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Savoy Records


Tom 1960

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I imagine this may have been discussed here at one time or another? If so, you can always provide me with a link so I don't further waste your time. That said, I've been recently picking up some Savoy titles here and there. Most notably some of the Milt Jackson's. I own a few other titles from this label. Charlie Parker and Hank Mobley come to mind. For the most part this is a most unexplored territory for me. I was wondering what are some of your favorite Savoy releases?  What you think I should be looking for? I realize some of these titles may be tough to come by, but that's ok. Also, if you're looking to unload some of your Savoy titles, PLEASE send me a PM? I'm always open to negotiating deals with fellow board members. Thanks!

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Bird, the Opus De Bop LP, all Bill Barron, The Ravens, and in general buy those 70s/80s reissues on sight, all of them, and same for the Gospel LPs. The label absorbed a lot of other labels along the way, and those reissues are still the best way to get the whole picture, the Bill Dixon productions being a glaringly absent exception.

Now, if you do this all at once, it will soon become apparent that most of it is good, some of is great, and much of it is peripheral, all thing considered. So don't do it all at once. They didn't make the records all at once, so don't try to listen to them all at once.

 

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I've nearly every CD in the Savoy series that Denon put out in the US and Japan in the 'nineties. Thought these were excellent reissues in sound and I loved exploring a lot of the titles I had never heard before. I really like the way the Bird tracks were presented on the original Savoy LPs reissued in this series, and all the Hank Jones, Donald Byrd and Curtis Fuller titles were wonderful. I wish they had done more of the Lateefs.

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2 hours ago, bluesoul said:

I picked up that Don Byas album recently,  as I have realized that I have very little from him.  Great record.

:tup 

 

I second the motion for the Curtis Fuller. Hooray for Bluesette!

And I just realized that I forgot Erroll Garner.  A grievous oversight! Garner's Savoy sides are superb!!! :) 

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1 hour ago, jazzbo said:

I've nearly every CD in the Savoy series that Denon put out in the US and Japan in the 'nineties. Thought these were excellent reissues in sound and I loved exploring a lot of the titles I had never heard before. I really like the way the Bird tracks were presented on the original Savoy LPs reissued in this series, and all the Hank Jones, Donald Byrd and Curtis Fuller titles were wonderful. I wish they had done more of the Lateefs.

It's probably a good thing you don't live nearby. I might find myself over at your house a lot!

2 hours ago, bluesoul said:

I picked up that Don Byas album recently,  as I have realized that I have very little from him.  Great record.

I've heard many good things on this one.

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The Hank Jones solo piano LP from 1956 is one of the greatest solo piano records ever. The title is variously seen as "Piano Solo," "Hank Jones" or  "Have You Met Hank Jones." All of Hank's Savoys are really good, but that solo record is the one that is truly essential. Hank was basically the house pianist at the label, often pairing with Wendell Marshall and Kenny Clarke. While I'm thinking of it, the Joe Wilder record with Hank, Wendell and Klook, "Wilder 'n' Wilder" is a sweetheart too. But, again, that Hank solo LP is a must have.

Edited by Mark Stryker
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3 hours ago, JSngry said:

Black California 1 made it to cd, not sure if fully complete?

BC 2 never did, though.

 

 

Yes it did - I had a copy of it for a time in the mid-90s (I don't recall the exact reissue country, though). I bought the Black California Vol. 1 twofer secondhand fairly soon after it came out but did not manage to find Vol. 2 for several years (though I knew it existed). Then one day somewhere I chanced upon a CD release of it which i took as a s "secnd best option", but lo and behold, not long after that I finally found a copy of the 2-LP set at Ray's in London (not very cheap but worth it, particularly since IIRC the CD did not quite include all of the 2-LP contents as the playing time of 2 LPs exceeds the max. time of a CD). Of course I grabbed that one as vinyl of course was what I preferred.
I was able to unload the CD quickly to a fellow collector (primarily for the Slim Gailard tracks on it, incidentally).

I'd second most of the recommendations for the 2-LPs sets from the 80s mentioned above (including the R&B-ish "Roots of Rock'n'Roll" sets). Actually I have been pleased with all my buys of Savoy reissues (covering recordings from the 40s - including National masters - up to 1957 or so).

Some special mentions, though, for items not singled out indivdiuall,y so far:
From the Denon CD series, I find I often spin "Joltin' Joe" by Joe Roland and "Bright's Spot" by Ronnell Bright.
And from the 2-LP sets, dont overlook "The Brothers and Other Mothers", Vol. 1 and 2!

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lots of favourites have been mentioned already (the Don Byas twofer above is indeed the way to go, I guess ... great music) ... but not this one, which again is the way to go, I think (alternatives being a - faulty, one track duplicated - Proper box or and Avid set and some more such, or a bunch of hard-to-find Savoy/Denon discs splitting the material):

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here's another thread, specifically on Savoy compilations (CDs and LPs):

 

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