Jim R

December (7, 8 and ) 9, 1965: J.J. Johnson - J.J.! (The Dynamic Sound Of J.J. With Big Band) - RCA

I agree- this is a nice CD. Fresh Sound has long been a great source of otherwise obscure recordings. I remember getting their catalog in the 80's, and I wish I had bought more. The drummer on RAMBLIN' was Varner (also spelled "Warner" in booklet) Barlow. The CD contains 9 tracks, but the last one ("pensativa") is not listed on the booklet. Coincidentally, on the original rear cover of the LP, one track was also not listed ("the sidewinder"). Thanks for mentioning this, Marcus- Jack Wilson is a name that tends to be forgotten, unfortunately.

I guess I really don't have a strong favorite (this is the third time I've opened this thread ). If pressed for an answer, I suppose I would have to agree with Dan and his comments re Kenny Drew... but I love a number of other pianists who recorded with Dexter as well. As long as Dexter's there, I'm pretty happy (not too fond of Cables or George Duke, though).

Part of Barney Kessel's "Vol. 1 / Easy Like" on Contemporary was recorded on my date of birth. I'm a very big fan of Kessel, and this LP was among my earliest jazz 10" LP finds.

I was a little confused about these labels, so I did a search. FWIW, the label I referred to- "Il Grande Del Jazz" (with the black covers) is actually spelled "I Grandi Del Jazz": Both the Europa and the Curcio / I Giganti Del Jazz LP's had white covers, I believe:

Dexter Gordon did a few vocals over the years. Kenny Burrell made an entire vocal album for Columbia in the 60's, and has recorded a number of vocal tunes in recent years. Oscar Peterson Grady Tate Frank Rosolino Jack Sheldon

I wonder if shrugs knows about "The Vinyl Frontier". B) Ed's only been absent (apparently) for a couple of weeks, so I hope it's only temporary. I've got an e-mail address for him, so maybe I'll fire one off and see how he's doing...

I know even less than you guys do (really), but several years ago I recall reading an interview/article on a very similar topic. I believe the article was part of an "Acoustic Sounds" catalog (a mail order company that I must admit knowing very little about, which sells jazz/classical/pop? LP's and CD's to audiophiles). The interviewee was an RCA engineer, who was renowned for his work in the field recording symphony orchestras all over the world. Let's just say this guy knew his microphone types, and how and where to place them. I don't recall his name now, but then I had only borrowed the catalog out of moderate curiosity in the first place. Anyway, if anybody has (or recalls better than I do) that particular catalog, maybe it could be a source of info for Jim. This would have come out around 1995 or so...

I love it too. Had it on VHS for years, and recently picked up a used copy of the DVD. For me it's enough just to see Dexter do his thing (not to mention Hutcherson, Higgins, etc), but I also love some of the other performances (especially Cluzet and Scorcese) as well as Tavernier's direction. Beautifully filmed, with one evocative scene after another.

I always thought the white ones were a little odd, in terms of the groupings of artists on each LP. Sort of like the modern day Collectables CD twofers. I did pick up a few, though, when it became obvious that some contained tracks that were unavailable anywhere else (I had one with some rare Rene Thomas material that later was included on a Fresh Sound CD). The black ones ("Il Grande del Jazz") were more of a dubious nature, as I recall. At least some of them. For example, there's a self-titled "Joe Williams" LP in the series that is actually the Roulette LP "Memories Ad Lib" by Williams and Basie. I think they messed up the sound, to boot.

I noticed that, too. And what about: 53. The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm and Blues Recordings, 1952 - 1959, Ray Charles A 3-CD box set is an "album"?

I'm with you on that, but just be content that you've got THE hippest avatar on the site. B)

If they had presented it as "The 500 Best-Selling Albums of All Time", I could at least respect it at face value. As for Stevie Ray... I always liked him too, but if Albert King BARELY cracked the top 500... I'm sorry, but Stevie wouldn't quite belong on there, IMO. I don't see Freddie King or Buddy Guy on there, either...

Jim, the change had taken effect when I logged on today, and "Today's Active Topics" now has a great new streamlined appearance for me. I just wanted to thank you again for offering to do this.

In a nutshell. Carole King- #36. B.B. King- #141. Just one example of why these things are depressing to look at. BTW, Claude, there are not two, but three Eminem titles listed.

Exactly. Why worry about any other choices? While everybody else at our gatherings say "I'll have a little sliver of each", I bide my time and then POUNCE on the pecan! BTW, I voted for "Don't know- never had sweet potato pie". Love sweet potatoes, just never been offered the pie...

Jim, you can add my name to the list as well. Thanks.

