J.A.W.

I have several Japanese 20-bit K2 remastered EastWest Atlantic Coltrane CDs, and they're the best versions I've heard - they make these recordings a little more bearable than usual (I'm talking about the sound quality, not the music!). I had the MFSL CD of Giant Steps but sold it; it sounded dull compared to the Japanese version.

The Japanese release has been out of print for years and it's extremely hard to find. Good luck!

Any comments on the sound quality of the hybrid SACDs that Fantasy released in October 2003?

I'd really like to see that... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Great job, Jim!

It IS still in print...

This is what I found on the German JPC site: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Terell Stafford: Minnesota 2. Dave Glasser, Clark Terry, Barry Harris: Charise 3. Mundel Lowe, Hendrik Meurkens: Mundell's mood 4. Wycliffe Gordon: Touch it lightly 5. Warren Vache: Comes love 6. Oliver Jackson: Stompy Jones 7. Martin Sasse: Groove machine 8. James Chirillo: Blues for Valerie 9. Joachim Schoenecker: Night out 10. Harry Allen: But beautiful 11. Marty Elkins: Fuse blues 12. Frank Vignola: Stars fell on Alabama 13. Buck Clayton: What a beautiful yesteryear 14. Byron Stripling: Tired of pretty woman 15. Randy Sandke: The jive don't come from Kokomo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Doesn't help much either, does it...

This is what I found on the U.S. Nagel Heyer site, but I'm afraid it doesn't answer your question... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CD 1016 Tomorrow's Jazz Classics Nagel-Heyer 2000 / 2001 Various Artists Various Artists With Terell Stafford, Roy Hargrove, Barry Harris, Mundell Lowe, Hendrik Meurkens, Wycliffe Gordon, Warren Vache, Joachim Schoenecker, James Chirillo, Martin Sasse, Harry Allen, Marty Elkins, Frank Vignola, Roland Hanna, Buck Cayton, Byron Stripling, Randy Sandke, and many more. 01 Minnesota 02 Charise 03 Mundell's Mood 04 Touch It Lightly 05 Comes Love 06 Stompy Jones 07 Groove Machine 08 Blues For Valerie 09 Night Out 10 But Beautiful 11 Fuse Blues 12 Stars Fell On Alabama 13 What A Beautiful Yesteryear 14 Tired Of Pretty Women 15 The Jive Don't Come From Kokomo Includes great music by Terell Stafford, Roy Hargrove, Barry Harris, Mundell Lowe, Hendrik Meurkens, Wycliffe Gordon, Warren VachÈ, James Chirillo, Harry Allen, Frank Vignola, Roland Hanna, Buck Clayton, Byron Stripling, Randy Sandke, and many more, plus a 24 pages full colour catalogue of the Nagel-Heyer story so far. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Blue Note 10" LP Hank Mobley Quartet (Blue Note 5066) was NEVER released as a "Blue Note Works" TOCJ CD. Toshiba released it in August 1990 as a pretty expensive 2,800 yen "CJ" CD with 8 tracks (CJ28-5128): Hank's Prank Hank's Prank (alternate take) My Sin Avila and Tequila Walkin' the Fence Walkin' the Fence (alternate take) Love for Sale Just Coolin'

I agree, they were a excellent group with great material and good arrangements. When I still had my vinyl collection I was lucky enough to own both Atlantic LPs, The Clovers and Dance Party, and lots of singles. The UK Sequel label reissued their recordings on 2 CDs, but they are out of print. Rhino / Atlantic's Down in the Alley: The Best of the Clovers with 21 tracks is a great collection, but that one's also out of print. A nice alternative is the 16-track Rhino collection The Very Best of the Clovers. Collectables reissued the LPs as a "2LPs-on-1CD", but I don't know if they left something off. The "5" Royales were also a wonderful group. I recommend the CDs with Apollo material The "5" Royales Sing "The Laundromat Blues" and The "5" Royales Sing "Baby Don't Do It", both on Relic, and the 2CD Rhino collection Monkey Hips and Rice: The "5" Royales Anthology with Apollo, King and Vee Jay (1 song) material.

Oops, my bad, of course it was Clover... By the way, "The Clovers" are my all-time favorite R&B vocal group Their Atlantic material is absolutely wonderful!

I don't think this album was ever released on CD.

I'm a bit surprised hardly anyone mentions My Aim Is True, Elvis' first album and one of his best in my opinion, with terrific backing by the Attractions. By the way, has anyone ever heard the Japanese mini-LP sleeve versions of the various albums? I was wondering how they compare sonically to the Rykos and Rhinos.

Bon anniversaire!

It would be nice if you would post a link to this bulletin board on your site.

Wow, your current avatar is creepy enough, Lon...

Street Singer (Toshiba TOCJ-66080) has these personnel and tracks: Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on September 1, 1960 Personnel: Blue Mitchell - trumpet Jackie McLean - alto saxophone Tina Brooks - tenor saxophone Kenny Drew - piano Paul Chambers - bass Arthur Taylor - drums Tracks: Melonae's Dance Appointment in Ghana Medina Isle of Java Street Singer A Ballad for Doll All tracks appear on the U.S. RVG Jackie's Bag, which also has these personnel and tracks: Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio on January 18, 1959 Personnel: Donald Byrd - trumpet Jackie McLean - alto saxophone Sonny Clark - piano Paul Chambers - bass Philly Joe Jones - drums Tracks: Quadrangle Blues Inn Fidel The original LP and the TOCJ of Jackie's Bag only have these tracks: Quadrangle Blues Inn Fidel Appointment in Ghana A Ballad for Doll Isle of Java

Great news: Frog's owner David French told me he's working on Bessie Vol.7 at the moment and he's going to try and get the last two volumes (7 and 8) out before Christmas. He takes direct orders: Frog Records site.

Just found this: Universal on eBay.

Thanks for posting this, Jason. I'll order the Bessie Smith. By the way, I've edited my Blues and R&B list.

Well, at midnight the names of the birthday guys and gals of the new day appear at the bottom of the main page, and since we (in Continental Europe) are 6 to 9 hours ahead of U.S. time it's easy to post an early "Happy Birthday" thread. The Asian, New Zealand and Australian members could easily beat us, though...

This month's full of members' birthdays... Have a great day, Catesta!

You were not alone, guys: AAJ

Brook Benton was a wonderful uptown R&B* singer, who had several hits in the late 1950s / early 1960s: AMG bio - click here. *Uptown R&B: a term coined by Charlie Gillett, author of the invaluable rock history The Sound of the City.

Happy birthday

I wish Mosaic would do this set: The Complete Milt Jackson - Lucky Thompson Savoy Sessions and these Blues and R&B sets: The Complete Leroy Carr Sessions The Percy Mayfield Tangerine Sessions (I read somewhere - I think it was ICE magazine - that Rhino Handmade would do a Mayfield Tangerine set, but when I asked them they said they didn't know anything about it... )