JSngry

He did it right.

Oops, I Mean "Synergy". How could I be so careless... http://www.ejazznews.com/modules.php?op=mo...order=0&thold=0 Universal Music and Concord Ink Distribution Deal Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 09:00 AM Los Angeles, CA--Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company and Concord Records, one of the world's largest independent recording labels announced today that the two companies have entered into a U.S. distribution agreement. The partnership, which takes effect on July 26, 2004, covers Concord's family of imprints, including Concord Jazz, Concord Picante, Stretch Records, Peak Records, Feinery and Playboy Jazz. Concord Records is set to release several highly-anticipated albums over the coming months, including the final recording from the legendary Ray Charles, “Genius Loves Company,” which features 12 duets with such renowned artists as Elton John, Norah Jones, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, and Bonnie Raitt. Also on the roster is the sophomore release from 21-year-old pop/jazz sensation, Peter Cincotti, who Concord took to the top of the Billboard charts in 2003; a new recording from ever-favorite Barry Manilow; and the first recording in 10 years from the highly-regarded Chick Corea Elektric Band. Universal will also take on Concord's current releases, including chart-hit, “Street Signs,” from mega-mashers and 2004 Latin GRAMMY® nominees Ozomatli. “Concord Records has emerged as one of the world's preeminent architects of today's adult music scene,” stated Jim Urie, President of Universal Music & Video Distribution (UMVD). “We are thrilled and honored that they will now be part of the Universal family of labels.” “As we move into the future, we look forward to working alongside such a tremendous organization as Universal; their market-leading position and enormously talented team will play a key role in achieving our present and future goals,” says Concord President Glen Barros. “Throughout our 31-year history, Concord Records has been fortunate to have been associated with many great partners, and this new relationship with Universal is sure to be another magnificent collaboration. We are also grateful to our current distributor, IDN, for all of their efforts on our behalf. We have great respect and gratitude for their support over the years, as well as their commitment to helping us become one of leading independent labels in the US.” “Since its inception in 1969, Concord has passionately pursued its love for jazz and adult music,” added Zach Horowitz, President & COO of Universal Music Group. “Over the years, it has created a dynamic roster of artists and collected a vast catalog of seminal recordings. Concord's recent success and growth initiatives demonstrates this unwavering commitment and love for the genre, and we expect even bigger things from them in the future.” Universal Music Group is the world's largest music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 71 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry's largest global music publishing operations. Universal Music Group consists of record labels Decca Record Company, Deutsche Grammophon, DreamWorks Records, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor, Universal Music Latino, Universal Motown Records Group, and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Strategic Marketing & Commercial Affairs (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, a new media and technologies division. Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company. Concord Records is widely regarded as one of the preeminent record companies in the industry today, committed to offering the adult music audience inspiring, innovative and high quality recordings of jazz and popular music. With a family of labels that now includes several partnerships and imprints (Peak Records, Stretch, Playboy Jazz, Concord Picante and more), Concord has amassed a catalog of over 1,000 albums from such legendary artists as Ray Brown, Charlie Byrd, Rosemary Clooney, Herb Ellis, Stan Getz, Gene Harris Tito Puente, and Mel Tormé, among others. The label's current roster of world-class vocal and instrumental artists includes: Karrin Allyson, Patti Austin, Peter Cincotti, Michael Feinstein, Nnenna Freelon, Robben Ford, Marian McPartland, Barry Manilow, Ozomatli, Eddie Palmieri, Poncho Sanchez, and Curtis Stigers Make of this what you will.

In that case, Jim, try not to answer too soon. B) Looking at the volume of items on my "to get to shelves", I hope the same!

So it's brain damage that causes us to walk upright, is it? That explains PLENTY!

I'll not be able to accurately answer until I die.

What's a likely candidate for one of those "scheduled for release and even assigned a catalog number" items that the label had a few of over the years?

They're making me feel like I've never been born!

How's about all them Bud Powell BN alternates, the ones from THE AMAZING BUD POWELL sessions? Them's good eats!

Dusty Groove had it, but is temporarily out. Put in a request for notification when it comes back in stock: http://www.dustygroove.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap...it&issearch=yes last item on page.

To say nothing of "Blues For 007"!

