Back in the 1970s I discovered a record company that brought out instrumental “jazz” albums that I loved. I would buy any album CTI put into the record stores (remember them?). The CTI sound was the early form of “Smooth Jazz.” Many jazz artists found themselves in a losing competition with rock & roll performers. CTI smoothed out jazz, added some pop elements, and established jazz artists found this new music mix generated album sales. CTI is long gone, but SONY (who owns the CTI catalog) is reissuing these wonderful CDs, remixed and remastered, for CTI’s 4OTH Anniversary. CTI Records: The Cool Revolution is a sampler of the CDs that will be released in the months ahead. Forty years after I first listened to this great music, it’s back better than ever! GRADE: A
SET LIST:
Disc 1
1 Sugar / Stanley Turrentine 10:04
2 Moment’s Notice / Hubert Laws 6:57
3 So What / Ron Carter 11:24
4 Autumn Leaves / Chet Baker 7:05
5 Speed Ball / Stanley Turrentine 6:40
6 The Intrepid Fox / Freddie Hubbard 10:43
7 Ifrane / Randy Weston 5:16
8 Free as a Bird / Don Sebesky 8:14
9 So What / George Benson 9:11
Disc 2
1 Red Clay / Freddie Hubbard 12:09
2 It’s Too Late / Johnny Hammond 10:58
3 Home Is Where the Hatred Is / Esther Phillips 3:25
4 We Got a Good Thing Going / Hank Crawford 5:59
5 White Rabbit / George Benson 6:57
6 Fire and Rain / Hubert Laws 7:56
7 What a Difference a Day Makes / Esther Phillips 4:31
8 Follow Your Heart / Joe Farrell 6:52
9 Also Sprach Zarathustra / Deodato 2001 9:02
10 Mister Magic / Grover Washington Jr. 8:59
Disc 3
1 Stone Flower / Antonio Carlos Jobim 3:19
2 Ponteio / Astrud Gilberto 3:41
3 First Light / Freddie Hubbard 11:05
4 Salt Song / Stanley Turrentine 7:15
5 Pensativa / Hubert Laws 3:54
6 Tombo in 7/4 / Airto 6:24
7 Sunflower / Milt Jackson 8:48
8 Return to Forever / Airto 10:15
9 Wave / Paul Desmond 6:17
10 Carly & Carole / Deodato 3:40
11 Brazil / Antonio Carlos Jobim Alternate Take 5:25
Disc 4
1 My Funny Valentine / Gerry Mulligan 8:46
2 All Blues / Ron Carter 9:32
3 Song to a Seagull / Don Sebesky 5:49
4 Pavane / Hubert Laws 7:41
5 What’ll I Do / Chet Baker 3:58
6 Westchester Lady / Bob James 7:25
7 A Child Is Born / Kenny Burrell 8:39
8 Take Five / George Benson 7:09
9 Concierto de Aranjuez / Jim Hall 19:19
Cool!
You get the credit for this purchase, Jeff! You sent me that article on music box-sets in the NY TIMES and CTI RECORDS: THE COOL REVOLUTION jumped right out at me. More stimulus!
Some of Creed Taylor’s productions veered close to schlock, but he gave broader exposure and presumably fat paychecks to top-rank musicians who deserved it: e.g., Desmond, Carter, Weston, Sebesky, Hubbard. Engineering by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder, and outstanding packaging by Bob Ciano. I stiill have a bunch of them, in the original vinyl, of course.
I had ALL of the original vinyl albums, Art. Yes, some of the music was schlocky, but most of it sounded great to my untutored ears. Now, SONY plans to release the remixed, remastered CD versions with the original covers (only in small, CD format).
I had a bunch of them too, but the vinyl days are gone, at least for me. I have a few of them on D (Turrentine, Carter, Hubbard) and they are all legit jazz artists, not “smooth” as in Kenny G and his ilk. I may pick this one up.
You’ll be happy to own CTI RECORDS: THE COOL REVOLUTION, Rick. Plenty of good music on these 4 CDs.
and yes, I remember record stores, and I miss them, especially a few of them, such as Tower Records classical annex in Hollywood.
We’re down to three record stores in Buffalo, Rick. They mostly sell CDs and DVDs, but they also have a few hundred vinyl records of dubious worth.
Wonder how that foot tastes.
I think the answer is “yummy,” Drongo.
George, that was also my thought…
Great minds think alike, Drongo.
Not to my tastes, at all…but like Art, I was glad they were making a buck at a time when bucks weren’t necessarily flowing in. Also…as an anti-fetishist of feet…not to my taste. Yish.
Desmond’s albums with CTI were particularly disappointing to me when I was first hearing them ca. 1979.
My favorite CTI records include those by Grover Washington, Jr., Hank Crawford, Hurbert Laws, and Stanley Turrentine, Todd. Most of it would fall into the “Smooth Jazz” category today, but it sounds good to me.