Duke Ellington / The Piano Player (Storyville) CD Recorded New York - Paris - Tokyo 1961 - 1971 According to the sleeve information this was recorded over a 10 year period. The first 13 tracks are stunning, beautiful solo piano pieces that just ooze with atmosphere. Without any doubt this is absolutely essential, especially if you are partial to Duke alone at the piano. The last three tracks on the album are in a completely different musical style, played by a Quartet featuring Duke Ellington (piano), Wild Bill Davis (organ), Joe Benjamin (bass) & Rufus Jones (drums). These organ led tracks are full of happy, funky style vibes and are a great (and unexpected) way to conclude this excellent Duke Ellington compilation.
"The Jaywalker" - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 1966-1967 (Storyville) CD All tracks recorded RCA studio. Another excellent Duke Ellington disc on Storyville!
BOOKER ERVIN / GROOVIN' HIGH / PRESTIGE / 1966 / EARLY 1970'S FANTASY GREEN LABEL REISSUE OF PR 7417 WITH VAN GELDER STAMP BOOKER ERVIN - TENOR SAXOPHONE CARMELL JONES - TRUMPET JAKI BYARD, GLIDE MAHONES - PIANO RICHARD DAVIS - BASS ALAN DAWSON - DRUMS PRODUCED BY DON SCHLITTEN. RECORDED DECEMBER 3, 1963, JUNE 30, 1964 AND OCTOBER 2, 1964 AT VAN GELDER STUDIO, ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NEW JERSEY BY RUDY VAN GELDER. LINER NOTES BY MICHAEL MORGAN. PHOTOGRAPHY AND COVER DESIGN BY DON SCHLITTEN.
COUNT BASIE / BASIE / ROULETTE / 1958 / DUTCH FIRST MONO PRESSING R-52003 LP FROM 1958 WENDELL CULLEY — TRUMPET SNOOKY YOUNG — TRUMPET THAD JONES — TRUMPET JOE NEWMAN — TRUMPET HENRY COKER — TROMBONE AL GREY — TROMBONE BENNY POWELL — TROMBONE MARSHAL ROYAL — REEDS FRANK WESS — REEDS EDDIE "LOCKJAW" DAVIS — REEDS FRANK FOSTER — REEDS CHARLES FOWLKES — REEDS COUNT BASIE — PIANO EDDIE JONES — BASS FREDDIE GREEN — GUITAR SONNY PAYNE — DRUMS PRODUCED BY TERRY REIG. RECORDED 21 AND 22 OCTOBER, 1957 AT CAPITOL STUDIOS, NEW YORK CITY. LINER NOTES BY BARRY ULANOV.
PAUL BLEY / LIVE AT THE HILCREST CLUB 1958 / INNER CITY / 1976 / FIRST OFFICIAL LP IC 1007 PAUL BLEY – PIANO ORNETTE COLEMAN – ALTO SAXOPHONE DON CHERRY – CORNET CHARLIE HADEN – BASS BILLY HIGGINS – DRUMS RECORDED 'LIVE' AT THE HILLCREST CLUB (CORRECT SPELLING), LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA IN OCTOBER 1958 BY PAUL BLEY. LINER NOTES BY ERIC KRISS.
LEE MORGAN / LIVE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE / BLUE NOTE / 1970 / ORIGINAL LIBERTY 2LP WITH VAN GELDER STAMP LEE MORGAN - TRUMPET, FLUGELHORN BENNIE MAUPIN - TENOR SAXOPHONE, FLUTE, BASS CLARINET HAROLD MABERN - PIANO JYMIE MERRITT - ELECTRIC UPRIGHT BASS MICKEY ROKER - DRUMS PRODUCED BY FRANCIS WOLFF. RECORDED 'LIVE' JULY 10-12, 1970 AT THE LIGHTHOUSE CAFÉ, HERMOSA BEACH, CALIFORNIA BY DINO LAPPAS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL FRANKLIN. LINER NOTES BY ED WILLIAMS.
The BN Works CDs, I used to think sounded really good, until I got a more transparent system, now I don't think they sound right - inoffensive, but not like any other modern vinyl or CD versions of these titles that I've heard, which suggests to me they are messed with and not a good representation of the tapes. The early U.S. McMasters are quite good in my opinion - most of them anyway, at least up through the early 1990s. Some of the old silver and blue face U.S. BNs are rather great sounding in fact (note that the somewhat later "Collectors Choice" U.S. BN CDs DO sound different than the originals to me - blind testing on a good system I can tell them apart - not sure why, they are reportedly digitally identical but for whatever reason, they don't sound nearly as good as the earlier versions - I know because I have over the years tracked down the entire collection in the original blue and silver face pressings and compared the ones that had corresponding Collectors Choice pressings and never did I prefer the latter - THOSE sound a bit thin and harsh and I have to believe part of the reason the McMasters get a bad name is that many people have heard mostly those repressings). To me, as compared with the BN Works discs, the early McMasters generally sound MUCH closer to the work Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray did with many of the same titles (for Analogue Productions and Music Matters) and also closer to the work Alan Yoshida did for the short-lived AudioWave XRCD series of Blue Notes. I discovered this first when I went back for a lark and compared some of the silver and blue face late 1980s/early 1990s McMasters to the Hoffman/Gray vinyl titles I was really quite surprised at how well most of the McMasters compared. Certainly they weren't as good as the MM or AP vinyl, but the general tonality wasn't much different.
