''Classic! Live at Newport'' is a live album by American jazz saxophonist

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...

recorded in 2005 during the 51st

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

and released on via

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...

label. This is his 25th album to his Blue Note catalog.

Background

Lovano dedicated the album to the memory of both the pianist Hank Jones and longtime Blue Note president

Bruce Lundvall Bruce Lundvall (September 13, 1935 – May 19, 2015) was an American record company executive, best known for his period as the President and CEO of the Blue Note Label Group, reporting directly to Eric Nicoli, the Chief Executive Officer of EMI ...

. The six-tune recording features musical material drawn from the studio albums that Lovano recorded with Jones in 2004–2005. Lovano initially assembled his quartet with Jones, Mraz, and Motian in 2004 to record album ''

I'm All For You ''I'm All For You'' is a ballads-oriented album by Joe Lovano, which critics have called one of his most enjoyable endeavors. The album features Hank Jones as well as two members who have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Lovano: George Mr ...

''. The record saw critical success, and the quartet returned to the studio to record the album ''

Joyous Encounter ''Joyous Encounter'' is a 2005 studio album by American jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano. The album features the same personnel as Lovano's 2004 recording ''I'm All For You''; bassist George Mraz, drummer Paul Motian, and pianist Hank Jones. Receptio ...

'', which was released in May 2005. That summer, ''Classic! Live at Newport'' was recorded with Lewis Nash who replaced Motian. On his website Lovano mentioned that this album is his final for Blue Note label.

Reception

Hrayr Attarian of ''Chicago Jazz Magazine'' noted "It took 11 years for saxophonist Joe Lovano’s superb live recording from the 51st Newport Jazz festival to be released. During these years, the world lost the ingenious pianist Hank Jones, who makes the resulting album ''Classic! Live at Newport'' all the more poignant. The disc is the fourth documented collaboration between Lovano and Jones and is as intriguing as the others, yet unique in its unbridled energy and lively spontaneity....This splendid disc not only captures an exciting and stimulating concert, it also renders it impeccably and with vivid sound. Listening to it is certainly not a substitute for the actual attendance of this memorable event, but Classic! does allow for repeated enjoyment of the work of a quartet captured at the height of its creative power." John Paul of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' wrote that "''Classic! Live at Newport'' offers little in the way of new or unexpected turns from any of these performers. Instead it serves as a fine reminder of the strengths of each and a fitting showcase for the link between jazz’s old and new guard, Lovano falling squarely in the middle. Fans of straight-ahead jazz and thrilling live performances will find much to like here".

Track listing

Personnel

Band *

Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored ...

– piano *Joe Lovano – tenor saxophone *

George Mraz George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz; 9 September 1944 – 16 September 2021) was a Czech-born American jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stephan ...

– bass *

Lewis Nash Lewis Nash (born December 30, 1958) is an American jazz drummer. According to ''Modern Drummer'' magazineNashhas one of the longest discographies in jazz and has played on over 400 records, earning him the honor of Jazz's Most Valuable Player ...

– drums Production *John Abbott – photography *Mike Joyce – design *Joe Lovano – producer *Kurt Lundvall – engineer, mastering, mixing *George Wein – producer *Judi Silvano – cover art

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2016 live albums Blue Note Records live albums Joe Lovano live albums