neveronfriday

Both are excellent. Get 'em.

Very sad news. He was an excellent musician and an innovative composer. I saw him live three or four times and each time was a blast. R.I.P.

I agree. But I think our voices will not be heard any longer (not much longer). What I've decided to do is to buy into lots of stuff these next few years before the s*** really hits the fan, meaning that stock will be depleted totally and new reissues won't be on the horizon anymore. I'm at an age where buying into lots of stuff I still want in a format that's going to disappear in the nearer future is a viable alternative. I'll have enough to listen to until I drop dead (I might possibly have that already) and the rest of the world can worry about storing several thousand Cds in digital format without losing any ... for all of those unable to afford a high-quality redundant RAID system, that's going to be difficult. But, as I've stated elsewhere, most people I know don't really care at all. If everything crashes, they'll just buy something else ... music as commodity and all of that. Hell, one day I'll buy myself one of those $3000 CD players that weighs half a ton, has excellent support and is fixable until I turn 90 ... to hell with everyone else. You could say that I stepped out of the mainstream - you know, the people who buy into every reissue that states "24 bit remaster" and makes your ears bleed, the ones that don't care which label does what ... the people who are totally complacent about sound quality, reissue policy etc. (meaning: most people) - and I'm just going to stock up and enjoy the music I managed to get in the best quality I can afford. Actually, you could say I've gotten old. But that's another story.

I'd actually love to have some more recommendations for someone who likes the V.S,O.P. reissues: What are other equally well-recorded and transferred (!) reissues of smaller west coast sessions on other labels?

From the VSOP website: V.S.O.P. #103 THE MIKE BARONE BIG BAND: LIVE AT DONTE'S, 1968 *December 11, 1968 : Larry McGuire, Buddy Childers, Gary Barone, Steve Huffsteter (tp); Jim Trimble, Pete Myers, Vince Diaz, Ernie Tack (tb); Lou Ciotti, Bill Hood, (ts); Med Flory, Bill Perkins (as); Jack Nimitz (bs); Mike Wofford (piano); Jim Hughart (bass); John Guerin (drums). **November 6, 1968 : Same as December 11, 1968, except Cliff Bryant replaces Mike Wofford (p); Charlie Loper replaces Jim Trimble (tb), and an unknown player replaces Pete Myers (tb). SONGS IN THIS CD: * Tumbling Tumbleweeds** 5:22 (Bob Nolan) * Deedle-Dydle* 4:27 (Mike Barone) * I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good* 4:37 (Paul Francis Webster, Edward Kennedy Ellington) * My Melancholy Baby* 13:29 (G. Norton, E. Burnett) * The Masquerade Is Over** 5:19 (H. Magidson, A. Wrubel) * Juss Messin' Around 7:13 (Mike Barone) * Put Your Arms Around Me Honey* 8:02 (J. McCree, A. Von Tilzer) * By Candlelight** 4:40 (Bill Hood) * The Non-Viennese Waltz Blues* 13.:20 (Joe Gordon) * Flupp** 4:47 (Mike Barone) * My Heart Belongs To Daddy* 3:39 (Cole Porter) Price: $13.00/each Recorded at Donte's in North Hollywood, CA. Session Producer: George Jerman; Production Coordinator: Bob Edmondson; Mastering: Joe Sidore; Liner Notes: Mike Barone, Alan & Marilyn Bergman; Cover and Liner Photos: Mike Barone. Mike Barone's Big Band was an institution at Donte's in North Hollywood from 1966 to 1969. Through this working band, Mike Barone composed and arranged hundreds of charts, of which 300 were commissioned by Doc Severinsen. In addition to writing for the Tonight Show Band, Mike Barone is a highly accomplished trombonist. Thanks to George Jerman and his Ampex recorder and Joe Sidore's excellent mastering work, these classic moments are presented to a larger public for the first time almost 30 years to the day after they were created.

I don't mind so much. Yes, they're a bit pricey (the ones I got cost between $4 and $7, which I think is more than reasonable when compared to a lot of totally overpriced crud on the market) if you consider the amount of music that's on there, but they are also readily available and a great reissue program. Worth supporting, I think.

Fair enough.

