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The Complete Nocturne Recordings


neveronfriday

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Through another thread on this forum I ended up on http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/. There they are offering this set:

Recordings - Jazz In Hollywood Series Volume 1 - Box Set 3 Cds

Various Artists

Featuring: Herbie Harper Quartet and Quintet, Bud Shank Quintet, Harry Babasin Quintet, Bob Enevoldsen, Virgil Gonsalves Sextet, Lou Levy Trio, Jimmy Rowles Trio

REFERENCE: NR3CD 101

BAR CODE: 84 27328 43101 9

PRICE: 26.80 €

The Scott Yanow (All Music Guide) review makes this sound like a very good purchase, but I'm wondering about the remastering quality. Any info on this aspect?

Thanks for your input.

=========================================

CD#1

- Herbie Harper Quintet

1. Jepers Leapers

2. Dinah

3. Five Brothers

4. Herbstone

5. Summertime

6. Jive At Five

- Bud Shank Quintet

7. Casa De Luz

8. Lotus Bud

9. Left Bank

10. Shank´s Pranks

11. Jasmine

12. Just A Few

- Harry Babasin Quintet

13. La Rosita

14. Skylark

15. Tangerine

16. When You Wish Upon A Star

17. The Girl Friend

18. Easy To Remember

19. Babo-Ling

CD#2

- Bob Enevoldsen Quintet

1. Fast Buck

2. My Old Flame

3. Danzo To Brasil

4. Lulu's Back In Town

5. Bob White

6. Where Did The Gentleman Go?

7. Snootie Little Cutie

- Herbie Harper Quartet and Quintet

8. Patty

9. The New York City Ghost

10. Julie Is Her Name

11. Sanguine

12. Now Playing

13. 6/4 Mambo

14. Bananera

15. Indian Summer

16. The Happy Clown

- Virgil Gonsalves Sextet

17. Bounce

18. Out Of Nowhere

19. Too Marvelous For Words

20. It Might As Well Be Spring

21. Yesterdays

22. Love Me Or Leave Me

CD#3

- Lou Levy Trio

1. Gentleman Is A Dope

2. Serenade In Blue

3. Woody'n You

4. Without You (Tres Palabras)

5. All The Things You Are

6. Tiny´s Other Blues

7. Like Someone In Love

8. Bloo Denim

- Jimmy Rowles Trio

9. Lets Fall In Love

10. All The Things You Are

11. The Day You Came Along

12. So Far So Good

13. I Wouldn´t Change You For The World/You Are Too Beatiful

14. Serenade In Blue

15. Let's Fall In Love

16. Remember Me/There Goes My Heart

17. Lady Be Good

18. Chloe

19. Topsy

All titles recorded in Hollywood, 1954

=========================================

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Put it this way, my sound system is just about average; a high end system might reveal defects that I can't hear, even if I was listening for them, which I usually don't. To my ears the sound quality is acceptable.

For what is is worth the box carries the following:

"Warning: The music on these compacts discs war originally recorded on analogue equipment, prior to modern noise reduction techniques. These compact discs preserve as closely as possible the sound of the original Nocturne recordings. The 24 bit digital remastering from the original sources reveal some limitations including noise and other distortions."

Well, there you have it, a relatively recent remastering (1998) of source material almost half a century old.

My advice; get it for the music, Jimmy Rowles in particular.

Edited by andersf
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  • 11 months later...

Bringing this thread back up. I saw this for the first time at Dusty Groove and picked it up (though it is now up to $29 from $24 apparently). It's pretty interesting. I especially like the booklet with the great details and photos. The irony is that this is one time (the only time?) that Fresh Sounds seems to have the more legitimate and almost complete release (perhaps one session missing).

A couple of related questions. Was there ever a vol 2.? Either more of the Nocturne recordings or Jazz in Hollywood recordings? I think not, but am not sure.

Second, most of this set involves Harry Babasin as artist or producer. I actually am familiar with his name because I have been seeking out a song called

Evening In Azerbaijan, which is presumably inspired by Night in Tunisia. The only source I've heard for it is Harry Babasin COMMAND PERFORMANCE THE JAZZ PICKERS featuring RED NORVO Mercury Records - EmArcy MG 36123 (front), but this is not in print. Has anyone actually heard the track? Is it worth seeking out? If it's not that memorable, I don't want to waste any more time on it.

