Rooster_Ties

Well, I’ll have to give you TWO. First, and foremost, you really have to get the sax-less quartet one, Bremen ‘83 (iirc), I forget the exact title of the release. I’d had that one on CD for 14 years, and it’s nothing short of astoundingly good. Then I’ll have to give it some thought as to which other one to recommend. Cuz really, nearly all of them - at least the ones I have - are all stellar (and all of them sound better than the previous High Notes).

Never enough Woody Shaw. I keep trying to tell myself I've got enough too, but then they start issuing stuff like they have recently, and it's all jaw-droppingly good (performance-wise, and sound-quality/recording-quality too), and I have zero self control.

Does anyone else have this Mal date from 1966(!), recorded in Italy (iirc) -- with Giovanni Tommaso (bass), and Pepito Pignatelli (drums). https://www.dustygroove.com/item/702159 https://www.discogs.com/Mal-Waldron-Trio-Mal-Waldron-Trio/release/6326893 Very much a transitional date, and it certainly foreshadows where Mal was going on Free At Last just a few short years later. It's nowhere near as refined (or as bold a statement) as Free At Last, but if you know where he's headed, it's clear this was a stopping point along the way (just prior). Just for giggles, I'm going to quote the Dusty Groove prose, for posterity -- since this is a fairly obscure date, and I doubt the text will forever be available/accessible via Dusty's site. Mine cost me $20 from Dusty (brand new). It's a nifty date, but I'm not sure I absolutely needed it (at least not at that price), but I've got it, and no big regrets. Mal Waldron -- Mal Waldron Trio CD (Item 702159) Karim/SeriE.WOC (Italy), 1966 One of the rarest Mal Waldron albums of the 60s – and one of the best, as well – an obscure trio date recorded in Italy, filled with original compositions, and a great link between Mal's hardbop work of the 50s and his freer sounds to come! There's a nice sense of darkness throughout – the energy that Waldron brought to some of his best late 50s dates as a leader for Prestige – a way of phrasing that's quite different than most of Mal's contemporaries, with elements that are brought out strongly by the trio's work of Giovanni Tommaso on bass. Pepito Pignatelli plays drums, but keeps things subtle – so most of the record's key interplay is between Waldron and Tommaso – and titles include "Steady Bread", "Blues For Picchi", "Maroc", "For Bob", "Speedy", and "Theme De Coureurs" – as well as a great version of "Chim Chim Cheree".

I guess I'll have to try and check the expanded version out on Spotify (if I can - I'm not a Spotify subscriber). And I'll have to hope maybe some pricy Japanese CD of the expanded version will surface someday. I'd gladly pay a premium for the whole thing on CD -- as this is really such a WONDERFUL album. But I'm loath to buy it as a download, and I'm not very enthused about buying it on vinyl (as I almost never buy vinyl, unless it's something older that's never been on CD). And besides, it's 4-sides long, so you gotta flip not one -- but TWO albums -- just to hear what amounts to something like 70-minutes of music. I did just listen to my old CD of "Free At Last" a couple days ago -- for the first time in a couple years -- and what an absolutely amazing album, and a real triumph for Mal. I wonder what any contemporaneous reviews of "Free At Last" said about it??

8 CD’s total, how is it packaged? Two 4-disc “fat-boy” jewel boxes? - like the old Andrew Hill and Larry Young boxes? Or is it housed in four 2-disc “slim-line” jewel boxes? - I think that’s what they’re called. I mean the ones that house 2 CD’s in the space (thickness) of a standard 1-CD Jewel Box (like the Elvin Jones 8-disc set).

500, wow! That's a fairly impressive number, me thinks. Not all Mobley's, I realize.

Yup, a LOT of really great live Woody Shaw came out this year (or the last 18 months) -- most of it as good or (frankly) even better than most of the previous High Note live dates (which were still great). Reminds me I still need to pick up a couple of them, but I've got the majority of all the new Woody Shaw, and they're all pretty stellar.

