Youtubing both of these. I am turntable-less at this time. One too many cross country moves and the sensitive stuff broke, so I'm a CD/streaming guy for the time being. Since I'm binging so hard on new exploration, I'm not really investing in physical media. Overall, listening to CD/Spotify/Youtube (in that order of frequency). Thinking of checking out other streaming services with better sound quality.
In retrospect I agree that’s it’s a difficult issue, particularly with the Keynote Collection. Is anyone going to reissue a collection like this? Probably not but should FS reap the rewards by copying the 21 LP set issued by Nippon in the 80s. For me the answer would be no. I’d rather have the LP set. I don’t know if there is a right or wrong answer in this regard. Interestingly, the LP set used to be very expensive, around $300 or so but when I look at Discogs the market has essentially crashed to around $70 (although there are sellers charging more), the decrease in price probably due to the appearance of the cd set. I’m not saying we should feel sorry for sellers, just making an observation. If you don’t wish to support FS several (but not all) of the Keynotes were issued in cd by Nippon as The Essential Keynote Collection. I have most of them. See The Essential Keynote Collection
NP: Wardell Grey - Memorial Album (Prestige twofer 1965, "RVG") Tragic that tenor sax player Grey died only 34 years old in 1955 (hence "memorial"). First listen, and looks like Prestige used Van Gelder's metalwork from the 1955 12" repress of the earlier 10" material. So this provides an inexpensive way to hear the collectible version. There's a stereo version which surely is reprocessed. But this mono twofer can be had for not much (e.g. Discogs) Since there were so many sessions compiled, its a grab-bag of Prestige players, but all excellent, and the early 50s sound is surprisingly full and engaging. Alto Saxophone – Frank Morgan (tracks: D1 to D4), Sonny Criss (tracks: B1, B2) Bass – Billy Hadnott (tracks: B1, B2), Dick Nivison* (tracks: D1 to D4), Harper Cosby (tracks: A1 to A6), Johnny Richardson* (tracks: C5, C6, D5, D6), Tommy Potter (tracks: C1 to C4) Congas – Robert Collier (tracks: A1 to A6) Drums – Art Mardigan (tracks: C5, C6, D5, D6), Chuck Thompson (tracks: B1, B2), Lawrence Marable (tracks: A1 to A6, D1 to D4), Roy Haynes (tracks: C1 to C4) Piano – Al Haig (tracks: C1 to C4), Hampton Hawes (tracks: A1 to A6), Jimmy Bunn (tracks: D1, D2), Phil Hill (tracks: C5, C6, D5, D6), Sonny Clark (tracks: D1 to D4) Tenor Saxophone – Dexter Gordon (tracks: B1), Wardell Gray Trumpet – Art Farmer (tracks: A1 to A6), Clark Terry (tracks: B1, B2) Vibraphone – Teddy Charles (tracks: D1 to D4) It is fun to uncover budget ways to hear early pressings of classic performances. Here's the 1955 version: And the 1951 10"
Having tried Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music HD and Qobuz, I can recommend Qobuz. If you commit to 12 months it becomes more reasonable, and the jazz selection is strong, with all in at least CD-quality, many in higher res. And most importantly for me, it is compatible with my Oppo so I can stream direct from my phone, and get the benefit of the Oppo DAC.
NP: Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop - Stormy Weather (GRT/Janus/Barnaby - Candid stereo) First listen to another twofer audiophile bargain. This one reissues the two Candid 1961 sessions below. Given the chat about the Solid Jazz Japan mono reissues (coming again in March), I wanted to hear the stereo. Wide stereo for sure. Dolphy is far left with Richmond's drums, with Booker Ervin far right (I think I'm ID-ing the brass correctly)...suffice to say some of my favorite players could be more cozy in mono. I tend to agree with London Jazz Collector that these are the strongest Candid reissues. I can't imagine improving much on this sonically.
Reading Michael Fremer's post about the Verve Acoustic Sounds version of Gil Evans Out of the Cool, I was struck by (what you'd assume is) Rudy Van Gelder's note on the master tape box: "To be used for mono and stereo" Now, I've known for ages that all the Impulse monos are fold-downs, but still collect them and listen to them. But increasingly am feeling foolish at times like this. I don't have a mono-switch on my amp, but it'd certainly be easier to have the stereo versions and where I prefer folding it down, to flip that switch. Anyone else listening to and preferring Impulse monos despite it not making logical sense?
