Late

Whoa, didn't even have to wait that long! Some good reading in this thread, thanks to Garth and Guy.

Cross-Section Saxes is being reissued (in Japan)!

... just realized/discovered that Fresh Sounds has already reissued the first four Jazz Studio albums on two discs. Anyone have these? The Jazz Lab series has also apparently been reissued by Fresh Sounds.

Is anyone else excited about Universal Japan's December reissue of the entire Decca Jazz Studio series? I've heard only bits and pieces from different sessions, but know I'll likely be picking up all six of the "Jazz Studio" sessions. Can anyone point out a discographical listing for this series? I did a number of Google searches, but only came up with a session or two. Here's Jazz Studio 3 (which features Gerry Mulligan): ... with a few sound samples.

Yes. All the Connoisseurs, with the exception of the Rivers, were in the Borders over here. They weren't shelved ... but an employee let me go through the "to shelve" cart, and I shelved them myself! Except for the Hill ... that one came home with me. I wouldn't otherwise pay that crazy Borders price, but I still had a birthday gift card with a balance on it, so what the heck. Now ... the music! The Hill is one fine session, with Higgins an especially interesting choice of drummers. He seems to give more of a groove, though not in a "Grass Roots" way, to Hill's brooding compositions. At first I wanted to hear someone like Joe Chambers, but after a second go-around, I like Higgins a lot — just wasn't initially prepared for that pairing. Both Farrell and Tolliver get in some eloquent solos as well. And, I must say, this remastering job must count as one of McMaster's best. Probably still too bright for my tastes, but considering McMaster's "signature," it does have relatively nice presence, the horns notably warmer than usual. Only the bass seems at times too recessed in the mix. But thank God it doesn't have that horrible rap-thud-bass that Rudy rudely ruined the new remaster of Blue Spirits with. That disc (with the opening track now remastered for automobile stereo systems that promote deafness in young persons) is ... just not right.

Nice post, Quincy. I'm sure I've bumped into you (unknowingly) at one of those stores. That right-to-left thing at Cat's always gets me turned around. Do you remember their space back in '83-'88? That teeny nook holds good memories. House of Records will always be my favorite, though. I've found some fine stuff there over the years, er, decades. (They also have the best buy-back prices!) Their used section never fails to yield the intermittent gem, too. Plus, Greg, whose been there almost from the start, is one of the nicest guys to do business with. He can talk (without BS-ing) about nearly any music. I know what you mean about CD World and release dates. Last year, one of their sales coincided with the Connoisseur batch. Woo-hoo!

I was talking to a local musician and arranger at a record shop here about a year ago, and he started in on Holman's Monk charts and more recent work, and he told me that on one of Holman's charts (and now of course I can't remember which one) there was a chord that used 11 pitches, with only Bb left out — which meant, octave aside, that every tempered pitch in the chromatic scale was used. I would like to hear that! Missile — that's a lot of names! Care to share any representative albums? Always good to keep an eye out for recommended stuff.

I think the first sentence of Larry's above nails it most for me. Rollins' command of the horn is now (already) so virtually complete that it literally radiates confidence. One gets the impression that there's no obstacle between Rollins's thoughts and their conveyance through the horn. I would say, however, that this authority was at least foreshadowed in solos such as "I Know" from Rollins's very first album. Larry, do you think you could speak more on what you mean by "a shift in sensibility" in the second sentence above? I'm not necessarily in disagreement, but I guess I'm not always hearing a "shift." Maybe (at least for me) more of a logical progression?

Rats. This was the August purchase I was most looking forward to. Hopefully it will make its way out by August ('05).

Any guesses as to Lacy's mouthpiece there? Is it a Selmer? Harder for me to tell with sopranos.

Representative big band arrangements by these guys? I know Sauter did Focus, Overton did the arranging for Monk's Town Hall concert, and Maiden did some of Ferguson's Mercury arrangements ... what else? Completely unfamiliar with Hernandez. Missile — care to list some representative albums/tracks from your list of more current arrangers? Thanks!

That's one beautiful OBI. Well, I'm convinced ... I'm going to buy them all.

Has anyone heard this one: Interested in hearing your thoughts ...

I'm guessing the packaging is just like the "Blue Note Works" series? Or is there a new twist?

Amen.

Is this the one with Miles' group? If so, I'd easily recommend that set (4 discs). It contains one of my favorite Coltrane solos on "All Blues," where Trane takes a simple blues riff, and then either splits or plays harmonic overtones on the last pitch of the riff — for a relatively long time. At first it sounds like he's messing up ... until you realize what he's after, and you go agreeably along for the ride. In 1991, I heard Branford Marsalis live here (with his trio of the time), and he played a large portion of this solo verbatim (at least as much "verbatim" as harmonics allow). I remember being very impressed at the time, as I had just read an interview with him in Jazztimes, where he raved about this live concert, saying something to effect of: "That album should be called Coltrane and Others in Stockholm!" Good live recording, too.

At least QAT, QAID, and QANAT (and the standard QUA) can bail you out of a Q bind. Then there's always the desperado SUQ play. My favorite (when possible) is to go out on a bingo. I had the lucky pleasure yesterday of playing BUSTIER to eke out a come-from-behind win. Good luck Randy! Great game.

I was just going to add Guy myself. Though he's largely working with his own (or collective) writing, Guy still gives me a strong sense that he's an "arranger" — just not perhaps in this sense that one would typically think. Still, he seems part of the logical evolution in the arranger phyla as the music lets us know it.

When it comes to large group arrangers (I'm thinking nonet or larger), who do you find yourself returning to most often? So many great arrangers, with perhaps the notable exception of Gil Evans (along with a few others), seem to forever stand in the shadow of great soloists. I'd be interested in hearing who your favorites are, along with a representative album or song. For me, Bill Holman is virtually non pareil for big band settings. I could listen to his arrangement of "Out of this World" from Mulligan's first CJB album all day. He was also no slouch as a saxophonist. Here's a disc with great arrangements that I think is under-remarked: In A Jazz Orbit

All hyperbole aside, it truly is a great track. You can almost feel the excitement in the air that night (San Francisco's Basin Street West), and when Chase comes in on that screaming high note for his solo ... wow. Individually, the trumpet players in this band may not have been the most compelling of soloists (though their improvisations are still fine), but collectively, I'd say they could stand with any of the finest big band trumpet sections, past or present. I know I'm taking this thread on something of a tangent, but did anyone here ever hear this band (the '65 Herd) live? No need for a pacemaker; this band gets your blood flowing.

Let me just say, about this album: You haven't lived if you've never heard Bill Chase's "23 Red." No wonder Cook & Morton are crazy about this one.

Ah well. I'll probably still get it.

I've heard Romus on an Edgetone Records compilation. I remember liking what I heard, but haven't returned to it in some time. Will have to do so! There's a ton of Bay Area "free improvisation" musicians that are making great music right now, and, for whatever reasons, they all seem to be flying under most listener's radars. Shame. Here are, off the top of my head, a few more names to watch out for from the Bay Area: • The Supplicants (two saxophones, bass, drums) • Michael Cooke (multi-instrumentalist influenced by McPhee/Hemphill; check out his latest disc Statements here.) • Scott Hill (saxophonist) • Jim Ryan (dramatically under-recognized master saxophonist)

Somewhat related, is Woody's Winners still in reissue limbo? Forgot the status (OOP, etc.) on this one, but I do know I'd love to hear a tasty remaster of it. The few tracks I have (from a Columbia comp.) are outstanding.