Storied Trove of 1930s Jazz Is Acquired by Museum

[EKE BBB]

More Prez and Herschel (and others) discoveries unveiled via Newsweek:

More treasures...

Thanks!!!!

[ghost of miles]

More Prez and Herschel (and others) discoveries unveiled via Newsweek:

More treasures...

Thanks much, Brownie--really dug those Prez and Herschel Evans solos!

[Big Beat Steve]

Dig this, above all, from the Newsweek interview.

Very sensible points.

Q: Do you agree that perhaps Congress should step in and somehow clear up the tangled web of copyright law as it pertains to something like the Savory collection?

A: Well, yeah, yes I do, because—let’s put it this way: as things stand now, the odds are stacked against this material being widely accessible. And it’s my goal to share this. The last thing we want to do is make this music almost as inaccessible as when Savory had it to himself. Right now people have to physically come into the museum and listen to it. We’re talking with Mosaic records about how to possibly release it, but it’s complicated. And you know, I don’t think it’s fair for a great-grandchild of a sideman from one of these bands to hold up the whole thing, trying to get a little bit of money for something his great-grandfather did one night in ’37. But people also have to realize—I mean, on Facebook there’s been a healthy discussion that’s sort of morphed into the “corporate America vs. the poor jazz musician” thing. And that’s not the right way to look at it. No major corporation is interested in issuing this material. Mosaic has a full-time staff of three. The National Jazz Museum in Harlem also has a staff of three right now, though we may grow to a staff of seven or 10. There’s this perception that “oh, man, the artist is gonna get ripped off again,” but sales are in the low thousands for the currently issued stuff. I hope that there is a way to get around some of this. The John Kirby Sextet’s radio performances from 1940 aren’t on the same scale as Walt Disney’s copyright. And still, while I think this is the major musical archeological find of the last few decades, there’s a misunderstanding of the commercial potential. Even the main jazz artists don’t sell that well.

[John L]

That is what I was afraid of. We can't expect copyright laws in the US to change any time soon.

[tranemonk]

More clips can be found here....

http://beta.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2010/aug/24/savory-recordings/

[ejp626]

That is what I was afraid of. We can't expect copyright laws in the US to change any time soon.

Yep, probably the only way to get this out there to let a European company borrow the tapes, then we can import it back here on an individual basis.

[Swinging Swede]

Wow. I never thought anything like this could still exist unissued. I had to make sure that it wasn't 1 April. I will definitely buy anything that comes out on Mosaic.

[Hardbopjazz]

I think about the Boris Rose collection of recordings. With thefew recordings that copies were made of, the rest never made it out to th public. Legal issue prevent his recordings from being released. I'm afraid we may have the same issue once again; which just sucks.

[Don Brown]

I've been told that the situation with the Boris Rose recordings is a little different. Apparently when Rose died his daughter took charge of his recordings and was leasing the material to interested record companies. I know that Ted Ono dealt with her to get airchecks of Dinah Washington, Bill Harris and others for his Baldwin Street label. Bill Savory's recordings on the other hand have been sold outright to the Harlem Jazz Museum by Savory's son.

[bichos]

hereis another podcast with the intro of hawkins body and soul.

keep boppin´

marcel

[bichos]

and here is another radio show (48 minutes long) with more sound snippets and a conversation with Loren Schoenberg and Michael Cogswell:

http://www.onpointradio.org/2010/09/new-jazz-gems

click on the "listen to this show" at the top of the site.

keep boppin´

marcel

[medjuck]

This one posted by tranemonk

http://beta.wnyc.org...ory-recordings/

seems to be the best yet. In the discussion someone says that Savory had a direct line to the stations and that he was doing this for professional reasons. But the original NYTimes piece says that he was doing it for his personal pleasure. Anyone read that these were done professionally?

Also has our Berigan checked out the great Bunny stuff here or does he only read the political and film threads?

[medjuck]

Oooops I just heard the reporter who did the original NYT story on this boradcasat

http://beta.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck/2010/aug/20/secret-savory-collection/

saying that Savory was working for a transcription service. (He did say otherwise in the first story.)

Doesn't that mean there should be other copies around?

[Chuck Nessa]

and the ownership gets even more complicated.

[Big Beat Steve]

and the ownership gets even more complicated.

So how come, then, that it has been possible to release such an extreme, immense quantity of transcriptions from that period for the enjoyment of collectors in (more or less) recent decades? Just wondering ...

