mikeweil

Promising Music went for the real odd items in the MPS catalog - what Universal wouldn't risk to re-issue. Like the Don Ellis "Haiku" - I'm a big Don Ellis fan, but this is easily the most questionable item in his discography. Well ... But the Jazz Meets Idia should be a real gem, like the whole series.

Don't know that I'm ready to agree with this generalization , but Tom Dowd sure didn't do him any favors on Knight Music. Although released on Atlantic, it was Rudy Van Gelder who engineered Knight Music Sorry for the mistake!

I think Wess cuts Foster and Jug on that album!

I think I have most of Wallington's records except for the one with strings which I really would like to hear. Took me a long time to find all these LPs ... The one I like the best is the Savoy quintet date with Phil Woods and Donald Byrd - nice tunes etc. Larry's right about Art Taylor - with Wallington it was the worst. Nick Stabulas was nice with Wallington - I used to dig him very much at the time, and his presence alone was reason enough for me to buy the LP.

After a few spins of Boogaloo to Beck I confirm that it deserves much more praise that it has received so far - Fathead plays nicely too.

I'm not sure ... for me it was a no-brainer as I had avoided the OJC reissues due to their short playing time.

Yes I remember this thread, I started it because I didn't believe what Keepnews wrote about this take of Stablemates and thought he was totally off the mark! No way this was Cannonball. I remember the guy who runs the Cannonball disco on the web participated and confirmed. Meanwhile this finding is common knowledge - see the Ernie Henry discography.

It was "sold out" at a slighly higher price a few years ago when ZYX lost their distribution deal - I like this box, as it completes some sessions and assembles material originally spread over many more CDs. In such a case I prefer to have it in session order.

Finally getting around to some concentrated listening of this BFT ... # 1 - I have a version of that tune somewhere, on a highly original Louis Armstrong Tribute by The New York Jazz Repertory Company - can't remember the title. Whoever that is plays it nicely. Wonder who it is and which year it was recorded. In this version it sounds like it could originally have been some show tune. # 2 - Wow - sounds like a sped-up version of a compendium of Ragtime licks - in a positive way, that is. This early jazz or showband music was much closer related to parade music than we think. Like this. Drummer switches to Glockenspiel and then to some weird board sounding like a cross between a tap dancer and a washboard. Drumming-wise, a great performance. # 3 - So he gonna play no second fiddle to no-one? I ain't gonna make no second guesses ... # 4 - Great swing band - there was so much good music in that era ... I know too little of it. Like this a lot! # 5 - Another familiar tune. Sounds like one of those early 1940's recordings where bop was in the air, but Bird and Diz were still in the future. Sweet clarinet sound. Trumpet sounds a bit like Roy Eldridge, but is not as assured technically. No idea who they are. # 6 - Sounds like a piece George Russell or Hal McKusick on any writer from this circle of musicians might write around, above and over some familiar changes. I could have that somewhere ... great piece of music, and the tune they use as a basis is on my tongue ... # 7 - They are too sloppy for my taste when they state the tune. Well, their spirit is nice. I like the trumpeter best of that bunch. Nice tone and good rhythmic feel. The remainder are nice, but he stands out, somehow. A little less overplaying and it could have been an excellent performance. (Just my taste, of course.) That rattling with maracas etc. is superfluous (take this from a percussionist). # 8 - I know that tune, but a different version. Miles? From the last days of the band with Herbie or the next one ... No - this should be Woody Shaw. Trumpet is played too precisely to be Miles ... Lenny White on drums? I would buy this ... From one of those Contemporary LPs? I guess so - this is Bennie Maupin. Blackstone Legacy? It's a long time I heard some of this. Didn't remember it was that close to late 1960's Miles in concept ... Stanley Clarke? A very good Herbie imitator - George Cables? he was one at the time ... this is a lot better than I remembered. I must get me this. Did I ever have that on LP? # 9 - Terje Rypdal? I'm not that much a fan of guitar (although I always end up playing in bands with guitarists) and haven't listened to much of it, but this is nice. There was a Rypdal track on one early BFT that I liked a lot, and this remionds me of it. There is alot of atmosphere and emotion in that track, perhaps almost too much for me ... these are sounds I grew up with, and there was a time when I didn't want to hear any more of it, but an occasional re-visit is nice. More to come - very enjoyable ride so far!

Did you consider ordering directly from Fresh Sound using your credit card?

I have that one - it's till available, as is the Emil Richards Yazz Per Favor with Moer, from De-Fi Records, but the Trio LP is a little disappointing, somewhat too mellow ... no sparks.

Wow - I didn't know that - I have the old Bärenreiter LP and some more from that series - all beautiful music. I love Kora - even a modern guy like Foday Musa Suso, whom I saw live two years ago. During the time I was working regularly with a dance therapist who had spent some time in Africa, we once were approached by a woman who had heard of our workshop - she invited us to her home. It turned out she had been married to an ambassador, had spent many years in Africa (during the Biafra crisis, among others) and had two or three Koras hanging on the wall - and she knew how to play them! That instrument has a beautiful sound, but only in the traditional tunings. Anyone looking for more info, check out Eric Charry's book on Mande music:

Cal Tjader's first recording session with Shearing was on March12, 1953, the last was on March28, 1954. Tjader's early stereo recording sessions for Fantasy were on September11 and 21, 1954 - all in California - maybe there was some engineer experimenting with binaural recording at the time in that area?

BTW - my set has number 4334 - could it be the licence expired and they didn't even press the whole run of 7500 copies?

This was posted long ago, but nevertheless - there was a Japanese 3 CD box with this, so I doubt Mosaic will do this. Besides that much of the music is nice, but not as spectacular as the Clef or Columbia sides.

Picked up the box today - sound is indeed surprisingly good. Several gems of small band swing in that box ...

That cannot be the "whole" MGM batch - the stuff with Cal Tjader alone fills one CD. There were half a dozen LPs compiled later from the MGM sides.

This CD has some of the MGM sides recorded immediately after the Savoys:

Here's the cover of the Jazz Factory reissue. I ordered a copy. I already have the tracks from that 1954 LP on the second Chronological Classics CD, but I need that 1950 live session ... I've grown into a big Wilson fan.

Received a note today that mine is waiting for me at the customs office - if Mosaic would include an invoice they could calculate before delivery and cash in the fee at the door and I wouldn't have to take the ride to the other end of town. But I'm relieved it has finally crossed the pond ...

Is there enough Paul Bryant for a Mosaic Select, I mean without the Amy sessions?

I bought the CD version second hand many years ago and pull it out quite often - he was an excellent player that new how to make entertaining music that's easy to listen to. He always had good players in his band, especially a virtual who's who of modern jazz vibists. Vernell Fournier is nice in that box, too. A Mosaic with the complete Savoy and MGM sessions would be nice - I have some of that on LP and many of you would be surprised how good and versatile that music is.

Saw this only now after receiving this sad news in the Jazz Echo newsletter - R.I.P. I, too, slept on him for too long, although I used his brush method and the thicker plastic brushes he designed. I like his playing best on Cal Tjader's "The Prophet" album on Verve - some of the nicest funky bossa I ever heard!

I just decided I will try the Soul Station XRCD, although this is my umpteenth version of that album ... but I don't like the RVG.

They charge only when they ship.