How many times cam Blue Note rehash the same material?

[Hardbopjazz]

GRANT GREEN

THE FINEST IN JAZZ

It's the same tracks on at least 3 other issues. Why don't they just release "Shardes of Green" or "Visions"?

1

Miss Ann's Tempo

2

Cease the Bombing

3

Ease Back

4

Cantaloupe Woman

5

California Green

6

Down Here on the Ground

[Kevin Bresnahan]

You might be surprised to find that these compilations sell. In fact, they typically sell far more than any individual relase. Not everyone browsing the Jazz section is looking for Grant Green's "Visions". Many are just looking for "Something by Grant Green - I hear he's a good guitarist".

I've always bit my tongue on these. Why complain about a CD that sells, enabling the company to issue another title that might not?

[Aggie87]

I know these aren't targeted for the people who actually already like Grant Green. Maybe part of the frustration is that there will be yet another GG compilation in another 12 months, and one shortly after that. While the stuff the rest of us would like sits there, and sits there.

I'm all for having one (or maybe two - a single and a double) compilation out on the market. But why keep reissuing compilation after compilation? If I'm new to Grant's music, how am I going to decide which of the 6 compilations is the "best" one for me to get anyway?

[Guy Berger]

I'm all for having one (or maybe two - a single and a double) compilation out on the market. But why keep reissuing compilation after compilation? If I'm new to Grant's music, how am I going to decide which of the 6 compilations is the "best" one for me to get anyway?

I admit I don't understand this either. Obviously there may be demand in the market for different types of compilations -- a really cheap greatest hits thing, a single-disc best-of and maybe a 2 disc overview -- but it seems like these compilations are pretty much substitutes for each other.

Guy

[mgraham333]

If I'm new to Grant's music, how am I going to decide which of the 6 compilations is the "best" one for me to get anyway?

Just wait for "The Best of the Best of. I hear it's due out in October.

[Hardbopjazz]

You might be surprised to find that these compilations sell. In fact, they typically sell far more than any individual relase. Not everyone browsing the Jazz section is looking for Grant Green's "Visions". Many are just looking for "Something by Grant Green - I hear he's a good guitarist".

I've always bit my tongue on these. Why complain about a CD that sells, enabling the company to issue another title that might not?

I agree that it sells for the first time GG listener, and yes compilations do help companies, in this case Blue Note, to release something else that will not sell as well, but there are I believe 5 compilations out there now, with very much the same tracks on them. I read somewhere else that there is a session called "Acid Green" recorded at the start of the 1970's that might see the light of day at sometime. I believe it would sell too. I wonder how well "Live at Club Mozambique" did in sales? Not my favorite GG album, but a nice funk record no less.

Edited June 5, 2007 by Hardbopjazz

[Christiern]

I predict that Blue Note will stop rehashing the same material when even the label's worshippers have had enough.

[Guy Berger]

I predict that Blue Note will stop rehashing the same material when even the label's worshippers have had enough.

The "label's worshippers" are probably not the ones buying these compilations.

Guy

[Big Al]

I predict that Blue Note will stop rehashing the same material when even the label's worshippers have had enough.

The "label's worshippers" are probably not the ones buying these compilations.

Guy

Which is precisely why we have this thread in the first place.

Edited June 5, 2007 by Big Al

[jazzypaul]

You might be surprised to find that these compilations sell. In fact, they typically sell far more than any individual relase. Not everyone browsing the Jazz section is looking for Grant Green's "Visions". Many are just looking for "Something by Grant Green - I hear he's a good guitarist".

I've always bit my tongue on these. Why complain about a CD that sells, enabling the company to issue another title that might not?

Kevin,

I won't disagree with you on the point of releases like this. However, I will quibble with their choices in songs. I could have thought of a much stronger Grant Green release, and a smarter still idea might be to come up with a ridiculously strong single disc of the straight ahead stuff, and another really strong disc of the funk stuff. This mix and match approach ends up hurting everyone except for the passingly curious.

I agree with you: put out compilations of Grant, Herbie, Monk, Reuben Wilson and the Three Sounds every year or so, and then use the extra cash to put out something really cool and/or rare. Makes sense to me.

