connoisseur series500

19 votes in so far and it is an interesting race. Big Ben says VOTE!!

Actually, mine is the Conn, but it shouldn't matter. Are some listening to True Blue TOJC?

Wow, maybe this wasn't so easy. This bracket is the Blue Note version of the AFC Eastern Division in the NFL: every opponent is tough! Competition is rough here.

This one was easy for me: my all time favorite: BASRA Keep it going guys; it's an interesting battle in all polls.

My vote here is: Bennie Green, SOUL STIRRIN' and so far I've been the only one I must be weird. This is one of my favorites to be sure. :rsly:

I thought I would be the first to vote!! Not so. Tons of votes in already. I can reveal my selection: ...drum roll..... ....drum roll.... ...drum roll... Jackie Mclean, DESTINATION OUT!

Hmm, this one is tough! I'm voting now but will reveal my selection later (though the vote will be in.)

My pleasure, Jeff. Make sure you vote!! Uncle Sam wants you all to VOTE NOW!!

Appreciate your participation. Don't forget that there are two other polls as well, and the winners advance. Top four will advance from this bracket. So your "fav" only has to be in the top four to move on. One strategy may be to vote for one you like but you think doesn't have much chance to advance, while not voting for one you like but you know is likely to advance anyway. Have fun!

Ooops! Knew I would make a mistake somewhere. Rooster is right. We are asking for favorite Conn here, not Grant Green.

After discussing things with Rooster Ties, we decided that I should just form the three polls. This has now been accomplished. Feel free to vote everyone!

Top three vote-getters to advance to final poll playoff. Apologies in advance for leaving out other selections from these three polls; if there is a great enough outcry then we can add a fourth poll of ten that were "left out." Thanks for participating.

Top three advance to the next poll. One other poll to follow.

Yes, Kevin, you are completely correct here. We are fortunate in that way. Through ebay and elsewhere, I've been able to pick up many of the older issues. I've got 78/99 Conns right now and do not feel an overwhelming urge to complete the series. Combined with other Blue Notes and other labels I've got enough to listen to. I think I'm done as a collector. I'll only buy the new Conns as they come out.

This is the first of three polls with the idea of determining Organissimo members' favorite Conn. Vote for your favorite Conn from the list provided. Remember that there will be two more polls with 20 further choices. (We can only list ten at one time) The top four selections here will advance to a "playoff poll" with three other selections each from the other two polls. Then we will be able to pinpoint the best Conn by popular vote! I culled these selections from the above-mentioned thread. One cannot rule out favoritism but I tried to list cds which were frequently mentioned by board members as being amonst their favorite Conns. It is important that other members create the other two polls as my own favorites will inevitably creep into the picture. Actually, four of the cds in this poll were named as my personal top five, so you see, biasness is always there. Can't help it, I guess. I nominate Rooster Ties to create a second poll, and hope that another member will take it upon himself to create the third. Please refer to the "5 Favorite Conn" thread to select the remaining 20, as we endeavor to nominate those titles which were named by more than one contributor as being amongst their favorites. Thanks in advance for contributing.

I love it: one man's non-fave is another's fave. That's what makes the world go round. Come on Rooster: let's get a poll made. Since there are so many Conns and we can list only ten in a poll, how about a couple of polls or three of them; then we move the top three winners of each bracket to a final poll to determine the best Conn! That means we will have to come up with 30 Conn candidates to start the polls. Any ideas anyone? I vote for Tina Brooks, TRUE BLUE; Andrew Hill, JUDGMENT, SMOKESTACK; Larry Young, INTO SOMETHING; Pete LaRocca, BASRA; Grant Green, SOLID; Wayne Shorter, ETCETERA, SCHIZOPHRENIA; Booker Ervin, IN-BETWEEN; Byrd, Watkins, TRANSITION SESSIONS. There's ten for poll one. I selected them as some of the Conns which were repeat mentions on this thread. Now we need another twenty for polls two and three. Then we will take the top four of this poll to advance to the next round. Six more winners will come from the next two polls. I will set up this initial poll (or will try to do so.) Good idea everyone?

For sale or trade: Woody Shaw, BEMSHA SWING in excellent used shape. $20.00 includes shipping to US email me: pdmagin@accesstoledo.com

Great comments everyone. Rooster always takes particular care with his responses, which is good. Boy your tastes are scattered all over the place! Of course, mine are as well. Rooster, perhaps we need to create a new poll. Take note of some of the titles which have been listed and create a poll for "your favorite Conn." Offhand, it looks like Larry Young, "Into Something" gets lots of votes along with Hill, "Judgment" and "Smokestack." Have to look back on all the posts to pick out the top ten. Interesting that Booker Ervin's "The In-between" is so popular. I sure do like that one too. Of course, you have to create the poll, Rooster. You know what happens when I create a poll... I felt it important that everyone express their opinions regarding the Conns they found disappointing. Not everyone did that, but I felt that it would make particularly interesting reading, as we all tend to praise--perhaps overpraise?--things while posting. I could have named another 5 disappointing Conns beyond the 5 I already mentioned. We all want to be fair to the artists, I'm sure, and perhaps the Conns I am not pleased with could grow on me with further listenings. Still, I don't believe that all 99 Conns were excellent material. Most were and that in itself is a tribute to the Blue Note people and their selections.

I love Coltrane's Atlantic years, but to know Coltrane we have to listen to his Impules recordings as well. I agree with Ubu's comments about the music being dark and brooding. Sure is. It's got depth and you can always stick on Bennie Green's "Soul Stirrin'" afterwards if you need some cheeriness.

Ha! Bol, If you got that cd at Encore, then I was the one who traded it in! Did that a few weeks ago.

Where do you get your stuff at, Bol? Encore? Wazoo? I'm up there quite a bit but haven't been lately. Did Encore recently change hands? I don't see the Dales over there anymore and they seem to have a different crew.

Okay, I've just finished listening to Grass Roots with the intention of making some comments here. I have heard the cd quite a few times before, but I wanted to be able to break it down a bit more. First of all, I am unable to comment without being influenced by Jim and Lonson. I too feel the second session is superior to the first, but the second session does not have "Mira," which is the best song on the cd. I do feel that Ron Carter and Booker Ervin hurt the first session. Both are just not with it. I love Booker but he appears to be out of his element with Andrew Hill material. I notice that the solos are a little short, and this doesn't help. He acquits himself fine on "Mira" and "Bayou Red." I do like both Booker and Ron Carter, but they were off on this date. Lee Morgan cooks throughout. He plays well as does Andrew Hill and Freddie Waits. The three of them rescue the session. I do prefer the second session but I find the versions of "Soul Special" and "Bayou Red" to be too slow. The solos are wonderful however. I too like Jimmy Ponder's work on the second session. Reggie Workman is excellent and the horn section is terrific. "Mira" is a terrific song. I wish that Andrew Hill had done a session which would have been his version of "The Latin Bit." I just love Andrew's offbeat Latin style. Overall: the cd is 4 stars (5 scale.) I aint selling or trading it.

That phrase is an accidental bit of poetry. I didn't appreciate the poetry of it when I got that message! It was just preventing me from creating my poll.

Hey Joe, Don't feel bad. It's a great session. Definitely in my top 5. It's just that we have to single out one.

I'm planning on buying the book once it turns up on Edward R. Hamilton discount catalogs. :rsmile: