Grachan Moncur III – Evolution (2LP, 45RPM)
Trombone – Grachan Moncur III
Alto Saxophone – Jackie McLean
Bass – Bob Cranshaw
Drums – Anthony Williams
Trumpet – Lee Morgan
Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson
Written by Grachan Moncur III
2 LP, standard sleeve
Limited numbered edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 45RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Optimal
Label : Blue Note The Definitive 45 RPM Reissue Series
Original Label : Blue Note
Recorded November 21, 1963 at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder
Produced by Alfred Lion
Mastered by Kevin Gray, Steve Hoffman at Acoustech Mastering
Cover design by Reid Miles
Photography by Francis Wolff
Sleeve Notes by A. B. Spellman
Originally released in 1963
Reissued in December 2010
Tracks :
Side A:
1. Air Raid
Side B:
1. Evolution
Side C:
1. The Coaster
Side D:
1. Monk In Wonderland
Reviews :
“One of the New Thing's extremely few trombonists and a greatly underappreciated composer of tremendous evocative power, Grachan Moncur III got his first major exposure on Jackie McLean's groundbreaking 1963 masterpiece, One Step Beyond. Toward the end of the year, most of the same musicians reconvened for Moncur's debut as a leader, Evolution; McLean, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, and drummer Tony Williams are all back, with Bob Cranshaw on bass and an extra voice in trumpeter Lee Morgan, moonlighting from his usual groovy hard bop style. While Moncur takes a little more solo space here, the main emphasis is on his talent as a composer. The four originals are all extended, multi-sectioned works (the shortest is around eight minutes), all quite ambitious, and all terrifically moody; much of the album sounds sinister and foreboding, and even the brighter material has a twisted, surreal fun-house undercurrent. Part of that is due to the accuracy with which the musicians interpret Moncur's vision. Hutcherson provides his trademark floating chordal accompaniment, which is crucial to the overall texture; what's more, the album features some of McLean's weirdest playing ever, and some of Morgan's most impressively advanced, as he makes the most of a situation he longed to be in more often. Of the pieces, "Monk in Wonderland" is the most memorable; its whimsical, angular theme is offset by Hutcherson's mysterious vibes, which create a trippy effect in keeping with the title. "Air Raid" is alternately ominous and terrifyingly frantic, and the funereal title track keeps time only in the pulse of the horns and the backing, which is based entirely on whole notes. With such an inventive debut, it's a shame Moncur didn't record more as a leader, which makes Evolution an even more important item for fans of Blue Note's avant-garde to track down.” Allmusic Review by Steve Huey
"The albums are being cut at 45 RPM for maximum quality by Kevin Gray and me using our full ANALOG disk cutting system; most studios cannot even cut vinyl in 100% true analog anymore (they convert to digital first) but we can. The original Rudy Van Gelder engineered stereophonic session tapes are used when we master these gems. The sound quality is amazing on our test cuts. Like from heaven. First totally uncompressed versions of these jazz classics that I’ve ever heard and trust me, you will be impressed; they sound like no other releases of this music."
"The sound is lifelike, the horns are in the room with you. Our non-invasive mastering insures the true breath of life on these original Van Gelder session tapes is transferred to the virgin vinyl with absolute authenticity. It is like hearing these BLUE NOTE masterpieces for the first time and that is NO exaggeration. When we heard the first lacquer acetate playback from our first mastering session I thought Joe Harley was going to pee in his pants he was so excited. Actually we all were; after 50 years of many lackluster and some downright bad sounding versions of these albums, hearing the real deal is a humbling experience, even for us hardened music veterans. You will be able to listen to the music exactly like we did..." - by Steve Hoffman
Ratings:
AllMusic : 4.5 / 5 ; Discogs : 4.88 / 5 ; The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings : 4 / 4