Ok, for years now I've read reviews of Sonny's club dates from the mid-60s, and they all go on and on about how the guy was into a stream-of-consciousness medley thing, starting and stopping at will, changing tunes in mid-stream, playing long solo interludes, walking all over the room to get different sounds from different areas, all kinds of stuff that makes it sound like the gig wasn't just a gig, but an EXPERIENCE. Trouble is, all the Rollins bootlegs I've got from this era are concerts, not club dates, and although he gets into a little bit of that on those, it definitely seems that he was more mindful of the setting and time allotments than he would have been in a club date. So all those reviews have remained as triggers of tantalizing fantasies of things never to be heard. Until now. Ronnie Scott's, January 8, 1965, opening night, first set (if Scott's announcement is accurate). Stan Tracey, Rick Laird, & Ronnie Stephenson along for the ride. And what a ride it is! Everything the old reviews mention is here. It might make for disjointed listening for the more passive listener, but if you can put yourself in the place of an audience member in the club hearing it as it unfolds instead of being a 39.5 year-after-the-fact listener checking out a CD at home, it gets pretty hairy (in the best possible way). THIS is improvisation in every sense of the word! Tracey is at a loss most of the time, as well he should be, being a pianist and all, Laird copes well enough, but Stephenson is with Sonny every, EVERY step of the way. Their interplay as Sonny stops and starts, bobs and weaves, cuts in and out of tunes, is darn near perfect. In fact, Sonny actually seems to be locking in on him and engaging him in a way that he didn't always do with American drummers (and definitely doesn't do today). As for Sonny himself, he's in that glorious mid-60s form of his where nothing is as it seems, and everything can be anything at any time. This is not the most coherent example of this style on record (and given the nature of the event, I'm actually glad it's not), but it is definitely some of the most adventurous, all things considered. Henry Threadgill has talked about seeing Rollins live during the mid-60s and what a huge impression it made on him, and I think you can hear how and why quite clearly on this date - the vibe of "concrete abstaction" (or vice versa) is very much to the fore here, in the tunes themselves, certainly, but especially in how the set flows from tune to tune (and back again and back again and back again and back again and back again and back again). some of the "interludes" sound like Air tunes just waiting to happen! Highlights are many - an absolutely incindiery 15:55 "Four" that is every bit as definite as what preceded it has been open-ended (Sonny just up and BAMS!!! into it and doesn't let up), a "My One And Only Love" that shows Rollins' gift for totally redefining a melody through shading and phrasing (and the occasional out-of-nowhere "wrong" note", and a "Blue 'N' Boogie" that may or may not be that a blues all the way through, one that finds Sonny finding some very jarring melodic and rhythmic structures simply by playing parts of the melody, stopping it on a passing tone instead of the resolving one. Recording quality is good enough to hear everybody (even if Sonny's "strolling" takes him to and from the mike to varying degrees for various durations at various time). Not recommended for everybody - too many people like their Rollins in "classic" form for me to do that. This is NOT the Sonny Rollins that you hear on any of his studio dates, including the RCA/Impulse ones. But it does have enough of those elements to it that I feel safe in recommending it to those who would be interested in hearing the great man treat a gig not like a set, but rather as an act of totally spontaneous, all-involving, creation. I've listened to it about 5-6 times now, and it actually gets wilder with each listen! And boy, do I feel sorry for Stan Tracey (well, not really, but that's the polite thing to say, I suppose). In short, it ain't perfect, but it is pretty darn fine, and damned if you'll ever hear anything like it anywhere else unless you got some private tapes from the same era. If you do, let me know - I'll be your friend!

"All That's Good" is a concept album for people who don't need to be told what the concept is, if you know what I mean.

"I dream of your polysorbate-80 Doesn't it seem that it's folly to wait, lady?"

Oh yeah - the unedited "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" IS significantly longer and significantly mo'better.

I love this Burns side. It's kinda like, to use an unlikely comparison, Booker Ervin's THE IN-BETWEEN in how all the tunes are a perfect reflection of the leader's personality and how there's no strain at all on anybody's part to get the vibe going. One of the most comfortable jazz records I've everr heard! If I could sum this album up in one word, it would be "slippers". Or "Slippers".

Take out Norah & Krall from the mix and what have you got?

Wow.

I do gotta say, though, that Francis Davis' liner notes are REALLY stupid, and embarassingly so. Too bad - I've very much liked the guy in the past, but he seems to be forgetting some pretty basic things as he grows older and, apparently, "whiter". Geez, Leonard Feather's origianl notes are more germane to the proceedings than Davis', and it both pains and shocks me to say that. For example, Feather draws the line from 30s balladry to Frankie Laine to JB. The best Davis can muster is to draw a line from Elvis' hair to some trashy automated singing JB toy that apparently has a place of pride in his house and to say that the time is "all over the place" on the album, when it's anything but. Surely this ain't the same Francis Davis who wrote Outcats! CAN THIS OFAY BE SAVED???? STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF...... AS THE CRITIC AGES.

The "extensions" are not really that dramatic in lenght, and don't hurt anything at all, AFAIC. If anything, the lack of a an audible slice enhances the listening. INSANE it is - I hear "Your Cheatin' Heart" on the way home this morning on KNTU, and that record just LEAPED out my cheapo Honda speakers and got all up in my face and other personal areas. Love it when that happens!

And that is one to look for, holding as it does the Salle Pleyel concert by Gillespie's big band that is as incredible musically as it is poorly recorded.

Guess this was a three-day weekend...

1) My preference would be for AFRO-EURASIAN ECLIPSE, but not for lack of merit on UPTOWN'S part. I'm really, really fond of later Duke (flaws and all), that's all. If nothing else, get ECLIPSE for the opening monologue, which is deep. 2) I have no opinion. But you're most likely going to end up wanting/getting it all in some form or fashion.

Cary, is this your baby?

Thank you, sir.