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crisp

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Great news - I'll be picking up most of them. This is an A1 release schedule for Vocalion after just a few dribs and drabs over the past year. I have a few of them (all the Dankworths, the Skidmore, Cameron 'Cover Lover', quite a rarity on LP) but it will be nice to have them on CD. Totally psyched up over the Dick Morrisseys and the Gonsalves/Hayes ! :party:

Dankworth 'Full Circle' and 'Lifeline' are really good early 70s albums long overdue for reissue. 'Zodiac Variations' has US guest appearances from Clark Terry etc.

The Steve Race's are a couple of odd titles - things like 'Theme From Maigret' and 'Z Cars' on them. Interest from 1950s/60s TV historians?

Edited by sidewinder
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I'm curious about the Skidmore.

I have it as a Japanese mini-lp. 'Tis really good.

It's a terrific session...easily his best recording, IMO. I too have it as a Japanese mini-LP and mucho yen it cost me too!

The two Dick Morrissey albums again are excellent - I have them as Japanese imports. I wonder whether they've been remastered by Vocalion? Does anyone know?

I bought the two John Dankworth albums through his website some time ago as part of a 5xCD boxset and again they are very good.

Since I'm a sucker for 60/70s British jazz I'll probably treat myself to the John Cameron and Paul Gonslaves/Tubby Hayes releases.

This really is a bumper set of releases by Vocalion.

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The Steve Race's are a couple of odd titles - things like 'Theme From Maigret' and 'Z Cars' on them. Interest from 1950s/60s TV historians?

Vocalion has released a lot of vintage TV theme albums, so probably. The jazz content of this one may be low, but since Race is a jazz musician I included it just in case.

The two Dick Morrissey albums again are excellent - I have them as Japanese imports. I wonder whether they've been remastered by Vocalion? Does anyone know?

Almost definitely. Vocalion is owned by a recording engineer, Michael J. Dutton, and I can't think of any Vocalion release that hasn't been remastered specifically for the label. Sound quality is always excellent, even on PD releases, which these are not.

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Vocalion has released a lot of vintage TV theme albums, so probably. The jazz content of this one may be low, but since Race is a jazz musician I included it just in case.

Above all he is/was a jazz scribe who became a prominent hate figure of the young music listeners' and budding musicians' generation of the 50s as he was given to ranting away against anything coming out of the skiffle/rock'n'roll corner and threatening the music "establishment". :crazy:

Described in detail in Pete Frame's book "The Restless Generation".

Just goes to show how fast you can turn from a proponent of a minority music (that a scant two decades before had to fight for its own acceptance) into a "moldy fig" of the musical mainstream (relatively speaking ...). ;)

Edited by Big Beat Steve
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Just when I thought they'd given up. The Skidmore and Dankworths attract me.

Dutton Vocalion also do a superb line in off-the-radar British classical music.

Now if only they'd get with it and start a download option. Might be able to keep some of these indefinitely in print (licensing permitting).

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Those are both at once "what you'd expect" & "better than you might think".

Are they more "Mwandishi" or more "Headhunters" and after? Love the pre-Headhunters stuff, and some of the Eddie Henderson and Julian Priester spinoffs of that sound.

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They pretty much split the difference, so I guess if you're looking for something to dislike, it'll be there, and vice-versa.

The earlier one (Moonscapes. iirc) is more Mwandishi-oriented overall, but since this is a 2-on-1, you get both. Neitehr fully go one way or the otehr, neither really soar from start to finish, but neither out and out suck either, not relative to their aim.

In other words, neither one is "essential". If you're looking for something along the lines of Henderson's Capricorn sides or Priester's ECMs, this ain't it. It's in there, but it's not that.

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Above all he is/was a jazz scribe who became a prominent hate figure of the young music listeners' and budding musicians' generation of the 50s as he was given to ranting away against anything coming out of the skiffle/rock'n'roll corner and threatening the music "establishment". :crazy:

Also the host on the 1st series of 'Jazz 625' and frequently on TV back in the day as host of the 'My Music' quiz show - which dinosaurs on here remember that? :crazy: His heart was certainly in the right place as far as jazz is concerned.

Really impressed with these Vocalion reissues. Too bad they didn't also release the 3rd Dick Morrissey of the triumvirate - 'Have You Heard?' on Dobell's '77 Records'.

Maybe 'Hum Dono' will be on the horizon next?

Edited by sidewinder
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Above all he is/was a jazz scribe who became a prominent hate figure of the young music listeners' and budding musicians' generation of the 50s as he was given to ranting away against anything coming out of the skiffle/rock'n'roll corner and threatening the music "establishment". :crazy:

Also the host on the 1st series of 'Jazz 625' and frequently on TV back in the day as host of the 'My Music' quiz show - which dinosaurs on here remember that? :crazy: His heart was certainly in the right place as far as jazz is concerned.

Really impressed with these Vocalion reissues. Too bad they didn't also release the 3rd Dick Morrissey of the triumvirate - 'Have You Heard?' on Dobell's '77 Records'.

Maybe 'Hum Dono' will be on the horizon next?

I notice on eBay that someone is advertising a number of upcoming Dick Morrissey CDs including the one you mention Sidewinder, "Have You Heard?". The label is called JAZZHUS DISK but there's something about the listing that looks a bit fishy. Does anyone know anything about these releases?

Dick Morrissey on eBay

Edited by Head Man
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I always wait until they appear at hmv.com, which sometimes offers decent preorder prices (if they don't backdate them).

Alternatively, if you don't want to wait and don't want to register with Dutton, crazygreen8 (which I suspect might be Dutton under another name) sells through Amazon marketplace and has a stellar rating (I've always been happy with this seller too).

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They pretty much split the difference, so I guess if you're looking for something to dislike, it'll be there, and vice-versa.

The earlier one (Moonscapes. iirc) is more Mwandishi-oriented overall, but since this is a 2-on-1, you get both. Neitehr fully go one way or the otehr, neither really soar from start to finish, but neither out and out suck either, not relative to their aim.

In other words, neither one is "essential". If you're looking for something along the lines of Henderson's Capricorn sides or Priester's ECMs, this ain't it. It's in there, but it's not that.

Thanks, tells me exactly what I need to know.

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Yeah, if you can find it offered at a price you like, I'd say go ahead and add it as a supplement to your collection. I'm planning on doing that. There's enough that I like to make it so, especially on Moonscapes.

But if it's a price you don't like, or if space is at a premium in your crib, or if the notion of a photo of Benny Maupin riding a bicycle in bike shorts disturbs you deep down in some place you never knew you had, then, hey, no need to put yourself out over it. ;)

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