Sonny Stitt on Argo

[mjzee]

The Burrell 2-fer Cool Cookin' was a hidden discographical gem because it contained three previously unreleased tracks from the Vanguard trio date with Davis & Haynes. None of the others were so fruitful iirc, but given the then-scarcity of much of the Chess/Argo/Cadet/Etc catalog in those days, they were welcome on the shelves, and always served as good listening experiences independent of the "album" context.

What were the 3 tracks? I found 2 tracks (Afternoon In Paris and Tricotism) on a different Burrell Chess two-fer (which I bought as a cut-out cassette):

[JSngry]

Sorry, bad memory, it was two songs, not three - "How Could You Do a Thing Like That to Me" & "I Can't See For Lookin'".

I do remember going over this all at Shawn's crib one night. There's four additional tunes that could conscientiously be added to any further release of the original album.

Side note - here another cover for Recapitulation:

[king ubu]

Thanks for all the additional insight re: Argo/Cadeet twofers! Guess they didn't have international distribution to a degree comparable to Impulse/MCA or Fantasy (I've seen many of those around here, but as I said, was totally unawarre of Argo/Chess ones' mere existence!)

Those Burrell bonus tracks would be the ones added to the GRP CD reissue but deleted again in the silly "Originals" series disc (which is, alas, all I have)?

[sidewinder]

Thanks for all the additional insight re: Argo/Cadeet twofers! Guess they didn't have international distribution to a degree comparable to Impulse/MCA or Fantasy (I've seen many of those around here, but as I said, was totally unawarre of Argo/Chess ones' mere existence!)

They were a pretty common site in the UK cut-out racks of the mid-late 70s.

[Head Man]

Thanks guys, I wondered whether it was a compilation. I guess I'll just have to wait until the next time the complete albums get released again in Japan.

"Sonny Stitt", "Inter-Action" & "Mr Bojangles" are still available through HMV Japan, currently at a reduced price (906 Yen)

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/search/advanced_1/category_1%2C2%2C3%2C4%2C5%2C7%2C9%2C10%2C23%2C24%2C50/formattype_1/keyword_sonny+stitt/sort_datedesc/target_SEARCH/

Thanks for that, romualdo. Unfortunately I've given up on trying to buy through HMV Japan; their website seems unable to accept an order from me.

Luckily I already have those three CDs - I got them through CDJapan when they were first released.

[Big Beat Steve]

Thanks for all the additional insight re: Argo/Cadeet twofers! Guess they didn't have international distribution to a degree comparable to Impulse/MCA or Fantasy (I've seen many of those around here, but as I said, was totally unawarre of Argo/Chess ones' mere existence!)

They were a pretty common sight in the UK cut-out racks of the mid-late 70s.

Indeed. I bought the Gene Ammons twofer from the above series (compiling most if not all of his 78s) secondhand at Mole Jazz in the 90s. But I do remember this one (and possibly others from that twofer series) was around even in German record shop bins not long before that but I had not grabbed it then (so made up for that at Mole).

The typeface, design and layout of the "fine print" (VERY fine print ) of the label owner (GRT) on back of the cover looks a lot like credits on earlier Pye label vinyls to me. Any connections, maybe?

[king ubu]

Oh, I'd buy that Ammons in a second if I saw it! Weird, but it's been my experience for quite some time that distribution of jazz in Switzerland sucks and is somewhat erratic (and second hand market of old stuff is connected to distribution of stuff before the days when everybody started to import their own stuff, alas). There's to my knowledge just one company importing jazz, so if they don't carry a label, you won't find it in stores (unless the owners import on their own, which is shady business with all the restrictive rules and monopolies around here).

[sidewinder]

distribution of jazz in Switzerland sucks and is somewhat erratic (and second hand market of old stuff is connected to distribution of stuff before the days when everybody started to import their own stuff, alas).

Strange - your homeland was where I got my King pressing 'Destination Out'. I must have bucked the system..

BBSteve - I wonder if they came from the same source as those cheap DJM LPs, which were also Pye pressings? Most of those Cadet twofers I came across though seem to have been US imports, with the inevitable cutout corners. Yes, Mole had lots of them. Lots of Cadet single LP issues around at that time too (appallingly bad reproductions of Argo LP sleeves).

Edited August 25, 2014 by sidewinder

[king ubu]

Well, Blue Notes are around, though mostly in Carrère pressings that are overpriced (I think, assuming they're not that very good).

