Avid label (UK)

[romualdo]

Hope this hasn't already been covered but can anyone comment on the UK Avid (Jazz) label

Have been buying some of their twofers (contain 4 LP's) - Anita O'Day, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims - great value with excellent sound quality; good prices via UK Amazon

Looking forward to the upcoming Johnny Hodges release (4 early 50's Clef/Norgran LP's)

Mostly 50's LP's that would be difficult to obtain otherwise (unless you have the Mosaic boxes).

How legitimate are these releases (are they needle drops or do they have access to the tapes?) - is the situation similar to the Proper sets ?? (just picked up the 4CD Kenton Era box -

fantastic sound quality & packed with 40's kenton material - similar to the OOP Mosaic set but with less tracks)

[brownie]

Purchased a couple of Avid releases (including the Al Cohn) but thought the sound was weak (little dynamics). Needledrops definitively.

I am keeping away from the label now.

[sidewinder]

Purchased a couple of Avid releases (including the Al Cohn) but thought the sound was weak (little dynamics). Needledrops definitively.

I am keeping away from the label now.

Too much of this sort of stuff going on. For all of the attractiveness of the music they put out, I avoid these labels like the plague.

[JohnS]

I have two or three Avids. They are good value but some of the couplings seem a bit strange and alternates are not included. The sound is variable though. The Brubeck set is perfectly adequate though the Brown/Roach Quintets sound more boxy than I remember. I wouldn't be put off if I wanted the music.

[BillF]

The Art Pepper Avid combines four wonderful albums. Fortunately, I have them all already.

[jazzbo]

My guess not master tapes. Some may be from previous cd issues from the US, Europe or Japan. They're legal for sale outside the US. But they're distributed for sale in the US. There's the rub.

[JohnS]

My guess not master tapes. Some may be from previous cd issues from the US, Europe or Japan. They're legal for sale outside the US. But they're distributed for sale in the US. There's the rub.

I agree, copies of existing cds.

[king ubu]

I bought quite a few when they were around cheap a year ago (Al Cohn, John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Blossom Dearie, the Dixieland set, Harry James), but the one that really looks great to me (I have it but haven't started listening so far) is their Hoagy Carmichael box. It's one of those cardboard boxes with the CDs packed in thin sleeves and a little booklet added. I guess the sound there will be lacking as well, but then where else can you find ten discs of Hoagy?

[Hoppy T. Frog]

I'm pretty sure we'll get to the point--if we haven't already-- that some bootleg label will just bootleg some other bootlegger's bootleg.

[Fer Urbina]

Hi

As far as I know they're EU legit. They reissue albums *published* 50 years ago or longer. When they did the Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall reissue, I think it was taken from the original LP and then remastered. They actually claim copyright over their remastering of earlier stuff (their Roy Eldridge, Jack Teagarden boxes, for instance).

I think I commented on the sound of their Lionel Hampton double CD, with small groups from the late 30s (stuff included in the Mosaic box, reissued before the Mosaic, by the way). It was remastered in some kind of fake stereo, too much echo and too "clean" for my ears. This set had one or two radio transcriptions and part of the liner notes were by Brian Priestley.

Also, questions have been asked about their use of album covers and photography. Copyright for those expires quite some time later than the 50 years for sound recordings.

F

[big gord]

while in the uk recently i bought a cd by anita oday four classic albums avid jazz cd a two cd set with four of anitas verve lps- anita sings the most-anita-an evening with anita oday- and the lady is a tramp. great value for only six pounds.does anyone know what other albums are on that label, i understand there is quite a few available.uk members will probely know.duke jerumonk

[B. Goren.]

You can find the complete catalogue on their website:

http://www.avidgroup.co.uk/acatalog/Jazz_A-F.html

[Victor Christensen]

I have just recently found out about The AVID's twofers called Three Classic Albums plus. They are not, I have bought 4 of them, they fill old holes in my collection. A lot of them are rip offs from Verve in the fifties, so copyright is obsolete in Europe. I know how some of you feel about this issue, but what the hell, they would otherwise never be seen again.

Vic

[romualdo]

I've picked up a few of these over the past year or so (O'Day, Cohn, Sims, Hodges)

Helped out on some of the Mosaic sets I missed out on

I'm happy with the sound but I can't tell if they are needle drops - I'm sure they must be or possibly have sourced other CD's (Japanese or Mosaics?)

AVID appears to be a UK outfit similar to the Spanish (dubious source material using the 50 year copyright law)

There have been previous threads on this (I think I commenced one)

[J.A.W.]

There have been previous threads on this (I think I commenced one)

Found 3 threads on the Avid label and merged them to keep all info and opinions in one place.

[romualdo]

There have been previous threads on this (I think I commenced one)

Found 3 threads on the Avid label and merged them to keep all info and opinions in one place.

Thanks Hans

[JohnS]

I don't believe the Avid's are needle drops. They can cost as little as £3.99 which is very good value especially if you are filling odd gaps in a collection. Some of the choices for the "classic albums" seem to be chosen at random.

(edited for typo)

Edited February 8, 2011 by JohnS

[king ubu]

Yes, I just got the second and third of the Brubecks to fill some gaps... got half of it on Legacy CDs, and actually got enough Brubeck anyway, so these were good value, after all.

Also got the Tubby Hayes because of one Tubby album on it that I didn't have elsewhere (the rest is mostly Jazz Couriers material).

[Brad]

I looked through their catalogue and they just seem like rip-offs, EU law notwithstanding. For example, if you look at Sonny Rollins, you see some OJC/Concord albums, which should still be available. I suppose it's not worth the effort for Concord to bring a claim, if such is possible.

[king ubu]

I'm not sure, but I think a claim could only apply to their use of cover art and to US distributors.

Anyway, lots of them are rip-offs of the most blatant kind, but some (Al Cohn for instance) contain some stuff that I've never seen around here. They're good for filling some gaps now and then, that's how I look at it.

[Steve Gray]

I think that they can be either needledrops or copied from CDs depending on availability

I read somewhere (maybe here) that one of the Tubby Hayes was from LP.

I think they are usually very dull sounding and will avoid them where it is easy to do so. The new Edmond Hall is very tempting though.

I am talking about the '4LPS on 2CDs' series here. I think the Benny Goodman box sounds pretty good and I also like the Lionel Hampton series.

Edited February 9, 2011 by Steve Gray

[Bluerein]

Why are these labels always so secretive about their sources. Just mention transferred from LP or CD and all is fine.

[Victor Christensen]

I bought the Hampton one out of pure Nostagia because it contained the "Apollo Concert 1954", I heard that I was 16 at a friend's place, was (then) crazy about it, and it's the first time I have seen it on a CD, had to have it (had not heard it in 63 years) (will be 75 next wednesday).

Vic

[BillF]

I bought the Hampton one out of pure Nostagia because it contained the "Apollo Concert 1954", I heard that I was 16 at a friend's place, was (then) crazy about it, and it's the first time I have seen it on a CD, had to have it (had not heard it in 63 years) (will be 75 next wednesday).

Vic

Congratulations, Vic! I'm 3 1/2 years behind you, first buying jazz records in 1957.

[Peter Friedman]

The one Avid CD I have is not a bootleg reissue. It was originally recorded by that company in 2006.

John Dankworth & Danny Moss Quintet - About 42 Years Later