This quote is from around 1998, so I am not sure about whether it is still current. Von Babasin, Harry's son, wrote on the availability of his dad's recordings:

"Right now the "Up in Dodo's Room" recording is the only CD available with my dad playing cello. It's on Jazz Classics Records, number CD-JZCL-6008. V.S.O.P. has told me they are going to release the Jazzpickers/Terry Gibbs album that you mention, on CD, sometime in 1998. They have a website with the MODE label as part of their archive. Fantasy is planning a release of the original Nocturne "Jazz in Hollywood" series, ten 10" LPs that were produced by my father and drummer Roy Harte, also on CD, in 1998. That series contains an album by the "Harry Babasin Quintet" with Harry on cello. I have access to four other Jazzpickers tapes that were albums but at this time we have no immediate plan to release them. EMI in Japan is also releasing four of the Nocturne albums, but they are pressing the original vinyl albums! My dad plays on all four but the Harry Babasin Quintet is the only one on cello. The others are the Bud Shank Quintet, the Herbie Harper Quintet, and the Bob Enevoldson Quintet, where he, of course, plays bass."

Would a European label consider putting some of this out, if the family does not?

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A couple of related questions.  Was there ever a vol 2.?  Either more of the Nocturne recordings or Jazz in Hollywood recordings?  I think not, but am not sure.

A friend who visited Jordi Pujoll at Fresh Sounds last year asked a possible vol. 2 box. The answer was no.

There obviously is not enough Nocturne material for a second box.

Some of the Nocturne material that did not make it to the first box include:

- Steve White Quartet 'Nocturne Records - Jazz in Hollywood Series'

http://www.edmicheljazzproducer.com/steve_...discography.htm

Ed Michel in the liner notes to this OJC release, indicates there were also a 'mixed bag album by Earl Hines and 'The Piano Artistry of Conley Graves'.

As for Fresh Sounds reissues, many of them - if not all the recent ones - have been perfectly legitimate ones. They reissued material handed to them by people like Harry Babasin, Roy Harte, Dave Pell, etc.

Edited by brownie
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It's a very nice set, excellent booklet showing the original artwork. Well worth having if you like west coast jazz.

Yep.

I bought that one a while back, and although I wasn't too happy with some of the sound quality (some of the earlier stuff on disc 1 could certainly have been remastered in a better way), I was quite happy to own a legit release by them.

If you do like West Coast Jazz, this is certainly a box to run out and buy.

Great value to boot.

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  • 1 year later...

In addition to the two Steve White sessions left off the Fresh Sound boxset ( available on OJC 1889 & 1891 ) there is the music that was slated for Nocturne # 11 which , while not part of the boxset , did come out on this Fresh Sound vinyl :

PeggyConnellyonNocturneFreshSound.jpg

Four tracks by vocalist Peggy Connelly backed by the Marty Paich orchestra , and four tracks by vocalist Tommy Traynor . Peggy had one album under her name for Bethlehem backed by the Russ Garcia orchestra .

I am curious if the 84-page booklet in the boxset details the discographical nexus between Nocturne and Liberty . The unreliable Lord discography yields the following : the Jimmy Rowles trio date recorded for Nocturne came out originally on Liberty 3003 ( now available as part of a Mosaic Select ). The Herbie Harper Quintet that came out on Liberty 6003 reissued all of Nocturne #1 but only some of the material from Harper's Nocturne # 7 ( and had a track that was on neither ) . The Bob Enevoldsen material from Liberty 6008 was not a reissue of Nocturne # 6 . The Virgil Gonsalves on Liberty 6010 is also not a reissue of his material on Nocturne # 8 . The Steve White date issued on Liberty 6006 is not a reissue of any of his Nocturne material slated for Nocturne # 9 . The Conley Graves music from Nocturne # 4 was reissued , minus two tunes , on Liberty 6008 . The Earl Hines music from Nocturne # 5 saw reissue on Tops 1599 . The Liberty label listing has a Various Artists album called " Jazz in Hollywood " that came out on Liberty 6001 that presumably reissued Nocturne material , but I don't know what sessions it reissued .

Harry Babasin's son Von is still seeking support for his efforts to preserve 500 hours of master tapes of West Coast jazz .

>> www.jazzinhollywood.com<<

EDIT: Fixed broken image link .

Edited by Chas
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In addition to the two Steve White sessions left off the Fresh Sound boxset ( available on OJC 1889 & 1891 ) there is the music that was slated for Nocturne # 11 which , while not part of the boxset , did come out on this Fresh Sound vinyl :

Peggy%20Connelly%20on%20Nocturne%20(%20Fresh%20Sound%20).jpg

Four tracks by vocalist Peggy Connelly backed by the Marty Paich orchestra , and four tracks by vocalist Tommy Traynor . Peggy had one album under her name for Bethlehem backed by the Russ Garcia orchestra .

