Rooster_Ties Posted March 17, 2004 Report Posted March 17, 2004 (edited) Greg Osby - Symbols of Light (a Solution) Man, if any of you don't have this one yet -- there's a ton of cheap copies right now at half.com: LINK. Warning, a few of them are promos (maybe in those cardboard sleeves, with no notes), but most of them are CD's with full packaging and such. Forget the review in the AMG (which sucks), this is a 5-star CD in my book. The line-up is Osby, Jason Moran, Scott Colley, and Marlon Browden (drums), plus a string quartet (that includes Reggie Workman's daughter Nioka Kim Workman on cello). Here are some random on-line reviews I've found: LINK #1, Link #2, Link #3, Link #4, Link #5. Samples of every track on the disc are available here, at Barnes & Noble's site: LINK for sound samples Check out the sample for track two especially (a Jason Moran tune). This is NOT your usual "with strings" kinda thing. You NEED this CD, baaaaaad!!!!!! Get on it!!!! PS: And for you folks overseas (who can't buy from half.com), keep you eyes out for this one. I see it on eBay fairly frequently (and always for cheap!!), and it's gotta be available (used and cheap) from some of the more Euro-centric on-line used-CD sources. Edited March 2, 2005 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted March 17, 2004 Author Report Posted March 17, 2004 Seriously, all hyperbole aside, I've heard this disc 50 times or more since I got it -- and I hear new things in it every time I put it on. IMHO, this is one of Osby's finest discs, in his entire career. And right now half.com has a whole mess of them in the $4 to $6 range (not including shipping). Can't for the life of me figure out why this one didn't sell very well. Quote
king ubu Posted March 17, 2004 Report Posted March 17, 2004 I'm with you on this one, Rooster! Also certainly one of Osby's best, and one of the best albums done by the revived Blue Note. ubu Quote
DrJ Posted March 17, 2004 Report Posted March 17, 2004 You've moved it back up on my "to purchase" list Rooster and Ubu. I remember listening to this one on a listening station at Tower when it came out and being intrigued, but not enough to take the plunge. I see it used all the time for 5-6 bucks tops, so probably worth checking out. Thanks for the reminder. Quote
J.A.W. Posted March 17, 2004 Report Posted March 17, 2004 I'm with you on this one, Rooster! Also certainly one of Osby's best, and one of the best albums done by the revived Blue Note. ubu I hate to spoil the fun, but, to put it mildly, this album's not my cup of tea. I don't want to offend anyone, so I'll leave it at that. Quote
couw Posted March 17, 2004 Report Posted March 17, 2004 hmm. I guess I'm with Hans on this one. I have never really warmed to Osby's playing. Way too cold for my tastes. I'll be off now, you may pretend I was never here and I promise I will not start a thread "why I hate Greg Osby." Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted March 17, 2004 Author Report Posted March 17, 2004 ...and I promise I will not start a thread "why I hate Greg Osby." Thanks!!! Quote
Stefan Wood Posted March 17, 2004 Report Posted March 17, 2004 I agree that this is an excellent album. Seeing him live, and listening to his recordings, I find Osby's music to be challenging and rewarding. Big thumbs up on this, as well as his last cd, St Louis Shoes. Quote
.:.impossible Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 I have this, and while I like it, I tend to consider the string arrangements to be a bit square. Still a good album, but the string arrangements seem unneccesary, or arbitrary. Quote
.:.impossible Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Nothing wrong with a cheap album, though! I can't praise it the way RT does, but I'd recommend buying it if you are at all curious. I like to eat my words. Quote
sal Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Like J.A.W and couw, this one just doesn't do it for me. I'm a big Osby fan, and I the playing is first rate, especially Jason Moran, but the string arrangements just kill it for me. They kind of seem.....thrown together? I can't explain it really, but I just don't dig those strings. Quote
Alexander Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 I agree with one review I read that said that this album seems short on fun. There's some excellent playing, but it remains my least favorite Osby album simply because it's so damn serious! Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted March 18, 2004 Author Report Posted March 18, 2004 Serious?? Serious fun!!! ---> in my book. OK, half this album is a little on the serious side, but seriously - I have more 'fun' listening to this album that I can rightly describe here, now, in words. Yeah, I'm weird like that - but Moran's tune in particular - "Repay in Kind" (track 2 on the disc) - is one of the most FUN things I've ever heard from Osby or Moran. Quote
king ubu Posted March 18, 2004 Report Posted March 18, 2004 Serious?? Serious fun!!! ---> in my book. OK, half this album is a little on the serious side, but seriously - I have more 'fun' listening to this album that I can rightly describe here, now, in words. Yeah, I'm weird like that - but Moran's tune in particular - "Repay in Kind" (track 2 on the disc) - is one of the most FUN things I've ever heard from Osby or Moran. Stay assured your not alone! Maybe we both need to get our ears fixed? ubu Quote
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