Late

I guess I'd have to disagree with this assessment, in part. To my ears, the VICJ of Live at the Five Spot, Volume One is an enormous improvement over the regular OJC. I would agree, however, that the K-2 of Far Cry is less of an "improvement," though still worth upgrading for, in my opinion. What really needs to happen (but won't) is this: Fantasy gets Kirk Felton to remaster two Dolphy box sets in hybrid SACD: The Complete 1961 Five Spot Recordings of Eric Dolpy and Booker Little and The Complete 1961 Copenhagen Recordings of Eric Dolphy ... in recording order, complete with stage announcements and any possible extra tracks. I started buying up the VICJ series in 1999 like a wild jackass. For the most part, they are all uniformly excellent, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of them, except for the prohibitive price. Here are some of the VICJ's that stand out in my mind as vast sonic improvements: • Sonny Rollins: Way Out West • Chet Baker: Chet • Miles Davis Quintet: Workin' • Miles Davis Quintet: Cookin' • Eric Dolphy: Live at the Five Spot, Volume One • Thelonious Monk: with Sonny Rollins • Stan Getz: Quartet • Clifford Jordan: Bearcat ... along with many more. I can only think of two that I was slightly disappointed with. They are: • John Coltrane: Traneing In There is some strange distortion, at least on the disc I have, on some of Coltrane's longer tones on the latter half of the disc that I don't remember on the OJC. • Sonny Rollins Plus Four Nothing wrong with this one really, it just seemed a lot like the OJC, with less of the presence one comes to expect with the VICJ's. I really wish the Japanese VICJ "Heritage of Jazz" series would continue. There's still so many musical gems from the collective Fantasy vault out there that could benefit from Tamaki Beck's or Shigeo Miyamoto's loving care. Say, the Mingus Bohemia sides, all the Lacy's, Ornette's first Contemporary side, more Johnny Griffin, etc., etc.

Could you imagine the complete concert ... We'd finally get to hear David Izenson's solo track "Taurus"! But ... in addition to Ornette, Dookie Coleman might raise some estate-related objections. I mean, exotic dancing ain't all it's cracked up to be, and if a guy has a chance to make a buck ...

They'll be 2345¥, which today is approximately $22.19 U.S. ($26.63 Canadaian) or 17.19 Euros. Here are the Japanese catalog numbers: UCCC 9097 V.A./Jazz Studio 1 2345¥ UCCC 9098 V.A./Jazz Studio 2 2345¥ UCCC 9099 V.A./Jazz Studio 3 2345¥ UCCC 9100 V.A./Jazz Studio 4 2345¥ UCCC 9101 V.A./Jazz Studio 5 2345¥ UCCC 9102 V.A./Jazz Studio 6 2345¥ All six Japanese pressings would be over $133 U.S. + shipping. For that fact alone, I'd probably go the Fresh Sounds route, where you can pick up all six sessions on 3 discs for around $36 + shipping. The savings would allow you to pick up the Jazz Lab Vols. 1&2 disc, the Jazzmantics disc, and Graas's International Premiere in Jazz disc, which Fresh Sounds is listing as Jack Sheldon's "Complete Goes to College." This search should cover all six Lonehill/Fresh Sounds discs.

Thoughts on this one?

Thoughts on the K-2's, or your favorite version of, these? • Thelonious In Action • Misterioso • Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane • Monk's Music (Japanese K-2) * * Well, this one's been discussed already. I'm guessing if you want mono, go for the K-2; if you want stereo, then the SACD hybrid? Also, just a thought: are the U.S. K-2's identical with the Japanese K-2's? They "should" be, but perhaps pressing plant issues ... ?

Not domestically (U.S.), but it did as a Japanese import.

If you've never heard Cecil McBee with Pharoah Sanders, check out the track "Love" from Thembi. The Penguin Guide always dumps on this album, but I think it, along with Black Unity, is one of Pharoah's best from his Impulse! output.

Courtesy of the Funny Rat: Looking forward to these ...

Up for Election Day!

Has anything from the Horo label ever been reissued on compact disc? If not, I wonder why.

Oregon is a vote-by-mail state, so I did the same thing two weeks ago. On top of that, to truly get a feeling for the election process, I took a five-day minimum wage job at the County Elections Office, where I've been opening and inspecting ballots eight to nine hours a day (in addition to my regular job). It's been an educational, if sometimes grueling, experience. People work in teams of two, and must be from opposite parties. We inspect each ballot by hand (or rather eye), and process ballots either to be read by machine, or, if there are write-ins, manually. The entire staff has been trained to function in a politically neutral zone, and, I must say, everyone I've worked with — which has been around 100 people — has been exceptionally congenial. There's a lot at stake, but this has somehow seemed to bring people together. I want to have faith in the democratic process, and being in the trenches of the process itself has shown me that, at least in this relatively small voting district, it can work. I have to trust that the same can hold true for larger, more hotly contested, districts.

Doesn't look like it. Here are the two covers:

I'm guessing that the easiest way to tell the difference is price! But, as for clues, I just don't know; I actually have yet to purchase any vinyl reissues ... though I want to!

Welcome back, Garth. Now we can bump threads up that discuss musicians with weird names like Phil Sunkel, Conrad Gozzo, Milt Bernhart, Jay Core, etc. Actually, Bernhart used to post a lot on a West Coast bulletin board that was sponsored by Jim Harrod. Some great reading there.

Both Jazz Lab sessions are now on this Lonehill reissue: And there's also this one: Anyone familiar with this latter recording?

Here are the details: Wayne Shorter Quintet Wayne Shorter: tenor saxophone Barbara Burton: vibes, bells, percussion McCoy Tyner: piano Miroslav Vitous: bass Alphonse Mouzon: drums, percussion A&R Studios, NYC, October 13, 1970 rejected Blue Note tk.3 Pt. 1: The Creation tk.4 Pt. 2: B. Because tk.5 Pt. 3: Cee tk.7 Pt. 4: Dee tk.8 Pt. 5: Effe

There is an unissued session with Shorter and Tyner together on Blue Note, but I don't believe it has Coltrane on it. Can't remember what the line-up is, but I do remember some time ago that Cuscuna, via reports through board members, was perplexed that more people weren't clamoring for this one.

Anyone heard these? P-Vine is unearthing some obscure ones, it seems.

Wonder who has? ...and how it stacks up to this one? My thoughts too. I'm tempted to "upgrade." Argh!

Nice session. One I haven't spun in a while. Halloween seems a good time to get it out!

Isn't that Sulieman playing with Dolphy at the end of the documentary Last Date?

Idrees Sulieman Ira Sullivan Two trumpet players that don't get discussed too much, and I thought maybe we could change that. Has anyone here heard either musician in-person? I don't know much biographical information on either, other than Sullivan is one of those ambidextrous musicians who is equally adept on the tenor. Favorite appearances on record?

This one is probably the best bet to start with. Blues in Trinity is a solid hardbop date with Tubby Hayes in typical fine form. Soundin' Off, in my opinion, is the one to have, however. Others will tout the OJC as well. It's a fine session.

Nah. That's my fault. Happy Birthday Guy. Thanks for all your thoughtful posts.

Have any of you been picking up the Saturn vinyl reissues, or the recent reissues by Art Yard, out of the UK? They're usually around $12.99 (the Saturns) or $19.99 (the Art Yards). I was wondering in general about sound quality and packaging. I usually don't shop for vinyl these days, but have been tempted by some of the Saturns that are vinyl only (e.g. My Brother the Wind, Vol. 1).