The Story of Neptune
1992 studio album by Tony Williams
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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]
| The Story of Neptune | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer | Tony Williams | |||
| Tony Williams chronology | ||||
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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