T.D.

This looks interesting. I was a fan of Vasks back in the '90s, then lost track and have been unaware of his piano works.

To muddy the waters...I do have 3 Attila Zoller Enja reissues that sound better and more lively (Common Cause, Overcome and Dream Bells). OTOH, I've been getting Japanese reissues so am not certain whether they have been remastered or remixed. These three recordings seem to have significantly higher output levels than most of my other Enjas and I don't have to turn the volume up. I have a Japanese reissue of Clay by Yosuke Yamashita Trio (1974) on Enja, haven't listened for a while but recall it as pretty intense and not lacking. Will have to spin it again soon.

I don't have that many Enja titles, but I fairly recently accumulated a reasonable number via 1800 yen Japanese reissue threefers. I also find the Enja sound very dry. Bass-heavy seems plausible (I'm listening to a recently acquired Abdullah Ibrahim set right now), though I'd have to listen a bit more to say. But if I turn the volume up (louder than I ordinary listen) the sound livens up and becomes more enjoyable. Weirdly, I seemingly have to listen to Enja recordings at a higher perceived loudness than other labels. I thought the Ibrahim discs I'm listening to now were lemons until I had the bright idea (only tonight) to crank up the volume.

PM on A Secret Labyrinth- A Celebration of Music from the Middles Ages to Renaissance- $12

Agreed that Yamame is excellent. Pretty much straight-ahead hard bop and very well done. Only slight criticism I can make is that it's recorded with really heavy reverb, which may not be to everyone's taste.

Mostly the non Schoenberg selections. Listened to the eponymous Qt (et al.)'s set of S string music on Chandos not long ago.

Always for Lester!

I'm a fan of Ted Daniel and this had been on the want list. Finally found a copy. Not sure what critics would say, but it's a lot of fun to listen to. With Ted Daniel (cornet), Newman T. Baker (perc), Charlie Burnham (violin), Joe Daley (tuba), Marvin Sewell (guitar)

Mine too, but finally located a copy. Just found this on eBay. Listened on Youtube and was greatly impressed, so I ordered. With Itaru Oki (tp, flh, bamboo flute), Kent Carter (b), Oliver Johnson (perc), Claude Bernard (as).

This is good, but pretty free/outside if that matters. With Togashi (drums), Kako (piano).

That cover art is weirdly similar to what the Japanese Venus label routinely prints for jazz releases these days. 🧐

AFAICT, Chet is extremely popular with the vinyl crowd that buys premium releases. I visit another forum with a lot of vinyl fans who post their listening, and Chet is in heavy rotation there.

No thanks. Thought for a moment it was an Onion link. But "let the market decide".

Tiering might involve additional IT work and/or time commitment that Jim doesn't want to deal with.

I took a complete flyer on the 6-CD Nucleus Torrid Zone box set on Esoteric (with the same cover) two or three years ago and loved it, one of my best purchases of that year (guessing 2021). Still listen often. IIRC I was considering the BBC set and went for the Esoteric instead because it was a lot smaller investment and looked like a fine selection. People (e.g. Lon, felser) have praised the BBC set, and I'm sure it's very good, but at 14 CDs and a considerably higher outlay, I doubt I'll ever spring for it. Sort of a "one or the other but not both" thing. I do enjoy the big Barbara Thompson BBC box, though the spoken intros have begun to grate after a few listens.

Excuse OT post, but as a long-ago resident of Downtown Brooklyn (left early 1990), I'm amazed by how the improv / free / avant-garde scene has thrived in that general area (esp the 3d Ave. corridor from Gowanus to the Roulette site).

Two items that have likely never been ordered together 😄