I am curious if the 84-page booklet in the boxset details the discographical nexus between Nocturne and Liberty . The unreliable Lord discography yields the following : the Jimmy Rowles trio date recorded for Nocturne came out originally on Liberty 3003 ( now available as part of a Mosaic Select ). The Herbie Harper Quintet that came out on Liberty 6003 reissued all of Nocturne #1 but only some of the material from Harper's Nocturne # 7 ( and had a track that was on neither ) . The Bob Enevoldsen material from Liberty 6008 was not a reissue of Nocturne # 6 . The Virgil Gonsalves on Liberty 6010 is also not a reissue of his material on Nocturne # 8 . The Steve White date issued on Liberty 6006 is not a reissue of any of his Nocturne material slated for Nocturne # 9 . The Conley Graves music from Nocturne # 4 was reissued , minus two tunes , on Liberty 6008 . The Earl Hines music from Nocturne # 5 saw reissue on Tops 1599 . The Liberty label listing has a Various Artists album called " Jazz in Hollywood " that came out on Liberty 6001 that presumably reissued Nocturne material , but I don't know what sessions it reissued .

Harry Babasin's son Von is still seeking support for his efforts to preserve 500 hours of master tapes of West Coast jazz .

>> www.jazzinhollywood.com<<

It's interesting that if you go to the link above, they have another link to the current contributors.....they appear to be the musicians that played on the recordings and the others that have offered moral support. I will go on record as saying that I will offer my moral support as well. I guess I expected to see the ones who have contributed monetary support as that's basically what they are looking for. BTW, I love these recordings!!!

m~

Edited by sheldonm
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  • 2 months later...

Came to this thread thorugh another thread i opened on this box set.

--- Quote Chas:

The Liberty label listing has a Various Artists album called " Jazz in Hollywood " that came out on Liberty 6001 that presumably reissued Nocturne material , but I don't know what sessions it reissued . ---

I have this Liberty LJH 6001 LP.

Apart from a track each by Dom Frontiere and the Hollywood Saxophone Quartet, it includes 10 tracks (by Herbie Harper, Jimmy Rowles, Virgil Gonsalves, Harry Babasdin, Lou Levy, Bob Enevoldsen) taken from Nocturne recordings that were reissued (or issued for the first time, in the case of the Levy and Rowles tracks) on 12" Liberty LP's . This V.A. LP served as an introduction to the Liberty catalog of "Jazz in Hollywood" LP's.

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The Fresh Sound Nocturne box is available from Dusty Groove, here. As I posted in Big Beat Steve's other Nocturne thread, I recently did an A/B comparison between the Fresh Sound Nocturne box and some of the OJC releases of the same material, and IMHO, the sound on the OJCs was significantly better. Plus, the OJCs include the Steve White sessions, which the Fresh Sound box does not. The only session in the Fresh Sound box that is not included in the OJC releases is the one led by Jimmy Rowles, but that session is included in the Pacific Jazz Piano Trios Mosaic Select. However, the booklet that comes with the Fresh Sound box is very nice, with lots of photos, etc. So I guess the best solution is to acquire the Fresh Sound box, the OJCs, and the Mosaic Select. :)

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Ron S, speaking of the Steve White Nocturne session:

Can you (or any other expert on these OJC's) fill me in on the OJC 1889 and 1891 reissues featuring Steve White?

The tracks listed on the Fantasy/OJC catalog website somehow do not match the details given in the Jepsen discography. Where exactly did all the material on 1891 come from? Did they put additional previously unissued material on 1891?

OJC 1889 would be the CD to go for to have the remaining Steve White Nocturne 10" LP that is not on the 3-CD box set. BUT - it's just one of those things: It's combined with a Virgil Gonsalves set that is also on the box set. So you are buying HALF the CD for the full price. One of those annoying duplications... Why didn't they do an entire Steve White set combininig the music from 1889 and 1891? I cannot imagine the drawing power of Virgil Gonsalves is that great (even among Jazz freaks) that this would warrant combining these sessions on one CD.

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Ron S, speaking of the Steve White Nocturne session:

Can you (or any other expert on these OJC's) fill me in on the OJC 1889 and 1891 reissues featuring Steve White?

The tracks listed on the Fantasy/OJC catalog website somehow do not match the details given in the Jepsen discography. Where exactly did all the material on 1891 come from? Did they put additional previously unissued material on 1891?

OJC 1889 would be the CD to go for to have the remaining Steve White Nocturne 10" LP that is not on the 3-CD box set. BUT - it's just one of those things: It's combined with a Virgil Gonsalves set that is also on the box set. So you are buying HALF the CD for the full price. One of those annoying duplications... Why didn't they do an entire Steve White set combininig the music from 1889 and 1891? I cannot imagine the drawing power of Virgil Gonsalves is that great (even among Jazz freaks) that this would warrant combining these sessions on one CD.

