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I'm very thankful for the set even though in the past I owned most of these titles on vinyl, and a few on inferior CD's. No, not for everyone. But certainly for me. I find 'In The World' and 'Glass Bead Games' to both be fantastic albums, but for different reasons and different seasons. I have always liked the Pharoah title on this box also, and the Brackeen and Cecil Payne, too. Glad to have the others also. And I don't remember EVER seeing a Strata-East in a cut-out bin. The label was exceedingly quirky at times, especially in its later stages, but this box is a gem. As are the Tolliver Mosaic Selects, the John Hicks title, and 'Reasons in Tonality' (talk about just playing, that one is something). The Piano Choir Handscapes 1. Juju. The incredible Billy Harper 'Capra Black'. Charles Sullivan. Shirley Scott's greatest album. Harold Vick. Gil Scott-Heron's landmark 'Winter in America'. The label was a treasure, horrible misfires (Brother Ah, Muriel Winston, Handscapes 2, Billy C) and all.

Much lower prices at CDJapan ($8.83 vs. $13.99), so go that way if you are ordering multiple titles.

Same here. That being said, certainly that is a more than fair price.

Two batches is correct, the one already out and the one coming in the next two weeks.

It was a wonderful musical time.

You're right about this could have been on Strata-East. In fact, it sort of was, in that the 17 minute "Baba Hengates" is on the Mtume Strata-East album ('Land of the Blacks') in an inferior version, also 17 minutes long. The Mtume album should have been great, given the personnel, but is unbearably sloppy, clearly lacking any meaningful rehearsal. The version on this Terry album is pretty awesome.

I agree it sounds like Dex.

I really like that Jack Wilkins session! Have never heard the Jeffrey (or the Coleman).

I found that Galper's leader dates became painfully "safe" during his era with Woods. Some of the stuff he did with the Breckers in the late 70's breathed fire!

Gotcha. Never heard of the White Elephant Orchestra, but that's quite a lineup! I lived and breathed a lot of those Impulse releases in that period (was able to get a lot of cheap promos/cutouts of Impulse and Mainstream titles), and it stiil speaks to me. The John Klemmer Impulse titles (Don Ellis Connection) etc. Michael White. Norman Connors and Carlos Garnett on Cobblestone/Muse also. And some interesting contemporaneous things over in England and Germany during those years (Embryo with Charlie Mariano for instance). Stanley Clarke's great 'Children of Forever' album. The whole thing went south hard ca. 1975, Guess people saw money to be made by dumbing it down. Not familar with the music on those Charles Williams sides, need to check them out (I guess youtube is my friend) and have not heard the Shelley Manne (props to him for being willing to explore). Have had the others in one form or another at different points through the years. Frank Foster - The Loud Minority is another. Always find it all pretty thrilling, even if they aren't always masterpieces. Appreciate the Quest.

Agreed on Iapetus, and on the music/playing. I remember Dreams (and Compost, for that matter) well, and liked/like them and what they were trying (except for that bizarre second album by Dreams), but was not plugged in to know the fallout from them. Can you (or anyone) expound?

Great listen start to finish. #3 and #5 are right up one of my alleys, and #8 and #10 are right up another of my alleys. I imagine I have #'s 1,8, and 10 on my shelves, and I am sure I know #8, but my brain is in a pretty addled state right now. Looking forward to the reveals, and #8 (and maybe #10) will come to me when I am thinking more clearly. Not sure if #8 is a Bobby Watson comp originally done with the Jazz Messengers?

It was definitely the headphones. On a more serious note, I do agree wit your points - some very "off" sounding recording/mixing on a lot of those albums.

Me too.

I always LIKED the Buckinghams a lot (especially "Kind of a Drag", "Susan", "Hey Baby, They're Playing Our Song", and a b-side called "Foreign Policy"), I also like Rhodes and a lot of Disco (especially the Chic family of artists, love the rhythm). But that's certainly not the response you are looking for. But I realize that what I like is just a personal snapshot of what I like, and does not begin to complete any comprehensive picture of the overall aesthetic value of anything (I don't "do" rap/hip-hop , but that doesn't mean there isn't "good" and "bad" ideas in that genre), and maybe that is closer to what you're getting at.

Agreed from the opposite side, I'm an old guy too, but generally enjoy the label and love the Harold Land's and the first two Buddy Terry's.

Agreed on both points. Different era, different label, I would pass on it, but that era/label are meaningful to me past the absolute musical content of the album.

Noticed that today out on the site, had some expiring points to look to use, ordered the McPherson, Dave Hubbard, Kynard, Coles, Galper, Barry Miles.

I don't think he ever went after it. I have had short exchanges with him twice over the years, and he is truly a renaissance man, and I think he has been even more drawn to art and photography than to music. Here is his wikipedia biography. Having studied Art and Zoology in Morehouse College, Atlanta, he moved on to be the first recipient of Howard University's MFA degree. in 1963. In 1964-5, he did further study in Lithography at Paris' L'Ecole Nationale Des Beaux Arts. During his residence in France, he spent a considerable amount of time with Pablo Picasso and his wife, Jacqueline in Cannes. He has also studied music composition privately with the composer Hale Smith, music theory and flute technique with the jazz musician Eric Dolphy, and classical flute technique and repertoire with Harold Jones. McNeill taught at several institutes of higher education, and is Professor Emeritus of Mason Gross School of the Arts, at Rutgers University, New Jersey, having retired in 2001. Through the 1970s, and in addition to his position in Art, McNeill also taught Afro-American Music History, private flute lessons, and was instrumental in launching the Jazz Studies Program at Rutgers University. McNeill has exhibited his paintings and drawings at several galleries and colleges in the U.S. Northeast. He published two volumes of poems: Blackline: A Collection of Poems, Drawings and Photographs and After the Rain: A Collection of New Poems. In 2007, Lloyd McNeill was chosen by the USPS to design a postage stamp for the celebration of Kwanzaa 2009.[2]

Anything new coming from Black Saint/Soul Note?

Don't hesitate on Washington Suite. You need it.

Grab them while you can. Utterly beautiful albums. I put "Asha" on my first BFT - no one ID'd it and everyone loved it.

Now $13.99 on Amazon.

Elaborations/Light Blue/Put Sunshine in It coming as a twofer. https://www.bgo-records.com/albums/bgocd1304-elaborations-light-blue-arthur-blythe-plays-thelonious-monk-put-sunshine-in-it

#3 is "The Mooche" from Herbie Mann's 'Today' album. I have a lot of happy listening ahead to try to figure out some other titles, and #10 is going to need to be added to my collection if it isn't already there. I don't doubt the technical shortcomings pointed out, but my untrained ears just go for this. Enjoying the drumming immensely. Billy Higgins?