Ed S

The cover doesn't do much for me either. I guess I just don't think it represents the music very well. Mother Ship is an excellent date, IMO, from Youngs late BN period. The music is adventurous and forward looking. To me, this cover looks too much like an attempt at a classic Blue Note session and evokes the early to mid 60s. I'd have liked a cover as adventurous as the music, if you know what I mean.

The full article on jazz vocalists is posted in the Jazz in Print forum. Here's the quote regarding Al Green:

I tried the link and you have to fill out some info that I'm not sure folks enjoy doing, so here's the article: Jazz Vocalists Connecting with Record Buyers Reuters Saturday, September 13, 2003; 3:24 PM By Dan Ouellette NEW YORK (Billboard) - Jazz is most often associated with instrumentals, but today's charts tell a different story: Jazz vocalists are selling the most CDs. Norah Jones' Blue Note debut "Come Away With Me" has topped the Billboard Contemporary Jazz list for more than a year. And Diana Krall's Verve recordings occupy lofty positions for months on end. Meanwhile, such newcomers as Peter Cincotti (Concord Jazz) and Lizz Wright (Verve) are rubbing chart elbows with such veterans as Diane Schuur (Concord Jazz) and Tony Bennett With k.d. lang (RPM/Columbia). "It's the human voice, the lyrics," says Bruce Lundvall, president/CEO of Blue Note Records. "With vocalists, listeners have an easier time making the transition from pop music to jazz," says Lundvall, who has presided over Blue Note's big success with Jones. Her CD is approaching worldwide sales of 15 million, according to the label. "Becoming a serious jazz fan -- to get into music by Charlie Parker or Joe Lovano -- requires ear training. You can't just jump into instrumental jazz from rock." Under Lundvall, Blue Note has signed several vocalists who have risen to the top of the class, including Cassandra Wilson, Patricia Barber and Kurt Elling. Lundvall also fostered the careers of Bobby McFerrin (who rejoined the fold recently), Holly Cole (who recorded five albums for boutique subsidiaries Manhattan and Metro Blue) and Rachelle Farrell (whose 1990 debut, "First Instrument," has sold more than 700,000 copies worldwide). Among Lundvall's most recent signings are veteran vocalists Van Morrison and Al Green. Morrison's first Blue Note CD, the blues- and jazz-infused "What's Wrong With This Picture?," will be released Oct. 21. Green's label debut, "I Can't Stop," is due Nov. 18. Has Jones floated the Blue Note boat in the past year? Lundvall says no. "Before the album was released, we were making a nice profit. But Norah gave us an extraordinary year. We've seen more black ink than red." That's good news for such Blue Note instrumentalists as Lovano, Greg Osby, Pat Martino and Jason Moran. "We don't have to worry about dropping people from the label," Lundvall says. "Blue Note is very serious about instrumental music. That's why we signed Terence Blanchard and Wynton Marsalis." VERVE FOR VOCALS Others share Blue Note's new emphasis on jazz vocals. Ron Goldstein, president/CEO of the Verve Music Group, acknowledges that it is easier for vocalists to connect with audiences than instrumentalists. Goldstein recalls making some controversial roster decisions in the aftermath of the 1998 GRP and Verve merger. "I put in a big push for vocalists," he says. "It was very difficult, because Verve has always stood for instrumental jazz. But if business is slow, you've got to survive. "So I've pared down our roster, keeping a nucleus of instrumental artists who are icons and whose sales are in the black," he says. "Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Roy Hargrove and Michael Brecker not only sell well in the U.S. but also overseas." In general, Goldstein says, instrumental jazz sales are disappointing -- and unprofitable. "A strong-selling jazz album means only 30,000 units. But in recent years, even people like Wynton Marsalis and Joshua Redman have seen their sales figures slide." Goldstein believes there's a fundamental reason why vocalists have been so strong in the jazz marketplace. INSTRUMENTAL DISCONNECT "I've been saying this for four years, and I've been criticized for it, but I feel there's a disconnect between artists who play instrumental jazz and the mass audience. The music is too intellectual, too heady. The playing is so far removed from what most audiences can comprehend. "But if a singer renders an old Gershwin tune, people respond immediately," he adds. "That's why standards albums are selling. There's a demand for them." Goldstein figures that labels are finally waking up to that marketplace reality. "A lot of these listeners grew up with Van Morrison, Steely Dan, Paul Simon, James Taylor. It's a natural progression for them to listen to vocal jazz." Krall has been Verve's key retail draw in the past several years. Newcomer Wright, whose debut, "Salt," came out earlier this year, has been a strong seller as well. In all, she has sold more than 51,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Wright also has attracted the attention of Spike Lee, who has been so captivated by her album that he's signed on to shoot a video for her song "Open Your Eyes." Italian-born, New York-based singer Chiara Civello is an upcoming Verve vocalist who is already creating a buzz. Her debut will be produced by Russ Titelman. Linda Ronstadt and George Benson also have new albums tentatively scheduled for a first-quarter 2004 release. VOCALISTS GALORE In recent months, there have been plenty of releases featuring jazz vocalists, some with pop histories. Earlier this year, Boz Scaggs threw his hat into the jazz ring by releasing "But Beautiful," an album of standards on his Gray Cat label. The latest pop star to swing into the jazz zone is four-time Grammy Award-winning crooner Aaron Neville, whose debut jazz outing, "Nature Boy -- The Standards Album," produced by Paul Mounsey, was issued in August by Verve. Some jazz fans worry that vocalist domination might not be such a good thing for the music in the long run. Will singers eclipse saxophonists in the marketplace? Lundvall, who was honored Sept. 8 by the Nordoff-Robbins Foundation for his contributions to the music industry, has no such concern. "I don't think it's that much different today than it was in the past," he says. "Even though we don't have the sales figures, I would guess that in the '50s, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington outsold the instrumentalists of the day like Monk and Miles. That was certainly true in the '80s. After we signed Dianne Reeves in 1987, she became our best-selling artist. She's continued to be one of our biggest sellers." Reuters/Billboard