[medjuck]

Just heard a story about sound recording restoration that ends with more information about the Savory collection and brings up the Voice of America collection. I bet that contains some great stuff.

http://www.hereandnow.org/#2

[mmilovan]

More on this collection:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7097645n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

[gmonahan]

Has anyone heard anything lately from Mosaic about this collection?

gregmo

[kt66brooklyn]

Has anyone else gone to hear this collection at the National Jazz Museum? I went to a Tuesday night listening session and I went back for an afternoon's worth of listening today. I brought my own headphones which I plugged into an iPod clear taped to a metal CD rack (hopefully, this will discourage theft). Don't let this method of listening scare you.

Here are a few thoughts on what I have heard, since no one other than the critics/academics seem to have written about this music, I figured I'd fill the gap.

One of my favorites on the day was John Kirby's "Rehearsal for a Nervous Breakdown." It's a perfect performance and perfect recording, even with an announcer at the start and then again at the end of the second tune, which I don't know the title of. It is more atmospheric than the first and it shows, clearly, the range that Charlie Shaver's writing brought to the group.

The Carnival of Swing, at Randal's Island, is represented with the full Count Basie set and one tune from Stuff Smith. The raw energy of the Basie set is something that surprised even the WNEW announcer. I think the performances could become hits even today. The discs are not in great shape, but the wild and virtuosic performances shine through anyway. Smith turned in a great performance as well, with some surprisingly experimental noise-making amid a madly swinging band.

Hershel Evans is not to be missed. In one of the links posted in August, there is a snippet that suggests his last solo was relatively short. Not so, he plays through the entirety of "Stardust" with Lionel Hampton + band backing him up. It is a real treat to hear him. He's not quite as polished as Lester Young, but he's no clone either. He plays in his own relaxed style. It's really impressive and we are lucky to have this final document from him.

The Benny Goodman stuff goes on and on. The available recordings are mostly 1938 performances. Both the orchestra and the small groups shine. There's some really well captured concert hall material too. The sound quality is unbeatable for the 1930's

Expect to hear "Honeysuckle Rose" often, even Martin Block expresses a little bit of frustration when he says that no one hears the tune all that often on his show. No worries, they are all great performances.

Bunny Berigan is all over the place on these recordings. Of his performances of "I Can't Get Started," this one is my new favorite, he's relaxed and confident, with a great obligato, played by Slim Galliard, behind him.

This is merely a preliminary report, but I intend to go again, I suggest you folks do so as well if you can.

[jazztrain]

Loren Schoenberg had been scheduled to discuss and play samples from the Savory collection yesterday in Boston at the Berklee College of Music. Due to a family emergency, the presentation was postponed, probably until some time in January or February.

[brownie]

This is merely a preliminary report, but I intend to go again, I suggest you folks do so as well if you can.

Wish I could...

Many thanks for the report. Consider yourself very lucky to be able to attend these gatherings!

Will be waiting to read further reports.

[jeffcrom]

Thanks for the report, smashingthirds.

[AllenLowe]

I'm most intertested in the Chu and the Berigan - Berigan because I don't think his deep soloing ability is appreciated enough, and Chu because I have a feeling he's not well documented on record, especially given Bird's admiration, though one can hear in his stuff some interesting early hints of modernism.

Edited December 17, 2010 by AllenLowe

[kt66brooklyn]

I'm most intertested in the Chu and the Berigan - Berigan because I don't think his deep soloing ability is appreciated enough, and Chu because I have a feeling he's not well documented on record, especially given Bird's admiration, though one can hear in his stuff some interesting early hints of modernism.

I listened through all of the Berigan they had. There is a good deal of well captured material. The fidelity is better than I've ever heard him.

The one Chu tune I heard was great. I think a sax player could analyze things better than I could, but I think there was something to the cadence of his delivery that worked well between slow and quick passages, seamless rhythmic transitions. I could see why musicians would take an interest. There is a clip online, I think at the Newsweek site.

I was thinking that Commodore did more or less the same thing, combining great musicians in new contexts, but I think the Savory stuff hits the mark more solidly. Perhaps it's because of the increased fidelity, or it could be the live club settings that most of these folks were playing in, but so many of these performances 'click.'

The collection is really addictive. I wish new music was this good. The Carnival of Swing is stuck in my head!

Allen, are you planning to come down to NYC any time soon? You should hear this stuff.

[medjuck]

When you are there can you listen to whatever you want to? And are there specified times to go?