Nearly all recordings ever made, not just from jazz, are owned by mega-corporations which are primarily interested in stock returns to their shareholders. They consume label after label believing that if their company can end up controlling most of the recordings ever made, they will be able to control all markets. They rarely have any interest in the artists work or in keeping the artists legacies in circulation. These are not the "heirs" of the creators of the independent companies which at least had some interest in the music. The independent small companies doing reissues are generally serious lovers of the music who funnel any returns into the next reissue, hoping to get the music into the hands (or ears) of other lovers of the music. Their net income might actually be greater if they got a job stocking the shelves in a big box store controlled by a mega-corporation. The drop in value of the Keynote LP boxset has little to do with the Fresh Sounds CD set, which covers only a portion of the set. It has far more to do with the collapse in interest among today's jazz audience for most jazz recorded before 1950 (I use that date arbitrarily). Speak to Fred Cohen, the owner of NYC's Jazz Record Center about his observations of the thousands of customers who have passed through the aisles in his store. The lack of interest increases steadily as time moves forward and the past becomes farther away. Considering jazz from an earlier era than the Keynote label, there was a label founded by some music lovers in Toronto called Jazz Oracle. They did the absolutely finest work ever completed in issuing rare jazz from before 1933. Oh, but they are "grey market thieves" to some people. We should wait for SONY, which owns perhaps 80% or more of all recordings ever made before 1933 (maybe it is over 90%) to do this work? It will never happen. But, alas, because of the double whammy - decreasing interest in jazz before the high fidelity LP era and an apparent refusal by much of the jazz audience to buy CDs, Jazz Oracle stopped doing their work about 7 years ago. They never made a profit. No one will fill their shoes, certainly not SONY. The original records are extremely rare.
I do but then I bought a lot of those mono lps before I knew they were fold downs and I wasn’t about to get rid of them when I did get educated. By then stereo versions had become too expensive imo to rebuy the titles. So I happily play and enjoy them and I don’t really care what others think.
Good points Tribute. You highlighted a line that I was hesitant adding as I am not really up on how the lineage works from the initial historical record label recording the music to the big conglomerates that own the rights today and if any money can still funnel to artists or estates. I was not optimistic.... and now of course with streaming and its even less money ( pennies) going to even current living artists who have current contracts with labels... if it wasnt for the fact that many musicians are personally compelled from within to perform their craft , i wonder if there would be any artists today bothering with recording. I guess its a profitless lost leader that the artist has to do in order to fill the clubs where they can hopefully make enough to put bread on the table. I have read that seeing live music and buying your cds or lps at those shows is the best way to support them.
I don't fully agree with you. First, the FS Keynote has about 243 songs vs 334 in the Complete Keynote but that's a minor point. Second, it's a question of supply and demand. When you have a cheaper source for the Keynote, the price is naturally going to fall. Is it a cause and effect relationship? Maybe yes, maybe no as not everybody who buys the FS will also be a vinyl listener. Thirdly, I don't agree that people aren't interested in swing or pre 1950 jazz. There may not be a lot of discussion here but over at the other Forum I belong to, which is a dedicated completely to jazz, pre 1950 jazz is discussed. Moreover, Mosaic wouldn't sell out their swing sets so quickly if there wasn't interest. I guarantee you that the new Armstrong Mosaic will move quickly. Yes, I know it's Armstrong, but still. The Jazz Record Center is but one store. At Princeton Record Exchange, which I frequent from time to time, I see people interested in all kinds of jazz.
It will probably take at least five to ten years to know what the implications of today's situation are to young artists deciding to become professional musicians who earn at least some income from music (perhaps not the minimum wage, averaged out over the year). The percentage of the population that could be called professional musicians was at its very highest in the early to mid 1930's. Virtually every hotel, virtually every restaurant and club and virtually every movie theater employed musicians, essentially six or seven days a week, and even all day long. The advent of phonographs did not kill the profession, because phonograph records were actually at their peak popularity across society before 1920 (when nearly everybody, from sharecroppers to urban dwellers spent the highest percentage of their income on records, higher than at any time since). The advent of radio didn't kill the profession, because virtually every radio station employed dozens and dozens of local musicians until the early 1950's. To some degree, the development of higher quality sound amplification systems damaged the overall music profession. Then, with time, it was the impact of television. But before 1970, nearly all televison was locally managed and the stations actually employed staff musicians and broadcast local or regional talent. Tape recording did a huge amount of damage to the profession. Delayed and repeated broadcast became more feasible. You could use "canned" music. But, in the end, I would argue that it was the shift of all businesses to centralized corporate control and all of the theories of management efficiencies that wiped out the bulk of the music profession. This included centralized real estate corporations which pushed many independent venues and hotels into bankruptcy and replaced the musicians with pre-recorded music and big sound systems. I think the greatest number of recordings issued per year came very recently, perhaps about 5 to 10 years ago. This resulted from the widespread availability of good quality recording equipment (yes, digital) and the ability of countless local musicians to issue CDs without corporate support. But it was a mistake to think that many of those musicians made any money. Most lost a lot of money. I have a number of friends who said that they spent upwards of $30,000 to record their CD, and still had more than 90% of the pressing in their bedroom. Never again, they said. Now, as listeners refuse to buy CDs, most of this local market has vanished. My sister's nephew is a great tenor saxophonist. He feels very lucky to have become a high school music teacher.
