Late

I'd like to hear the alternates of "Out of This World" as well as the takes of "All The Things You Are." In time, I suppose, we eventually will. What I'd really like to hear are further recordings of the final quartet. (But we've been through that before. I e-mailed Cuscuna, and he lamented that tapes don't exist. But maybe Ravi has reference copies somewhere???)

The Japanese label somethin' else (intentionally lower-case, I think) is having its 30th anniversary. To celebrate, 20 titles from its catalog are being reissued. Some excellent (generally) straight-ahead jazz therein. What can you recommend, and what have you heard? (And what got left out?) I'm tempted by Rubalcaba's Diz.

The Japanese market is once again reissuing Bitches Brew, this time with quadraphonic sound. I guess this means 4-channel surround? I didn't know it had been recorded with more than two channels, but earlier vinyl releases seem to show otherwise. The reissue in question appears to be a hybrid SACD release.

Covers here too (some with better scans!). Here's the thread that discusses those reissues. A great series.

I'm not as familiar with the Dutch (improvising) piano sound as I should be, but I really like Braam's playing on this record. What's especially notable is that he's not just playing the same "sound" from track to track. Quite the contrary. As soon as I identify a "Cecil bag," that bag explodes into something else. Exploding bags!

Solo piano. Recorded 1989 in The Netherlands. Michiel Braam: Oeps! The album, for listening, right here. (YouTube.) I'm hearing Misha Mengelberg, Ran Blake, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Schoenberg, but not Monk. Check it out! Anyone familiar with this album already? It feels like a hidden gem.

Carpe.

This album contains the best version of the jazz standard "Diane" that I've ever heard. (Jimmy Smith covered it too.) I think I played it at least six times on repeat last night.

Creepy?

I was reaching for a Jimmy Smith title tonight, and mistakenly grabbed this disc. I probably hadn't listened to this album in 10+ years. Better than I had remembered, particularly the cover of "Embraceable You." The Smith originals aren't especially memorable, but the soloing is fine. And re-experiencing Sonny Clark on Blue Note is always a good thing. (Not one of Reid Miles' most inspired efforts, in my opinion, but I do dig the gig bag — and that Smith is breaking the "No Standing" directive with a smile.)

An alternative to Gokudo. Excellent resource.

Right here. UCCQ prefix. Appears to be straight-up CDs. No SHM-CD, HQCD, UHQCD, or everyone's new favorite MQA x UHQCD.

Indeed. Cuscuna knew what he was doing, and the time was right. That 10" series was great.

That's a fine CD. I'm still a little blown away that it was even reissued.

This is Smith's second album on New Jazz. I have to say — it's one of the most satisfying organ records from the 50's that I've heard. I love the treatment of "I'll Remember April." It sounds like kitsch at first ... but repeated listenings reveal how much Smith knew exactly what he was doing with the tune. The grace notes are both hilarious and hip. The Japanese reissue from five years back (UCCO 5376) has staggeringly good sound. Rudy nailed it that day. Dig how chill Seldon Powell is on the cover.

Listening to Chittison on YouTube, I can hear where Monk picked up on his playing. Thanks for that observation! I'd never made that connection.

D'oh! How could I forget about Gokudo?! I used to visit those pages all the time until they were strangely color-corrected and touched-up. This one would be nice to hear. Not sure if it's been out in the U.S. in some capacity.

I love the first decade of Blue Note as well. The last time the music from this decade was reissued in Japan was 1998. I wonder if bringing back the original (and beautiful) cover art would help sales. (The U.S. of course didn't use the original covers for their reissues.) The 1939-49 cover artwork is mostly pre-Reid Miles, but just as hip. I can't find a website that features this earlier artwork. Anyone?

The 75th Anniversary Blue Note SHM-CD series from Japan reissued 230 titles. I'd like to see that series continued.

It's not 2019 quite yet, but I wonder what the Japanese (or U.S.) market has planned as far as celebrating Blue Note's 80th birthday. (Maybe a reissue of Blue Train?) Hopes? Ideas? Recipes?

Never out on compact disc??? What the heck!!! To this, all I can say is BOWL OF YORK. (Even the Stones cover is good!)

Thanks to the nachosphere, I've just recently heard the entire record of Drag 'Em Out. Man! That first side is great. And Major Holley's arco solo — groovy! I haven't enjoyed a bowed solo for a long time. That one is simple yet fine. I believe this is Scott's last trio recording for Prestige before moving on to Impulse! I wonder what she thought of it, or what other organ players at the time thought.

Thanks for letting us know! I wonder who remastered Goin' Up. McMaster?

Interesting article on Salah Ragab. He deserves his own topic.

Discipline 99 was just reissued on April 2. Details here.