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Description: Legends is one of the most musically accomplished super groups of all time. With Eric Clapton on guitar, Joe Sample of The Crusaders on keyboards, virtuoso saxophone player David Sanborn and super session players Steve Gadd on drums and Marcus Miller on bass, both of whom have done time in Clapton's band, the group's pedigree is extraordinary. Marcus Miller put the Legends band together for a European tour in 1997. They never made an album and this concert at Montreux is the only record of their stunning collaboration. The music is an intoxicating blend of jazz, blues and rock, which gives each of the players a chance to shine but also emphasizes the wonderful chemistry they create as a group. TRACK LISTING 1) Full House 2) Groovin' 3) Ruthie 4) Snakes 5) Going Down Slow 6) The Peeper 7) In Case You Hadn't Noticed 8) Third Degree 9) First Song / Tango Blues 10) Put It Where You Want It 11) Shreveport Stomp 12) In A Sentimental Mood / Layla 13) Every Day I Have The BluesAmazon.com: The opportunity to hear Eric Clapton stretch out in an unusual (for him) setting and in the company of musicians the likes of which he rarely plays with is the principal attraction of Legends - Live at Montreux, recorded in 1997 during the Swiss city's annual jazz festival. Clapton is joined by some superb musicians here (pianist Joe Sample, saxophonist David Sanborn, bassist Marcus Miller, and drummer Steve Gadd); but he is clearly the guy the crowd came to see, and as always, he delivers a passel of passionate, stinging solos. But although some of the repertoire has clearly been tailored for him (there are several straight blues numbers, along with the inevitable "Layla"), he's a bit out of his element. Not that this is by any means a jazz concert; notwithstanding the jazz chops of the other players, the bulk of the nearly two-hour set consists of funky, R&B-based grooves, requiring Clapton to play some intricate rhythm figures and ensemble lines, all of which he does well (he's especially effective on "Put It Where You Want It," a Sample tune from his days with the Crusaders). But where a guitarist like, say, Kenny Burrell could imbue this kind of material with interesting chord substitutions and jazz scales, Clapton sticks with the straight-ahead rock style that made him famous, and sometimes it simply doesn't fit. That won't make much difference to folks who just want to hear the man play. The more nettlesome issue is the fact that despite a couple of certified classics (Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" and Jelly Roll Morton's "Shreveport Stomp," neither of which includes the guitarist), overall this music consists of too many riffs and not enough melodies, too many repetitive jams and not enough tunes. In short, Legends - Live at Montreux's biggest problem is its tendency to be boring. --Sam Graham
Customer Reviews:
- Fabulous talent: This is a one-off recording of a one-off supergroup.
The band line-up is:
Steve Gadd - Drums
Marcus Miller - Bass/Bass Clarinet
Joe Sample - Keyboards
Eric Clapton - Guitar / Vocals
David Sanborn - Alto Sax
This is mostly instrumental, with only vocals by Clapton on a couple of tracks. As you would expect with a crack rhythm section like this the groove generated is fantastic and the opening track 'Full House' demonstrates this amply. Clapton had insecurities about playing with such a Jazz based group of musicians, however he more than holds his own against the prodigious talents of Sample, Miller and Sanborn (not to mention the drummers drummer Gadd).
The numbers performed are:
Full House
Groovin'
Ruthie
Snakes
Going Down Slow
The Peeper
In Case You Hadn't Noticed
Third Degree
First Song / Tango Blues
Put It Where You Want It
Shreveport Stomp (solo Piano)
In A Sentimental Mood / Layla
Every Day I have the Blues
For this DVD think mid-period Crusaders, so if you like blues based Jazz/Rock you'll love this. Great Stuff.
- ...a nice surprise: This DVD presents an unusual collaboration of musicians and a unique mix of genres in one concert.
- Legends - Live @ Montreux: Saw parts of this first on cable TV and thought it was worth owning. Got it home and saw/listened to the the whole DVD; it is really great.
We'll watch/listen many times. Some great tunes and what and ensemble! They are all showcased and what great an eclectic group music from the very best at their instruments. - Somebody kill Sanborn's mic!!! PLEASE!!!: I just caught this right now On Demand. Being a big Clapton fan, my girl excitedly put it on for me.
It started pretty cool, although it's pretty clear that Clapton is out of his comfort zone. He's well aware of it and simply tries to hide the fact by playing really fast. Hell, I still love the guy. He still presented us with awesome licks during the course of the show; even if it didn't quite fit in.
Marcus Miller is DOPE!!! Simple as that. His being on this show is such a treat.
Joe Sample is a wasted talent here.
My main gripe?! DAMMIT!!! Somebody tell David Sanborn to stop hoggin all the solo spots! Even when they're playing ensemble licks - He's hella loud! It got really distracting and annoying. I was ready to turn it off just because of this him. Believe me, I like all instruments, but Sanborn just goes and goes and goes. All while being super loud. I'll keep it real - only a saxaphone player can appreciate this much Sanborn. - defective CD's: The first CD I received was defective. I returned it and received
the replacement. It also wouldn't play. Amazon's response in both
cases was excellent as I expected. Someone needs to sample these CD's,
however. It would seem unlikely that 2 would be defective. Probably the
whole batch is!!!!
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