BUY that CD! Walton was not part of the original LP, but he played on alternate versions of two of the songs from it (the Rhino CD includes 8 bonus tracks). FWIW, here's a selected C.W. discography: J. J. Johnson- The Complete Columbia J. J. Johnson Small Group Sessions Kenny Dorham- Blue Spring Jimmy Heath- Really Big Clifford Jordan- Spellbound The Jazztet- Big City Sounds Benny Golson- Take A Number From One To Ten / Free The Jazztet- The Jazztet And John Lewis Jimmy Heath- The Quota Clifford Jordan- Mosaic (A Story Tale / Starting Time) The Jazztet- At Birdhouse Sonny Red- Red, Blue & Green (The Mode / Images) Curtis Fuller- Soul Trombone (The Jazz Clan) Clifford Jordan- Bearcat Jimmy Heath- Triple Threat Art Blakey- Three Blind Mice, Vol. 1 Blue Mitchell- The Cup Bearers Art Blakey- Caravan Donald Byrd- Blackjack Art Blakey- Ugetsu Blue Mitchell- The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Blue Mitchell, 1963 to 1967 Art Blakey- Golden Boy Milt Jackson- Jazz 'Round Midnight Eddie Harris- Cool Sax, Warm Heart / Cool Sax From Hollywood To Broadway Lee Morgan- Charisma Lee Morgan- The Rajah Eddie Harris- The Tender Storm Milt Jackson- Born Free Art Farmer- Plays Great Jazz Hits Donald Byrd- Slow Drag Cedar Walton- Cedar! Pat Martino- Strings! Cedar Walton- Spectrum / (The Electric Boogaloo Song) Stanley Turrentine- Another Story Sonny Red- Sonny Red (on Mainstream) Art Farmer- Gentle Eyes Art Farmer- Homecoming Dexter Gordon- Tangerine Dexter Gordon- Generation Cedar Walton - Naima Milt Jackson- Goodbye Art Farmer- To Duke With Love Clifford Jordan- Firm Roots Art Farmer- Yesterday's Thoughts Milt Jackson- Centerpiece (Live at The Kosei Nenkin, Vol. 2) Milt Jackson- At The Kosei Nenkin (Vol. 1) Art Farmer- The Summer Knows Clifford Jordan / Cedar Walton- The Pentagon Philly Joe Jones- Drum Songs (Advance / Drum Song) Dexter Gordon- Gotham City Junior Cook- Something's Cookin' Cedar Walton- Among Friends Slide Hampton Quintet- Roots Dexter Gordon- Round Midnight (Film Soundtrack) Dexter Gordon- The Other Side Of Round Midnight Frank Morgan- Lament Cedar Walton (Sweet Basil Trio)- St. Thomas Kenny Burrell- Sunup To Sundown Stanley Turrentine- More Than A Mood Cedar Walton- Live At Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 25 Cedar Walton- Manhattan Afternoon Milt Jackson- Reverence And Compassion Cedar Walton (Sweet Basil Trio)- You're My Everything Milt Jackson- The Prophet Speaks Dave Young- (w/Oscar Peterson,Cedar Walton,Tommy Flanagan,John Hicks, Mulgrew Miller) Two By Two Eric Alexander- Man With A Horn

The set includes a 119-page, hardbound booklet, with discographies of the sessions; an essay about the composers by Benny Green; a history of the songbooks by John McDonough; a handful of color or b&w photos; and also an alphabetized index of all the songs included in the box. I bought mine used a few years after it was issued, and I've seen a number of used copies in the years since. So, keep your eyes open- you can save yourself a whole lot of $ by getting a used set. I haven't owned any of the more recent individual CD issues, so I can't offer any help regarding the sound quality differences.

I'm willing to let a lot of things slide, but I still recognize a whole lot of abuse going on. I hold on to a few pet peeves, though. One of them is the widespread misuse of the phrase "I could care less". If you could care less (than you actually do), that means you CARE (more than you otherwise might). On the other hand, if you couldn't care less, that means.... YOU COULD NOT CARE ANY LESS THAN YOU ACTUALLY CARE!!! (...sorry, didn't mean to yell. ) As for this thread.... I could care less, which might explain why I posted.

Before I got into jazz, I think my first exposure to great vibraphone playing was seeing Geoff Palmer with The Sons Of Champlin, back in the early 70's. I'm a fan of many of those already mentioned, and I'll just add some props for Buddy Montgomery (I'm definitely a Mastersounds/Montgomery Brothers fan), and Victor Feldman. I also have a healthy respect for the late great Red Norvo, even if he's not among my favorites on the instrument. Who else...?

I'm sure you probably realize this already, but I felt a need to say it anyway- don't lump ALL of Trane's Impulse recordings into one basket. Among the first ideas that would occur to me if I were in your situation: JOHN COLTRANE & JOHNNY HARTMAN; BALLADS; DUKE ELLINGTON & JOHN COLTRANE.

My wife entered my life almost 30 years ago, and I can not remember what life was like before we met. I also can't remember very well what life was like before our kids came along (our oldest is 16). Oh... yeah, we had two dogs, and THEY were our "kids" back then (do I get any points for remembering that, Al?). Anyway, I know what you mean, and I agree- life had far less meaning before. I mean, all I did back in the dark ages was collect music.......... ........... hmm, maybe things haven't changed THAT much! BTW, our son just hosted a "sleepover" (for about the third time). I'm still trying to figure out how we parents get talked into allowing this to happen! (they went to sleep a 4 am)

Boplicity put this out on CD in the late 80's. In 1994, it was released again on CD by Skylark Jazz, titled WAY PAST MIDNITE. The Skylark issue includes 9 extra tracks, which are a pretty dubious. They're labeled with these terms: "be-bop alternate track", "west coast unreleased mix", "unreleased be-bop take", and "west coast unreleased be-bop take". At least a couple of them seem identical to the master takes, except that the alternates are faded out after Dexter's solo. In addition to that, a couple of titles are mixed up. As if all this wasn't bad enough, there are some cheesy attempts to enhance the artwork (including the use of the original cover photo with little pink and turquoise stars added); and there's a bogus looking Good Housekeeping-type "seal of quality" on the back. The production, digital remastering AND the artwork were all done by one Wayne Stierle. Anybody know anything about this guy? BTW, the Sjøgren discography mentions four tracks having been issued in "edited versions" on different Dootone issues (the orinal Dootone # was 207, and the others referenced were 384 and 856). This is all greek to me, since the only LP version I ever owned was the Boplicity issue.

This board was running SO slow last night, ("HOW SLOW WAS IT") ... It was so slow, I almost got the urge to put on a Shirley Horn CD. Today does seem to be better.