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(RIP) Is Jack Wilson (Atlantic & Blue Note 60s pianist) dead?


monkboughtlunch

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I got into Jack Wilson when I heard "Something Personal" and his work on Curtis Amy's "Kantanga." His debut on Atlantic (Jack Wilson Quartet 1963) is also a monster. I was wondering what happened to him and if his 60s albums for Vault will be reissued. I'd also like to see a Japanese CD upgrade of "Jack Wilson Quartet" on Atlantic, as the American Collectables CD issued in 2000 (coupled with a Francis Wayne album) is a needle drop from an Lp with massive digital filtering--listen to the massive "swirling" CEDAR digital artifacts during the fade outs. The master tape was not used.

Wikipedia and All Music seem to suggest he may be dead. But it also appears they are confusing with someone else born in 1907. That doesn't seem correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Wilson_(pianist)

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&a...wifexqy5ldfe~T1

Edited by monkboughtlunch
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The Collectables reissues are mostly mediocre when it comes to sound (look elsewhere on these forums for further rants). Always go for original vinyl if a turntable is at hand. 'Brazilian Mancini' on Vault is not too exciting; 'Ramblin' is said to be rather better but unfortunately I have not heard it myself. Look for several other fine sideman appearances, for example with Roy Ayers.

Edited by Daniel A
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Ramblin' is a nice album! Wilson and Roy Ayers were a dream team, IMO.

He suffered a stroke or an accident in the 1970's after presenting an astonishing new simultaneous playing technique for two keyboards, and had to start all over again. He succeeded, but his career never quite recovered.

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Check out this unissued Atlantic dates. Does this exist in the vaults or was it destroyed in the Atlantic warehouse fire in the 70s?

From: http://www.jazzdisco.org/atlantic/

Jack Wilson Quartet

Roy Ayers (vib) Jack Wilson (p) Al McKibbon (b) Nick Martinis (d)

Los Angeles, CA, January 24, 1963

6748 Herman's Helmet Atlantic unissued

6749 Di Critifeux -

6759 Nirvana And Dana -

6760 Harbor Freeway -

6761 Smif's Blues -

Jack Wilson Septet

Bobby Bryant (tp, flh) Lou Blackburn (tb) Buddy Collette (as, fl) Harold Land (ts) Jack Wilson (p) Leroy Vinnegar (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

"Lindy Opera House", Los Angeles, CA, August 9, 1964

8122 Yours Is My Heart Alone Atlantic unissued

Jack Wilson Orchestra

Emmett Berry, Melvin Moore, Charlie Patterson (tp) Bobby Bryant (tp, flh) Lou Blackburn, Donald Cook, John Ewing, Pete Myers (tb) Buddy Collette (as, fl) Jay Migliori (as, ss) Harold Land (ts) Curtis Amy (ts, ss) Jack Nimitz (bars, cl) Roy Ayers (vib) Jack Wilson (p) Al McKibbon (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

"Lindy Opera House", Los Angeles, CA, August 9, 1964

8123 The Good Life Atlantic unissued

8125 The Fourth Dance -

Jack Wilson Quintet

Curtis Amy (ts, ss) Roy Ayers (vib) Jack Wilson (p) Al McKibbon (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

"Lindy Opera House", Los Angeles, CA, August 9, 1964

8124 Woody'n You Atlantic unissued

Jack Wilson Quartet

Roy Ayers (vib) Jack Wilson (p) Al McKibbon (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

"Lindy Opera House", Los Angeles, CA, August 9, 1964

8126 Medley: Young And Foolish / Goodbye Atlantic unissued

8127 Oleo -

8128 Out Of Sight -

8129 Most Soulful Man -

8130 Walkin' -

8131 Tenderly -

8132 Jackleg -

8133 Medley: Too Late Now / CFD -

8134 Flame On The Desert -

8135 Nirvana -

8136 Harbor Freeway -

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Check out this unissued Atlantic dates. Does this exist in the vaults or was it destroyed in the Atlantic warehouse fire in the 70s?