Up for the New Year! I’ll be checking nearly daily. Really looking forward to discovering a lot of new music, new to me at least - and revisiting some old friends, so to speak. Bravo on the first two entires, which were more extensive than I could read on my 15-minute subway ride into work.

Isn't there a single-disc version?? - but with extra material pushing the disc past the 60-minute (70-minute?) mark? I seem to remember considering trying to track one down, when the 3CD version seemed way overpriced secondhand (after it'd long gone OOP). (I seem to remember the original single-disc version (that was just like the LP) was kind of on the short side, iirc.) Not an album I've ever seen used (out in the wild), and I've only heard a few tracks from via YouTube uploads.

Wasn’t ever even aware of him, until he turned up in the mornings on MSNBC (simulcast with his radio show), pre-“Morning Joe”, which I might have discovered around 2003 or so (best guess). But I rarely watched him, and we’ve always had NPR on the radio in the meanings (since shortly after I got out of college in the early 90’s). Perhaps I might have taken some interest in him much earlier, but by 2003/4/5, he just seemed like an opinionated loudmouth, who — admittedly — didn’t talk super-loud (I must admit). But his personality seemed like that of many loudmouths I’d known, so thus I categorized him that way. RIP; I don’t mean to suggest otherwise.

FWIW, last year around this time, I sent 2 CD’s (in jewel boxes) together in the same package - from the US to the UK, and it cost me a hair over $20, maybe closer to $22-$23. Absolute highway robbery, as I was expecting more like $10-12 maybe. Tried to send them ‘media mail’, but no such option was available. Whatever manner of shipping, $20-$23 was the absolute cheapest option available. Again, FWIW. I hadn’t sent anything overseas in close to 15 years, and I was astounded at the cost (especially since it was a gift, on my dime).

Slice of the Top is my #1 favorite Mobley leader-date. Great in every way: writing, arranging, ensemble-work, soloing, complete with Lee Morgan — what’s not to love!!

Looks like #10 is available directly from the composer himself... https://jaelembhate.ca/jazz 'On the edge' is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, and all other major streaming platforms. Available for free on youtube music and Soundcloud. Like what you hear? Consider contacting me to purchase a signed copy of the CD, and help support the next record! https://jaelembhate.ca/contact

As far as #3 goes, all I can seem to find is a 'contact page' for the band itself (on their own website). You could contact them directly, and ask? https://www.stageband.nl/contact/ But here's #4 on CD!! -- turns out I had to take the "-" (the dash) out of "gen-next" in my search -- or at least that seemed to get more more relevant results (though you'd think Google wouldn't have such wildly different results from different punctuation like that, such a small difference). https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/ralphpetersonsgennextbigband1

OK, here's #2 from the list. I wasn't really sure if this was a CD -- or maybe just a download(?) -- but when you add it to your cart, it does have shipping options (and shipping costs!!), which implies it's a physical product! So this sure seems like a real CD to me... https://www.octason-records.com/en/product/neuland-peter-tenner-jazz-orchester

Here's a lot of beautiful PICTURES of item #1 from the list, of the CD and its marvelous packaging!! https://www.behance.net/gallery/77807639/NEW-ROTTERDAM-JAZZ-ORCHESTRA-ROTTERDAM-SUITE

Gosh, I'm sure I used to order stuff from them years and years ago -- but it must have been 10-15 years ago, and I barely remember anything other than I have some familiarity with the name is all. Will have to check out their new site then.

I almost never do downloads (3-4 releases total, over the last decade, literally). And I only buy vinyl if there's no other option -- and even then, never "new releases" that are only on vinyl (though I will occasionally buy some older vinyl, for something that's never been on CD ever, or is impossible to find on CD). I suppose eventually I might have to buy actual "new" new releases on vinyl, to avoid downloads (which I hate), but it hasn't come to that yet. I too prefer CD's FAR AND AWAY over every other format, but I guess I'm a dying breed. Might be easier if I was already 70, and my "buying years" were more limited -- but I expect to have some continued interest in music for another 20-25 years, I hope. As a result, 80% of my purchases (overall), have been of older product that was released years ago -- almost always stuff by older artists I'm just discovering now. But new artists, for the most part, I'll never hear 95% of their stuff as a result. I guess I'm entirely the one to blame, but I refuse to dump money into downloads, i.e. data that I won't necessary have reliable access to 10-20 years from now unless all the planets stay in perfect alignment to keep all that virtual music accessible in perpetuity.

