Mark Stryker

My copy arrived today and the music sounds AWESOME. These are easily the best digital copies I've heard and, on first listen (and without actually doing an A-B comparisons) serious competition for the best of my many LP versions.

Advertisements for Myself

Thanks. No need to go too deep into it all here. I was just offering up one example that's circulating widely to suggest the relative strengths/weakness of the records as "records" has to be balanced against the live performances that tell the story from a different a different -- and for many a more rewarding -- perspective.

In addition to the live recording, there's also this broadcast tape from the same period. Terrific songs and performances.

A reliable musician source confirms the social media posts I’m seeing that Tootie Heath has died at 88. Tootie was great on record, but you had to hear him live to really feel how alive his cymbal beat was, how high he lifted the bandstand, how deep his swing and groove were, and how many wild chances he took. The videos let you glimpse it. Tootie and Dexter were extra special. From 1967.

What's the problem with the sequencing? Personally, I'm sick of the strict chronological presentation model. As far as the sound, I'm intrigued as to whether this set will offer improvements in the digital space. The 1986 set was unlistenable. The 1999/2003 version is a vast improvement but not ideal. It's overly bright, unbalanced in places and distorted in places. The Chronological Classics are ok; the best versions on CD to my ears are the French RCA versions based on the Black & White LP twofers. When I want to hear this music on CD, I reach for the French RCA. This is some of my favorite music in the universe, so I've gone out of my way to get as many LP versions of this material as I can on LP, almost all of which are preferable to any of the CDs. The French RCA twofers are excellent sonically, but the pressing quality can be a little inconsistent, so it's taken me a minute to find clean and quiet ones. The 1950s and '60s RCAs are also excellent -- Duke Ellington at his Very Best, The Duke and his Men, In a Mellotone, Jumpin' Punkins. Caveat: Get the early versions of these if you can (black or purple labels, which are better than the later orange label versions). The 1961 RCA set Indispensable Duke Ellington for mysterious reasons sounds awful, like fake stereo before fake stereo existed. Then there are the Smithsonian issues c. 1980 -- still wrapping my arms around the sound on these but the booklet notes from Larry Gushee and others are fantastic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/books/review/notebooks-of-sonny-rollins.html?fbclid=IwAR0UO3n4ukr1HeeyloH2OYz9sX4hdjFSdCL_NPvZkGZCGbdPpXTlbsTSUDk_aem_AQ_dwiYCMCiJM3Te_hrLKGsze893Wx77MCS_oGByPmBhnV4P4r_D2qBBpDgzpNVhWgQ

Gang -- I can't tell you how proud I am that the documentary I have coproduced and written, "The Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit," will make its debut at the Freep Film Festival with screenings on April 13-14. This has been a true collaboration by co-producers Daniel Loewenthal (who has done a masterful job directing and editing), Roberta Friedman, and myself, and we are honored and humbled for Detroit audiences to be the first to see what is a landmark -- the first feature-length documentary to explore Detroit's remarkable jazz history. We have embedded the story of the city's innovative and influential musicians within the compelling economic, social, and cultural history of the city and its resilient African American community. More later on our plans for world domination. In the meantime, Nate Chinen has written a nice piece that captures the flavor of the film and gives the backstory of what began four years ago this month. There's also a clip so you can get a taste of what we've done. https://www.wrti.org/wrti-spotlight/2024-03-13/watch-a-clip-from-the-best-of-the-best-jazz-from-detroit?fbclid=IwAR3tnvCNYLcOAyTGrPXog19L4HlOJNxnWhuuACtSbUXtrKPNGBJWprCUUOI

Yes, he is. Good catch. I just looked him up when I added Sheila Jordan to the list and I thought I saw that George had died, but, luckily, I was wrong.

Also Sheila Jordan. #JazzFromDetroit

Update: I have learned that the the 1963 Japanese performance I need was also issued once on DVD. Anybody got this one? https://www.amazon.com/Cannonball-Adderley-Angeles-Tokyo-Lugano/dp/B001IQDAZM

Gang — Does anyone have a copy of the 1963 Japanese television studio performance by the Canonnball Adderley Sextet on laserdisc? Some of it is on YouTube, but I’m trying to track down a clean copy of the footage. Thanks.

A unique personality. I met him a couple times but didn't really know him. Didn't say a lot unless you were close to him. Don loved him. https://www.npr.org/2017/10/22/559036553/i-m-old-as-dirt-but-i-can-still-sing-sweet-pea-atkinson-on-get-what-you-deserve

The record is fantastic, and I'm not just saying that because I wrote the liner notes. Charles is still in great form at 84.

They also had Frank Sinatra Jr. guesting on a record too.