From: http://www.jazzdisco.org/atlantic/

Jack Wilson Quartet

Roy Ayers (vib) Jack Wilson (p) Al McKibbon (b) Nick Martinis (d)

Los Angeles, CA, January 24, 1963

6748 Herman's Helmet Atlantic unissued

6749 Di Critifeux -

6759 Nirvana And Dana -

6760 Harbor Freeway -

6761 Smif's Blues -

Jack Wilson Septet

Bobby Bryant (tp, flh) Lou Blackburn (tb) Buddy Collette (as, fl) Harold Land (ts) Jack Wilson (p) Leroy Vinnegar (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

"Lindy Opera House", Los Angeles, CA, August 9, 1964

8122 Yours Is My Heart Alone Atlantic unissued

Jack Wilson Orchestra

Emmett Berry, Melvin Moore, Charlie Patterson (tp) Bobby Bryant (tp, flh) Lou Blackburn, Donald Cook, John Ewing, Pete Myers (tb) Buddy Collette (as, fl) Jay Migliori (as, ss) Harold Land (ts) Curtis Amy (ts, ss) Jack Nimitz (bars, cl) Roy Ayers (vib) Jack Wilson (p) Al McKibbon (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

"Lindy Opera House", Los Angeles, CA, August 9, 1964

8123 The Good Life Atlantic unissued

8125 The Fourth Dance -

Jack Wilson Quintet

Curtis Amy (ts, ss) Roy Ayers (vib) Jack Wilson (p) Al McKibbon (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

"Lindy Opera House", Los Angeles, CA, August 9, 1964

8124 Woody'n You Atlantic unissued

Jack Wilson Quartet

Roy Ayers (vib) Jack Wilson (p) Al McKibbon (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

"Lindy Opera House", Los Angeles, CA, August 9, 1964

8126 Medley: Young And Foolish / Goodbye Atlantic unissued

8127 Oleo -

8128 Out Of Sight -

8129 Most Soulful Man -

8130 Walkin' -

8131 Tenderly -

8132 Jackleg -

8133 Medley: Too Late Now / CFD -

8134 Flame On The Desert -

8135 Nirvana -

8136 Harbor Freeway -

VERY interesting (I have no idea as to the answer to your question)

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Forgot to mention that 'Ramblin', while stated as "Out of print", seems to be available from freshsoundrecords.com. At least you can put it in you shopping basket.

c3678.jpg

The Fresh Sound version of Ramblin is a bootleg produced in EU (Spain?) and is sourced from an Lp needle drop. There is also a mastering error as the tracks on the CD don't correspond to track numbers on the booklet.

I don't know what media conglomerate owns the Vault master tapes. Anyone know who gobbled up Vault and is sitting on the masters?

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There is also, on Vault, this LP

jack-wilson-the-jazz-organs.jpg

The Jazz Organs - organ duets with Henry Cain, with Gene Edwards, Leroy V & Donald Bailey and with Genghis Kyle with John Gray (g), Leroy V & Philly Joe. Kind of low key but interesting. But my copy is mono - it would be nice to have a stereo version.

Genghis Kyle is apparently still active on the West Coast. Seen him Chewy?

MG

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Yes, I thought the same after buying the first of his two Discovery LPs with the two-piano technique. He played a lot of counterpoint with each hand on a different keyboard in a rather virtuosic, busy style.

I have to admit that outside of his partnership with Roy Ayers, he didn't thrill me that much as a pianist, not even on his Atlantic trio LP.

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It's interesting that the matrix numbers of his Vault recordings are in line with those for Atlantic, like they were recorded for Atlantic and taken over by Vault. If that's true, there might be a slight chance they're still lying around somewhere, otherwise I'd say they were destroyed in the fire.

That Vault label also released two Hampton Hawes LPs which also were reissued on Fresh Sound.

Wonder why they never got around two reissue the other two Wilson Vault LPs - maybe for lack of vinyl to drop the needle on?

Edited by mikeweil
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I don't know what media conglomerate owns the Vault master tapes. Anyone know who gobbled up Vault and is sitting on the masters?

Vault's owner was Jack Lewerke, who died in 1977. His son Greg is a well known manager of many rock acts and, according to his email address at the bottom of this web page (www.ronrainey.com), has still something to do with Vault. Maybe you can ask him who's the current owner.

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It's interesting that the matrix numbers of his Vault recordings are in line with those for Atlantic, like they were recorded for Atlantic and taken over by Vault. If that's true, there might be a slight chance they're still lying around somewhere, otherwise I'd say they were destroyed in the fire.

That Vault label also released two Hampton Hawes LPs which also were reissued on Fresh Sound.

Wonder why they never got around two reissue the other two Wilson Vault LPs - maybe for lack of vinyl to drop the needle on?

Vault was distributed by Atco and their LPs bore the Atlantic address: 1841 Broadway, NY 22. But the label appears to have been owned by Jack Lewerke. He also produced the Hampton Hawes TV show that Fresh Sound has reissued (with Criss, Edwards & Turner), which originally appeared on JAS.

It wasn't uncommon for distributing labels to assign master numbers to recordings they picked up from other labels; Chess did that a helluva lot.

My guess is that Lewerke still owns those masters and leased them to Fresh Sound, but for some reason hasn't got the masters for "Jazz organs" and the other that hasn't been reissued. If Atlantic owned them, I reckon they'd have come out on Collectables.

MG

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