MIKE MAINIERI — Love Play (review)

MIKE MAINIERI — Love Play album cover Album · 1977 · RnB Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
Matti P
The American vibraphonist Mike Mainieri came to my radar when I was 14 and loved the album "Love Over Gold" by my then-favourite band Dire Straits. Mainieri's vibes were an enjoyable addition especially on the title track and 'Private Investigations'.

I had never heard a single track of Mainieri's solo career, until a year ago I bought a heap of used, nearly-free vinyls mainly from the late 70's. Alongside a relatively weak Carly Simon album among others, this one I didn't care enough to keep it to myself. Now re-listening to it on YouTube I have more positive feelings. The overall production is quite outdated and cheesy, yes, but in the right mood the music is pretty nice in its lighthearted groove.

To me, the list of supporting musicians features a couple of familiar names, ie. bassist Tony Levin and drummer Steve Gadd. All musicians are undoubtedly excellent on their instruments. Sadly the arrangements are in my opinion too overproduced with synths, saxes, guitars and the rhythm section, whereas the gentle vibes would function better on more spatial soundscapes -- like the ones on "Love Over Gold".

The instrumentals such as 'I'm Sorry' or 'Love Play' are in general more enjoyable than the tracks featuring vocals (by various guests I'm not familiar with). The songs slightly decrease the jazzier feel and drag the album closer to the middle-of-the-road late 70's funk-flavoured pop.

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

The Poetry of Jazz : Live at Blue LLama Pop/Art Song/Folk
ALLAN HARRIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Dom Salvador JID024 World Fusion
JAZZ IS DEAD (YOUNGE & MUHAMMAD)
Buy this album from MMA partners
In The Beginning Hard Bop
SOMETHING BLUE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Pivot Point Post Bop
BEHN GILLECE
Buy this album from MMA partners
New Vienna Post-Fusion Contemporary
KEITH JARRETT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Where Do We Go From Here
ATLANTIC JAZZ COLLECTIVE
js· -46 second ago
Mount Meander - Swung
MOUNT MEANDER
js· -22 second ago
JUICE
BERNELL JONES II
js· -57 second ago
"Não Podermos O Amar Para" - Dom Salvador, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
JAZZ IS DEAD (YOUNGE & MUHAMMAD)
snobb· 7 hours ago
Here's That Rainy Day
DANNY GRISSETT
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed