Carnegie Hall Concert Volume 1 & 2

Performing together, Mulligan and Baker created one of the most unique sounds in jazz. Their live performances and quartet recordings in the early 1950s helped define West Coast Jazz. Over the years, the two reunited on several occasions for record or concert dates. The Carnegie Hall concert from November of 1974 was their final reunion.  

The concert received deserved praise—both Mulligan and Baker were in top form. Their backing band was quite a departure for them, with standout performances from, among others, Bob James on piano, Ron Carter on bass and a young John Scofield playing guitar. The Recorded by Record Plant engineers and remixed by Rudy Van Gelder; the album had none of the Creed Taylor overproduction that sometimes weighs down CTI releases.  Playing to a crowd seeking nostalgia, the group stuck in large part to tunes associated with the 1950s quartet. Like many Carnegie Hall concerts, the recorded sound is exceptional.  Remastered for Speakers Corner by Willem Makkee, the music sounds as fresh as the 1974 original and the flawless Pallas pressing improves on the original by a generous margin.