Here's a link to an article in the Washington Post. Jazz Vocalists Connecting with Record Buyers Bruce Lundvall is quoted as is Ron Goldstein, who comments on "the instrumental disconnect" Some interesting news about Al Green

I was just going to post the Blue Note info but you beat me to it. Interesting coincidence

Well I checked out parts of a half dozen or so of the songs. Some nice tunes. Nothing earth-shattering. I liked St James Infirmary. The originals I checked out were either Bluesy/R&B sort of numbers or what I would consider to be standard Morrison fare. I have not bought a Van Morrison album since the 80s, I think. This one sort of puts him on my radar screen and as I've always liked him, I'll pick it up.

I was going to post the album cover but I see Aggie beat me to it. Nice cover! There's some songs to sample on the BN site. I'm going back there to check 'em out.

My first car. Well I had one just like it. My brother and I paid $150 for it in 1977 or 78. It's a 1961 Dodge. After that one crapped out, I subsequently picked up 2 others over the years. I had one as recently as 1995. After my first son was born, my wife "helped me decide" that I did not have the time to maintain the car any longer and that I needed something more reliable. Actually, it was a pain in the ass and I'm glad I got rid of it. More money to buy CDs!

After getting hooked into leasing for a number of years (1 car each for me and my wife) - I decided get out of leasing and buy. In 98, I bought a new Dodge Stratus which I've paid off and still have. Last year, when my lease expired on my mini-van, I went out and paid $5000 cash for a 1996 Chrysler Town and Country mini-van. Great vehicle. Power everything, the air conditioning works and it has a fabulous stereo system with a CD player. Mini-vans come in very handy for driving the kids around to various athletic events, camping etc. I love this car and am SO glad that I'm not paying for 2 cars.

