The Story of Neptune

1992 studio album by Tony Williams
The Story of Neptune
Studio album by
Tony Williams
Released1992
GenreJazz
LabelBlue Note
ProducerTony Williams
Tony Williams chronology
Native Heart
(1990) 		The Story of Neptune
(1992) 		Tokyo Live
(1993)

The Story of Neptune is an album by the American musician Tony Williams.[1][2] It was released in 1992 through Blue Note Records, his fifth album for the label.[3][4] Williams supported the album by touring with the Benny Green Trio.[5] The Story of Neptune peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.[6]

Production

The album's songs were written or arranged by Williams.[7] "Neptune" is a three-part composition.[8] "Blackbird" is a cover of the Beatles song.[9] "Birdlike" was written by Freddie Hubbard.[10] Wallace Roney played trumpet on the album; Mulgrew Miller played piano.[11][12] It was the last album by Williams’s long-standing quintet.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[13]

The Washington Post wrote that, "whether vigorously emphatic or impeccably subdued, [Williams's] touch is felt everywhere, propelling some tunes with tumultuous rhythms and underpinning others with a gently swinging pulse."[14] The Baltimore Sun determined that, "from the giddy extrapolations of 'Neptune: Fear Not' to the carefully arranged ensemble work of 'Blackbird', the playing here is never less than excellent."[15]

The Times opined that Wallace Roney's "diamond-cut lines are the perfect foil to [Williams's] only splintery percussion, but the leader has also learned to play more melodically, exchanging some of the fiery press-rolls he derived from Art Blakey for the quieter and more measured approach of the other great bop master, Max Roach."[16] The Guardian concluded that "pianist Mulgrew Miller builds from his central hammer-fisted role on the opening track to give probably his strongest performance with the group."[7]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Neptune: Overture" 
2."Neptune: Fear Not" 
3."Neptune: Creatures of Conscience" 
4."Blackbird" 
5."Crime Scene" 
6."Poinciana" 
7."Birdlike" 

Personnel

  • Bill Pierce- tenor & soprano saxophone
  • Wallace Roney- trumpet
  • Mulgrew Miller- piano
  • Ira Coleman- acoustic bass
  • Tony Williams- drums & percussion

References

  1. ^ "Discs". Boston Herald. 15 May 1992. p. S23.
  2. ^ Smith, Will (21 June 1992). "Drummer's Work Forceful, Forward-Looking". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 9.
  3. ^ Norment, Lynn (Aug 1992). "Sounding Off". Ebony. Vol. 47, no. 10. p. 27.
  4. ^ Milkowski, Bill (1998). Rockers, Jazzbos & Visionaries. Billboard Books. p. 144.
  5. ^ Gettelman, Parry (15 May 1992). "Tony Williams: A Life Among Legends". Orlando Sentinel. Calendar. p. 33.
  6. ^ "Top Jazz Albums". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 25. Jun 20, 1992. p. 35.
  7. ^ a b Atkins, Ronald (24 Sep 1992). "Tony Williams: The Story of Neptune". Features. The Guardian.
  8. ^ a b "The Story of Neptune Review by Scott Yanow". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  9. ^ Chapman, Geoff (18 May 1992). "Williams, who won his drumming spurs with Miles Davis...". Toronto Star. p. C6.
  10. ^ "Tony Williams Biography by Thom Jurek". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  11. ^ Stewart, Zan (16 Aug 1992). "10 Years of Roney on Record". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 80.
  12. ^ Chapman, Geoff (22 May 1992). "Tony Williams quintet thunders into the Onion". Toronto Star. p. C14.
  13. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 772.
  14. ^ "Williams, Green Taking the Lead". The Washington Post. 1 May 1992. p. N14.
  15. ^ Considine, J.D. (22 May 1992). "The Story of Neptune Tony Williams". Features. The Baltimore Sun. p. 2.
  16. ^ "Out of the Blue". Features. The Times. 2 Aug 1992.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Tony Williams
Albums as leader
or co-leader
The Great Jazz
Trio albums
(with Hank Jones
and Ron Carter)
Arcana albums
(with Bill Laswell
and Derek Bailey)
Related articles