Late

Up? (Three years later.) Amazon currently has this title for just over $41 ...

I actually think that Dexter does cut loose on Takin' Off, as an example. For me, his solos on that record are more inspired than any of his solos from his own Blue Note output. I do agree, however, that some of Herbie's best solos (at least from the Blue Note era) are on other leader's sessions. Sam Rivers' Contours and Wayne Shorter's The All Seeing Eye come to mind. I also tend to think that Herbie plays more engagingly with Joe Chambers on the drums rather than, say, Tony Williams. Miles might disagree though.

While it is great that this album finally is coming out on CD, I'm not sure that I need it twice! TOCJ 50152's title indicates of course that the session was not recorded in a studio, while the little-known TOCJ 50156 is actually an imperative to the infirm.

I have it as a Japanese mini-lp. 'Tis really good. TCB is an excellent, excellent record. Swings hard with some break-out solos. But the cover? It's either slightly disturbing, or suggestive of ... ? Also of note — John Taylor on piano is amazing on this recording. Reminiscent, to me, of Herbie Hancock's playing on Joe Henderson's Power To The People. Very sensitive.

Some interesting reissues in September. Very nice to see Herb Geller's Fire In The West out again. My enthusiasm for new Japanese reissues has waned however — I just can't deal with the wall-of-sound approach to remastering. To me, the last batch of TOCJs sounded awful. Some of the loudest CDs I've ever heard. Great music nonetheless. Does anyone here actually have a SHM CD? Super-high material, like "super high me"?

Sold! Thanks.

Wasn't there a boot of this concert out on disc not too long ago? I'm guessing this one is sanctioned by Ravi. Maybe there's a thread on this concert that I missed.

• $80 + at-cost shipping (I will only charge exactly what the post office charges me) Excellent condition. PayPal OK. Thanks!

I'll second the Pogorelich recommendation. The common criticism of Pogorelich is that his playing is too idiosyncratic, but I think every listener should decide for themself. I was dubious until I heard the CD all the way through, and I was quickly a convert. There's something uniquely dramatic, even mysterious, about Pogorelich's take on Scarlatti, but it never ventures into histrionics or bombast. Couple this CD with Haskil's edition, and you have a lot to listen to. The 17 CD Haskil edition is currently selling for just over $44 at Amazon. Pretty good price for that much music. I own the previous 7 CD edition, and it's brilliant.

Sold! Thanks.

• TOCJ 9104 Pete LaRoca: Basra mini-LP; disc like new; in resealable mylar sleeve $14.99 • Paul Chambers Quintet out-of-print 1996 Connoisseur edition with U.S. obi; disc like new; in resealable mylar sleeve $9.99 Buy both titles for $20! Shipping included in U.S. International at cost. PayPal OK. Reply here and/or PM. Thanks!

I wonder if the Lucky Thompson Select is still in the works ...

Good question. An Evidence repackaging? Sad that Evidence's last Ra reissue was in 2000. What happened to that label? The Szwed book is finally, but slowly, coming to me via media mail. I should have read it long ago, but am excited for it now. Never too late!

This is what all music forums should be about. Seconded on Brilliant Circles. The Japanese CD sounds better. Member "Zoltan" sells it from time to time on eBay.

Never heard of Opus Kura. Who did the transfers and the mastering? The EMI set sounds as if noise reduction was applied generously. The remastering engineer for Opus Kura is Kiyoshi Yasuhara. Here's the website. I can strongly endorse their instrumental and chamber series. Very open and lively sound (considering the vintage 78's); I think you'll find a lot to like. If it helps, here's the Amazon search results for the label. I've been collecting titles from this label for a little over a year now. I own over a dozen titles, and only two have seemed sub-par. Overall, a big in terms of historical classical reissues.

Did the Saturn albums listed in the first post ever see the light of day? (I have Cymbals and Crystal Spears. Will have to reread the liner notes.)

If you like/love Casals' interpretation of the cello suites, you need to own this edition. The remastering blows the EMI version(s) away. Opus Kura is a label very much worth exploring.

No, and I should have picked it up long ago. Time to purchase a copy!

On the record? Snuff jazz?

I was rereading the liner notes to Pathways To Unknown Worlds, and noticed that there are three Saturn albums, intended for release on Impulse!, that were never issued — Across The Border of Time, Flight To Mars, and Tone Poem. I'm a little confused. Were these ever on vinyl? I'm guessing yes — that they were on Saturn, but not Impulse? Has anyone here heard them? What exactly is the deal with Ra on Impulse? It seems that soon after Astro Black was issued on Impulse, Ra's contract (or agreement) with the label was yanked, and all his Impulse records were consigned to the cut-out bin. True?

Next is Jeff Goldblum's album on Blue Note.

I couldn't agree more with this sentiment. It seems like the audiophile labels (and I'm glad they're around) really only cater to fans of hardbop. There's nothing wrong with that, but just imagine if the next 25 XRCDs had Art Hodes, John Hardee, Benny Morton, James P. Johnson, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Andrew Hill, Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman in the queue. I'd buy all of them without a blink. As it is, I haven't yet been able to muster one purchase from this series. I'm sure they're great, but the enthusiasm (for me) just isn't there. I might be the only one too who just isn't into the whole "hardbound book" presentation. I think I'll agree with my agreeing a year (plus) later ... and now leave this highly coded emoticon message:

I really wish Andrew Hill's Point of Departure would make the SACD or XRCD reissue list. I put on the RVG this week, and had to take it off almost instantly. Unfortunately, I've been in a huge fault-finding spree with RVG's remasterings recently, and as a result dumping just about every RVG I have. Not all, but a lot. I was an early supporter of this series, and now, though I really don't want to be, am very sour on the series. Part of this, I think, is that I've configured my stereo set-up (I guess?) to favor TOCJs. At any rate, if a SACD of this title doesn't show up in the next 2-3 years, I'll be emailing Hiroshi for the TOCJ ...

Didn't know that Gerry Mulligan's first sextet record for EmArcy had seen a Japanese reissue. 1991. Anyone have this particular edition?