Listenin' to Jazz and Conversation

William Parker "Voices Fall from the Sky" disc 3

 

LOL; I always thought that "throw it on" was acceptable turntablese; e.g. "I'll throw that on next."
Maybe it's just a regionalism like prolly for probably.
Also reminds me of reading about people using 78s to 'shoot skeet.'

 

"What's out of fashion" comes and goes; I've found that "what's out of fashion" is generally cheaper; "'then it was 'funky jazz' that was popular, so "swing" and "out" records were cheap, then 'out' was 'in' and nobody wanted the funk then came Wynton and 'the new mainstream'..."
I've noted the last few times I've been to 'the local place,' (which hasn't been very frequently the past 12 months) that LPs by swing era musicians seemed pretty cheap, at least for the moment, $2 for clean LPs with reasonable condition covers on Jazztone, RCA, Columbia.

 

The pic of Diz made me think of this, which I've been meaning to post for a few days, the mental link being that apparently Coleman, once a jazz drummer, apparently/allegedly played with Diz (as for what duration of time, I've no idea).
He's always fascinated me, both as a drummer, and as a 'narrator.'
Turns out he even has his own You-Tube channel - as does Mercy Dee Walton.
George "Bongo Joe" Coleman:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi4Dvgwps_Wpvvt2-gP3fjQ
Not to be confused, of course, with GC the saxophonist.

 

I had not realized these Wardell Gray compilations were transfers from 78s. It sounds very good for that. The dates were 1949-51 and likely direct disk recordings in a range of studios (NY, LA, Detroit).
Incidentally, I see Rudy Van Gelder didn't switch from direct disk to tape until ~1953. https://sonicscoop.com/2017/03/15/rudy-van-gelder-optometrist-day-recordist-night/2

 

E.S.P.

Studio album by
Miles Davis

 

NP: Woody Shaw - For Sure! (Columbia WLP)

First listen, and 'sure' is good.

• Bass – Stafford James
• Drums – Victor Lewis
• Piano – Larry Willis
• Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Woody Shaw

 

The proper terminology is "I will carefully place it on (or in) my rotating player device"

Like this:

 

Many used record stores will not even accept used swing era records, for trade or cash.

At one time, original cast recordings and soundtracks were the most collectable records (I'm talking 50+ years ago). Now, not at all.

The LP of the original cast of the musical that my uncle wrote was extremely valuable. Copies were more than $100 even in the 1970's. Over the years, I have found a few and given them to his children. It is still rare. The show was ahead of its time, and closed within a month.

NYC had shops that specialized in such records. They are all gone.

 

Since the record from "Big Fun" was still on the turntable it was easy to flip it over and groove hard to "Go Ahead John." It seems forever and a day I have loved the overdubbed blues trumpet parts from Miles.

Miles Davis "Big Fun"

 

Your post reminds me that I've been on the lookout for a copy of Big Fun on AAA vinyl.
It has become pricey. There's no MFSL option yet.

 

NP: Kenny Drew, NHOP - Duo 2 (Denmark, 1976 repress of 1974 album)

The first volume (Duo) is one I've enjoyed, and now I have the follow up which is every bit as pleasurable for bass + piano interplay.
Slight collector regret at not finding the first pressing, which I've mostly forgotten as I settle into a bass solo. I love a well-recorded double bass given room to shine.

 

I've had my copy since it came out in '74. Ear- and mind-opening stuff for me then.

 

Billy Strayhorn (Duke Ellington Orchestra really) "Live!!!" Roulette mono LP



Apparently little or no Strayhorn here but great Ellington and Ellingtonians in wonderful Roulette sound (I'm a fan of this label's engineering).

 

Virtually all jazz records from Wardell's time were first issued as 78's. Though some of Wardell's Prestige records were later pressed on Prestige 10 inch LPs, the reason that the 78s sound better is that the LPs may well have been transfers from the 78s themselves, and very possibly the commercial 78s.

The reason Wardell Gray's discography as a leader is so thin relative to what one might expect from a legend at his level is that he spent much of his career employed simultaneously (or in alternating cycles) by Benny Goodman and Count Basie. Most of his recordings (studio or live) were with those bands, both in full big band and in small Basie and Goodman groups. It seems odd that one artist could work for both bands simultaneously, but Benny and Count probably liked his work so much that they allowed him to work without an exclusive contract.

