mikeweil

Allen, I agree with you 100%. An old friend of mine basically uses similar equipment to the items you described, sometimes works with just two microphones, and yes, the sound is just as great as some of the stuff labelled audiophile. I played my second recording session with him back in 1978 and it still sounds excellent. Much of his gear is similar to yours, like the Mackie. But this kind of sound cannot be appreciated on any type of playback equipment, I find. And it doesn't sound as fancy as ECM with all its digital room ambience etc. But it's honest. Biggest problem over here is finding a good sounding room and a band that's able to play live in a proper balance.

Many Jobim tunes on this one - got this in a sale last week and dig it immensely.

What the others said. Massey's trumpet is somewhat shaky, but the tunes are very good, and the band does its best. That piano at Nola Penthouse Studios was more often out of tune than not.

There is an LP by Austrian guitarist Karl Ratzer on Vanguard with a similar personnel.

Tatum has lots of pet licks that keep him close to the keyboard. He's great, but his array pf phrases is limited.

Sorry - I made an editing mistake while quoting a post. That statement was by jeffcrom, if I read things correctly. No offense intended

Don't hold your breath - it's just those three tracks that I'm really sure about, and these three alternates probably fit on to the 7 CDs, as all the LPs have rather short playing time under 40 minutes.

MC assured me he will look into this. Seems like the discographies are not accurate about this, but that happens all the time. I discovered this purely by accident. I bought an English stereo pressing of Fontessa, which sounded kinda weird - extremely two channel, nothing in the middle, and lots of tape hiss, low level of the instruments - I liked the music, but the sound made it even softer than it was. The hiss was so loud the cymbals were almost inaudible in soft passages. I never was quite sure whether some mistake had happened during the LP mastering ... I sold it when the CD came out, which turned out to be from the mono masters, which indeed sound much better, all instruments ahev a lot more presence, but I wondered about some takes being different - the one I was completely sure about was Bluesology, which has a short solo vibes intro - both are completely different. As are the solo chorusses. The group sound is so different on the mono masters that I wasn't sure about the other tracks. I had an original US momo LP of The Comedy which I almost wore out, so I sold that too before actually buying the stereo CD. I regret it, since although tape hiss was high and I had worn the grooves the mono LP had a lot more punch. One take was different, I think it was Harlequin, and the segue into it from the preceding track was different, too ... Third case is the first Music Inn LP with Giuffre. I have a Japanese CD issue AMCY-1090 which is in stereo but has an alternate mono take of Sun Dance as a bonus track. Totally different solos, as I stated above. Never underestimate the improvising capacities of the MJQ. These guys could play, and that their music was over-arranged is a common prejudice. I remember reading in some liner notes that they once tested a critical audience by asking which parts were improvised, and the people's judgements were 50% wrong. Just ordered a copy of Dedicated to Connie - must be from the same tour as the European Concert double album, which is great - that was one of my first jazz LPs, and I still know most arrangements and John Lewis solos inside out. Listen to the opening track from The Comedy - they swing like mad, and real fast, too. They were great, period.

There's one big difference between Shearing on one and Bud and Dodo on the other side: the latter were able to see the keyboard. Being blind limits the intervals you can finger - for wider leaps between bars you have to see the keys. That's why there are no blind vibes players. As a blind player you always have to stay down on the keys and feel them and move in close steps. That necessitates a different meldodic style. Consider the tunes he chose etc.

On the alternates I heard the solos were very different. Like the dialogue between Jackson and Lewis and the Lewis solo that follows on the two takes of Sun Dance from the Music Inn sessions I just listened to - totally different.

Technically, the Music Inn sessions were studio recordings - no audiences involved. Michael Cuscuna replied that he wasn't aware there were different takes of some tunes on mono and stereo issues. The ones I remember are Bluesology from Fontessa, and La Cantatrice / Harlequin from The Comedy. I also noticed that there is a mono alternate take of Sun Dance on my Japanese CD issue of The Modern Jazz Quartet At Music Inn. Has anybody else noticed different mono and stereo takes? If so, e-mail it to Mosaic. MC said he will look into this, but mentioned it will be tricky to include alternate takes when trying to fit 14 LPs on to 7 CDs ...

I think it's nice to have that all in one package, and since it's only studio sessions it will give a clearer picture of John Lewis arranging skills. Whoever prefers the Milt Jackson Quartet to The Modern Jazz Quartet will have to go for the live albums. (Seems I will have to look for that Slovenia concert.) Playing time of most LPs was rather short, that's why 14 LPs fit on 7 CDs ... this, and dozens of reissues scattered over several labels with varying sound quality and design, will make this a rather attractive set. I e-mailed Mosaic about the different mono and stereo takes.

I wonder whether they will include both the mono and stereo takes of some titles the MJQ re-recorded - e.g. Fontessa and The Comedy differ in both issues. Is this list complete? Fontessa One Never Knows The Modern Jazz Quartet At Music Inn Vol. 1 & 2 European Concert Vol. 1 & 2 * MJQ & Orchestra Pyramid Third Steam Music The Comedy Lonely Woman A Quartet is a Quartet is a Quartet The Sherrif Porgy and Bess Collaboration (w. Laurindo Almeida) Blues At Carnegie Hall * Live At The Lighthouse * * are live recordings that will not be included, as well as Jazz Dialogue with brass section.

There are several Cal Tjader Fantasy 45s and ten inchers with pics from the same photoshoots as the 12 inch LP covers - anybody interested?

The only recordings that I am really worried about are those reportedly made, but lost forever, like the Blue Note ten incher of John Collins ...

Very nice!

A very healthy sentiment... in fact, words to live by. Word!

So Many Stars is a very good tune - I played that one with a singer a few years ago and with the new band we consider including it as well. Sergio Mendes's music and playing always has substance, even if it's pop. My favourite is the Primal Roots album.

Same as King Ubu as far as knowledge about his work is concerned - he should be given credit for what he accomplished. R.I.P.

You will probably be more successful if you search for his muslim name, Talib Rasul Hakim. There was one composition on a Folkways anthology New American Music, vol. 3 - I think M'Boom, of which Joe Chambers was a member, performed it.

Bob Freedman wrote arrangements for some of Ron Carter's Milestone LPs, the one I remember right now is Peg Leg - nice woodwind charts.

Eddie Harris played some mean piano.

The work of such men too often goes unheralded - but as Christiern said, what would we do without them .... R.I.P.

Cannonball was under contract with Riverside at the time - that Granz recorded him is evident from the two Pablo releases from 1960 with the group: That's the one to get THE original Jacquet solo! Maybe Mosaic should consider a Hamp Decca box? A lot of R&B involved, but what a honkin' set that would be!