Daniel A

Yeah, full price here is around $29 for one CD. BTW I got the Shihab at 18.99 from Dusty. A steal!

Thanks for the suggestion! Actually, I don't have it, so I'll see if it shows up somewhere at a reasonable price.

A pity this one turned out too soapy. FWIW I much prefer the Ogerman/Oscar Peterson album 'Motions and Emotions' over the Bill Evans album mentioned.

John Dankworth 'The $1,000,000 Collection' (Stereo Fontana, US pressing). Not a best-of, but an orchestral suite inspired by a particular collection of paintings. Tony Coe and Kenny Wheeler are in the band.

Thanks Peter and Chuck for saving me from a pontentially life-long misconception regarding coloured Pacific Jazz pressings.

Yes, it's my impression too that only stereo copies were colored. Never seen blue or yellow, though! I think I've seen someone (possibly Chuck) state that the coloured vinyl was of inferior quality, so I've always avoided them, but some titles don't seem to turn up as stereo pressings on black vinyl too often. Mono copies seem to be a lot more common of many titles. How do you think the sound is on the red ones, Peter?

It was issued as an Epic CD some time in the 80s, but copies are scarce these days.

Still, a plain retroactive extension would be problematic one day. Contrary to what I've often seen stated, sound recordings will not automatically move into the public domain in the US 95 years after they were "published". According to the 1972 US copyright act all sound recordings in existence by then were considered published as of February 15, 1972 (as to replace an array of state copyright laws with a federal law) and subject to a 75-year protection. With the Bono act extension another 20 years were added, so in fact no sound recordings in the US will be in the public domain until February 15, 2067. Personally, I don't think that is reasonable.

Thanks for your link, Durium. That clip of "When Lights Are Low" is wonderful!

I think being an audiophile isn't just about the price of the equipment, it's as much getting the most out of the equipment you've got. Caring about the acoustics of a listening room, speaker placement etc. are also very important for the results. I definitely think you may be considered an audiophile without having to spend hundreds (or thousands) on cords. Edit: that should read "cords", not "chords"...

Not sure if this is of interest, but in my own collection I just discovered yet a variation of the PJ2b label (so maybe that should be PJ2c), which looks like the PJ2b but also says "A Division of Liberty Records, Inc." at the bottom (It's Clare Fischer's 'Manteca', cat no PJ-10096). The album cover features the "square" PJ logo found on the PJ3 label. When we're at it I could as well ask if anybody knows if red and black vinyl pressings of the same title were manufactured simultaneously, or if read vinyl at some point was the standard for new releases.

Great information! Thank you very much, Peter!

Have a great one, Bob!!!

FWIW, on the bottom of this page it says that World Pacific was sold to Liberty in 1965.

Pacifica PL-801

The Pacific Jazz discography found here mentions three basic label designs. A few questions to those with good knowledge of PJ/WP vinyl pressings: Around when were the shifts between the different designs? (There seem to be two versions of label type two, and also an early WP label which I've called WP1) Liberty is said to have taken over World Pacific already in 1964, but when did they start to put Liberty on the labels? Label 3 seems to have debuted later. Or was the takeover in fact later than 1964? Some pictures from various eBay auctions, all mono pressings for the sake of comparison. PJ1. Black label, silver text, PJ-1209 WP1. Black label, silver text, circle, PJ-1244 PJ2a. Black label, silver text, thick line, High Fidelity, PJ-31 WP2a. Black label, silver text, High Fidelity, WP-1276 PJ2b. Black label, silver text, thin line, high-fidelity, PJ-65 WP2b. Black label, silver text, thin line, high-fidelity, WP-1830 PJ3. Black-orange label, silver text, square, Liberty, PJ-10130 WP3. Black-blue label, silver text, oval, Liberty, WP-1856

Did go for the King. Will get back with my impressions.

How's the "Introducing" session with Hamilton?

Correction: One track from 'Swing...' was left out from 'Our Kinda Strauss', the Karl Drewo composition "Claudia".

So many of Fischer's albums were never reissued on CD that I could almost as well have posted this in the vinyl forum, but these are some of my favourites featuring his fine composing and arranging: Extension (Pacific Jazz, 1963) Manteca (Pacific Jazz, 1966) Duality (Discovery, 1969) Easy Living (Revelation, 1963) is solo and piano/bass duo and, as has been mentioned, somewhat low-key but also very beautiful and a fine opportunity to enjoy his piano voicings. Songs for Rainy Day Lovers (Columbia, 1967) could be written of as easy listening, but it's in fact as inventively and beautifully arranged as just about anything he's done, and way more advanced than your typical piano+strings elevator music date. It should be approached with an open ear and mind; not for all tastes, but I couldn't imagine a fan of Fischer's writing and arranging not liking most of it. His collaborations with Bud Shank from 1962, 'Brasamba' and 'Bossa Nova Jazz Samba' (both on Pacific Jazz and none of them reissued on CD) are beatiful examples of cliché-free jazz/bossa nova. I always keep an eye open for albums with Fischer arrangements. The Shearing bossa nova album is one to get, not so much for Shearing who is somewhat faceless on a partly worn-out repertoire, but again for the arrangements which make good use of bass clarinet. I agree with Mike on this point; Clare's untouchable when it comes to scoring for lower woodwinds.

I thought it couldn't hurt with yet another opinion; I find 'Love and Understanding' to be a nice listen, but not too involving if you ask me. I would probably rate some of Heath's Riversides higher. And Heath is a rather, well, "cautious" soloist. Nothing wrong with that - I don't think anyone would find Duke Pearson, whose playing I enjoy greatly, particularly adventurous.

I don't know how to put this without sounding confrontative, but surely you know that selling or trading these CDs away while keeping backup copies in one form or another is illegal - in this case probably a drop in the ocean, but anyway - and also considered unethical by many. Thus, announcing this practice in your trading post here is a good way of upsetting great many serious collectors (some of them part- or full time musicians themselves) who otherwise might be interested in a trade. Just FYI.

I'm bringing this up because I'm choosing between a sealed mono Pacific Jazz pressing and a mint stereo King pressing of the same album. Which one should I go for? If its an early Pacific Jazz issue (say with black label and deep groove) and in excellent condition then I'd be tempted. The sound on some of thise can be very good - just playing several of them yesterday (Feldman, Dick Grove etc.) and I was suprised how full and well balanced the sound was. The later 'Liberty period' LPs from the late 60s on are not quite so good, in my experience. Correction: It was in fact not on Pacific Jazz, but a World Pacific pressing (from -64).

I'm bringing this up because I'm choosing between a sealed mono Pacific Jazz pressing and a mint stereo King pressing of the same album. Which one should I go for?

Jimmy Heath 'Love and Understanding' (Muse) Right now someone on eBay offers a mono pressing of this album. Surely it must be some kind of mistake?