Justin V

I caught the group (with Rashaan Carter in place of Hilliard Greene) in Detroit last year and was impressed. I was at another stage for the first half of their set and found myself wishing that it had been possible to catch their entire set.

Ron Carter - The Golden Striker, with Russell Malone and Mulgrew Miller. I know that some critics weren't very enthusiastic about this one, but I've always really liked it. As someone who was just getting into jazz at that time, I wanted to hear Ron Carter, and it was my first album featuring any of the musicians involved. The playing is impeccable, the camaraderie is apparent and the song selection is strong. Ron Carter - Jazz, My Romance, with Kenny Barron and Herb Ellis. This is a loose date with some tasty playing from all three. Ray Brown/Monty Alexander/Russell Malone - I haven't pulled this one out in a while. According to Allmusic, this was Brown's last session. It might have been my first time hearing Ray Brown (unless it was on Peterson's Night Train).

Until I saw the cover on CDJapan, I didn't realize what album Hank Mobley's Faraway Lands was.The last time i looked up this one, it was $30 or $40 on Amazon. Although the price has now dropped on the previous edition, you can get the SHM for about the same. Mobley, Donald Byrd, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter and Billy Higgins is too irresistible of a lineup for me to pass up.

I bought the version with the three bonus tracks for $30.99 back in November. It has since dropped in price and is now being reissued anyway. If they want to make Quebec fans really happy, they'd include the tracks from From Hackensack to Englewood Cliffs that haven't seen reissue elsewhere. For me, interest in the latest batch mainly comes down to whether there are any previously unreleased tracks included.

On the 4th, I saw McCoy Tyner with Gerald Cannon, Francisco Mela and special guest Terence Blanchard. McCoy still plays with incredible power and sensitivity, and Blanchard sounded inspired. On the 1tth, I saw a short set by Christian McBride, Christian Sands and Carl Allen. I'd never heard Sands before, but he is a very impressive young pianist with a firm grasp of history and technique to spare. I'm looking forward to hearing the trio play a full-length set in the future. On the 12th, I saw Horizon, with Bobby Watson, Terell Stafford, Edward Simon, Peter Washington and Victor Lewis. I've seen Watson and Washington before, but it was my first time seeing the other members of the band. This is a top-notch working band. I had front-row tickets for both sets and thankfully overcame car problems to attend. Lewis is criminally underrated. I think that it was the first time that I'd seen a drummer using two snares.

Indeed. I played Winners Circle last night (the previous mini lp series) - really a very nice record; as a consequence I preordered this 2cd Coltrane set to be released on the 12th of March '14 (of course I could have get just the Art Blakey Big Band released last year but it was not available from cdjapan, so... - I ll check the mastering differences of the Winners CD for the forum's benefit...) along with two more Bethlehem titles to be released that date (Stan Levey/Plays the compositions, and the Terry Pollard ones); a very productive ordering session last night thanks to this forum , with some tiltles from the Sony reissues (Garner Paris, Willen x 2 , Duke suites, Ornette, Woods x 2, Louis at Town Hall, Parker Birdland), Prestige 7000 (Sonny Criss Kaleidoscope, Teddy Charles collaboration West, James Moody x 3), Atlantic (Teddy Charles Bird). I just received the 2-cd japanese set of "John Coltrane - Turning Point - The Bethlehem Years" (CDSOL-6155, 12/03/2014). It includes 46 tracks and is an extended "Art Blakey Big Band" release: 3 x Midriff, 8 x Aint Life Grand, 2 x El Toro Valiente, 5 x The kiss of no return, 8 x The Outer World, 4 X Oasis, 7 x Tippin and 7 x Pristine. Actually all these tracks are from the "Art Blakey Big Band" Bethlehem LP, with "Late Date" missing from the 2-cd set. Do you happen to know the reason? Perhaps Coltrane does not play in this particular track? Also, none of the Winner's Circle LP tracks are included in the 2-Cd set. I like my recently acquired The Bethlehem Years and it drives part of me crazy to think that it now has been made obsolete by a more extensive reissue. However, another part of me thinks that 7 or 8 takes of the same tune may very well be too much of a good thing.

The Complete Verve Stuff Smith Sessions, Disc 2

Somehow, despite it being his most acclaimed album, this is one of only two Andrew Hill Blue Note albums that I don't own. At this point, maybe I'm hoping for an expanded SHM reissue.

I didn't intend it as a criticism, so I hope that it didn't come off that way. It's true that many of the elder statesmen play many of the same tunes from set to set, and I don't think that anyone sees Lou Donaldson expecting to hear all-new material. After all, Lou himself said, "We don't play progressive music. We play old music with soul." There's something right in the world when you can still go out and hear a master like Lou Donaldson playing 'Gravy Train', 'Blues Walk' and 'Wig Blues' (which I find myself singing at random times). It's a shame that a label like HighNote or Jazz Legacy Productions hasn't recorded Lou's working band, which deserves to be documented.

Well I'm from Erie but live in the Cleveland area. I logged almost 700 miles of Metheny-related driving in a week's time. If you saw my car, you'd know that that was an accomplishment.

I've seen Lou twice, most recently last year (I posted about the concert here). I only have a few of his albums (but I'm open to buying more), and he is always worth seeing live. I bought Sunny Side Up a few months ago and have been playing it frequently. It has Lou partnered in the front line with Bill Hardman and the rhythm section of Horace Parlan, Laymon Jackson/Sam Jones and Al Harewood. Whoever put that session together understood who'd be a compatible band. It's amazing to hear early stuff like the session he did with Clifford Brown from Clifford Brown Memorial Album and to know that he is still out there doing his thing.

