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Jack Wilson: Call Me - Jazz From The Penthouse


mjzee

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Release date December 21:

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Call Me: Jazz from the Penthouse presents previously unreleased live recordings of underrated jazz pianist Jack Wilson and his quartet, best known for his work on the Atlantic and Blue Note labels. Featuring a young Roy Ayers and recorded in Seattle at the Penthouse jazz club in July and August of 1966 when Wilson's group was touring the west coast with Redd Foxx, these recordings feature a mix of standards, current pop hits of the day, and originals by Wilson himself. In addition to Roy Ayers on vibes, the group features Von Barlow on drums and Buddy Woodson on bass. The deluxe 24-page booklet features an appreciation by Ahmad Jamal, interviews with Roy Ayers and Von Barlow, producer's notes, and previously unseen archival photographs. These recordings were made just two weeks before Wilson & Co. Would enter the studio to record his classic Blue Note debut Something Personal.

https://www.amazon.com/Call-Me-Penthouse-JACK-WILSON/dp/B07J3BBYZR/ref=sr_1_20?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1544583240&sr=1-20&refinements=p_n_date%3A1249114011

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Never heard of this label, when I saw "Penthouse" I was sure this was a new Resonance tape following the Sounds, Wes, and Cannonball.

I wonder if this is legit, as a tape would need clearance from BN if Wilson was signed. As they say it was within a couple of weeks of the Something Personal session.

As for Redd Foxx, wonder if he did any of his old R&B tunes with the band.

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1 hour ago, Dan Gould said:

Never heard of this label, when I saw "Penthouse" I was sure this was a new Resonance tape following the Sounds, Wes, and Cannonball.

I wonder if this is legit, as a tape would need clearance from BN if Wilson was signed. As they say it was within a couple of weeks of the Something Personal session.

As for Redd Foxx, wonder if he did any of his old R&B tunes with the band.

It doesn't seem likely that Ahmad Jamal would write the liner notes or Roy Ayers would do an interview for a bootleg label.

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  • 1 month later...

Check out these sound samples!!  ==>>   https://www.juno.co.uk/products/jack-wilson-call-me-jazz-from-the/716768-01/

The mono recording appears to be of excellent sound quality.  It appears the location radio engineer was mixing the sound direct-to-mono on the fly so the instrument balance is not always 100% perfect, but I think it sounds great nevertheless.  On a couple of the tracks, it appears one of the piano strings is slightly out of tune.  But no big deal.  Those things happen in live performance (especially in a humid city like Seattle).  And there are even several Blue Note live remote location recordings (i.e. not recorded in the Van Gelder studio) with slightly out of tune pianos.

I have this on order and can't wait to listen in full.  The performances in the clips sound phenomenal and it's really amazing to see some unreleased Jack Wilson / Roy Ayers be issued.  I hope more previously unissued stuff will be issued by Jack.  There has to be more unheard material out there.  Wilson was awesome and very underrated.

Edited by monkboughtlunch
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On 12/14/2018 at 0:36 PM, jazzmusicdepot said:

I will have this item available at a special price when it comes closer to the release date. Which is February 1st, 2019.

Tom, be sure to ping me when it becomes available.  I may well be interested.

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I have this release, through the good offices of Sandie Wilson, Jack's widow.  She passed along my contact info to the label, and voila!

I'll not do a review (I'm out of that game), but overall, it's a good straight-ahead mono recording drawn from three separate events at the same location. A nice mix of nine tracks, with three Wilson originals.  Jack and Roy Ayers sound really good, the bassist needs a speed governor, and the drummer gets a good groove when he's not trying to hold back the bassist's solos.  "Hi-yo, Silver!!!"

A very well put together package with an exemplary booklet.  More from this label and from Jack would be welcome...

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On 1/30/2019 at 1:18 PM, Ted O'Reilly said:

A very well put together package with an exemplary booklet.  More from this label and from Jack would be welcome...

Indeed, I'd love to see Century 67 Records license and release the 1970 unissued Jack Wilson Blue Note live recordings taped at Memory Lane in Los Angeles.  It would be great if they could also publish the 1960s Wilson Vault Records material (including Rambln') on CD as well.  All the digitally reissued Vault material currently available through iTunes and Amazon is sourced from vinyl records by dubious (perhaps bootleg) labels such as Essential Media Group LLC and Fresh Sound Spain.  For example, in digital format, the Wilson album, The Jazz Organs, runs approximately 29% fast because the record label "Essential Media Group, LLC" dubbed a 33 rpm vinyl record errantly at 45 rpm.  The music runs so unnaturally  fast it sounds like the Chipmunks.  The Vault material is owned by Warner Brothers / Rhino and really needs to be reissued from the original source tapes by a legal reissue label.

Someone uploaded the Essential Media Group LLC needle drop of The Jazz Organs on YouTube.   Listen to it below to hear how fast the (apparently) bootleg digital release runs when it is played back at 45 RPM instead of the proper and correct 33 RPM. The clowns at Essential Media Group LLC may be pirating Jack's music for profit as they don't list Rhino / Warner Brothers as the rights holders.  This Essential Media Group LLC release was published in 2010, well within the 50 year copyright protection window of these 1964 sessions.  I wonder if any of the royalties from the digital sales of the Essential Media Group LLC Jack Wilson titles on iTunes, Amazon and YouTube are making their way back to WB/Rhino and Sandie Wilson.  I doubt it.

LISTEN TO BELOW: "ESSENTIAL MEDIA GROUP LLC" ERRANTLY DUBS AN OLD VAULT 33 RPM RECORD AT 45 RPM, CAUSING IT TO RUN 29% FAST, AND SELLS IT ON ITUNES AND AMAZON  FOR PROFIT WITHOUT ATTRIBUTING COPYRIGHT OWNERSHIP TO WARNER BROTHERS / RHINO.  THIS MEANS WARNER/RHINO AND JACK'S WIDOW, SANDIE, MAY NOT BE GETTING A CENT IN ROYALTIES FROM THESE "ESSENTIAL MEDIA GROUP LLC" DIGITAL SALES OF JACK'S VAULT RECORDS BACK CATALOG.

 

Edited by monkboughtlunch
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