BTW - Here is a review of the Black is Beautiful book --> Kwame Brathwaite, Black is Beautiful - Collector Daily
Well speaking of Mr. Turrentine, I will give my thoughts on the Tone Poet of "That's Where It's At" this weekend for what it's worth. This is a really good record by the way if you have not heard it. Now that I know it's coming for sure on 8/28, I will give some feedback on it.
Thank you for the backstories on the Blue Note cover art. I knew of the Miles story, but not much about the Blue Note photography. I feel as most do that the covers are a wonderful snapshot in time and celebrate being a champion for their artists, featured models, and photographers. I've not seen the "shower" picture, so I cannot speak to that cover, but I can't imagine focusing on covers negatively. Unless there is something grossly uncouth (such as the shower pic), the albums and covers are the artist's vision (hopefully). To the powers that be, please release Lee Morgan Caramba and Donald Byrd Mustang through the Tone Poet series. Preferably, Caramba since I have Mustang, haha.
I would kill for an MM/TP treatment on some CTI stuff and especially Stanley's Sugar with Gibraltar on there as well.
I think CTI catalog is owned by Universal, so maybe possible. Hopefully we are free from the chains of "audiophile" labels, and we see more and more cases where the owners directly release high quality AAA releases, mastered by the best in the business.
There have been some good reissues of CTI stuff. Org Music did Freddie Hubbard's First Light with Chris Bellman and Bernie Grundman involved and I think they did Red Clay too. Pure Pleasure from the U.K did Straight Life. This is just off the top of my head from albums I own. I'm not sure about all titles, but a lot of CTI vinyl is pretty affordable for top condition first presses, including Japanese pressings. It's not like the crazy prices original Blue Notes command.
Pure Pleasure reissued some CTI albums — Straight Life, First Light, Sunflower, All Blues, Concierto, Sugar, God Bless The Child. All beautifully and faithfully reproduced.
I get people buying Pure Pleasure reissues of rarities like Strata East titles, but CTI? Really? I’d rather hear those albums in guaranteed AAA. Most originals aren’t exactly pricey.
Agreed - the CTI stuff, especially within my market of the greater Chicagoland area, is bountiful and cheap.
The CTI records are not only cheap. The originals were well pressed and mastered. No much room to improve in my opinion.
My local record store finally put up for pre-order all the four august titles + additional titles like Herbie Hancock and Duke Pearson. I guess there is no way these are also released in august?
Speakers Corner did some CTI reissues as well and they are very affordable. I’ve got Randy Weston „Blue Moses” and it is done superbly.
I own a few CTI first pressings and they indeed sound stellar. Sugar and Joe Farrell Quartet are both exceptionally great sounding records.
Not sure if anyone noted this, but Music Direct has the three September 25 releases for pre-order: My Point of View - Herbie Further Explorations - Horace Silver Prayer Meetin’ - Jimmy Smith
I've got the Speakers Corner "Blue Moses" and agree that it is superb. Admittedly I got on sale for I think about $15 and decided to go for it. Speakers Corner and Pure Pleasure aren't even in the same ballpark for me, however. I personally would not buy anything Pure Pleasure reissued that I could buy for less as an original. Most of the CTI catalog is available by the hundreds all over Discogs. And some of those titles were pressed up numerous times in the seventies so minty copies are not hard to find even if not always a first press.
I like CTI records, but I don't know if I like them enough to pay $35 or so. I'm happy to dish out $10-$15 for an original album and I probably could be talked into the TP range of $20-25, but no more than that if the record isn't top tier. Granted, I haven't heard a ton, so my opinion may change as I go along.
Not easy to find round these parts, no jazz labels are. Yes, it’s easy enough buying originals off of Discogs. I’ve got a couple of Pure Pleasure CTI, Sunflower and one of the Hubbard titles and they are excellent.
You guys keep forgetting that the world isn't the USA. It's really hard to find jazz first/early US pressings outside the US. And a copy that maybe could cost $5 in the US will cost €20 in Europe. Plus shipping.
A few would be cool as 2x 45s and maybe remastered to deal with that layer of sheen a lot of CTI releases had.
ORG Music did Red Clay at 45: Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay Not sure if they did any other CTIs at 45, though.