Product details
- Label Arista
- Artist Blue Montreux
- Format 1LP
- Country United States
- Released Date 1979
- Genre Jazz
- Sealed No
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Blue Montreux II by Blue Montreux.
Captured live across two summer nights at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 21 and 22, 1978, "Blue Montreux II" gathers a formidable cast of players at the peak of their powers. This is fusion documented in the moment, the sound of a stage rather than a studio, later brought into sharp focus during a remix at The Power Station in New York City. The result carries the electricity of live performance with the clarity of careful post-production.
Side A opens with "A Funky Waltz," a piece that lays out the ensemble's ambitions in full. Larry Coryell steps forward as soloist on electric guitar alongside Steve Khan, while Warren Bernhardt anchors the harmony on piano. Tony Levin colors the low end with electric stick, and the horn front line of Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone and Randy Brecker on trumpet gives the track its bright, muscular edge. Steve Jordan's drumming keeps the whole thing loose and swinging.
"Candles" shifts the palette, pairing Michael Brecker's soprano saxophone with Steve Khan's electric guitar and Warren Bernhardt's keyboards. Here Mike Mainieri layers in percussion and electric vibraphone, adding shimmer and texture over Tony Levin's electric bass. The interplay is intricate without ever losing its warmth, a showcase for the kind of ensemble listening that defines the record.
The A side closes with "Uptown Ed," a spotlight for acoustic bass courtesy of the great Eddie Gomez, whose presence lends the piece a grounded, resonant quality. Warren Bernhardt returns to piano while Mainieri's electric vibraphone and Michael Brecker's tenor saxophone round out the conversation, a moment of acoustic depth amid the electric energy.
Side B moves through "Love Play" and "Cloud Motion," where the group's fusion instincts fully take flight. On "Love Play," Mainieri reaches for the mini-moog and synthe-vibe, weaving synthesizer textures around Bernhardt's keyboards, Levin's electric bass, and Khan's guitar. "Cloud Motion" brings the Brecker brothers back together, Michael on saxophone and Randy on trumpet, over a rhythm section that pushes and floats in equal measure, closing the record on an expansive note.
Behind the music sits a serious production team: Mike Mainieri as producer, Steve Backer as executive producer, and Christine Martin coordinating. David Richards and Martin Pearson handled the live recording, with Neil Dorfsman mixing and Raymond Willard assisting. Ron Kellum's design and art direction frame photography by John Launois on the front cover and Robert Dibue on the back, completing a package that feels every bit as considered as the performances it holds.
Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. A Funky Waltz
A2. Candles
A3. Uptown Ed
B1. Love Play
B2. Cloud Motion
Credits:
Eddie Gomez - Acoustic Bass (A3)
Christine Martin - Coordinator [Production]
Ron Kellum - Design, Art Direction
Steve Jordan - Drums
Tony Levin - Electric Bass (A2, B1, B2)
Tony Levin - Electric Bass [Electric Stick] (A1)
Steve Khan - Electric Guitar (A1, A2, B1, B2)
Larry Coryell - Electric Guitar, Soloist (A1)
Steve Backer - Executive-Producer
Warren Bernhardt - Keyboards (A2, B1, B2)
Neil Dorfsman - Mixed By
Raymond Willard - Mixed By [Assisted]
Mike Mainieri - Percussion (A2)
Robert Dibue - Photography By [Back Cover]
John Launois - Photography By [Front Cover]
Warren Bernhardt - Piano (A1, A3)
Mike Mainieri - Producer
David Richards - Recorded By
Martin Pearson - Recorded By
Michael Brecker - Saxophone (B2)
Michael Brecker - Soprano Saxophone (A2)
Mike Mainieri - Synthesizer [Mini-moog] (B1)
Mike Mainieri - Synthesizer [Synthe-vibe] (B1)
Michael Brecker - Tenor Saxophone (A1, A3)
Randy Brecker - Trumpet (A1, B2)
Mike Mainieri - Vibraphone [Electric] (A2, A3, B1, B2)
Notes:
Recorded live, July 21 & 22, 1978 at Montreux Jazz Festival. Remixed at The Power Station, NYC.
Artist: Blue Montreux
Format: 1LP
Genre: Jazz
Label: Arista
Catalog Number: AB 4245
Release Year: 1979
Country: United States
Condition: Used
Media Condition: Near Mint (NM)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
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