All Activity

I know there were a small handful of Blue Note covers -- mostly later 'King' Japanese covers, iirc, that also had "negatives" as part of the album cover. (And, YES, I'd like to be reminded of all of them -- seems like there was a Dexter Gordon, and maybe(?) a Wayne Shorter too? Were there others? -- I'm forgetting.) But first and foremost, the main one I'm thinking of is Action Action Action -- but was it the ONLY classic-era (non-Japanese-exclusive) Blue Note cover with a "negative"? And, of course, this is a general thread to add any and all covers you can think of -- jazz, or otherwise -- that include "negatives" on the cover (or back cover, or inside cover, or whatever).

The bigger point is this - even if LP prices are keeping up with inflation, here I am, retired, having made a "decent" income in my working years (and having spent a LOT of my disposable income or recorded music), I have almost always found better real-life uses for $30.00 than to buy just one LP (or CD, for that matter). So - if the price has kept up with inflation, my appetite has not. And yet, I still have that $30.00, and I will spend it on music. Just not on one LP. There is little to no value there for me. Probably closer to none, actually. I get it - I am not the market here. But I was the first time around, and I bought buttloads of it then. But this is like selling dead music to dead people. Dead people with money. Objection denied!

Correct, it's vinyl only in extremely limited quantities, no CDs. The LPs are mastered by Matt Lutthans. The CDs he has done sound great, so I guess the LPs will too. That said, I'm not interested in this series, I'm a CD-only guy.

It was rhetorical. Guess you couldn’t see that.

If you have to ask....find another conversation that is using a vernacular with which you are comfortable. I'm sure there are many!

Walter Bishop, Jr.: Cubicle. Muse Records MR 5151 [US 1978]

How is it? Up to expectations I hope

Getting in here while I'm prepping for a rehearsal, so apologies if my text is a bit distracted. Track 01 - Arrangement immediately brought me to Mulligan, then bari came in and sent me in the opposite direction. I admire the growly edge, as well as the facility of the bari. No idea who it is. This may get me in trouble with Dan, but that sounds like Scott Hamilton to me. A bit more traditional than my happy zone, but I’m fine with this across the board. A solid 3/5, Leonard. (I REMEMBERED!!!) Track 02 - Gene Ammons’ Walkin’ (and I’m not sorry for referring to it as such). Alto is quite controlled. At first, it rubbed me, but as it goes on, this player is staying within themself and not trying to recreate anything we’ve heard, and that alone makes this a winner for me. None of this is wowing me, but all of it is hitting the right nerves. Drummer would grate on me after a bit, but I appreciate what I think they are going for. Trumpet is the one catching my ear the most. A bit like mid-60’s Art, but not him. A happy comparison, though. Bass is doing everything I want them to. Fire the engineer! (not a fan of that fade) Track 03 - Nope. Track 04 - Donna Lee. I know Grachan Moncur, III used this in his teaching a lot, so I’d guess one of his students. Player has chops. I’ve always found the tune a bit masturbatory, though. (let the flames begin) 3/5, though musicianship is probably higher. Track 05 - Do I detect Billie’s Bounce? This octopus can play the piano. High energy throughout. 3.5/5 Track 06 - Interesting cross of eras, but not one I’m sure I’d visit very often. 2.5/5 Track 07 - Another trio burner. Getting a Toshiko vibe from the pianist. Tumbling drums and stabby bass are kind of confusing the issue. There we go, now we’re locked in. But then, no. Then, yes. Interesting, but a bit distracting. If the lights were out and it was night, and I could dig into this, I’d be more into it. I do like it, but I’m having trouble connecting to it. 3.5/5 (could get to 4 easily with the correct setting). Track 08 - Usually the bass (or is it cello, or “piccolo bass”) used in this fashion doesn’t hit for me, but I like this. Feels very solid and in the pocket, AND the guy has intonation (you hear me, Ron!?). 4/5. Track 09 - Straight ahead swinging piano trio. What’s not to like? Only thing that would make me like this more is if it were Mal Waldron. :D I’ll take one of these for the road, please. A little arco to boot. 4/5. Track 10 - We’re back where we started. The sweet harmonies of this pocket of the genre don’t always hit for me. Today? Working just fine. Westie tenor. Might be someone I’m familiar with, but only peripherally. Three in a row! That sure sounds like a valve trombone, which is a problem for me. It’s okay, here, but I don’t want to hear it on EVERY track. 4/5 Track 11 - Piano vamp has me recalling McCoy on the intro to Autumn Serenade, so, they have an uphill climb. :D Odd rhythmic interplay between piano and bass. Not sure it works, but it’s interesting. To my ear, this wants for a drummer, but that’s just me. 3/5 Track 12 - This is the sort of thing I can appreciate live. On record, I could not wait for this to be in the past tense. 2/5 (should be higher just for the musicianship, but just not my bag) Track 13 - Crescent, done differently. I’m not loving it, but I’m wondering if this is going to be someone I know and like a lot. As I recently heard David Murray say, “Coltrane is hard, man.” 3/5 Track 14 - Is this a tune a know or approximating something I know? Certainly capable players. First player has chops, but comes off a bit polite. I could copy and paste that for player two. That said, there is not a thing wrong with this. Good feel from rhythm section. Piano sounds QUITE familiar. Almost like John Hicks, but slowed a bit (as Barry Harris to Bud Powell). I’d take another track from this band. Remind me a bit of Sabertooth. 3.5/5 Track 15 - Some Other Time, no? As a rule, I don’t care for the recent trend of redoing standards with fancy rhythmic choices, but this one works. It works very well, indeed. I mean, I’m not getting rid of my Bill Evans records, but this is respectful of the tune, but done in their own way. More of this, please. 3.5/5 Thanks, Ken! There's a few in here I'd really like to spend some more time in. I think 7 and 15 are the two I'd return to most often.

