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desertblues

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OK, now this is not one of the "finds" I'm usually on the eagle-eye lookout for, but the title caught my eye.

Ping Pong Percussion [A while ago I mentioned another album, Persuasive Percussion, which was not in as good shape as this one, but interesting in a different way.]

This new one is a record on a label I've never heard of, StereoRama and Chuck Sagle is the leader of a series of personel.

The tracks are fresh approaches to standards like Who's Sorry Now?, For Me And My Gal, The Sheik Of Araby, Make Love To Me, etc.

The personel, not the same on all tracks, are:

Harry Breuer

Archie Freeman

Marty Grupp

Warren Hard

Willie Rodriguez

Ted Sommers

Joe Venuto

Moe Wechsler

George Duvivier

Barry Goldbraith

Doc Severnson

Phil Bodner

Harry DaVito

Al Klink

Phil Krause

Lou McGarity

Jimmy Crawford

Mundell Lowe

Johnny Glasel

Phil Olivella

The record is mint. There is a sheet of paper, included with the album, which breaks down each track into sections to listen to in a certain way.

Interesting.

ONE DOLLAR!!!

Edited by patricia
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Long Tall Dexter - Savoy Sessions (2 LP set, all the takes unlike the current single CD collection). Mint, $12

LaVere's Chicago Loopers (on the JUMP label, this has some Teagarden sessions from 1950) - good condition, $5

Ellington - Fargo 1940 Live - the old 3 LP Book-of-the-Month Record set (less complete than the Storyville 2 CD set I know, but I don't have that one yet and this one was in mint condition and for only $7 for the whole set - so it will tide me over!).

Edited by DrJ
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Isn't it interesting that all those sets of compilation records, usually including a flip top case, with the track list on the flap are now recognized as worthwhile, even coveted? I would include JazzTone, even though they usually had only one record, but were SO FINE and included a booklet and extensive biographical material on the artists. Judging by the pricetags on them on-line, the secret is out and the venders quite often ask for $50 for a single record. They are more reasonably available at second hand stores and yardsales. I've picked them up, in excellent condition, for as little as a dollar. Keep your eyes open.

When these records were released, they were quite often regarded as second-rate, mostly because they were mail-order and low-end. JazzTone retailed, by mail order was around two dollars per disc and the collections of three to six and even ten to twelve records, issued by Book Of The Month, Time/Life, Reader's Digest, Longine's Syphonette Society RCA and the like were around twenty-five dollars, total. A bargain, by anyone's estimation.

But, that was the problem. Because they were relatively inexpensive, they were, at the time, thought of as second-rate, which we all know now is ridiculous.

They featured the original musicians, full length tracks and excellent production values.

AND when we find them now, quite often they are close to mint, even if they are decades old. Once people had them, they didn't seem to play them much, or even at all. Strange.

Look for the sets at yard sales in old neighbourhoods and............snap them up whenever you can.

Edited by patricia
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You're right Patricia, on all counts!

Two more good finds (I think) this week, both on the Web, and both musically valuable Savoy 2 LP sets:

1) Fats Navarro - FAT GIRL - all his Savoy sessions, masters plus alternates (rather than having to hunt it all down on various CDs piecemeal) - on Ebay, for under 4 bucks, in VG+ condition

2) Milt Jackson - SECOND NATURE - all the music from his dates with Lucky Thompson for the label, about half of this music I haven't yet heard and can't wait...the stuff I do have is truly desert island material (JAZZ SKYLINE and JACKSON'S-VILLE tracks). This was an on-line used/new retailer, NM copy for 15 bucks (probably a little high but this one has been hard to track down for anything less)

I've become a real big fan of these Savoy 1970s era 2 LP sets...the Yusef Lateef and Dexter Gordon entries are also wonderful. So much better done than the stupid, incomplete CD reissues overseen by Orrin Keepnews and others...

Edited by DrJ
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All the Savoy/Arista 70's lps are worth getting, especially for the notes and the sound quality, which in many cases have yet to be bested by cd reissues.

I ve been very pleased to pick up these two Savoy 2LP offerings lately, sound is excellent.

Brothers and other mothers... ( Serge C, Eager, Getz..)

Cozy Cole- Swing Sessions ( with Ben Webster ,Oran Page etc)

Canonball Adderley ( with Nat and Kenny Clarke)

Edited by Clunky
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Other particular favourites in this series are the Milt Jackson/Lucky Thompson (covers 3 original Savoy LPs), the Coltrane/Harden 'Countdown' and the Fats Navarro. Of the single LPs, I particularly like the Donald Byrd 'Long Green', with Frank Foster and Hank Jones.

I've got my eye at present time on a copy of the Cannonball 'Spontaneous Combustion'. Hope it doesn't before I get my hands on it. :D

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Saw a copy of a rare soundtrack from a French 1968 film 'Pourquoi l'Amerique' by Frederic Rossif. This came out on the AZ label and I don't think it has ever been reissued. Soundtrack was played by Eddie Harris and his quintet (with Jimmy Owens and Jodie Christian). Anybody heard this one?

