mmilovan

On the other hand Django's Mosaic set is the worst sounding Django. I must admit (don't have right to criticize), I've heard the same transfers as on Mosaic, on some old CD (if you're interesting in, I can try to trace what transfers on what particular CD sounds the same as on Mosaic). They both have one technical issue I remembered: portions of attacks of Grapelly's notes and f.e. trumpet player notes are wiped off so you can hear it audibly well - because of using early stages of some digital filter. It's possible Mosaic used that old material while not doing transfers from 78s, don't know what is the case here. Speaking about JSP set - it sounds marvelous, and vinyl pressings of some old 78s can bring sparkling sound with no noise at all. Of course, there are 2 or 3 takes in such sound, but I thing they are gorgeous... real audio gems.

And one vocal as well as few scat recordings survived...

Yep, pretty good clarinet playing was recorded. Jimmie Dorsey - alto and clarinet Benny Goodman - b flat and e flat clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpet, alto Harry Carney - baritone and bass clarinet Willie Smith - alto and clarinet Johnu Hodges - alto and sopran saxes

I'm great admirerer of Chet, and always thought he was very gifted, talented musican. Missed him in Belgrade concert so many years ago - watched concert at TV, looked to me as ruined person... just few months or so he felt from that Amsterdam hotel - room window. His early days were something I can listen hundred of times. Example: few days ago I purchased CD (no detailed discographical data) with live Baker from 1950's doing singing, and trumpet playing, while at the backgroung you can identify Phil Urso (almost replaced him with Pres - so is his playing connected with Lester way back then). I like that type of music: sublime, not so agressive or mind-bouncing, still you have everything there: good and real jazz-singing, bunch of very interesting solos and structure. What more can someone expect?

Nothing till now... These CDs were lost somewhere, I'm afraid...

Berry played in Basie band as well, so...

And now, a bit of trivia: somewhere I've read (kill me, but I can not recall from what source) that Glen Miller's band "borrowed" a lot from Lunceford band as far as appearance and stage manerisms are about. And that is easily comparable: there are a few film clips/footages survived from both bands. But, it is important to mention that Lunceford did it back in 1935-6 (I saw "Rhythm Is Our Busyness") and Miller... well... five years after...

As far as I know, V discs were method for distribution of studio recorded music, and AFRS were live shows on various stages - I think no wide distribution of those. Even the format was different, V discs were 78 rpm, and AFRS were recorded on acetates, 33 rpm (simillar as radio transcriptions) - and that means much better sound...

So, there is posibility to ask them questions about Lunceford band...

Need I say how carefull listeners do we have here! One almost forgotten band seen through new prism. Flurin, your imressions are absolutely amazing! Can't wait to hear what you'll have to say about "White Heat" and "Lunceford Special", my all-time favourites... And to all Miles admireres, carefull listening to Freddie Webster would be essential. Now, do someone know did Lunceford finished his life by natural cause (somewhere I've read it was heart attack) or something more dramatic? And, what instruments Jimmie Lunceford played by himself... any solos by bandleader?

I think Shaw put these words to let us know how perfectly balanced that band was, not franctic nor cold and boring, etc.

Yeah, Smith was really something! My newest disc has Willie Smith in large quantities, and you're absolutely right about him, he was capable, perfect solist on alto, just right there with Carter and Hodges.

No discs for me, too, I'm afraid, nothing came until today...