Please move the Patton set in my post above from the "not as excited" category into the "fits the bill perfectly" category. Thank you

My wife happens to be a fan of the Holland Quintet. I can attest to the added marital bliss that this common interest brings.

Excellent, excellent release. Here's another thread from the recommendations form that has a few posts as well: Dave Holland Quintet Live

I like the idea of a vinyl forum as well. I have a decent sized vinyl collection and would like to accumulate more. A forum with various vinyl related threads is a nice idea

I have 20, only 5 of which were "upgrades".

I'm too lazy to look up how it is that "Passing Ships" was never released. It was something about the sound. Does anyone recall?

I couldn't remember if I'd posted on this thread or not since I have this disc and like it a lot. Looks like I had not posted so I'll add my 2 cents - I recommend it highly. It is quite competent.

I love the concept of Mosaic Select as a way of getting out some obscure artists/material in easily affordable 3 packs. I guess for me that Carmell Jones and Randy Weston fit the bill perfectly. As for the Moncur, Green, Patton, and Chambers - I've got most of the material so while I'm picking them up for what I don't have - I'm not as excited about their release. Looking forward to the Amy and I think it was Bob Cooper. I'd like to hear more PJ stuff and wish they'd dig into the Roulette vaults a little more. I'm still hoping for a Don Pullen and/or George Adams and have put off picking up material by these guys through ebay in hopes of someday being rewarded. I know there was talk of a Tyner Mosaic, but a select of his post 1985 material might be nice too

Ingrate

Congratulations on a great deal. Nice to see when a board members scores one of these deals.

What Mark said. Keep politics in the political forum and threads therein. There's plenty of opportunity to show us your stuff there. B)

I have to confess to never paying attention to the spelling before. I always assumed it was Blue TRANE since after all, it is Trane.

I'll say they're cheap. There's a Live Basie as well Live Basie Same disclaimers apply

Oh, and by the way, I find the Jazzmatazz site to be a terrific resource. Since I purchase most of my new CD purchases from CD Universe, I always go to it through Alan's site. It's a very easy way to help him out and well worth the couple of seconds is takes.

I've only got a couple of Parker albums in my collection and want to exlore is music in greater depth So it figures, I was debating between the Verve Parker set and the Dial/Savoy set and decided on the Dial/Savoy. I'm guessing that there would be significant overlap between the Dial/Savoy set and this JSP. Any know if I am correct in this assumption?

I don't even know why I'm posting on this anymore since I have neither of the RVGs in question, don't mean to disparage Bob Blumenthal, and further more, really don't care all that much. BUT- purely from a paragraph construction point of view - the paragraph does seem to flow better when you start it with sentence number two. Placed where it is, sentence number 1 does seem a bit redundant and even misleading as the opening sentence of the paragraph (and notes) since it puts the focus on the quintet sessions, not the trio session. "Ever since he began his career as a bandleader in 1956, it has been hard to think of the name Horace Silver without the word quintet attached. Silver's immediate and ongoing success in presenting a unit with a two-horn front line tempts us to overlook his earlier triumphs in the trio format, sessions that were the source of his initial popularity........" That just seems to read much better and logically as an opening line. I stand by my assessment. Mr Blumenthal probably opened his Finger Poppin file and used it as a way to help himself formulate his notes for the trio session. As I myself have done more than enough times when using this method to revise proposals and other communications, I'll bet he forgot to delete the first sentence. Not that the sentence is totally awful. To me it seems unnecessary, redundant, and misleading (in a formulation of thoughts sort of way). If I submitted this to one of my instructors when I was in school, I'd imagine it would come back with the first sentence stricken out in red. If it was intentional, I'll just say that it is a poorly constructed opening paragraph for the trio album and leave it at that. Okay so I'm a nitpicker - and an ingrate. I suppose that's better that being a whiny nitpicker, sort of B)