Jazz Beat (Part 35)

I like them. If you can't handle recordings that are a bit on the loud side one way or another you may not enjoy them as much. My system is pretty flexible and I love the depth of sound these have as well as the crisp and full tonal balance, and dynamics are not bad. I don't think these are intended as copies of the original mastering. . . .

Some are surprisingly good. For example "Sweet Honey Bee" sounds better than it ever has and I'm hard pressed to hear anything that would say that this time it's a needle drop like the other times. . . .

 

Well, again, I like pretty much all periods of Mobley, and I do happen to love the earlier 60s albums you list - and would add THE TURNAROUND and A SLICE OF THE TOP. By contrast there are also some more middling 60s Mobley dates in my opinion - THE FLIP, HI VOLTAGE, REACH OUT! for example.

I just happen to have a personal fondness for the earlier 1950s stuff and feel like it gets overlooked. Beyond Mobley, from the Mosaic box we have sessions with Horace Silver, Doug Watkins, Donald Byrd, Bill Hardman, Milt Jackson, Blakey, Art Farmer, Lee Morgan, Sonny Clark, Bobby Timmons, Wynton Kelly, and others - no slouches.

 

LOVE that set! I'd take those recordings over the more heralded Vanguard live recordings any day.

 

Lucky find in the used bins today - the Victor Japan "VDJ-" early CD release of this title (VDJ-1529 to be exact). Sounds really nice!

 

Yeah, but Art sounds more stoned on the Vanguard recordings Those stage announcements are priceless and could be used in school systems round the world to preach the "this is your brain on drugs" message.

 

You gotta love when he starts rambling about Laurie at one point. That was too funny! I dig the Vanguard recordings though, I have the Japanese box with the K2 remastering which is the greatest. I wouldn't give anything for that but yeah, the Ronnie Scott set is killer!

N/P:

Sonny Stitt - Stitt Plays Bird

 

Lonson answered this better than I could but I think these are great. They are a touch on the loud side but still sound fantastic... at least to me.

 

I have the original two albums but not the newish box and though I know the Vanguard recordings better I still prefer them to the Ronnie Scott's recordings, great as they are. Has anyone heard the originals and the box and can comment on SQ differences?

 

I bought a copy directly from Glenn not too long after it came out. I just stopped by his house; he had some stored under a bed. I went to see his trio a number of times when I lived in Atlanta 1975-76. Also saw the other HGB guitarist Harold Kelling play in a neighborhood pub & Bruce Hampton a bunch of times at The Bistro. Bruce was playing with Austrian jazz guitarist Karl Ratzer. On at least one occasion Paul McCandless of Oregon sat in.

 

That Scratch album looks pretty tasty. In fact I was certain I had it but a search turned up plenty Kenny but "I got no scratch." I love Daniel Humair's drumming. He's one of my favorite Drummers of which there is a long list but I never have one clear favorite of just about anything except my wife. Ha!

WP Charles Earland - Intensity (Prestige) WLP
NP Sonny Rollins - There Will Never Be Another You (Impulse) blue/green label
Recorded at the NYC MOMA as part of a jazz series.

 

Ah! Love it! When 'This here' comes on, I zone out and enjoy. It's nice to hear 'Moanin' undressed if you know what I mean.
How's the sound on the VDJ?

 

I Finally picked this set up, $100 shipped.

 

Really nice! I don't think the U.S. OJC disc sounds bad either (had that one already), but the VDJ has a somewhat warmer, fuller sound. Mastering on the VDJ is by Joe Gastwirt.

 

Another of today's finds and another Japanese import.



Ron Carter, 1 + 3 (JVC, catalog number VDJ-1032, released 1987). Tony Williams on drums, with Hank Jones on two of the four tracks and Herbie Hancock on the other two. Recorded at a "Live Under the Sky" gig in Japan in 1978. Just about as great as you'd predict with this lineup and that vintage.

