Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – Treasury Broadcast No.17 [Aug 4, '45][on Vol.9 of The Treasury Shows] (Storyville Records—D.E.T.S.) Personnel: Shelton Hemphill, Rex Stewart, Taft Jordan, Cat Anderson(t); Ray Nance(t,vn,v); Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Claude Jones(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Otto Hardwicke(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Al Sears(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn(p); Fred Guy(g); Junior Raglin(sb); Sonny Greer(d,ch); Joya Sherrill, Kay Davis, Al Hibbler(v). Titles include: Creole Love Call, The Magazine Suite (Downbeat Shuffle, Esquire Swank, Metronome All Out), Riff Staccato, Everything But You, Passion Flower, Frantic Fantasy, Air Conditioned Jungle, On the Sunny Side of the Street. Live broadcast from Radio City Studios, NYC.
There are some excellent BBC podcasts on a variety of subjects; their literature and history podcasts are informative and entertaining. Unfortunately, their jazz shows aren't available in the US, so I have to grab them when I'm working in Europe (though I guess one could access via a VPN). Another series I thoroughly enjoyed was "Sheldrake on Shakespeare," currently on hiatus. He offered some good insight into the bard, if Shakespeare is your cup of tea.
Frank Gratkowski Project – Loft Exile V - CD 1 (Leo Records) Personnel: Frank Gratkowski (alto saxophone, clarinet, bass and contrabass clarinet); Herb Robertson (trumpet); Wolter Wierbos (trombone); Dieter Manderscheid (bass); Wilbert DeJoode (bass); Gerry Hemingway (drums); Michael Vatcher (drums). This project was in celebration of Gratkowski's 40th birthday as well as 15 years of Loft, Cologne & 25 years of Leo Records. It was recorded live at the 32nd New Jazz Festival Moers (Germany) in 2003.
It was a great little garage sale today that I found this in an advance promo copy in perfect shape (in mono, of course, this record was never true stereo). Beautiful. The seller was a jazz pianist who has played with some great artists (Nick Brignola, JR Monterose, Mark Murphy) This image is from the web
I secretly hope that Storyville will issue a massive box of this complete series, though that would frustrate many faithful customers who have picked them up as they were issued
Just curious, there are quite a few sealed Blue Note Japanese releases on ebay right now, with obi intact, in the $15 range. Any idea if these Blue Notes are pirated or legit? Here's a link to one such item: New CD Jackie McLean "A Fickle Sonance" Sonny Clark Blue Note (Japan) | eBay
Storyville has compiled boxsets of series that were issued individually (like the Tatum), but might be discouraged by the price point of a 40+ CD box. If no big box, a nice wood slipcase for all the individual 2 CD sets would be nice
There are so many "previously owned" copies of Japanese discs that are still sealed (obsessed collectors who never get around to opening them). I see them all the time in the "used" section of Academy Records in NYC, never opened. I think the cost of pirating the disc and graphics would not be worthwhile for $15 (pirate or greymarket editions are at that price all the time, so counterfeiting the OBI etc seems pointless). My bet is they are real.
Likely to be 50 discs when finished. . . I don't think they'll make one box of this series. And a slipcase would mean nothing to me, I'd not buy it. Love this series though. One or two more volumes to go.
I would still not be surprised if they do a large box (with cardboard sleeves), though I also think it unlikely. If they add a bonus disc (as they did on the Tatum), it would anger many collectors though. They will have all the mastering and CD pressing done. All they need to manufacture is a cardboard box and cardboard CD pockets. One of my friends was Jerry Valburn's assistant (these are all from Jerry) helping him with all sorts of tasks.
, Finally received a used CD copy of this in the mail today. Playing it now, and I'm not disappointed. Another nice production from Herbie Mann, featuring Herbie Hancock, Hubert Laws, Sam Brown, and Billy Cobham.
Speaking of Art Blakey, does anyone know who the horn players (trumpet and sax) were with Blakey's touring band from 1973-1974? I saw him several times back then, but was so focussed on Blakey that I don't recall the other soloists. They were probably new names on the scene at that time. Blakey was incredibly intense. You could have filled a swimming pool with the sweat that poured off his face. With his amazing presence, that wet face shone in the spotlight. These images remind me of his appearance on those nights.
Really? More like he learned from Alan Dawson than Art if you ask me! Sounds so different than Art, and he was fully formed in Boston. Tony was AMAZING. To think. . . if things were different he could still be with us. . . . Right now Blu-Spec CD2
Now Playing: Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers - Mosaic (Music Matters 45) I got this one a couple months ago but am just now getting around to playing it for the first time. As far as just sound goes, out of all of the Music Matters albums I've heard so far, this one is my least favorite... all of the others have a strong crank factor where I could get up to -20dB and feel like I could just keep going and it'd only get better, on this one I'm around -30dB and don't feel like I'd want to go any higher.
Of course, music wise this is some scary hard bop going on here and I like it. Although, does seem like the sound mellowed out a little perhaps, the start of the first track seemed like it was really on the brink. Although, maybe it is just my turntable/stylus, as we discovered a while ago my stylus wasn't tracking a ride cymbal very well during the bass solo in Lee Morgan's tune "Candy".
