Late

Set #649 will be spun this morning. The photos in the booklet do seem a little under-exposed, but that's a minor gripe. The booklet as a whole (I've only read the first six pages so far) seems excellent.

McMichael rarely gets mentioned, even in poetry circles, though he was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award. I was surprised when my book was reviewed along with Capacity. (Four Good Things is still my favorite book of his.) Matthew — have you read any Killarney Clary? She studied with McMichael, and I think all her books are fantastic (she has three). She writes the finest prose poems.

This box set is limited to 500 copies. It's not on Amazon U.S. yet, but I'm guessing that it will be (and at Dusty Groove) sooner or later. If you've absorbed the Evidence reissues, like them (— I agree that they're an excellent starting place), and haven't yet heard these later Saturn sessions, they're certainly worth owning. Looser over all, but also more hypnotic at times. In my opinion, The Antique Blacks is the best of the bunch, closely followed by Nidhamu and Horizon. Disco 3000 gets a lot of attention, but I personally haven't connected with it yet. My two favorite 70's Ra recordings — Discipline 27 II and The Soul Vibrations of Man have yet, as far as I know, to be reissued on compact disc. I found the following 2010 snippet of text (from Peter Dennett of Art Yard) online, and thought it might be worth posting here: ... it has taken much work to get this going, despite the difficulties running an independent and occasional mistakes in production. 'I am still here'! and have now been doing this work for six years. It seems to me now, that Sun Ra is one of the most published artists of the 21st century! So, despite the endless bootlegs, free-for-all digital downloads from share websites and some official releases, I hope to be here for some years to come. My intention is to get Sun Ra's recordings released with a degree of artistic integrity. I have been trying to get it right with these releases, and keep it in the ethos of Sun Ra, in the way that the records/ CDs are presented, El Saturn was a Underground record label which issued LPs with various hybrid or generic sleeves, many hand drawn images were applied or stuck on, or they would be issued in 'plane blank sleeves'. I can only try to emulate The Arkestra's work, This way I hope to add to these concept recordings, not distract! The point being is that as you may know Sun Ra was something of a mystic and reliable information behind the scenes is hard to come by, a lot of the El Saturn releases do not even have a line up of the musicians, so I do commission research from the people that were there at the time, we are doing our utmost. Michael Ray has written liners for the release of Disco 3000 and Knoel Scott for the Paris tapes 1971 to be released later this year. Michael Anderson has also written liners for The Antique Blacks vinyl edition that will be pressed soon. Hartmut Geerken has written much about the recordings made in Cairo Egypt and his work, as did Salah Ragab. I will try to get some more words from the book Omniverse transcribed for an insight, which will be printed on 10 inch vinyls in a box set recordings from Cairo/ Paris/ Milan and others 'some Unreleased' and some recordings from Salah Ragab via Kindred Spirits the record company in The Netherlands with whom I collaborate. Rick Steiger has also written about the Sun Ra Detroit residency which Beyond the Purple Star Zone came from and also Oblique Parallax those two El Saturn's albums will be released on one CD this year, if all goes to plan. Sun Ra's approached the El Saturn label as a series of concept albums, and we are still putting the pieces of the puzzle back together, as it is great to listen to the whole of the Disco 3000 concert with all the tracks in context, and that's available on Itunes ect, bonus tracks are a wonderful addition, but the original album cut for Disco 3000 and Media Dream were how Sun Ra wanted the works to be presented, that's why I have re-pressed Disco 3000 in its original form, - 'its a concept album'. Unlike most record labels these days I don't go in for the big promotion advertising angle, its far too expensive! or write assessments of the work in hand - stating how important these recording are!, nor do I do trendy DJ promotion party's. I hope the Art Yard releases stand up to contemporary sinersisium or criticism and get the attention they deserve and positively reviewed in the music press to bring them into the public awareness. This work is about restoring Sun Ra's recordings and making them available once again, Sun Ra's music should be accessible to everyone, not just the elite few who can afford to spend five hundred dollars on a rare original Saturn LP. Art Yard is a small independent record company and publisher that continues in its struggle into the 21st Century - and has done the right thing by working in collaboration with The Sun Ra Arkestra under direction of Marshall Allen - Give The Credit Where Credit is Due. 'it is what it is'. I hope you dig the music - listen to the Cosmo Song. Peter Dennett Art Yard, London

Any new recommendations for an SACD player in 2012? I'm saving to ultimately take the plunge.

Does anyone have the new edition of Fly! (X5) yet? I'm guessing the sound is good. I'm looking forward to getting this eventually. What does Schlippenbach have to say?

