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
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| 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. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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
- ^ "Discs". Boston Herald. 15 May 1992. p. S23.
- ^ Smith, Will (21 June 1992). "Drummer's Work Forceful, Forward-Looking". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 9.
- ^ Norment, Lynn (Aug 1992). "Sounding Off". Ebony. Vol. 47, no. 10. p. 27.
- ^ Milkowski, Bill (1998). Rockers, Jazzbos & Visionaries. Billboard Books. p. 144.
- ^ Gettelman, Parry (15 May 1992). "Tony Williams: A Life Among Legends". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 33.
- ^ "Top Jazz Albums". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 25. Jun 20, 1992. p. 35.
- ^ a b Atkins, Ronald (24 Sep 1992). "Tony Williams: The Story of Neptune". Features. The Guardian.
- ^ a b "The Story of Neptune Review by Scott Yanow". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ Chapman, Geoff (18 May 1992). "Williams, who won his drumming spurs with Miles Davis...". Toronto Star. p. C6.
- ^ "Tony Williams Biography by Thom Jurek". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ Stewart, Zan (16 Aug 1992). "10 Years of Roney on Record". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 80.
- ^ Chapman, Geoff (22 May 1992). "Tony Williams quintet thunders into the Onion". Toronto Star. p. C14.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 772.
- ^ "Williams, Green Taking the Lead". The Washington Post. 1 May 1992. p. N14.
- ^ Considine, J.D. (22 May 1992). "The Story of Neptune Tony Williams". Features. The Baltimore Sun. p. 2.
- ^ "Out of the Blue". Features. The Times. 2 Aug 1992.