Larry Kart Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 Just found this today, and what a pleasant surprise. On MPS from 1978 and handsomely recorded by H.G. Brunner-Schwer, this might be the best Supersax album of them all. In part that's because the band itself just sounds much looser and more free than before, but I think it's mostly because three of the pieces -- "The Fruit," Tempus Fugit" and "Parisian Thoroughfare" -- and the transcribed solos that the band plays, are by Bud Powell, not Bird. This has (or seems to have) two results: 1) the constraints, and I think there were some, and the potential artificiality of reproducing Bird solos note for note is gone; and 2) to be utterly heretical, the note-to-note relationships in a topflight Powell solo arguably are as much or even more complex than in the typical topflight Bird solo. (See the link to Supersax's "Tempus Fugit" below.) Further, all of the band's soloists -- Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli, and Lou Levy -- are absolutely inspired. I would even say that Rosolino's solo on "The Fruit" is the finest I've ever heard from him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 A longtime favorite. Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 I like Lee Katzman Meets Supersax (recorded 1982) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted June 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 59 minutes ago, jlhoots said: I like Lee Katzman Meets Supersax (recorded 1982) Don't know that one. I'll look for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 52 minutes ago, Larry Kart said: Don't know that one. I'll look for it. A little pricey, but worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmonahan Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 "Dynamite!" was issued on cd as a two-fer with "Chasin' the Bird." The combo cd was called "Supersax Originals," and is now a bit pricey, but available. I like all of the Supersax albums, not least, of course, because of Rosolino, who remains my favorite trombonist. gregmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 10 hours ago, Larry Kart said: Don't know that one. I'll look for it. Something put me off about that one - may have been Inaccurate pitching - and I sold it on. But I did get a decent price for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 5 hours ago, BillF said: Something put me off about that one - may have been Inaccurate pitching - and I sold it on. But I did get a decent price for it! There's so little Lee Katzman that I thought it was worth it. He's also on Pepper Adams album, Critics' Choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 2 hours ago, jlhoots said: There's so little Lee Katzman that I thought it was worth it. He's also on Pepper Adams album, Critics' Choice. I see it's available on Spotify. I'll give it another listen and see what I think now. It's a few years since I owned that copy. Very much like Critic's Choice, by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 1 hour ago, BillF said: I see it's available on Spotify. I'll give it another listen and see what I think now. It's a few years since I owned that copy. Very much like Critic's Choice, by the way. Well, Katzman sounds as if he's struggling (poor articulation, inaccurate pitching) on the Supersax album, in complete contrast to the one with Pepper Adams, where he's in blazing form. I guess the answer is age. He was born in 1928 and was 29 when Critics' Choice was recorded in 1957. The date I'm getting for the Supersax album is 1992, when he would have been 64. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 6 hours ago, BillF said: Well, Katzman sounds as if he's struggling (poor articulation, inaccurate pitching) on the Supersax album, in complete contrast to the one with Pepper Adams, where he's in blazing form. I guess the answer is age. He was born in 1928 and was 29 when Critics' Choice was recorded in 1957. The date I'm getting for the Supersax album is 1992, when he would have been 64. I agree that Critics' Choice is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HutchFan Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 (edited) Just listening to this. I agree with you, Larry. Dynamite is easily the best-sounding Supersax record I've heard. As you say, it's MUCH looser than their earlier records. Before hearing it, I'd never really warmed to the band because -- to my ears -- their records were just too tightly-arranged. I wonder if Brunner-Schwer played a role in getting the looser vibe on Dynamite. It was the only Supersax LP that he produced. (Supersax's other MPS release, Chasing the Bird, was recorded in California and produced by Med Flory.) Edited June 13, 2016 by HutchFan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted June 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 I think it's looser probably because they were (or so I assume) on tour. Actually, the live in Japan album they did is much looser too, and with terrific solo work from Warne Marsh.https://www.amazon.com/Live-75-Japanese-Tour-Supersax/dp/B00000DGO9/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1465857126&sr=1-1&keywords=supersax+japan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 I got that live thing just for Warne and was pissed. They hardly give him any spots, and really, what did he call it? Charlieparkermusic? Yeah, that. And then I read where the "regular" guys in the group thoguht that Warne was "weird" or some shit, so... I got excited about that first record on Capitol, but I was, like, 18, and hadn't heard all that much Bird yet. Ok, appreciation for sincerity and skill, but...not a whole records worth of that for me, thanks anyway. Especially w/o Warne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted June 14, 2016 Report Share Posted June 14, 2016 (edited) Delighted to find this one on Spotify Edited October 7, 2019 by BillF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIS Posted October 7, 2019 Report Share Posted October 7, 2019 Does this vinyl album identify arrangers? I'd like to know who arranged "Gloomy Sunday." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gheorghe Posted October 7, 2019 Report Share Posted October 7, 2019 The Supersax was very much en vogue during my youth. I remember this album with the Bud Powell Transcriptions, a friend of mine had it. I had and still have "Chasin´the Bird", and I think I have "Salt Peanuts" and one japanese album on which is "Koko". But I also like some Super-Sax inspired stuff on Mingus´ last album "Something like a Bird". They really cook on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted October 9, 2019 Report Share Posted October 9, 2019 The only Supersax I have is Stonebird, which I found in a used bin for a couple of bucks. I thought the arrangements were great and they really swing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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