I'm almost positive I had Directions on CD at one point, which I sold after I'd gotten everything from it via all the metal-spine boxes. Funny though, I can't for the life of me very specifically remember when I got it -- or when I got rid of it. Used to be 15 years ago, I could look at any CD in my collection, and tell you not only about when I got it (within a year or two), but also WHERE it was that I bought it. Now, I can barely do that with 30% of my collection any more (if that much, even).

#6 on your list is available here... https://remyleboeuf.bandcamp.com/album/assembly-of-shadows NONE of the others are even listed on Discogs.org (actually none of the entire list are), fwiw.

I would agree that Lee Morgan is a better fit, though I don't think Freddie Hubbard was really all that far off. That said, and on a related topic... …I'm sure one could make the argument that Andrew Hill wasn't really the best fit with Hank either (the session of 2-OCT-1963, with Lee Morgan - released in full as the McMaster 1989 edition of No Room For Squares). But I really enjoy that session with Hill, not because its such a 'great fit' (because it isn't really) -- but it's interesting to hear Hank playing in a context that isn't so sympathetic. It's not like Hank being on a real Hill leader-date, but it is a little bit like that now and then. It's a little like how it would be hard to argue that Kenny Dorham was the best fit to play with Andrew Hill -- and yet, it's really quite interesting to hear Dorham with Andrew on Joe Henderson's Our Thing, and also Hill's own Point of Departure. I imagine Hank would have been especially good if Hill had attempted another Grass Roots type session -- perhaps even better than the results of that No Room For Squares session, actually. Food for thought, anyway.

Willie (‘the’ Willie) was apparently a bit of a boxer himself, at least in so much that Miles was one too. No idea if that’s the connection or not, but fwiw... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/willie-nelson-interview-always-look-for-hope/amp/ > Nelson says: "I have always been interested in keeping fit and doing boxing and wrestling. As a youngster, I loved Charles Atlas, Bruce Lee and Kung Fu. But when I lived in Nashville I switched to doing Taekwondo. Miles is mentioned in passing, as well as some more general thoughts on jazz by Willie.

And here’s the hard way... https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/2636760?ev=rb I’ve been looking for a VG+ copy for less than $55 (incl. shipping to the US) for a few years now, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a copy for anything less than well over $80. Been temped, but that’s a little more than I can bring myself to pay.

Part of it for me *is space* just as much as the outlay of cash for this new set. I've got too damn many CD's as it is, and I really can't justify having two physical copies of that many CD's with the exact same material. Our 1BR, 630 sq-ft apartment is overflowing with too much stuff as it is now. If I got this new Mosaic, I'd really need to get rid of 75% of the individual CD's of that same set -- but in all honesty, I really prefer individual CD's when given the option (because of having the original cover art, and not having albums/original-sessions split across two physical discs). I took the plunge on the Bee Hive box in support of Mosaic, even though I really only was super-interested in about 30% of it. No regrets at all with the Bee Hive, but harder to justify when there isn't even 5 minutes of previously unreleased material (which isn't a complaint about the new Hank set, but it is what it is). May be the same with the Lee Morgan box for me too, we'll see. If they manage to find 6 or 8 previously unreleased tracks (like the rest of that 13-Sept-1968 session, plus a few other alternates here and there), then I might take the plunge for the Lee Morgan.

Ha! More specifically, I have every one of these albums on CD, including the 2012 TOCJ Japanese reissue of Third Season -- the one with the alternate of "Don't Cry, Just Sigh" (and the only release with that alternate) -- which I'm pretty sure is the only rare track on this new Mosaic, and the only one that's 'sorta new' (since it's only been released once, on just that one Japanese reissue).