There's a lot of things that I want that are not available for me to buy. Doesn't make it right for me to steal it. Let's use that one then. Let's say you want a nice piece of furniture from some known Scandinavian company that hasn't produced or distributed that piece in - say- 10 years and more. A few are available at outrageous prices around the globe, second-hand. BUT, at the same time, every (!) single shop in both your area and your country carries a copy. Nobody has ever been sued or even publicly reprimanded for selling that copy ... neither by the law nor by the government nor by anyone else (besides some people on some forum). To add to the list, the original manufacturer has not gone on record saying he/she minds in regard to that item. Nada. Let's then say this has been going on for years and even decades and - searching the Net - not only your real-world stores but also every single online source you frequent carries this material. It is everywhere, usually not further than three/four km away .... in every direction. We're not talking drug dealing in shady places here but open offers everywhere (!) you look ... even in the most respected places. So, you would travel to Japan and buy the table, pay a hefty import fee and be happy? Risk getting the material caught up in customs if it cost more than 20 Euro (incl. postage)? Cool. I decided not to anymore, after spending I don't know how much time and money buying thousands of legit issues (and still doing that 99% of the time, btw). If I I want a recording and it is readily available (for all intents and purposes, legally) all around me for a fraction of the price at the same quality, I go for it. Secondly, for years I pieced together sessions on legit issues, often getting material I wasn't in the least interested in to get a tune or two I was interested in. Hell, I even bought a turntable to stay legit. I have so many doubles just to get some complete sessions together that it's not funny anymore. A total waste of money and - in my eyes - a totally unacceptable business model by the labels that were entrusted with this material. Yes, I'm tired of doing that and, as has been said elsewhere, it's my prerogative. I'm totally cool with you guys being opposed, and I've heard it in tons of threads, but I think it's completely unnecessary to say it in each and every thread. Write it up (as many have) and link to it, if you like. Lastly, yes I was going to buy the Lonehill IF IT SOUNDED GOOD ... which was stated in this thread. That was the purpose of this thread, to find out if it sounded good. No more, and no less. Had anyone said, convincingly that it sucked, I would have dropped it. Nobody did, because it has excellent sound. That answered my question perfectly. What I didn't ask was if I was going to rot in hell for buying a LoneHill reissue. So, ... shall we continue? I'm game.

Yep, and I'm allowed my share.

Might have been dumb, but I'm so dead-tired of the same issues being pressed in every thread, every single time. Cheers!

Dave Bailey, still alive by the way, trying to pay the bills and making a living in the Jazz world, would probably thank you for buying it from the Lonehill pirates too. Don't go there, Kevin, or NoF will threaten to fit you for a halo, too. I think we'll make that the "Holier than Though /Slash/Double Standards of the Month" Award. There's an optional halo available. Plenty of people eligible for the award here. Secondly: None of these sessions are available in my country or nearby. So, maybe you two should send a mail to Mr. Bailey telling him to get his act together and find a label willing to sell his music in my and neighboring countries? If he can't do that, it's his own fault. If he can, I'd be more than happy to buy his stuff and make him some money. Cheers!

Well, I've got the LoneHill spinning as I type this and the sound is excellent! Nothing sonically inferior on this reissue! Thanks to the people recommending it here.

Thanks for all the recommendations. Looks like pretty much every single one of their reissues is recommended here so off to the marketplace I will go soon to complete my V.S.O.P. run before they are gone one day. With so many crappy reissues around today, maximized or otherwise tempered-with remasters, and a rather bleak future for larger numbers of quality reissues, it's good to have one more well of great-sounding CDs to tap into. Cheers!

As far as I can tell, things have been a bit quiet on the V.S.O.P. front since 2006 (last news item 06/15/06). Have they folded? No more material to release?

I suck at searching. Sorry.

Because some recent remasters made my ears bleed, I was more than surprised about the great sound quality on these. So, what are the few duds?

I might be late for the party on this one, but I just bought into some recommended CDs from V.S.O.P. A search here didn't turn anything up on the label itself, so ... Two of the discs arrived today, "Music to Fill a Void", by the Don Fagerquist Octet, and "Jazz for Relaxation", featuring Marty Paich, Joe Mondragon and Larry Bunker. These have a very nice, warm sound and satisfy my West Coast fits nicely (I get those regularly). Excellent job by the label on the transfer. I've got a few more on the way (cut & paste job): "On Vibes" (Feldman,Victor) "Richie Kamuca Quartet" (Richie Kamuca Quartet) "Pepper Adams Quintet" (Pepper Adams Quintet) "Flute Fraternity" (Herbie Mann with Buddy Collette) "Let's Get Acquainted with Jazz (For People Who Hate Jazz)" "A Jazz Band Ball First Set" (Paich, Marty) Anyone who can recommend more from this label?

I passed that one up a few years ago and could kick myself. Try finding that cheap anywhere today. :/

Got it. Thanks.

No idea if they're good, but that's a hosting service. The above are free weblog services. Peaches and apples and that sort of thing. Just to clarify.

And a great clock it is.

Aren't there any other trees in your neighborhood you can bark up, Dan? That PD issue has been discussed to death here. I'm sure all your CDs are legit, right? No burns? No copies? Nothing? No downloads? Ever participated in a BFT here? No? Get yourself a halo.

Vilcus plug dactyloadapter With group sessions power strip!

Andy. Thanks. That was the help I was hoping for. I live in Europe. My walls don't have ears. So, no need to worry. I have difficulties identifying the Japanese versions (usually, they are the pricey ones on the three European Amazons I frequent). Is there a Japanese site I could order these from?