Modern Art Orchestra’s Legendary Albums series presents the most important and unique albums of jazz literature, performed by MAO. By learning and playing these compositions and arrangements, the musicians are paying tribute to the jazz legends and are undergoing an intense process of musical improvement. The band absorbs the material of the original recordings, sticking to the arrangements, forms and compositional features. As improvisation is the blood of jazz, solos are invented by the players at the moment. Due to the respect shown towards the original conceptions of the legendary composers and the level of craftsmanship known from Modern Art Orchestra, the Legendary Albums series both brings you the essence of jazz tradition and guarantees a fresh musical experience.

Legendary Albums – Art Blakey: Ugetsu

Art Blakey (1919-1990) may have been self-taught on the drums, but has become one of
the most respected bandleaders in jazz history, who connected generations from Mary Lou Williams to Kenny Garrett. The legendary Jazz Messengers combo was launched in 1955 and became one of the most influential and most popular bands of the music. To be invited to join by Blakey meant that you’ve made it. Only Miles Davis was looked up so much by his peers, often proud to declare themselves students of his. The line-up at that October 1963 date in Birdland, New York was one of the best, if not the best ever. A recent addition to the band was trumpet player Freddie Hubbard, capable of taking an audacious speed, similarly to virtuoso trombonist Curtis Fuller, who was also pretty new in the band. The senior position of the frontline belonged to sax player and musical director Wayne Shorter, who was getting ready to record the historic series of his solo albums. They played three original  compositions of the saxophonist.
The title tune and another contain Japanese references, as the band returned from a Far Eastern tour not much earlier. Ugetsu is a classic Japanese movie directed by Mizoguchi, while the other is a reference to the elegant shopping area of Tokyo, Ginza. On the title track it is worth listening to the unlimited talents of pianist of the band, Cedar Walton as he lays out the vamp in a way that foretells Tyner from the classic of the Coltrane Quartet a couple of years later. The original LP has been re-issued with additional tracks from the concert, proving that the fantastic tension at the concert lasted all the way through.