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What to Reissue Number Two


jonathanhorwich

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Dear All, Thank you so much for your observations on what to reissue. Okay let me focus in for a minute. Let's now narrow in to classics only. The criterion for reissue is that the performance must be considered a true classic or a very important or influential performance by the person writing to the forum, and must not have been issued on CD or is no longer available on CD.

Example from my view is Bill Dixon Intents and Purposes, or Julius Hemphill Dogon A.D, or Jeremy Steig Flute Fever (best jazz flute playing I have heard not to mention Denny Zeitlin is as good as it gets on straight ahead piano), maybe Joe Daley at Newport (if for no other reason than the astounding performance of bassist Russell Thorne).

That kind of thing. There aren't that many classic performances or killer performances that had real influence that are not out on CD. There are many fine performances not out on CD. But let's notch it up to classics or at least killer performances. The above are my picks from my view as a member of this forum.

I'm very excited to see what other members might come up with.

Jonathan

Edited by JLH
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A couple of large group classics from the 1970s that remain sadly out of circulation...

Roswell Rudd's NUMATIK SWING BAND

220px-Numatik_Swing_Band.jpg

http://en.wikipedia....atik_Swing_Band

And

Clifford Thornton's GARDENS OF HARLEM

http://www.discogs.c.../release/604664

Yeah, the JCOA stuff needs to be more widely available. Not sure what the legal hurdles are, though...

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Seconded/thirded.

I'm going to just throw another one in the ring for a 3-CD box of Marion Brown's 1970s Impulse LPs/related material. That music is essential and needs reevaluation. I think they've been out on CD in Japan, but a Mosaic Select or similar style box for the broader market would be much appreciated and quite valued.

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The Rev. Robert Wilkins LP on Piedmont I mentioned on the other thread is, by any standards, a GREAT record. It can stand with - and probably above - any of the recordings done by the blues performers who were rediscovered in the 1960's - John Hurt, Son House, Bukka White, Skip James. To my ears, it's better than his early recordings and, in saying that, I'm not knocking those.

I don't know what's a classic, outside of Louis' best, Ellington's best, Pres' best, Bird's best, etc. That said, here are some others for consideration:

Al Francis, John Neves, Joe Hunt: Jazz Bohemia Revisited (Lost Cosmic Unity) - As far as I know, Al Francis only recorded this one and New Ideas, under Don Ellis' name. He was a vibist, like Walt Dickerson, who played outside the norm and had his own music going. A classic - I don't know, but I'm very happy I have this in my collection.

Roswell Rudd/Giorgio Gaslini: Sharing (Dischi Della Quercia) - Fine playing by both, and one that seems to have slipped under the radar.

Bucky Pizzarelli with Bud Freeman: Buck and Bud (Flying Dutchman) - Just the two of them on more than half of the album, joined by a rhythm section on the rest, and some very fine late Bud Freeman.

Muhal Richard Abrams: Lifea Blinec (Arista Novus)- There's a lot of Muhal Richard Abrams out there, but this has been out of print for a long time - never issued on CD as far as I know -and I think it's a fine record.

Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham (Jezebel) - A two record set issued in 1973, before Doc Cheatham had begun a career revival. Some of the best Doc Cheatham I've heard.

And, whether or it's a classic or not, I'd still buy a copy of Art Hodes/Truck Parham: Plain Old Blues that I mentioned in the other thread.

I do consider the Rev. Robert Wilkins recording to be a classic. The Al Francis is unique - the only recording issued under his own name, and one of only two recordings by him.

The Rudd/Gaslini, Freeman/Pizzarelli, Abrams, and Doc Cheatham recordings contain very fine playing by great artists and have all been o/p for some time.

It looks like you're getting more of what you got on the first thread on this one. Sorry for my part in that. If I had to narrow it down, I'd recommend the Rev. Robert Wilkins and the Al Francis, with the Doc Cheatham behind those two (but still very worthy of reissue).

edited to fix the typo Larry picked up.

Edited by paul secor
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Al Francis, John Neves, Joe Hunt: Jazz Bohemia Revisited (Lost Cosmic Unity) - As far as I know, Al Francis only recorded this one and New Ideas, under Don Ellis' name. He was a vibist, like Walt Dickerson, who played outside the norm and had his own music going. A classic - I don't know, but I'm very happy I have this in my collection.

I love this record. Reviewed it for the Chicago Tribune when it came out (knowing of Francis from "New Ideas"), and IIRC talked to him a bit on the phone at the time. I vaguely recall some YouTube clips of Francis from maybe ten years further on, playing a concert with a group that included Jack Walrath.

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Yeah, you can't really ask people on a jazz forum to narrow something down. :)

I often ask myself whether just because something's rare and musically awesome, does it need to be reissued? That's why I stopped doing the "Reissue This" column for Paris Transatlantic. Not to mention that it started to feed into the share-bloggers' scene, which as useful as that can sometimes be for temporarily filling gaps, is also a big part of why I am so unsure about the viability of reissuing certain things outside a deluxe form. Most older stuff that people want - and how people listen to music is certainly less object-oriented today than it was even five years ago - is downloadable.

The Dixon looks and sounds great - as do Nessa's recent single and double-disc projects. These are both rare instances. As a record collector as well as a critic, this is kind of ironic, but in my mind it is really hard to justify spending the money on reissuing most lesser-known dates. This goes for people doing labels as well as consumers. Do 1,000 people NEED to hear the Ric Colbeck record? As fine as that record is (and I've sung its praises many times), reissuing it at this point seems kind of absurd. Three of the four participants are dead and the record is easily downloadable. If you have $50 to spare, you can buy the original - it comes around on eBay. I agree with Paul - most of the "classics" are out (or have been out) already, and the rest... are just good records. Now, unheard/unissued music from the archives is another story for another thread.

Sorry to be cynical about this, but unless it's something really cornerstone that one is prepared to do right (or it's really stunning material that's never been out in any form), I'm all for putting money behind the next young(er) player's project. Hooray for the next fifty years, as Anthony Braxton might say.

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Example from my view is Bill Dixon Intents and Purposes, or Julius Hemphill Dogon A.D, or Jeremy Steig Flute Fever (best jazz flute playing I have heard not to mention Denny Zeitlin is as good as it gets on straight ahead piano), maybe Joe Daley at Newport (if for no other reason than the astounding performance of bassist Russell Thorne).

I'd like to add that I'm 100% behind increased visibility of the Carter/Bradford Quartet music through reissue. That music is very, very important.

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And, whether or it's a classic or not, I'd still buy a copy of Art Hodes/Truck Perham: Plain Old Blues that I mentioned in the other thread.

That's Truck Parham. And a lovely record.

Typo. Got it right on my first post - Reissue No. 1 thread. :) The fact that you praise it makes me want to hear it all the more.

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