I was there last night as well, having bought a ticket after seeing the group in Columbus last week. Although I had a seat at the end of the front row in Buffalo, the vibes entirely blocked my view of Carmassi . I agree that it was a great night. I think that the only difference in set material was the avant-garde-sounding tune (from Song X?) from the Unity Band part of the set. I've been a Chris Potter fan for years, so I got a kick out of seeing him strum a guitar, and he is definitely firing on all cylinders. Their duo on 'Solar' was particularly inspired. The title tune from Bright Size Life is so ingrained in my memory that I kept expecting some Jaco-like harmonics from Ben Williams when they did a duo, but Williams really shined on that classic and throughout the rest of the night. Another highlight of the concerts for me was Pat's solo encore. I guess I need to pick up Tap and One Quiet Night. All in all, they played a lot of the strong material from Unity Band and Kin. Although Bright Size Life was one of the first jazz albums I bought 12 or so years ago, it's only been in the last year and half (since seeing the Unity Band in 2012) that I've really dug into more of his work (outside of the record with Scofield). For me, now that his music has gotten into my head, it’s become addictive. He has assembled a top-notch band that shouldn’t be missed live or on record. I can't wait to hear where they go next, especially with the expanded lineup; with Carmassi playing almost everything and the added textures of the Orchestrion, an already expansive group has become even more so.

I wholeheartedly agree. I've wanted to hear her leading a band since hearing her work on the two excellent Reptet albums, Chicken or Beef? and At the Cabin.

could be wonderful, could be a trainwreck... I doubt that it will be a trainwreck. Hutcherson and DeFrancesco have recorded at least two albums together (DeFrancesco's Organic Vibes and Hutcherson's 2012 album, Somewhere in the Night), and DeFrancesco has also recorded with Sanborn (on 2010's Only Everything). Billy Hart brings it in any situation and worked with Jimmy Smith in the '60s. Sanborn is the wildcard here, although he has recorded more straight-ahead stuff in recent years. For me, the question will be how far afield they'll venture from standard organ fare and how Sanborn responds to that. If I had to pick the same instrumentation but could tweak the personnel, I'd probably sub Gary Versace for DeFrancesco and Jaleel Shaw for Sanborn. However, I'm interested in hearing Enjoy the View.

Al Harewood was a wonderfully crisp, swinging drummer with a lot of sensitivity and an all-around happy feel to his sound. Whenever I see his name on an album, I know that he is going to bring something special to the table. Thanks for the music, Mr. Harewood.

I caught the Pat Metheny Unity Group on Thursday and Benny Golson tonight. That's what I call a great week!

Every time Roy Haynes's birthday rolls around, I find myself having to check multiple sources to verify that he was born in 1925. I've been lucky enough to see him 4 times, the most recent being after he turned 88 last year (and was still tap-dancing after the concert). The Fountain of Youth Band has to be the most appropriate band name. Here's wishing a happy birthday to one of the greats, who sets an example with his talent, boundless enthusiasm and hipness.

I had Terry Pollard's album and The Happy Jazz of Osie Johnson in my cart pending an order that I planned on making next month. I looked today and both are coming up on CD Japan as OOP when the release date is today!!! Freaking out, I ordered the Pollard from Amazon, as I'm a sucker for Don Fagerquist and would've hated to miss this one. Both are still available from HMV, but their shipping charges are ridiculous. What are the other options for picking these up other than HMV, CD Japan, Dusty Groove and Amazon? I've been focusing on the Blue Note SHM reissues, but I'm beginning to think that the Bethlehem reissues should take priority.

I was worried when I saw this thread that it was going to be about another giant's passing. I hope that Toots enjoys a healthy and happy retirement; he deserves it. I was fortunate to catch him in person with Kenny Werner at the Detroit Jazz Fest a couple of years ago. I've been meaning to start a thread about his music, which I'll do soon.

As someone who'd never heard Out to Lunch before the SHM reissue, I'm curious as to how the sound of the current reissue differs from that of the previous reissues. It really does sound like it could've been recorded yesterday. Is there any word yet on what's next in the series?

The new copy is on its way. I suppose that considering their budget and how much enjoyment their releases have given me, I shouldn't mind kicking in the return shipping. After all, they could've just told me that it was a minor issue and not to bother them unless the disc became unplayable down the road.

After being told that it was sold out, someone here pointed out that it was still listed on the site. I originally figured that their site might be slow to update and waited a few days. When it was still listed today as being available, I emailed to check. I was told that they had a copy in the warehouse and could replace it if I sent the first copy back. I've already paid $7 (which I thought was a little steep for a single disc) to have a poorly made disc sent. Am I being a miserable SOB for thinking that it'd be unfair to have to pay another $4 or $5 to get a (hopefully) properly manufactured disc? What are they going to do with the first disc- use it as a coaster?

The only reason that I haven't joined the scramble to get it is because it's available for download on Amazon as part of the Capitol Vaults Jazz Series for $15.49, Of course, the Andrew Hill, Dexter Gordon, Don Pullen, John Patton and Paul Chambers sets can be had for even less. However, not all of the OOP Selects are available for download (i.e., the excellent Carmell Jones). Carmell Jones is available as d/l from US amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Carmell-Jones/dp/B0053VJ6BU/ref=sr_1_4?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1393959301&sr=1-4&keywords=carmell+jones I'm glad to be mistaken! I wonder why they don't have it listed as a Capitol Vaults release. Are any of the OOP Selects unavailable via download?

Dan, did you end up buying tickets? I was reminded of this thread after picking up Calhoun's Live at the Blue Note (with Bobby Watson, Terell Stafford, Orrin Evans and John Benitez) on Saturday. Based on the live album and his recent Life in This World, I'd expect a great show.