The Countdown is the fifth studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller. The album was released in 1988 by Landmark Records.[1][2][3][4][5] For this record Miller teamed with Ron Carter on bass, Joe Henderson on tenor sax, and Tony Williams on drums. Initially, the album contained seven compositions, but later it was re-released with the bonus track "1684".

The Countdown
Studio album by
Released1989
RecordedAugust 15–16, 1988
StudioFantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA.
GenreJazz
Length49:54
LabelLandmark Records LLP-1519
ProducerOrrin Keepnews
Mulgrew Miller chronology
Trio Transition
(1987)
The Countdown
(1989)
Trio Transition with Special Guest Oliver Lake
(1988)

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [6]

Scott Yanow of Allmusic noted that the album "is a particularly strong all-star date, teaming the pianist with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (who sits out on two of the seven numbers), bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. Other than a surprisingly effective 'What the World Needs Now Is Love', the repertoire is composed of originals by Miller (four) and one apiece from Williams and Henderson ('Tetragon'). A high-quality advanced hard bop set."[7]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Countdown"Miller8:16
2."Exact Change"Miller5:19
3."What the World Needs Now Is Love"Burt Bacharach, Hal David7:27
4."1684"Ron Carter5:51
5."Tetragon"Joe Henderson6:42
6."Crystal Palace"Tony Williams5:39
7."Ambrosia"Miller4:42
8."August Afternoon"Miller5:58
Total length:49:54

Personnel

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Musicians

  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Joe Henderson – tenor sax
  • Mulgrew Miller – piano
  • Tony Williams – drums

Production

  • Phil Bray – photography
  • Phil Carroll – art direction
  • George Horn – mastering
  • Orrin Keepnews – liner notes, producer
  • Danny Kopelson – engineering, remixing

References

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  1. ^ "The Countdown". Discogs. discogs.com. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Mulgrew Miller Discography". jazzdisco.org. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Mulgrew Miller: Countdown". Dusty Groove. dustygroove.com. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Mulgrew Miller Discography". MTV. mtv.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  5. ^ Jazzlists: Landmark 1500 series discography, accessed February 4, 2019
  6. ^ Yanow, Scott. "Mulgrew Miller: The Countdown". Allmusic. allmusic.com. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  7. ^ Yanow, Scott. "Mulgrew Miller: The Countdown". Allmusic. allmusic.com. Retrieved 6 February 2017.