The session was produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Joel Dorn in New York.

Copy does not look too bad. I am trying to live up to my New Year resolution to curtail records purchases :(

I have about nil on Eddie Harris under his name.

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Went to a record convention. Tried not to overspend. And did not. BUT among some of the albums I managed to get hold of:

- two Philips France ten-inchers from 1952: Bill Coleman And His Swing Stars. From a concert that year at the Paris Salle Pleyel. The All Stars were Coleman on trumpet, Dicky Wells on trombone, Guy Lafitte on tenor (and clarinet), a Black Canadian piano player Randy Downes I had never heard (or heard of) before, Buddy Banks on bass and the mighty Zutty Singleton on drums.

The two albums cost me one euro each!

OK the covers are in terrible shape and when I looked at the vinyl I was prepared for the worst. Happily, the music survives the various scratches! Interesting also that Bill Coleman was playing in 1952 in the Paris equivalent of Carnegie Hall in front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd!

- an original copy of the 1957 Swing album 'Martial Solal Et Son Grand Orchestre'

in OK condition (cover is allright, side A plays near perfect side B has some scratches).

Lucky Thompson, Barney Wilen, Kenny Clarke are in that Grand Orchestre!

- mint copies of 'Breakthru' the IAJ album by Ran Blake, 'Manhattan Project' the Dizzy Reece BeeHive with Clifford Jordan, and the Jazz Archives Wingy Manone/Sidney Bechet 'Together Town Hall 1947' (those Bechet appearances are pure joy!)

Spinning some of these now...

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Yesterday I stopped in at Second Story Books here in DC to see if they had any interesting LPs. They were also having a 20% off sale. Found a copy of Somethin' Else yesterday priced as $4 "as is." It was a one-sided deep groove New York mono pressing that at first looked pretty bad. But on closer inspection it was really only a little dirty with some nasty looking surface marks that upon closer inspection were not at all bad or deep. I figured it was worth the "risk" because with the 20 percent discount the price was $3.20. I took it home, put it through the Nitty Gritty cleaner and it sounds awesome.

Also found a Basie live LP on Roulette called Breakfast Dance and Barbeque for $5 that's nice too.

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But on closer inspection it was really only a little dirty with some nasty looking surface marks that upon closer inspection were not at all bad or deep. I figured it was worth the "risk" because with the 20 percent discount the price was $3.20. I took it home, put it through the Nitty Gritty cleaner and it sounds awesome.

I think I've said it before, but modern, smaller profile styli can really overcome a beat up record, especially nice, old slabs of vinyl. I'll take a flyer on cheap, older pressings b/c I know my cartridge will, more often than not, ride the groove lower than most surface marks.

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That's all you found at Second Story? ;)

I went in this morning and grabbed two Dakota Staton Capitol lps, Idris Muhammad Kudu date, Flora Purim's 500 Miles High, Manitas de Plata 3 lp box (awesome flamenco player), Bobby Hutcherson's Waiting on Blue Note, and Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition with Arthur Blythe and David Murray. Cool!

And nabbed the Charlie Parker Verve box set.

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Yesterday got Count Basie - Count Basie Story RB-1 (roulette) near mint 2LP set in box with enormous booklet by Feonard Leather, whole thing very quiet, good value at £6.

The playing is good enough it's only a pity the charts weren't updated ,not one of the best Roulettes I've heard but not bad.

Edited by Clunky
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I'm another fan of the Savoy Jazz series. A couple of years ago I bought one of them from a fellow who listed it on ebay. Turned out he had a huge stash that he had bought from cutout bins when cds came in, most were still sealed. I bought the lot from him, $7 for a two-fer and $4 for singles. I don't remember everything, but he had both Lateefs, the Milt Jacksons, the Trumpet/Trombone/Tenor albums (great collections), Black California, Harlem, and some others.

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  • 1 month later...

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Another major find yesterday - Benny Golson's Pop+Jazz=Swing, on Audiofidelity. Minty mint, even with the original pvc inner sleeve. $3 :P

Dmitry, you'll find out as soon as you listen to the album. The sound on this vinyl is just awful. Fabricated stereo effect.

Fresh Sound recently released the same session as 'Benny Golson and his Orchestra : Walkin''. The sound on this CD is much more natural and better!

And you know I love vinyl!

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Maitre Brownais, I haven't played the Lp yet, just read the description of how amazing it is on the back cover on the bus yesterday. They say you're supposed to play the Jazz half of it[the right side, if I remember correctly], while the left channel is the Pop side. Or maybe the other way around.

I was thinking I could finally have some use for the mono switch on my rig.

Is the Fresh Sound cd in Stereo?

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The sound is amazingly bad. Whichever side you listen to, left, right, or mixed!

The Fresh Sound CD is plain stereo without any gimmick. So much better!

In any case, the $3 investment is very decent for that curio!

I guess I'll keep it for the curiosity's sake then. After all, my favorite musicians are on it. Too bad about the sound though...

Thanks for the heads-up on the FS cd. Another ugly cover?

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