mjazzg

Yes, I think there was an added value, maybe not mystique, to the BN reissues in the mid-80s. There was a big fanfare and a marketing campaign that highlighted the history of the label and it did coincide with the jazz revival that included landmarks like the film 'Round Midnight' which featured BN artists. My perspective is one of someone very new to jazz at that time. Maybe more experienced listeners knew their Prestiges as well as their BNs. I knew more about labels that Mingus LPs came out on and Black Saint at that time...reflecting my two entry points of Braxton and Mingus

What about the DMM reissues in and around 1985? They may not have opened the floodgates as the CDs did but they certainly made a lot of titles available and with good media coverage (we were having a Jazz Revival I think). That's when i started buying Blue Notes in any number. I still remember the NME review, by Roy Carr I think, that introduced the idea of 'brown-bagging' in that you could buy any of the reissues in a brown bag without seeing the cover and still be guaranteed great music. My introduction to 'Out To Lunch', 'Empyrean Isles', 'Let Freedom Ring', 'Spring', 'The Rajah', a few Joe Hendersons and Sam Rivers. I must have bought twenty plus titles. And, you got a poster too! They were readily available in Our Price as well as the specialists. Also available at this time were the French Pathe Marconi, nicer quality covers than the DMMs.

Bruce Springsteen - 'Western Stars' This seemed to get a lukewarm reception but I think it's classic Bruce. Wide panorama songwriting and arrangements.

Bruce Springsteen - 'Letter To You' First listen. 'Western Stars' and the autobiography rekindled my long buried love for Bruce. This one's sounding great on initial impressions. There's something reassuring about having his American Dream restated at such troubling times. And, the sax sounds just like the Big Man too. Well done for listening to your uncle so closely. One of the soundtracks to my teenage years. Loved them back then.

Thanks for reminding me. It looks like it is still available.

£35 in the UK so expect even better quality control here 😃

Can't see a Barry Guy solo set not sounding good really. Unless he takes up the bagpipes

All of the above and the Red Trio+ too! Could be an expensive haul

some of my earliest international online purchases were with Okka. It was always a very friendly experience, glad to see this resurrection do you know if there's any plan to make downloads available of the catalogue? Sadly international postage charges have made purchasing physical product a pretty unrealistic option nowadays.

Me too. I had to sit down after watching the video. Too much excitement for one day...

No idea but I wasn't about to take the risk, It's the sort of title that could end up at Jazz Messengers or Honest Jon's. I would guess that will very much depend on how the initial sales go - if they go well then they may not be inclined to bother with international distribution. Maybe worth seeing if you find any of the label's other releases in Europe? Or, email them and ask?

Thanks, ordered. Hopefully be here for Xmas...

What a shame. I sat in the front row when he played with Full Blast at the Vortex. It was so loud it nearly hurt (shades of Motorhead). But the playing was wonderful, Kondo's in particular. I don't know nearly enough about his recordings away from Brotzmann.

I didn't realise that was released. Will be my listening this evening

Yes, those two. Merlin makes me smile, piles of stock, apparent disorder and no prices on some. In Wood Green so Alan's is a bit awkward but I should make the effort, couple of buses probably.

I love the Little Record Shop. My local, less than a mile away, but I don't go nearly enough as I always end up spending so much. I like the no internet approach and the eccentric opening hours. The selection is usually interesting at the very least and prices not too mad either. Maybe I'll go tomorrow... I've never been to Alan's which is daft really. There's a couple in Palmer's Green too

Yeah, they're jokers really. Take the top Discogs price and add %%. Website is a very small fraction of their stock. Successfully riding the 'vinyls' wave and fleecing the Hackney hipsters 😃

Where did you go? I'm wondering if I should do similar soon. Yo Yo have tweeted some nice stock but their prices hurt 'Raw Materials...' is a fave and the Braxton is a blast in more than one meaning It will be tier 3 soon, I suspect. Shop now!

Thanks. If it was up there with Firebirds I would buy it immediately.

How does it compare to others of his? I'm flirting with a copy but it ain't cheap

I never realised there was so much genre debate but it doesn't surprise me. What no mention of the mighty Motorhead? They really shifted our definition of Heavy Metal away from the til then yardstick of Black Sabbath I was seeing a lot of these bands live late 70s. I hadn't really thought much about it all until reading this thread. I always thought Judas Priest were show ponies which is exactly the point that Rabshakeh makes about them, I think. They were taking the music away from the Deep Purple/Black Sabbath/Uriah Heep lineage. That lineage/was being continued by the likes of pre-pop Rainbow and latter incarnations, split offs of the original line ups, such as Gillan. The Europeans were making waves with The Scorpions (always preferred Schenker to Van Halen as a guitarist at the time) and bands like Krokus. The NWOBHM bands were in the mix too. Iron Maiden, Saxon ( who blew JP off the stage as their support one time I saw them), Diamond Head, Angel Witch. Some like Maiden were obviously aiming a commercial sound from quite early on When I saw Van Halen's first UK gig in '79 I didn't make any connection with the UK heavy scene, they sounded very American - slick, song driven, heavy rock but not Metal at all. Just listen to 'You really got me', it's the original dialled up to 11. We thought they were great but were poppy compared to what we'd been listening to. More akin to AC/DC or early Def Leppard in approach if not sound - hook and song driven. Thankfully the Clash saved me....

I have about five Astral Spirits in my Bandcamp cart. The CDs don't get over here so it's definitely DLs for those, or sometimes I find them on Spotify. I find it's the label that most consistently releases new music of interest by musicians and combinations that are relatively new to me these days. A bit like Clean Feed were ten years ago and Not Two five years ago (I know you're still a big fan, Steve). Now listening to the Mazurek Matter/Anti Matter that's in that Rogue Art batch. Great stuff but then I do love Exploding Star

I'd be tempted if they were downloads at that price. I don't think Rogue Art have moved to that format yet. Looks like they may have a surplus of CDs to shift.

Great that there's such a day. Celebrate, and recognise the bravery that's required for some. Also, give strength to those still finding their way to let the world know who they are.