HutchFan

Tchaikovsky: Francesca Da Rimini; Hamlet / Leopold Stokowski, Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York [aka the NYPO] (Everest) This music is right in Stoki's wheelhouse. Ashkenazy's entire Sibelius cycle is excellent, imho. Great Decca sound too!

Yes indeed!

Still on a Enrico Pieranunzi kick: Disc 2

Excellent! I just wish the audio fidelity was a little better. Lately, I keep coming back to this: Enrico Pieranunzi & Bert van den Brink - Daedalus' Wings (Challenge) As compelling as any two-piano duos I've heard.

Mal Waldron Quintet - Where Are You? (Soul Note, 1989) I love the Sonny Fortune/Ricky Ford two-sax front line on this record. The saxes sound terrific here -- just as they do on the other record from this same session, Crowd Scene.

If your name is Ella and you're a singer, you BETTER be good! NP: The Progressive Don Friedman (Progressive, 1978) with Frank Luther (b) & Billy Hart (d)

Abdullah Ibrahim - Mindif (Enja) with a stellar line-up -- Abdullah Ibrahim (p, fl, vo); Ricky Ford (ts, ss); Craig Handy (ts, fl); Benny Powell (tb); David Williams (b) and Billy Higgins (d, perc)

Mads Vinding Trio - The Kingdom (Where Nobody Dies) (Stunt) with Enrico Pieranunzi & Alex Riel

Don Friedman - Avenue of the Americas (Owl, rec. 1979) Solo piano. Just picked this up today at Wuxtry in Decatur. First listen. Really enjoying it.

Now: Cal Tjader - Primo (Fantasy) Earlier: Julius Hemphill & Abdul Wadud - Live in New York (Red)

Disc 1 and

O.K. Then it's very possible that audio quality is better on the new Japanese set.

Just an aside: I don't think that "Tinkle Tinkle [take 1]" is actually being issued for the first time in that Japanese set. According to discogs -- https://www.discogs.com/Thelonious-Monk-The-Complete-London-Collection/release/4851138 -- that cut is on the third CD (all alternate takes) in the Black Lion set.

mjzee, That set appears to be a reissue of this 3-disc set on Black Lion: The music was recorded on November 15, 1971, and the Black Lion issue (at least) is legit. It almost goes without saying that the music is wonderful. Half of it is solo and the other half is a trio with Al McKibbon and Art Blakey. I don't know whether the Japanese reissue is remastered.

Joanne Brackeen - Popsicle Illusion (Arkadia, 2000)

My favorite of all the Basie jam sessions on Pablo.

I agree, medjuck. It seems like used CD prices everywhere have fallen precipitously in the last couple years.