clandy44 Posted July 2, 2005 Report Share Posted July 2, 2005 Before listening to this set, I could not have picked Slack out of a lineup of Barry Bonds, Saddam Hussein and Bernie Ebbers. Nor could I have told you what style he played or when he played it. Having listened to disc 1 of this Select, I am knocked out. Aside from the sound quality which is outstanding, Slack was a helluva of an arranger and almost every cut on the first disc is distinctive for its arrangement, choice of song, quality of playing, appearance of the unexpected (T-Bone Walker!) or just plain melodic appeal (Ella Mae's version of "He's My Guy"). Anyone else have this reaction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted July 2, 2005 Report Share Posted July 2, 2005 I posted somewhere else that I would probably pass on this one... Now you have me tempted! Mosaic may have my money after all. Should have avoided this thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clandy44 Posted July 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2005 I meant to add to my original post that the Slack all comes out of the vaults of Capitol. Oddly, you can't find Freddie in Mosiac's The Complete Capitol Jazz Sessions. I'm sure there is a simple explanation which eludes my simple mind. As a Capitol artist, Slack also benefitted from the songs of Johnny Mercer, some of the more obscure and interesting appear here (there is one, circa 1942, about executives traveling on airplanes which was pretty futuristic, and the song is quite enjoyable). Oh, and if that has not hooked you, Brownie, there is some very young and able Margaret Whiting on disc 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted July 2, 2005 Report Share Posted July 2, 2005 Don't do it Brownie, don't do it! Stay strong, my brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tranemonk Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 had NO interest in this... but I guess YOU PEOPLE forced me to go the Mosaic site and listen to the online samples.... Damn.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rostasi Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 On last week's web broadcast, I had some unexpected - for them - positive responses to that set (I had played the whole thing as well as the Johnny Richards Select). Especially surprised and ethusiastic was a fellow from a place just outside of Oslo. I pointed him to the Mosaic website for ordering. Rod --- Now playing: Oval - Cross Selling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Oh sure; it was bad enough that I went to the site. It was bad enough I clicked on the sample of "Cuban Sugar Mill." But then my son HAD to hear it and say, "Good music." To which I replied, "You like that?" To which he replied, "Yeah. Who wouldn't?" Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! DAMN!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 (edited) I've been enjoyiing the set since #91 hit my door a week ago or so. It's not essential, it's commercial swing music more than anything like serious jazz, it has charm and it is very well recorded and remastered. (Malcolm Addey doing his usual excellent job, though in this and many of his Mosaic works, we should also be thanking and lauding the TRANSFER engineers). I have had the tracks with T-Bone Walker a looooonnnnngggg time, and the Ella Mae Morse selections for some time (I really dig the Bear Family set, and the material here sounds better here!) So I knew I would dig this. The new Select I have resisted so far is the Johnny Richards; I have a lot of the material and don't play it much, it doesn't really send me. Edited July 3, 2005 by jazzbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rostasi Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 (edited) The new Select I have resisted so far is the Johnny Richards; I have a lot of the material and don't play it much, it doesn't really send me. ← I hate to tell you this but some of the solos on the Richards are incredible. The cut Cimarron from the LP Wide Range is a great chart. from the liner notes: "...It opens at a gallop, spurred by Gene Quill, alto; and Hank Jones, piano. Then the trombones take over. Jimmy Cleveland opening with a 48-bar chorus, passing it on to Jim Dahl for the same length, then to Frank Rehak for his 48. The order of the impressive fours, following a brief orchestral interlude, is Rehak, Dahl, and Cleveland. Willie Rodriguez and Maurice Marks each bites off eight bars of percussion, then the trombone section whips through two sets of eight-bar solos, with Rodriguez leading Dahl and Cleveland..." Sounds like a bone race with tight arranging. Some of the "lighter" cuts are still good if you're into colorful arrangements too. Edited July 3, 2005 by rostasi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Don't do it Brownie, don't do it! Stay strong, my brother. ← What you really mean is that I should save my money for the next Uptown/Nessa releases... Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 had NO interest in this... ← Same here, but my curiosity is arroused. Damn, will have to filter on 'Freddie Slack'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Ros, I have all the Richards lps but one I think, so the stuff is there and been able to be listened to for years. I just don't dig it as much as you seem to. Ah well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tranemonk Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 thank you jazzbo... you hit the magic words... "NOT ESSENTIAL..." phew..... i'm still thinking I'm gonna pass on this one... I've been enjoyiing the set since #91 hit my door a week ago or so. It's not essential, it's commercial swing music more than anything like serious jazz, it has charm and it is very well recorded and remastered. ...... ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 That's just my opinion of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Wood Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Listened to the first disc of the Slack Select set -- some fine music! