mikeweil

Fantasy was not researched as thoroughly as other jazz labels, probably due to the rather large amount of non-jazz releases. One would have to check hundreds of old Schwann catalogues to complete the listings found here. (I will ask them for that series.)

I asked him for a track list - it was identical to the other issues with that title. Doesn't seem to be an error. Cover is different, too, I know of two other designs.

I can't suggest any tunes right now but would order one without hesitation. I'd appreciate it very much if the tunes from the last years would be included - e.g. the one on Big Al's Xmas BFT disc was a gas!

Well, at least I thought it sounded like it .... this is on my wish list ever since it was issued. Thanks, Chris, for the trip. What I love about these BFTs, among many other things, is that it stumps my nose on things I never knew about and never would, like the surprising trumpet finale, or on recoprds I had but sold - the Jimmy Woods: what demon made me sell that LP ?!?!?!?! - same goes for the Marsh/Brown, which didn't capture me enough to keep it. OTOH the Perkins/Kamuca somehow did, and I still have it - strange is the mind of a jazzfan. Good, and very entertaining job - and I trust there wil be enough music to challenge our ears in years to come.

Well, that seemingly endless list of recordings .... Embryo was a cult band here in Germany, and one of the first to try independent marketing. And one of the first to cross the border to jazz, with Mal Waldron, Jimmy Jackson, even Trilok Gurtu and Charlie mariano played with them - they had plenty of gigs. I once saw them on campus with an amazing Indian folk drummer.

I never understood why Cuscuna with his usual quest for authenticity did not use the original cover for the CD. I like that photo of the band on the parking lot at night ...

I resisted the temptation to quote the initial post ....... With this large number of live recordings available, one most likely find some date he/she attended .... Embryo were the idol of all music freaks of my generation with dreams of travelling and jamming with foreign musicians.

That's a good one! He's one of Germany's most interesting composer/arrangers right now. Kenny Wheeler, Hugo Read, Wollie Kaiser doing great horn work, nice funky drummer (Jo Thönes).

Got their new list in the mail yesterday: They have all the Connoisseurs for € 6,99 or 13,99 respectively!!!!! (Glad I have all those I wanted ..... )

Joyeux anniversaire!!!

Fully agreed - although I wouldn't call Riley boring: he's just the most conventional of the bunch. But compared to Dunlop or Shadow or Haynes ..... Played Epistrophy from the new CD to a drummer friend today - what Shadow does on the cup of the ride cymbal is amazing, and he does it differently on the second version! Every drummer these days would get fired for doing this! Shadow is a ball on this. And his presence is just right, he's not too loud - drummers are as important as any other instrument, and notes about the drummer being recorded to loud are a drag, IMHO. That's exactly what I dislike about Blakey - or maybe I just had enough of it .....

You should use that hypnotizing spiral as a board logo to boost up sales ..... only those who have one are immune.

Remember we are a rare breed, a minority among minorities. Jazz CD sales in Germany are between 1 and 5 % of all CDS sold, and among these, those who know and are really intereted are only a small part - most jazz CDs are bought by newbies or casual listeners. And if you deduct sales of those who are categorized as jazz, but really aren't ...... Sad but true. But I know how you feel - I thumb through Universal's Jazz Echo magazine only for the one page that lists the reissues, and the number that is worth buying decreases with each issue. I won't complain - buying less CDs is only good for me right now!

One more!

Not to mention the never ending pile of compilations .....

Finally bought Javon Jackson's Have You Heard last week - two tracks including the opener, are mindblowing funk! Tereon Gully is a mofo!

I'll probably get beaten on the head for this, but I was disappointed when I finally got me the CD when it was reissued. Somehow this was totally beneath me. Maybe it twould have been different and exciting if I had heard this around the time it was originally released. But so, it didn't make much of an impression. I sold it. On an average I find it easier to relate to this style of playing on a live gig than on record.

A model for civil courage! RIP

Fully agreed! Saw the earlier edition too, with Alex Foster, Mike Richmond, and Abercrombie, which had its own special alchemy. Eicher's aesthetics is not "black" enough for this kind of music, it seems ..... Album-wise, I enjoy the Prestige albums the most, Cosmic Chicken is crazy.

Same here .....

I listened to the Jim Hall on headphones in a shop and it did not sound like it was dubbed from LP - in fact I was surprised at the good sound quality! This includes the rare Modest Trio LP with Red Kelly (which I didn't find so thrilling, I must admit) and the three tracks with Hall from the Chico Hamilton Trio LP - both from Pacific Jazz.

There was a Japanese CD of this a few years ago, Victor VICJ-23138:

Is it played often? I have the feeling that they could be played more often - or is it just me? Anyway, the tempo he chose for Stolen Moments is exactly the right one, IMHO - I hate to hear it any faster.

www.jpc.de also has a sale running on the complete Winter & Winter JMT reissue series ..... I'm glad I have those that I always wanted to have. No money ...

Yes and no: It's reproduced in B&W but so small (1 x 1 inch) that it loses all of its impact. Thanks for pointing this out, Jim: Cuscuna used the rare mono issue cover for the CD, just because it's rare - one of the few occasion where his quest for authenticity mislead him, IMHO. I, too, first got that LP in stereo with the (Chuck Stewart?) photo cover, which is great and much more appropriate.