It was only after 1951, when Basie and Goodman lost most of their work opportunities in the collapse of live music, that Wardell started more work in different settings.

Take a close look at his very extensive discography.

Wardell Gray Discography

Wardell was inspired by Lester Young.

The best sounding examples of Wardell's work are on CD, as the 78s are very rare and often in poor shape.

Many LP reissues in that era were manipulated far more than transfers in the CD era (reverb and other effects, in addition to pitch errors that might be corrected in the CD era)

Wardell with Benny





Wardell with Basie

 

Well here is a selection from the collection

 

The refinement of John Lewis:

 

Joe Henderson - Our Thing (CDP-7-84152-2)

The rest of today is going to be exclusively Joe Henderson. It`s been too long since I spent time with Joe`s music.

 

Reportedly there is a Mosaic set of his Blue Note leader dates and the two he co-led so to speak with Kenny Dorham coming out next month. . . .

 

Picked this up a few years ago. 7-CD set from French label Le Chant du Monde. Ties up his early
stuff nicely.

 

Wow...that would be awesome. Thanks for the tip.

 

That record was recorded at Ellington's expense (not by Roulette) on August 9, 1959 (at The Blue Note in Chicago). Roulette first issued it in 1965 (though Discogs said 1958). It may have been unauthorized by Ellington, but he may have allowed it as he was just between his period with Reprise Records and starting again with RCA.

Strayhorn does play on All of Me and Jeep's Blues, as Ellington sat out. He also played, sometimes with Duke too, on other tunes excluded from this LP. There were many more tracks recorded that night. I don't recall of there was a complete CD edition of the entire night.

I don't know if it was issued under Strayhorn's name to avoid any contract disputes or to avoid any upset with his negotiations with other labels (like RCA), or if it was completely unauthorized (Roulette and other labels certainly did that kind of stuff)

When Ellington left Columbia Records in 1962 because they offered him zero support (hard to believe), Frank Sinatra came to Duke and offered him complete control and full ownership of his master recordings, which pleased Duke. But when Sinatra sold Reprise to Warner Brothers at the end of 1963, the corporate owners felt no obligation to the handshake agreement between Duke and Sinatra, so Duke's days with Reprise were numbered. In this period, no record company gave Ellington any support. This is when Roulette put this LP out.

Again, hard to believe.

This is why Duke funded many of his recordings himself, without any prospect that they would be issued.

You got me playing Duke from this time. Thank you!

 

Well I've read on another board that there is no Strayhorn on this release. It appears that all the tracks on this release (and many more) are on the 2 CD set Roulette (EMI) put out in '94 and according to this Strays only played on a track not on this release.

Duke Ellington – Live At The Blue Note (1994, CD)

I don't know if this is the complete material recorded that night but it may well be.

 

* LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT'S - YUSEF LATEEF * I was so taken with this live album the sound of the piano never struck me as problematic - but that's just me. Whenever I play it again I will pay more attention to that aspect of it, but as it stands the overall vibe on it is so engaging it would hopefully overide an potential issues you might find with how the piano sounds.



Stockholm sweetnin' - ROLF ERICSON (Dragon) CD

Bass – Sture Nordin / Drums – Mel Lewis / Flugelhorn & Trumpet – Rolf Ericson / Piano – Claes Crona | Göran Lindberg / Tenor Saxophone – Nils Sandström

A solid sounding straight ahead cool 12 track CD of mainly standards.

8 tracks were recorded at Glen Sound, Stocksund, Sweden, August 21 and 22, 1984 and previously issued in 1985 on the Dragon LP Stockholm Sweetnin'



The remaining 4 (extra) tracks were previously unreleased Swedish radio recordings dated July 30, 1985 featuring Rolf on trumpet with Claes Croona on piano.

"When Rolf was aged 11 he was brought by his uncle to one of Louis Armstrong's Stockholm concerts. This experience set the direction for Rolf's life. From then on it has been jazz, jazz and jazz" from CD booklet.