I think somewhere I read vinyl only.

Minus one or two titles, I have all the Muse LPs I want. But, if they sound decent and are well-manufactured (compared to the Scorpio? grey market reissues from years ago), then they'll definitely fill a niche.

👍 💗

Now spinning this LP:

When asked about how limited these reissues would be, Zev Feldman stated on Instagram: "extremely limited. The series is designed to be pressed conservatively low and ship sold out." Interesting... Maybe CD editions to follow if these sell well?

Walter Bishop, Jr.: What's New. DIW Records DIW-605 {Japan 1991]

Well there is more: Shaws Love Dance and In the Beginning, Carlos Garnetts Black Love and Cosmos Nucleus. Catalysts Unity and Richard Davis’ Dealin. Joe Chambers’ The Almavorid etc. Of course it’s not like Strata East whose catalogue is also significantly smaller but still there’s definitely some in demand titles. One of their starters (The Free Slave) is among them. I am also curious to how those reissues will sound. It’s mentioned here before but I have never been impressed soundwise by a Muse record.

I remember that article -- hilarious!

Those are about the only ones. Otherwise, not that expensive. Saying that a record would have cost you $6 years ago (I hate the expression “back in the day” — what day?) is true but irrelevant because that’s not what the price of new vinyl is anymore. Many things were less expensive years ago. My first new car in 1973 was $2,500 but those days are long gone.

Yeah, I wasn't counting cutout bins. My local Treasure City had one that was 3 for 99 cents! I think I got that Joe Daley RCA record out of that one. You are correct sir!

Yes, it's Muses for Richard Davis. But I think Jim was referring to the first of the LPs pictured above; that is, Epistrophy & Now's the Time. (Not Davis' first LP.) Or at least that's how I read it.

I believe so. Muses For Richard Davis, right? And I need $30.00 worth of groceries a helluva lot more than I need a $30.00 record.

https://raggywaltz.com/2018/04/02/long-lost-blue-note-album-1553-to-be-released/

One of the four tunes from 2/18/66.