CD of the Day - "CTI All Stars: Live in Seattle"

CD of the Day
CTI All Stars: "Live in Seattle, Washington" (1973)

2-CD set recorded live on July 29, 1973 @ the Paramount Theater, Seattle, Washington
Featuring: Airto Moreira, Johnny Hammond, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Hubert Laws.
(Bob James is listed on the back cover credits, but he didn't take part of this concerts; all keyboards - actually, a Fender Rhodes electric piano and a Hammond B-3 organ - were played by the underrated Johnny Hammond during his creative heyday!)

Tracklist includes 15 tracks, and it's a superb concert, from the opener (Airto's "Xibaba") to the closing theme (a 17-minute incandescent version of Hubbard's "Red Clay").
Other highlights: Ron Carter's "Blue Base" in a trio setting with Airto and DeJohnette, Benson's Sapanish-tinged "El Mar," Johnny Hammond's dynamics on "It's Too Late," Freddie Hubbard's stunning a cappella version (on flugelhorn) of Don Sebesky's ballad "Yesterday's Dreams" ("I study, I study," he jokes with the audience while receiving an ovation) and the first live performance ever done by Stanley Turrentine of Marvin Gaye's "Don't Mess With Mr. T," which would become the title track of his next studio LP for CTI. "The catalog number of my forthcoming album is CTI 6038, please buy it," he tells the ecstatic audience. Then, Ron Carter steals the number with an unbelievable acoustic bass solo not included on the studio arrangement.

More details available on Doug Payne's website about CTI Records:
http://www.dougpayne.com/ctiui.htm
http://www.dougpayne.com/ctid7374.htm#live73

"... Finally, in 2009, a three-CD recording of "The CTI All Stars Live In Munich" appeared for sale on eBay, with absolutely pristine sound (most likely taken from radio recording of the event) and a decent cover shot of the "all-stars." The origin of this recording is completely unknown, but is highly recommended to hear some first-rate performances plus a first take of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" without any hint of Deodato's participation. Additionally, several unauthorized recordings of CTI All-Stars events performed on July 29, 1973, in Seattle, Washington, an absolutely terrific performance, during August 1975 in New York City, and a DVD of a July 14, 2009, performance by the reconstituted CTI All Stars in Spain (from a television broadcast) that are available from certain Internet sources. The detail is included here for historical purposes."