Not sure this CD was ever released in the U.S. even though it was mastered at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Before today I'd never heard of it, so I am thinking it must be pretty scarce. I see only copies listed for $35 or more on the usual online outlets. I paid $3.99 for my copy (well hey the jewel case WAS pretty messed up ...but the booklet and tray card and disc were all pristine).

 

And one more before turning in:

Carla Bley, 4 x 4 (Watt/ECM, recorded 1999). Really tasty relatively smaller (for Bley) group work featuring Lew Soloff on trumpet, Andy Sheppard on tenor, Steve Swallow bass, Wolfgang Puschnig trombone, Gary Valente trombone, Larry Goldings organ and Victor Lewis drums. This might be an ideal gateway recording for people who aren't yet familiar with the wonderful world of Carla Bley. Though not lacking in the usual creativity, humor, and touches of the bizarre, there is also an appealing directness to this music, lacking in some of her other work.

 

Yep, I've been on the lookout for it. I agree, there's nothing wrong with the OJC, but there is something special about those VDJ's.
I think it's available on XRCD as well?

 

I looked for the Branford Marsalis at Grace Cathedral in town this weekend but no luck. I decided to look at HD Tracks and they had it in 96/24 so I decided to get it there and put it on the Pono.

 

I played a little jazz last night at an ex-bandmate's/friend's house for a little Christmas party jam session. I hadn't played with them in over a year I think so it was great fun. We did a Nat King Cole tune and some jazz and Brazilian standards, the usual. All in good fun and we got some audience participation singing along towards the end of the evening. A little alcohol always losses up the inhibitions. I think I played about three hours. Got home after midnight.
That doesn't happen very often.

 

Helyne Stewart - Love Moods, OJCCD-1020-2

Recorded in the Contemporary Records mailroom on January 20 1961, and August 21-22 1961.

For "Love Is Here To Stay", "The Man I Love", "How Deep Is The Ocean" and "My Silent Love" she is accompanied by Jack Sheldon (trumpet) Frank Rosolino (trombone) Art Pepper (alto saxophone) Teddy Edwards (tenor saxophone, arranger) Pete Jolly (piano) Jimmy Bond (bass) and Frank Butler (drums). Pretty damn nice group of people! This was by the way the last apperance of Art Pepper before he went to jail in 1961.

I don't know if Peppers incarceration was the reason for the hiatus from January to August, but Teddy Edwards fronts the second half of the record with another band consisting of Phineas Newborn Jr. (piano) Leroy Vinnegar (bass) and Milt Turner (drums).
"I Hadn't Anyone 'Til You", "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", "That Old Feeling", "This Love Of Mine", "Why Don't You Do Right", "Easy To Love", "Besame Mucho" and "This Can't Be Love" makes it complete. This forgotten gem of standards is very nice, and can be picked up for like $5. Do it and enjoy!

By the way, I would have gotten it just for the nice cover. They don't come better than this...

 

The sound stage of the ones I've heard has more depth than other Blue Note CD reissues, but they are too loud to my taste. I found them fatiguing and I don't need that when listening to music.

What do you mean by "original masterings"? Please specify.

 

Sounds nice - any chances for the stellar supporting cast to solo?

 

Not sure about xrcd for that one - if so I would want to know whether its one of the classic jazz titles that Alan Yoshida mastered for xrcd - those sound GREAT- but some of the xrcds mastered by others are tinny and bright (Blue Mitchell BLUE's MOODS is an unfortunate example).

 

Well mainly it's Helyne's singing of course, and the songs are standards just over 3 minutes a piece so there's not much room for solos, but there's the "regular" take-turns short solo one towards the end of each song. But because of the soundquality, it's so enjoyable to hear the band work together so I don't miss the solo's

Yep, I found more info - it's a Yoshida remaster. It's probably a good one.
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...m-1961-riverside-records-xrcd-or-sacd.129779/