I'm surprised to not see a single mention in this entire forum (!) of the excellent, showcase SQ "Irresistible Forces" LP from Jack De Johnnette's Special Edition. Am I correct to presume that the "audiophile" pressing is the US one only (sticker: "CUSTOM PRESSED ON KC 569 BLEND PREMIUM VIRGIN VINYL")? My copy is the Canadian, rainbow MCA label pressing, bought used and sticker-less. Still sounds fabulous and pressed on very quiet vinyl!
Wes Montgomery - In the Beginning It's hard to believe it's been almost six years since this two disc posthumous set was released. I clearly took me far too long to acquire these discs, especially because as it turns out, this is some fantastic music. Of course hearing Wes' magnificent fluidity even so early in his life is not an unexpected surprise, but what really turned my crank listening to these discs was his delightfully adventurous harmonic exploration in his lead lines. Just wonderful. It's also fun to listen to early prototype versions of what would become his original trademark songs later on. A+ listening experience right here, even considering the rough edges of some of the recordings. Wes' Tune
Mosaic's swing sets in recent years do not actually sell out. They just decide that it is not profitable to do a second (or third) pressing (which is still within the license maximum). Most Mosaic sets in recent years are not pressed in the full quantity for the license. They don't want to have sets sitting in the warehouse. The Keynote LP Box never sold very many copies in the USA even when it came out in 1986, probably well under 1,000 copies, even in the hundreds. It was a love of labor for the Japanese collector Kiyoshi Koyama. I was in regular touch with Richard Seidel at Polygram when it was first distributed in the USA. The decision to abandon the complete official reissue of the box in separate CD units was made due to lack of sales of even the CD issues, despite the widespread craze for CDs. I did not state that there is NO interest in pre-1950 jazz. But there has most certainly been a serious collapse in interest, even from the relatively limited interest several decades ago (much of which came from people raised on the music). Even the superstars of that time are widely overlooked. Take just one instrument - the piano. The amount of interest in such grand masters as Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, Willie Smith and others is at its lowest point since they emerged (even though three of them recorded well into the LP era). Even Mosaic decided to stop producing their sets of Hines and Wilson though their license allowed many more copies. Cheaper options do not always cause prices to fall. Just look at the market for original pressings of 1950's jazz. Many sell for at least $100 a piece, even in relatively poor codition (which somehow is now called "VG"), some for over $500, even in poor shape.
If you haven't heard it, I highly recommend to you and any Wes completist also the album below. To hear him play in this context is something new to me. With such tricky, twisted piano-led arrangements, you would never tell that the guitar player didn't read music... He's so tight on the money!
At this point I don’t see the point of debating this with you any more any further since I have better things to do with my time.
I'd passed previously on the Keynote 21LP set based on the digital step (see label below). It seems to turn up in local stores. Otherwise a great deal for—as noted—a labor of love, and comprehensive set with high production values. Seemed that I'd be better off with either a digital substitute or a AAA transfer. What are the alternatives for listening to this material (outside the Fresh Sounds CDs)?
Pretty incredible series, musically and thematically ambitious. I think Coin Coin 5 is up next, I definitely get caught on #1 though
Per my earlier post , none if you want the complete package of all tunes , or per Bradds earlier post you can buy individual artist CDs of their Keynote tunes.
WP: Charles Lloyd - Journey Within This completes my set of both mono and stereo of the Atlantic run of this excellent quartet. This is one where I prefer the stereo. Tom Dowd's stereo for many Atlantic albums (I don't think he ever handled the quartet) often has me preferring mono, but for Wally Heider and the other engineers on this series, stereo is just fine. Finely balanced. Perhaps the trick is by mid to late 60s, engineers' approach to stereo had matured. Bass – Ron McClure Drums – Jack DeJohnette Piano, Soprano Saxophone – Keith Jarrett Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Charles Lloyd
NP: Woody Shaw - Lotus Flower (Enja Germany, 1982 recorded in NYC) Bass – Stafford James Drums – Tony Reedus Piano – Mulgrew Miller Trombone – Steve Turre Trumpet – Woody Shaw The Woody Shaw binge continues with this new-to-me LP. Not immediately grabbing me like the Columbia material from similar era, but I'll give it time.
NP: Hannibal Marvin Peterson - Naima (East World direct to disc) First listen. I find direct to disc records intriguing—a high wire act—and combining that with a Coltrane composition, I was curious. This one seems to crop up pretty frequently in the bins. Kenny Barron on piano, Cecil McBee on bass...sometimes D2D recordings have less exciting players. Not here. Bass – Cecil McBee Cello – Diedre Murray Drums – Billy Hart Piano – Kenneth Barron* Trumpet – 'Hannibal' Marvin Peterson*
@davidpoole The only sources I know for the set are the Essential Keynote Collection, the LP set and the FS set. Since the first two came from the same source and the FS is based on the LP set, I’d expect them to sound all pretty much the same.