Happened across this in the used bins while visiting friends in San Luis Obispo this weekend. It's a killer, three modern giants - pianist Davis, flutist Newton, and Wadud on cello - who balance each other so nicely in terms of sound and temperament. Mostly the pieces are by Davis, a gifted composer, with one by Newton, one by Roland Hanna, and the Mingus piece "Eclipse." Released in 1989 on Gramavision (they did have some truly ugly album artwork!!!), and recorded direct to 2-track by the great Jim Anderson, giving the kind of top drawer sound this music deserves. I have not yet heard their earlier (1982) Gramavision outing, I'VE KNOWN RIVERS, but will now seek it out.
ANDRÉ PREVIN AND HIS PALS / MODERN JAZZ PERFORMANCES OF THE SONGS FROM PAL JOEY / CONTEMPORARY / 1957 / US MONO DEEP GROOVE C3543 LP ANDRÉ PREVIN - PIANO RED MITCHELL - BASS SHELLY MANNE - DRUMS PRODUCED BY LESTER KOENIG. RECORDED AT CONTEMPORARY STUDIO, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ON OCTOBER 28 AND 29, 1957 BY ROY DUNANN AND HOWARD HOLZER. PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM CLAXTON. LINER NOTES BY LESTER KOENIG.
With Sound Reason - Sonny Fortune (Atlantic) CD Dated 1979 Another 24 bit disc issued as part of the Atlantic Jazz 1000 Best Collection series. A mixture of some lightweight style funk and a few pleasant enough easy listening pieces. There is really nothing on this recording to get excited about. Overall it is a rather disappointing album.
Thesaurus - The Clare Fischer Big Band (Atlantic) CD Credits Alto Saxophone – Kim Richmond / Gary Foster Baritone Saxophone – Bill Perkins Bass – Chuck Domanico Bass Saxophone – John Lowe Bass Trombone – Morris Repass Drums – Larry Bunker Piano, Electric Piano [Fender-Rhodes] – Clare Fischer Tenor Saxophone – Louis Ciotti, Warne Marsh Trombone – Charley Loper, David Sanchez & Gil Falco Trumpet – Buddy Childers (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8), Conte Candoli, John Audino (tracks: 3, 6, 7), Larry McGuire, Steve Huffsteter, Stewart Fisher Dated 1969 An excellent album, full of varied and interesting material with pieces written by Clare Fischer, Stewart Fischer, Lennie Tristano & Billy Strayhorn. The sound on the disc is perfect, and mastered in 24 bit. Issued as part of Atlantic's Jazz 1000 Best Collection series. This is the business!
After giving this another listen it does sound much more pleasing and acceptable now than it did on initial hearing (with the exception of one or two rather bland moments).
(LP EmArcy Nippon Phonogram SFX-10548(M)) 1977 .... recorded February + March 1956 @ New York .... Clifford Brown (tp) + Sonny Rollins (ts) .... what more to say ....
I will try to take it! I own the Japanese shm-cd release of 2017. Wonderful album, but that edition has a different track list from the original. I think it doesn't exists anymore like new or sealed. Probably it is available only used, but if it were in good condition...
Cannonball Adderley and The Poll-Winners (Riverside, 1961). This is a reissue from 1965-66. Terrific album.
Mike Selesia - Flavor Shout! Productions (1976) SHOUT-249 Deep Jazz Reality Series Flute – Mike Selesia Guitar – Nick Cisco Piano – Lloyd Earhart, Mike Selesia Saxophone – Bruce Preston, John William Malott, Mike Selesia Tambura – Ruth Selesia Vibraphone – John William Malott Percussion – John William Malott, Sam Salgado Bass Guitar – Bruce Preston Drums – Al Santana CD reissue of the rare (500 copies) private press California jazz album from 1976.
Midweek Miles . . . 1958/2013 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – MFSL 1-374, Columbia – 88697943531 Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Remastered, Mono
(LP Atlantic German Press ATL 60 108) 1975 .... recorded December 1974 @ Atlantic Recording Studios New York .... worth the ticket of entry for a sublime reading of "Duke Ellington`s Sound Of Love" .... a great sounding German quality press of this late Mingus gem ....
George Russell at Beethoven Hall Guest Artist – Don Cherry (BASF, MPS Records, US, 1965) Russell about Don Cherry: “He lights my music”. Hard to argue.
LEE MORGAN / CORNBREAD / BLUE NOTE / 1967 / US STEREO LIBERTY RECORDS FIRST PRESS BST 84222 WITH VAN GELDER STAMP LEE MORGAN - TRUMPET JACKIE MCLEAN - ALTO SAXOPHONE HANK MOBLEY - TENOR SAXOPHONE HERBIE HANCOCK - PIANO LARRY RIDLEY - BASS BILLY HIGGINS - DRUMS PRODUCED BY ALFRED LION. RECORDED SEPTEMBER 18, 1965 AT VAN GELDER STUDIO, ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NEW JERSEY BY RUDY VAN GELDER. PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANCIS WOLFF. COVER DESIGN BY REID MILES. LINER NOTES BY IRA GITLER. Found this one in my favourite record store today - I've been looking for an affordable copy since 2014. I have the HDTracks 24/192 which sounds good, if not a tad bright. This one on the other hand sounds just "right". I didn't realise that the original first press came out on Liberty, because I had the 1965 recording date in mind (a year before Blue Note was sold to Liberty), but forgot the LP wasn't released until early 1967. And I got it for cheap, knowing what sellers demand for lesser copies than this one...