[Aggie87]

I agree with you: put out compilations of Grant, Herbie, Monk, Reuben Wilson and the Three Sounds every year or so, and then use the extra cash to put out something really cool and/or rare. Makes sense to me.

I don't get this point - once you've put out one good comp, why keep putting out additional ones over and over? Isn't the one good enough? Aren't you just confusing the people who aren't familiar with the artist by doing so, and possibly losing sales?

[Guy Berger]

I agree with you: put out compilations of Grant, Herbie, Monk, Reuben Wilson and the Three Sounds every year or so, and then use the extra cash to put out something really cool and/or rare. Makes sense to me.

I don't get this point - once you've put out one good comp, why keep putting out additional ones over and over? Isn't the one good enough? Aren't you just confusing the people who aren't familiar with the artist by doing so, and possibly losing sales?

Precisely. I don't see how the additional compilation generates additional sales beyond those generated by existing compilation.

Guy

Edited June 5, 2007 by Guy

[couw]

if it's new there is media buzz.

[jazzypaul]

if it's new there is media buzz.

bingo. delete the old one, bring out the new one. Create a little buzz about it, make a poster or two, and bam, instant success.

[Aggie87]

Is there really that much of a market for new Grant Green (or whomever) listeners to justify the additional expense of recurring new releases? I'd be surprised.

I'd almost think there'd be as much profit in simply releasing the reissues that are clamored for by the more committed fans than the constant compilations.

[jazzypaul]

Is there really that much of a market for new Grant Green (or whomever) listeners to justify the additional expense of recurring new releases? I'd be surprised.

I'd almost think there'd be as much profit in simply releasing the reissues that are clamored for by the more committed fans than the constant compilations.

How many of those committed fans are there in the states? Maybe a few hundred thousand? And then getting the word out to those hundred thousand? Good luck.

Insofar as Grant goes, they'd be better off putting out a top notch, actually taken seriously funk collection and aiming it squarely at the jam band crowd. But what do I know?

[DMP]

There WAS a "seriouly funk collection" - that "Original Jam Master" (or something like that) which came out within the past year or two. Or have they already been deleted?

[Kevin Bresnahan]

People just looking to try Jazz are going to start with the compilations. I know I did. Blue Note sees Grant Green as a name that will sell, so they try different varieties of comps, hoping to catch a few new browsers, maybe even one that bought one of the previous comps.

As couw said, new gets the press. Old just slows down in sales and is finally deleted. Let Blue Note issue these comps. The fans like us will ignore them. The newbies will buy them. A few years will go by and then the whole cycle repeats.

Look at a label like 32Jazz. They sold millions of copies of those "Jazz For XXXXX Day". These comps kept them afloat. When they stopped selling, their catalog sales didn't keep them above water and they closed shop.

Every major Jazz label needs comps to attract new fans.

[David Ayers]

How about a compilation of GG solos where he doesn't fluff?

[Hardbopjazz]

I have to admit I’ve bought a few compilations CD only because there were 1 or 2 tracks I couldn’t find anywhere else.

Kevin, you've sold me on the importance of compilations for jazz labels. It helps to pay the bills. I can't fault them for that. It must be my naivete, thinking everybody else buys jazz like myself and those here. Those number must be about 3 to 5 % of the music sales in the states, and maybe a bit higher in Europe. Hardly enough to run a record label.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Compilations sell - and not just in jazz. Two of the biggest selling Beatles albums are compilations, each of which outsold every other LP except the White Album.

Most people aren't serious collectors.

MG

[Shawn]

Most people aren't serious collectors.

Most people have no fucking taste either!

[AndrewHill]

I don't really know what the production cost is, but is it really expensive to produce a compilation or 'best of' cd then say a regular RVG or even a Conn? I'm sure sales plays a big role in it, but is it really a burden for Blue Note to produce these comps to make a few bucks to put towards projects for the more serious collectors?

[Guy Berger]

Compilations sell - and not just in jazz. Two of the biggest selling Beatles albums are compilations, each of which outsold every other LP except the White Album.

Yes. But both of these compilations were released 35 years ago.

Guy

[Hot Ptah]

Beatles 1 was released within the past 10 years, had only the most famous songs already in every Beatles fan's collection, and it sold like hotcakes.