Thanks, Lon and Hans — I appreciate the input. On a side note: I know that things can sometimes get touchy on this board in regard to preferences for remastering and different engineers (and different labels), but I value all informed opinions. I have ten of AP's hybrid SACDs (only two on Impulse! however), and like them, so I'll probably check out the hybrid ALS at some point. I'm hoping to purchase an SACD player some time next year, and look forward to finally hearing the SACD layer of a number of my hybrids (most of them classical). Anyone else have this particular hybrid SACD and care to comment?

I thought there was a thread already on the hybrid SACD of A Love Supreme, but none of my searches yielded any relevant hits. ANYway, does anyone here have the Analog Productions hybrid SACD of this title? How do you like it? (I'm asking about the sound/remastering as opposed to the music, which we already love.) I'm curious as to how the hybrid SACD sounds in comparison to the 2-disc RVG edition, and particularly if AP was able to use the same tapes that Rudy used. (OR ... should I be looking for the 1987 German or Japanese pressing?) ARgh! Thanks for your input!

Actually, the set doesn't have "Body and Soul." It turns out that, all along, that famous solo we all know and love was played by the reclusive McElroy McDermott. A third cousin of Hawkins who was present on the day of the session, this is McDermott's only known recorded performance. Information gathered from a number of semi-reliable jazz forums suggests that, as the tapes began to roll, Hawkins was searching for his bottle of cognac, and, as a result, is indeed not the tenor player believed to be heard. McDermott, based on a number of oral accounts, was uncomfortably aware of Hawkins' stinginess with drink, and had, apparently only minutes earlier, concealed the bottle in his own saxophone case. The reason for this act is unknown, though some suggest it was a non-verbal "lesson" from the younger cousin. Regardless, McDermott's playing is inspired.* * The Complete McElroy McDermott Session is scheduled to be released by Mosaic on a 3" CD, along with some previously unheard bonus tracks — namely a :03 track of giggling, and a gorgeous :08 off-mike spoken cadenza of expletives — sometime in 2013.

Not the greatest discount, but through June 24th, importCDs has a 10% off sale. No minimum, and apparently you can use it more than once.

And the typo of course is that the band is actually called Penis Land.

Whoops — left off the s. I was thinking of Touching and Blood. I haven't heard In Haarlem, but the Black Lion CD edition of Touching has, as its last track, the song "Blood," which was recorded November 4, 1966 in Haarlem — so maybe I've heard part of it? My main point was that I like Bley's trio recordings from the 60's! (Yes, and the quartet session with John Gilmore.)

Just curious — are you importing into iTunes to mostly play the set on your iPod? I've imported some Mosaics (the Ellington Small Groups for example) to make my own comps — e.g. the small groups sans vocals. I've made some fairly interesting (well, to me) condensed sets this way. Also helps with getting a handle on larger box sets. My Hawkins set is supposed to arrive June 5th.

Seconded. I have the BYG (paper sleeve) reissue, and it works for me. Sound is very good to only fair at times, but I think this is to be expected from the source material. It's a fine record. Played in conjunction with Bley's Savoy recordings, early trio work on ECM, and the Fontana record makes for a good day (week/month) of listening.

I've been buying Taiyo Yuden CDRs from Runtech Media (thanks to this thread) for a number of years now. I use them in my Mac, and I've also used them, somewhat to my surprise, in my JVC CD burner — "surprise" because, in all my experience with it, this component will only recognize "Music" CDRs. (I've never really understood the difference between "music" CDRs and "data" CDRs. Is it some sort of copy protection encoding?) Here's my question/situation — after years of having Taiyo Yuden CDRs being recognized (and burnable) by my JVC unit, my last two spindles haven't been recognized by my burner. The error message I get is: No Audio Disc. Has Taiyo Yuden modified their CDRs? My JVC unit seems to be fine — its playback doesn't yield any problems — but I suppose something might be up. Has anyone else here run into a similar situation? I'd like to keep purchasing TYs, but I suppose I'll have to move over to some brand of "music" CDR if my JVC unit can't use TYs. Thanks for any suggestions/thoughts/advice!

Or maybe based on ...

Seeking recommendations for music on this label. Open to all genres. Thanks!

