King Oliver Creole Jazz Band

[EKE BBB]

I have to pick a King Oliver disc to be included in a "XXX best jazz discs" selection for newbies. What I have to choose is the "best" edition (material, sound, liner notes, presentation, availability). I´d prefer to pick a just-one-disc release to avoid "completism fever", but there´s no problem with a two-disc issue.

I think I´d prefer to choose the 1923 Creole Jazz Band sides (with Satchmo, the Dodds brothers, Lil Hardin...) better than a compilation of 1923-30 recordings (Dixie Syncopators, KO orchestra...).

My personal collection includes all six King Jazz "King Oliver Heritage 23-30" discs and the New York Sessions 1929-30 RCA/Bluebird disc.

Options for the early material (only):

-the Challenge "The complete set" 2 CD.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00...124267578/sr=2-

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&t...AFB86112F0450CF

-the Retrieval 2CD set, remastered by John RT Davies. I´m afraid it´s OOP.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&t...AFB86112F0450CF

-Classics 650 (1923)

-the first volume on King Jazz that I mentioned

-the Jazz Archives disc

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-

Options for a wider selection:

-the ASV/Living Era compilation

-Great Original Performances 1923-1930 (Louisianna Red Hot ???)

Which would be your pick?

Thanks in advance!!!

Agustín

Edited August 17, 2005 by EKE BBB

[Harold_Z]

The Challenge set is remastered by JRT Davies also.

That's the one I'd go for.

[jazzbo]

I'd recommend that one too; the sound is better than any other source I've heard the material on. Wnen introducing others to twenties jazz material, the better the sound the easier the task.

Edited August 17, 2005 by jazzbo

[EKE BBB]

Thanks, Harold and Lon!

[AllenLowe]

absolute best, if you can find it, for sound, is the old Herwin LP, mastered by Nick Perls - amazing -

[J.A.W.]

I have the Retrieval set. Has anyone ever compared that one to the Challenge set?

[jazzbo]

I think Challenge=Retrieval. Challenge is the father company of Retrieval, it was Retrieval I believe that Harold and I meant.

[J.A.W.]

I think Challenge=Retrieval.  Challenge is the father company of Retrieval, it was Retrieval I believe that Harold and I meant.

←

Hm, Retrieval is Dutch, so I guess I should know - I don't though...

[jazzbo]

If one opens the first link that EKE posted for Challenge, the Retrieval appears. . . .

[Harold_Z]

I assumed they were the Challenge and Retrieval were the same - why would JRT do two restorations on the same material ?

[Chuck Nessa]

I assumed they were the Challenge and Retrieval were the same  - why would JRT do two restorations on the same material ?

←

He sold the same transfers over and over.

[jazzbo]

On cduniverse, Retrievals show up under Challenge Records. . . They are the distributor if not the home label.

[EKE BBB]

I also was surprised to see that John RT Davies had done the remastering for both Retrieval and Challenge. Looks like it´s clear now that this is another AMG & amazon mistake, and there´s only one 2CD release under Challenge/Retrieval label.

On John RT Davies website, there´s mention of his remastering for Retrieval:

RTR 79007

[paul secor]

-the Retrieval 2CD set, remastered by John RT Davies. I´m afraid it´s OOP.

I ordered the Retrieval set from Worlds Records yesterday and received confirmation that it had been shipped today. Evidently it's still available from them.

[Mark J]

The remastering on this 2 CD set is superb and the music is amazing - young Pops!! Even though it's acoustic it almost sounds electric.

[Kalo]

Pops was always electric, even when young...

[EKE BBB]

The remastering on this 2 CD set is superb and the music is amazing - young Pops!! Even though it's acoustic it almost sounds electric. 

←

Though I have all the music contained in that set (in the King Jazz label), I´m afraid I will have to add it to my wish list...

[Kalo]

So is the Retrieval the consensus choice?

Edited August 19, 2005 by Kalo

[EKE BBB]

So is the Retrieval the consensus choice?

←

Sold!

[Christiern]

If you really wish to hear Oliver's horn, and don't have the vantage point Lil had on June 25, 1921, y'all might want to consider this new set:

Archeophone

Here's the whole picture, as Lil had it on her living room wall for many, many years:

Check out the back, complete with Lil's Scotch™ tape work and id of musicians.

[Late]

I still haven't picked up the Archeophone set, but there's a thread somewhere here raving about it.

Nice pics, Chris!

[J.A.W.]

If you really wish to hear Oliver's horn, and don't have the vantage point Lil had on June 25, 1921, y'all might want to consider this new set:

Archeophone

Seconded, that set sounds great!

[kh1958]

A recent article about the label:

Music lover brings rhythms of past to life Bishop Lynch alum follows passion, builds company, wins Grammy

JOANNA CATTANACH

Staff Writer

644 words

2 June 2007

The Dallas Morning News

NORTH

10B

English

Copyright 2007 The Dallas Morning News. All Rights Reserved.

The pair of golden phonographs that sit on Richard Martin's living room mantel in Illinois symbolize a lifelong dedication to restoring music and history.

The phonographs are Grammy Awards that Mr. Martin and his wife and business partner, Meagan Hennessey, received at this year's ceremonies in Los Angeles.

The 1985 Bishop Lynch High School alumnus has held a passion for music all his life, but it wasn't until 1998 when he started the company Archeophone that his on-again, off-again hobby of collecting old music turned into a business.

"It was clear that we have a portion of American history that was about to be lost," said Mr. Martin, who trolled East Dallas record stores, flea markets and barns in search of 78s, wax cylinders and old records.

"We're not a nostalgic operation," said Mr. Martin, who believes he and his wife's efforts transcend nostalgia.

They write and research many of the details behind each song's history and approach the work more historically and academically than sentimentally, he said.

Terry May, director of communication at Bishop Lynch, said Mr. Martin may be the only Lynch alumnus who has won a Grammy Award.

"Richie was a very well-liked, outgoing guy," Ms. May said. His senior year he was awarded the title "Mr. Bishop Lynch High School" and served as president of the student council.

Fellow classmate and friend Jeff Miller remembers Mr. Martin's interest in music started early on: "Anything he could readily get his hands on, he's collected and grouped accordingly."

For the Grammy Award-winning collection Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1891 to 1922, it meant reviving historic black harmonies, vaudeville sounds and dance rhythms that put the collection a cut above the competition for Best Historical Album.

The album also includes songs from George W. Johnson, a former slave who became the first black man to record.

Although many of the songs were derogatory, and Mr. Johnson sang until his voice wore out, Mr. Martin said Mr. Johnson forged ahead in ways most black men in the late 1890s could not: "His voice transmitted into places that he himself may not have been allowed."

Only eight of Mr. Johnson's songs remain, and the collection includes a variety of his work.

"It opened a lot of people's eyes in ways other people in the category didn't," Mr. Martin said.

The collaboration with David Giovannoni and Tim Brooks, whose book Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890-1919, helped inspire the collection.

"We crammed it all in to about six or eight months," said Mr. Martin, who along with Mr. Brooks gathered the recordings stored on wax cylinders featured on the album.

The market for old music and speeches is a limited one, said Mr. Martin, who said his typical clients are men in their mid-50s.

"I think the time is right for this sort of thing," Mr. Martin said.

The company has released 39 albums and has maintained a steady Web presence that features sound clips from various collections.

Many of the original recordings have come from Mr. Martin's collection and through the help of friends.

"We have been very fortunate to have friends who are very top- notch and avid collectors," Mr. Martin said.

For more information and to hear audio clips from Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, visit www.archeophone.com .