull and Stiff it ain't to my ears, and tapping feet and bobbing head, etc. Grant and Billy are just bright and sparkling in their soul, wit and verve. And herbie's ok too. He ain't Sonny Clark, but hey... and none of the much beloved quartets with Sonny really hang together as an album, lovely though they are on a moment to moment basis. Here Grant and the guys Feel the Spirit without giving up anything of who they are, making it different than anyone else's jazz plays spirituals album. Love Goin' West too, bummed no outtakes on the CD.