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 (edited) The cut Cimarron from the LP Wide Range is a great chart. from the liner notes: "...It opens at a gallop, spurred by Gene Quill, alto; and Hank Jones, piano. Then the trombones take over. Jimmy Cleveland opening with a 48-bar chorus, passing it on to Jim Dahl for the same length, then to Frank Rehak for his 48. The order of the impressive fours, following a brief orchestral interlude, is Rehak, Dahl, and Cleveland. Willie Rodriguez and Maurice Marks each bites off eight bars of percussion, then the trombone section whips through two sets of eight-bar solos, with Rodriguez leading Dahl and Cleveland..." That Cimarron track was being played pretty often after its original release by Wills Conover in his VOA broadcasts. It turned me on to the arranging skills of Johnny Richards. I have the albums that are in the Select and will not purchase it. But I love the music and spin the vinyls pretty often too nowadays! Edited July 3, 2005 by brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rostasi Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 (edited) Ros, I have all the Richards lps but one I think, so the stuff is there and been able to be listened to for years. I just don't dig it as much as you seem to. Ah well! ← Yup, I understand completely. I'm not saying that it's essential either, but a real enjoyable listen if you're into arranging. I mean, it's NOT Gil Evans! It's kinda the same reason why I've been enjoying these 6 discs of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. soundtracks. The arrangements (and the bongos!) That Cimarron track was being played pretty often after its original release by Wills Conover in his VOA broadcasts. It turned me on to the arranging skills of Johnny Richards. I have the albums that are in the Select and will not purchase it. But I love the music and spin the vinyls pretty often too nowadays! ← I agree, and if a coupla you guys have the vinyls, then having the CDs are pretty much just a convenience... --- Now playing: Johnny Richards - Plata De Azul Edited July 3, 2005 by rostasi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 I meant to add to my original post that the Slack all comes out of the vaults of Capitol. Oddly, you can't find Freddie in Mosiac's The Complete Capitol Jazz Sessions. I'm sure there is a simple explanation which eludes my simple mind. ← I think it's because the Capitol box is not a "complete" box, just a selection--and MC said in the liner notes that some artists were excluded either because their Capitol recordings were too voluminous, or because they were being held back for future projects. I loved disc 1 of the Slack Select. Disc 2 didn't do as much for me--but will give it another spin later this week, along with disc 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medjuck Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 I got intrested in Freddy Slack because they kept playing "Beat Me Daddy 8 to the Bar" on a local radio station in LA. (It no longer exits). I finally broke down and ordered a Will Bradley/Ray McKinley cd to get it. Turns out the piano player was Freddy Slack who played a lot of Boggy Woogie with Bradley. They also recorded Down the Road Apiece-- I think the first recording, even before Amos Milburn's. hence the reference to Slack in the lyrics. Next I noticed Slack played piano on T-Bone Walkers "Mean Old World". Then I read that he'd been married to Beverly of Revelie with Beverly (sp?) fame. And he co-wrote "It's Square but it Rocks" which is on the Ellington Centenial Collection (the recent one with the DVD). All of which may have been too much of a build up for me. I'm a little disappointed in the Mosaic. However it's led me to replay the Bradley/McKinley Band cd which I'm still enjoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.A.W. Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 I meant to add to my original post that the Slack all comes out of the vaults of Capitol. Oddly, you can't find Freddie in Mosiac's The Complete Capitol Jazz Sessions. I'm sure there is a simple explanation which eludes my simple mind. ← I think it's because the Capitol box is not a "complete" box, just a selection--and MC said in the liner notes that some artists were excluded either because their Capitol recordings were too voluminous, or because they were being held back for future projects. ← And it isn't called "Complete" either, it's just Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 I've just started listening to the Richards Select and frankly the first four selections, Annotations of the Muses, is just a little strange, not exactly jazz. I hope the rest of this Select doesn't follow this pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tatifan Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 Listened to the samples on the Mosaic web site, was enjoying the first two quite a bit, and then The House Of Blue Lights started with that damned "tacks on the hammers" trick that Capitol pulled a few times in the 40s; a most hideous sound!.....I'm hoping it's just for that one session?? Anyone know the extent of the damage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 I think it's just for that one session. If anybody's interested in hearing more of the Slack and Richards Selects, I'm featuring the Slack on tonight's Big Bands, and the Richards next Friday night: WFIU's "The Big Bands" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tatifan Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 I think it's just for that one session. If anybody's interested in hearing more of the Slack and Richards Selects, I'm featuring the Slack on tonight's Big Bands, and the Richards next Friday night: WFIU's "The Big Bands" ← Thanks for the heads up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Dye Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 Looking forward to the show! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.