All of the Steve White Nocturne material went unissued until Fantasy issued it in 1997 . The White half of OJC 1889 had been slated for Nocturne # 9 ( Nocturne # 10 also unissued , was a Lou Levy session ). The reason Fantasy didn't put the White material from OJC 1889 & 1891 on one CD is that that would have orphaned the Virgil Gonsalves material ( ~ 20 mins. of music ) . There was no duplication at the time , since Fresh Sound had yet to put out their box set .

By the way , the Steve White session released as Liberty 6006 is not a reissue of the Nocturne material . It has never been on CD .

Frankly , the Steve White dates are not essential listening , quirky vocals notwithstanding . Sonic considerations aside , the Fresh Sound box is all you really need -- no OJCs , no Mosaic Select .

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Brownie, I had seen these listings and sites but just found the contents of the CD's were at odds with the info I have in Jepsen's discography (which may not be up to date anymore, I know). So I wondered about the original sources.

And thanks for your background info, Chas.

I am not sure if Virgil Gonsalves' material would have been left orphaned. After all he also did another LP soon after on Liberty. That would have been a fitting pairing.

I was just baffled by the fact that Jepsen listed Nocturne 9 as having been issued. I remember seeing Steve White's Liberty LP (Jazz Mad) on eBay and passed it up as something made me think it wasn't that essential.

His Nocturne release might have been nice to have for completeness' sake but from your description I guess I know what to expect (in addition to the Fresh Sound box I have quite a few of the non-Nocturne Liberty LP's that carried on the Nocturne tradition but some of them admittedly are not that essential, more of curiosity value).

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I am not sure if Virgil Gonsalves' material would have been left orphaned. After all he also did another LP soon after on Liberty. That would have been a fitting pairing.

Fitting perhaps , but not likely in 1997 , since while Capitol/EMI own Liberty , they don't appear to have the rights to the Nocturne catalog despite the fact that Liberty reissued most of the Nocturne material 50 years ago . I don't think Fantasy's Nocturne CDs were leased sessions . Moreover , even if Liberty owned the rights to the Nocturne material Liberty reissued , the Gonsalves ( Nocturne # 8 ) was never reissued by Liberty .

However , now that all this Gonsalves material is in the public domain in the E. U. , I expect we will see that pairing sooner or later .

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I'd agre that the Steve White Nocturne material is far from essential, but I quite like it. White has a light Lesterish sound and the backing group with Jimmy Rowles, Harry babasin and Roy Harte swings along nicely. Imo if you are interested in west coast jazz and the Nocturne label these are worthy of a listen.

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  • 3 years later...

Bringing this thread back up.

Second, most of this set involves Harry Babasin as artist or producer. I actually am familiar with his name because I have been seeking out a song called

Evening In Azerbaijan, which is presumably inspired by Night in Tunisia. The only source I've heard for it is Harry Babasin COMMAND PERFORMANCE THE JAZZ PICKERS featuring RED NORVO Mercury Records - EmArcy MG 36123 (front), but this is not in print. Has anyone actually heard the track? Is it worth seeking out? ... Would a European label consider putting some of this out, if the family does not?

One of those random things got me thinking about Evening in Azerbaijan, and I did the old google search. It turned out that there are two copies of Command Performance for sale (and probably some on Gemm.com but I didn't look there). One on eBay, but also a reasonably priced copy at DG, so I have it on hold and will pick it up this week. Hope that it is worth the fuss.

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  • 6 years later...

Reviving this topic after finally getting a copy of the Fresh Sound box. This review that Big Beat Steve once linked gives a nice overview of that box compared to the OJC reissues:

http://jazztimes.com/articles/9065-the-complete-noctourne-recordings-jazz-in-hollywood-series-volume-1-herbie-harper-with-bud-shank-harry-babasin-bob-enevoldsen-virgil-gonsalves-lou-levy-and-jimmy-rowles

If I understand it all, the onlymaterial not in the box are the two Steve White sessions; The OJCs miss the Rowles trio; both do not include the Earl Hines material which is kind of an oddity in the label's repertoire, it was on one of the Chronological Classics Hines CDs.

One question: Is the baritone saxophonist Virgil Gonsalves the same guy that played in the Electric Flag?

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Someone here reports that he gets a link to malware on this thread, either when he tries to access this thread itself or clicks on a link that's on the thread -- I'm not clear which. In either case, be alert. (I don't have the former problem, if that's what he means, and I'm not going to test  to see if Ihave the latter.)

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