I don't have that disc, but here are its contents: 1. SUMMERTIME/ SIDNEY BECHET QUINTET 2. DEAR OLD SOUTHLAND/ SIDNEY BECHET BLUE NOTE QUARTET 3. BOOGIE WOOGIE STOMP/ ALBERT AMMONS 4. MELANCHOLY/ MEADE LUX LEWIS 5. REMINISCING AT BLUE NOTE/ EARL HINES 6. BACKWATER BLUES/ JAMES P. JOHNSON 7. PROFOUNDLY BLUE/ EDMOND HALL CELESTE QUARTET 8. BLUE INTERVAL/ EDMOND HALL'S ALL STAR QUINTET 9. VICTORY STRIDE/ JAMES P.JOHNSON'S BLUE NOTE JAZZMEN 10. EVEYBODY LOVES MY BABY/ SIDNEY DE PARIS BLUE NOTE JAZZMEN 11. BACK ROOM BLUES/ ART HODES' BACK ROOM BOYS 12. FEELIN' AT EASE/ BABY DODDS' JAZZ FOUR 13. BLUE HARLEM/ IKE QUEBEC QUINTET 14. BLUE SKIES/ JOHN HARDEE'S SWINGTET 15. BAB'S DREAM/ BABS' THREE BIPS AND A BOP 16. OUR DELIGHT/ TADD DAMERON SEXTET 17. THELONIOUS/ THELONIOUS MONK SEXTET 18. 'ROUND MIDNIGHT/ THELONIOUS MONK QUINTET 19. BOP ALLEY/ ARTBLAKEY'S MESSENGERS 20. JAHBERO/ TADD DAMERON SEPTET 21. TIN TIN DEO/ JAMES MOODY AND HIS BOP MEN 22. 52nd STREET THEME/ BUD POWELL'S MODERNISTS 23. UN POCO LOCO/ BUD POWELL TRIO 24. HOT SAUCE/ ELMO HOPE TRIO 25. THE GIG/ HERBIE NICHOLS TRIO 26. BAGS GROOVE/ MILT JACKSON QUINTET 27. TEMPUS FUGIT/ MILES DAVIS ALL STARS 28. A NIGHT IN TUNISIA/ ART BLAKEY QUINTET 29. THE PREACHER/ HORACE SILVER QUINTET 30. AFRODISIA/ KENNY DORHAM OCTET 31. MINOR'S HOLIDAY/ THE JAZZ MESSENGERS 32. THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT/ JIMMY SMITH 33. I REMEMBER CLIFFORD/ LEE MORGAN 34. ASIATIC RAES/ SONNY ROLLINS 35. BLUE TRAIN/ JOHN COLTRANE That's a pretty good comp!

Yes. I never got around to purchasing any of the U.S. Blue Note discs representing this era for some reason. I'm sure they're great, including the Quebec/Hardee stuff. While I'm at it, I'll type up two more disc contents for those that are interested in what the Japanese versions included: TOCJ 6607 Summertime / Sidney Bechet & The Port of Harlem Jazzmen Port of Harlem Seven 1. Blues For Tommy 4:24 Sidney Bechet Quintet 2. Summertime 4:09 Port of Harlem Seven 3. Pounding Heart Blues 4:01 Frank Newton Quintet 4. After Hours Blues 4:08 J.C. Higginbotham Quintet 5. Basin Street Blues 3:43 Frank Newton Quintet 6. Daybreak Blues 2:40 J.C. Higginbotham Quintet 7. Weary Land Blues 2:51 Port of Harlem Jazzmen 8. Port of Harlem Blues 4:31 9. Mighty Blues 4:34 10. Rocking The Blues 4:25 Sidney Bechet Blue Note Quartet 11. Lonesome Blues 4:05 12. Dear Old Southland 4:01 13. Bechet's Steady Rider 2:54 14. Saturday Night Blues 2:56 Josh White Trio 15. Careless Love 3:42 16. Milk Cow Blues 4:07 TOCJ 66010 Profoundly Blue / Memorable Sessions With Edmond Hall Edmond Hall Celeste Quartet 1. Jammin' In Four 4:21 2. Edmond Hall Blues 4:17 3. Profoundly Blue 4:08 4. Profoundly Blue (alt.) 4:18 5. Celestial Express 3:54 Emdond Hall's All Star Quintet 6. Rompin' In' 44 (alt.) 3:58 7. Rompin' In' 44 3:57 8. Blue Interval 4:15 9. Smooth Sailing (alt.) 3:32 10. Smooth Sailing 3:46 11. Seein' Red 4:14 Edmond Hall Swingtet 12. It's Been So Long (alt.) 2:31 13. It's Been So Long 3:08 14. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (alt.) 3:41 15. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me 3:02 16. Big City Blues 4:12 17. Steamin' And Beamin' 3:50