Hello people, I think that the best words ever for Lunceford's band came from Artie Shaw (thanks Leon for this interview): "There a lot of people talk about Duke Ellington and his band. Of course, interestingly enough, very few people are talking about Jimmy Lunceford, who had the best black band of all. 'Cause Jimmy had something in his band that Duke didn't have. Duke's essential thing was total freedom. The men could do what they wanted to do, and as a result, when they were good they were good, when they were bad they were horrid. The little girl with the curl in her forehead. The band could be terrible. And other times it could be absolutely great. So there's a great price for freedom. Very difficult to take fourteen or eighteen men and let them all go their own way. On the other hand, there's that fine line where you go too disciplined and then you end up with Glenn Miller. Jimmy Lunceford was the perfect in-between. The reason I talk about him is you talk Duke, you gotta talk about Jimmy. Jimmy had the same number of men in his band, was highly disciplined, they did the same things and they played and they showed up. Duke's men were a bunch of prima donnas. So when they were together they were marvelous, and Duke made a lasting mark. Unfortunately, people don't seem to understand the mark that Jimmy did. Jimmy left a tremendous mark, Lunceford. You said Duke was a slicker. What was his attitude toward the whole enterprise? Well, Duke was a very, very slick guy. The word is slick. He dressed extremely well, he was fascinated by clothes, fascinated by women. And he lived his life in the way he did. He was a big dessert man. I don't know whether you know anything about him, but when he went on the road, he would make desserts. Duke was a sense, sensible, sensual man. And that showed up in the music. When it was good, it was tremendous. But he was a victim of his own ego to a great degree. We all have egos, some of us are in charge of them, some of us aren't. If you're not in charge of your ego, it can do disastrous things for you. And Duke, fortunately the good moments were captured. The good thing about records is you can keep the best and throw out the junk. There was a lot of junk. With Jimmy there was very little junk. Jimmy Lunceford, I keep coming back to that. In order to understand Duke, you have to understand Jimmy Lunceford. I'm asking to keep them separate. I'm trying, it's hard."

It's the same situation with me, I'm afraid... I haven't received BFT #25 untill today, unfortionatelly...

Now, when my mind and soul are so satisfied, being able to hear Kirby/Sullivan Lang-Worth transcriptions, I must say how great Maxine was... a perfect female singer to my ears. It is interesting to know what Roy Eldridge said after hers funeral: "She was a great little singer... up to the last moment. She had a style of singing that nobody could match. It was very subtle, but it was swinging"

Mine too. Why did Lester stop playing clarinet in the 1930s (other than that single very strange late Verve session)? Explanation usually given is that it was stolen from his dressing room. However, some members of Lesters early postwar groups said he played it occasionaly around 1948 or so - still no evidence on records. Still I like Lester playing clarinet so much(I played it 5 years, and right it is real hell, but once I fall in love with its low register tones, so...), but never sucess in recognizing when its metal or wooden one on few recordings that survived...

I like his sides with Dushko Goykovich, live, two of them fits perfectly well.

R.I.P. Mr. Heath - the real giant, and, as someone said, very underated musican. I will never forget concert MJQ held in Belgrade so many years ago. Now, if I'm not wrong only Mr Kay is still here with us, 3 members of that famous group left us too fast...........

We will get our discs, I'm sure... We have enough patience, I'm sure as well...

Nice!!!

These are very sad news, I like Niels very much, no matter the setting. He really was great bass player. R.I.P. NHØP

Additional story to this would be - how 33.33 rpm "format" is old: it goes back to end of 1920's and synchronization of first sound movies. So transcription records format (exactly the same 16 inch disc) probably derives from there. In my local record store they have some very interesting 16 inch transcription disc from (around) late 1940's I think, for VOA. They have it on old vintage "Victrola" and the whole thing serves as (not very succesfull or original) decoration to shop window. Crap... Label says these are recordings of Les Paul with his combo. Are they live or strictly transcriptions, God knows. But, unpleasant shop assistant didn't want to talk about borrowing it for transfer or to sell it.

Something about fidelty of those discs: I think it's becuse different recording techinique was used while recording transcriptions. Material was often recorded on 33 rpm lacquier discs - quiet, more precise, simllar to LP record, small groove discs usually around 16 inch in diameter and with no usual 78rpm disturbances such as surface noise, no 3 1/2 or 4 1/2 minute time limit etc. Later, in the beggining of 1940's, as Chris Albertson pointed out somewhere, the same techinque was used to record "safe" recordings of regular 78rpm discs, alternate takes and so on. That's how famous Billie Holiday 4 minutes long alternative take of "All Of Me" survived till nowadays. And it is sonicaly perfect! The most interesting thing is that, on this take, you can hear some weak but audible rhytmic repetitions/patterns/squeaks (probably rumble noise), and, correct me if I'm wrong - those noises have 33 rpm "feel". It was so strange to me, I always thought all those recordings before WWII were recorded at 78rpm... Now I know the story...