Manhattan Plaza (album)

Manhattan Plaza
Studio album by
Ricky Ford
Released1979
RecordedAugust 1, 1978
StudioVan Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, U.S.
GenreJazz
LabelMuse
ProducerRichard Seidel
Ricky Ford chronology
Loxodonta Africana
(1977) 		Manhattan Plaza
(1979) 		Flying Colors
(1980)

Manhattan Plaza is an album by saxophonist Ricky Ford. It was recorded on August 1, 1978, and released by Muse Records the following year.

Background

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This was Ford's first album for Muse Records and his second recording as leader.[1] The band was a principally a quintet: Ford on tenor sax, trumpeter Oliver Beener, pianist Jaki Byard, bassist David Friesen, and drummer Dannie Richmond. Byard had been one of Ford's teachers at the New England Conservatory of Music.[2] Manhattan Plaza was the building that Ford and other musicians lived in.[3]

Recording and music

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The album was recorded at the Van Gelder Recording Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on August 1, 1978.[4] It was produced by Richard Seidel.[4] Of the seven tracks, three were composed by Ford, three by Byard, and one was a standard ("If You Could See Me Now").[1] Byard's "Olean Visit" was first recorded in 1967, whereas this was the first recording of "Fadism".[4] Beener does not play on "Afternoon in New York".[4] "Ceal's Place" is a blues.[4] "Diane's Melody" is played as a Ford–Byard duet.[1] The album was released by Muse in 1979.[5][6][7]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
DownBeat[8]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[9]

The Bay State Banner wrote that the album "presents the tenor sax of Ford in a more restrained fashion than usual, with Ford at times giving up the spotlight to the brilliant touches of Jaki Byard, one of the real geniuses on piano."[10]

The AllMusic reviewer described the playing as "advanced hard bop."[1]

Track listing

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  1. "Fadism" (Jaki Byard) – 7:19
  2. "Afternoon in New York" (Ricky Ford) – 4:40
  3. "Diane's Melody" (Byard) – 3:30
  4. "Ceal's Place" (Ford) – 4:12
  5. "On the Plaza" (Ford) – 6:15
  6. "If You Could See Me Now" (Tadd Dameron) – 4:52
  7. "Olean Visit" (Byard) – 6:16

Personnel

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  • Ricky Ford – tenor sax
  • Oliver Beener – trumpet
  • Jaki Byard – piano
  • David Friesen – bass
  • Dannie Richmond – drums

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Yanow, Scott "Ricky Ford – Manhattan Plaza". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  2. ^ Perez, Mathieu (2014) "Ricky Ford: Five or Six Shades of Jazz". Jazz Hot 668.
  3. ^ Seidel, Mitchell (September 1, 2006) "Manhattan Plaza". JazzTimes.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Manhattan Plaza" (LP liner notes). Muse Records. MR5188.
  5. ^ "Muse LP Series Discography: 5150 to 5199". jazzlists.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  6. ^ "Muse Records Listing". jazzdiscography.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  7. ^ "Jazzlists: Ricky Ford Discography". jazzdiscography.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  8. ^ Lange, Art (January 1980). "Ricky Ford: Loxodonta Africana/Manhattan Plaza". DownBeat. Vol. 47, no. 1. p. 42.
  9. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 78. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  10. ^ Lane, George (21 June 1979). "Shades of Blue". Bay State Banner. No. 37. p. 18.
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