TOCJ 66011 was the first disc I purchased from this series. Here are the contents: High Society/ Jamming In Jazz With Blue Note Jazzmen Edmond Hall's Blue Note Jazzmen 1. High Society 4:00 2. Blues At Blue Note 4:11 3. Night Shift Blues 4:07 4. Royal Garden Blues 4:06 5. Blue Note Boogie 3:54 Sidney de Paris' Blue Note Jazzmen 6. Everybody Loves My Baby 3:31 7. Ballin' The Jack 4:44 8. Who's Sorry Now 4:14 9. The Call of The Blues 4:18 James P. Johnson's Blue Note Jazzmen 10. Tishomingo Blues 4:32 11. Walkin' The Dog 4:30 12. Easy River 4:33 13. At The Ball 4:08 The sound is excellent on this disc. These tracks were my first exposure to the playing of Edmond Hall—great stuff.

I copied the list from this site, and, you're right, there's an extra zero in each entry. Whoops! Here is the track list for TOCJ 66014: Victory Stride / Swing Sessions featuring Ben Webster James P. Johnson's Blue Note Jazzmen featuring Ben Webster • rec. March 4, 1944 1. Blue Mizz 3:52 2. Blue Mizz (alt.) 3:47 3. Victory Stride (alt.) 3:59 4. Victory Stride 4:01 5. Joy Mentin' (sic) 4:27 6. After You've Gone 4:26 Benny Morton's All Stars featuring Ben Webster • rec. January 31, 1945 7. My Old Flame 4:18 8. Conversing In Blue 4:41 9. The Sheik of Araby 4:37 10. The Sheik of Araby (alt.) 4:52 11. Limehouse Blues 4:12 Jimmy Hamilton And The Duke's Men • rec. November 21, 1945 12. Old Uncle Bud 2:59 13. Blues For Clarinets 4:25 14. Slapstick 4:11 15. Blues In My Music Room 3:11 Sammy Benskin Trio • rec. July 27, 1945 16. Cherry 3:00 17. Rosetta 2:42 18. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise 3:11 19. Williphant Winnie 2:53 (Note: Ben Webster is only on tracks 1-11. CD tracks also don't align with their vinyl counterpart.) I'm listening to the Benskin tracks right now—an interesting amalgam of styles. I'm hearing some J.P. Johnson, some Hines, some Garner (sans block chords), and even some Monk-like flourishes. Kind of a "missing link" player? I'm really not familiar with Benskin, but the playing is nice, particularly the last track.

I thought there was a previous thread on this series, but my search didn't yield any results. At any rate, I know many here have discs from this short-lived 1998/9 Japanese series. They came in jewel cases, and the discs themselves — instead of displaying the usual blue-and-white BN logo — were pink and black (while still using the BN logo). Here is the complete series: TOCJ-660006 Melancholy Boogie Woogie and Piano Classics / Various Artists TOCJ-660007 Summertime / Sidney Bechet and The Port of Harlem Jazzmen TOCJ-660008 St. Louis Blues / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 1 TOCJ-660009 I Found A New Baby / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 2 TOCJ-660010 Profoundly Blue / Memorable Sessions With Edmond Hall TOCJ-660011 High Society / Jamming In Jazz with Blue Note TOCJ-660012 Low Down Blues / Art Hodes' Back Room Boys TOCJ-660013 Shine / Art Hodes' Five and Seven TOCJ-660014 Victory Stride / Swing Sessions Featuring Ben Webster TOCJ-660015 Blue Harlem / Ike Quebec Quintets and Swingtet TOCJ-660016 Topsy / Ike Quebec Swing Seven TOCJ-660017 Tired / John Hardee Swingtets Only twelve discs, and then the series ended. Most (all?) of the material from this series can be found on older U.S. reissues, various Mosaic sets, and Chronological Classics, but whenever I've had a chance to compare, I usually prefer the sound of this series. This was Blue Note's start, and it always kind of surprises me that more Blue Note fans don't talk about this part of the label's recorded legacy. (Well, maybe it doesn't surprise me.) I'm still looking for three titles from this series: TOCJ 660006 TOCJ 660012 TOCJ 660013 What discs do you have from this series? And what do you think of this era of Blue Note? Impressions/observations/recommendations please!

Haven't talked to Al in a long time. Must do so. And you saved that post! Understandable. "Classic" Blue Note Board. Ear in the dead wax and everything.

Thanks, Jeff. I always forget about AllMusic. Just listened to sound samples there, and, though they're too short to form any real opinion, I agree with you.

West Coast Jazz! I actually don't have this title. Does anyone here? Amazon used to have sound samples (I listened to them at one point), but now they appear to be gone ...

In connection to the current Wolverines thread ... (I thought I said something along these lines at some point. Wasn't even a year ago!)