But I rarely ever see any Argo or Cadet LPs around, even less those twofers. One I did find - but it wasn't a bargain - was "Playin' for Keeps" by Bunky Green. That one I found at a specialised jazz/oldies store which buys up collections etc.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Thanks for all the additional insight re: Argo/Cadeet twofers! Guess they didn't have international distribution to a degree comparable to Impulse/MCA or Fantasy (I've seen many of those around here, but as I said, was totally unawarre of Argo/Chess ones' mere existence!)

They were a pretty common site in the UK cut-out racks of the mid-late 70s.

I've an Illinois Jacquet twofer - 'Go power' and 'The message' issued by an Italian company - 'Greenline' (NOT the bus company ). Also a double of Jug - ' Early vision's' - oh no, that's PRT's. Greenline also issued lots of Chuck Berry and Etta James single LPs.

I didn't know 'Cool cookin'' was a twofer. I have a UK edition on the Checker label, which is only a onefer. It has 'How could you do a thing like that to me' but no other unissued VV material. Don't know who issued it here - no manufacturer mentioned, but it looks like Philips. Got it in June '75 but I've never seen any other Chess records issued here by what looks like Philips.

MG

[Dan Gould]

I once overpaid for a Lou Donaldson 70s two-fer - Ha' Mercy was the title IIRC - just because it had two tracks from the Musty Rusty album, with Grant Green.

Then a friend found a copy of Musty Rusty and sent me a transfer, so it sort of evened out.

[Big Beat Steve]

BBSteve - I wonder if they came from the same source as those cheap DJM LPs, which were also Pye pressings? Most of those Cadet twofers I came across though seem to have been US imports, with the inevitable cutout corners. Yes, Mole had lots of them. Lots of Cadet single LP issues around at that time too (appallingly bad reproductions of Argo LP sleeves).

I think I know what DJM LPs you are thinking of (those I've found among mine are from the 70s and carry a diferent address):

However, there MUST be a link between PRT and Pye:

My copy of the UK-pressed Vogue twofer of "The Bebop Keyboard Masters" (VJD 574) from 1980 carries the PRT logo in the (copyright) fine print but a note "Distributed by Pye Records", and an address at Great Cumberland Place in London.

My copy of the "West Coast Scene" Vogue twofer (VJD 536) from 1977 has the same layout of the fine print but says "Pye Records Ltd" outright (including the logo) under the same address.

My Gene Ammons reissue mentioned above (reissue dated 1984) has just the PRT logo and a different address but still the same layout of that fine print.

So PRT somehow must have been a Pye offspring. Though overall those Vogue twofers had a better presentation (liner notes, etc.) than the Chess ones I have seen.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Big Beat Steve

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

This is what Wikipedia has to say about Pye/PRT. I didn't know - just thought Pye had been taken over by PRT.

When the rights to the name Pye expired in 1980, the label changed its name to PRT, which stood for Precision Records and Tapes. At that time, it had sub-labels such as Fanfare Records, a late 1980s and early 1990s UK-based Hi-NRG label issuing records by Sinitta; R&B Records, an 1980s disco/electro label featuring Imagination; and Splash Records, which featured Jigsaw and the Richard Hewson Orchestra/RAH Band. PRT ceased operations in 1989. Postman Pat Songs And Music From The Television Series was recorded at PRT Studios.

MG

[mjzee]

On August 23, 2014 at 10:49 AM, Larry Kart said:

Because they've been issued with the same cover, "Burnin'" is often confused with Argo 629, "Sonny Stitt," which had no liner notes or listing of personnel, only the same photo of Stitt on both front and back. The rhythm section on Argo 629 has often been said to be the same as on "Burnin,'" (Barry Harris, Frank Gant, and William Austin) but in fact Stitt is backed there by the Ramsey Lewis Trio. The quite distinctive work of bassist El Dee Young is the giveaway; also, Lewis sounds nothing like Barry Harris. Finally, unexpected though this may be, Argo 629 is the superior album IMO, one of the best Stitt ever made.

Unfortunately, Wikipedia incorrectly lists Barry Harris, etc., as playing on Argo 629: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Stitt_(album)

[Jim R]

1 hour ago, mjzee said:

Unfortunately, Wikipedia incorrectly lists Barry Harris, etc., as playing on Argo 629: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Stitt_(album)

Not any more.   Editing Wiki errors is so easy, I rarely hesitate in situations like this.  And I trust Larry's ears.