DrJ

Boy I have DEFINITELY taken OJCs for granted, given that so many other reissue series have gone in/out of print they have tended to be lowest priority. That will now be changing! A recommendation from me: REFLECTIONS, Steve Lacy. Some of the finest Monk interpretations and best soprano sax playing you're liable to hear.

Lon mentioned the Water booklets being great, and I'll second that. Not just the notes themselves, but they tend to be printed on heavier, glossy paper stock that is really nice to read and handle.

Sorry I offended you with my suggestion, etherbored. In your tally you must be including expensive imports in your "three issues" comment. There's exactly ONE version of this on the market in the US, the only other American release I'm aware of on CD, as part of the Mosaic box, is LONG gone. While in the past I bought up some Japanese imports (those not available in the US) I've gradually been trading them in as stuff becomes available in comparable remastering technology here. In fact, I stopped buying Japanese imports over a year ago, as my A/B tests upon getting American equivalents using similar technology (24 bit etc) have almost all revealed either that the available American issue sounds better or it's a coin toss, and the American issues are way cheaper. I think the frenzy over the supposed across the board superiority of Japanese CD issues is one of the biggest pieces of hype in collectors' circles. With that in mind: the current TALKIN' ABOUT in the US is a Ron McMaster job. I don't much like his work and greatly prefer the sound of RVGs. Plus TALKIN' ABOUT is a stone classic album, a summit conference among three masters at the peak of their game. Thus the request. BTW, the RVG series is not by any stretch a line to issue only stuff that isn't readily in print in the U.S. - you must want the Connoisseur series thread, down two doors to the left. Many of the RVGs have been of material that was already readily available in the US in inferior remastering. Anyway, I'll try and get your approval ahead of time before I make any future suggestions, hadn't known it was required.

What a piddling little discussion THIS has turned out to be...

HEH, FUNNY...WHAT? I CAN'T FRIGGIN' HEAR YOU...SPEAK THE &*$%#( UP!

I enjoy the PENGUINS for what they are too, DMP, but do feel that sometimes they veer perilously close to plagiarism, and even more often they really do simply hand down received wisdom, never digging any deeper for themselves.

I agree with many mentioned already. Don't forget also MONEY JUNGLE Not a "Mingus" album per se but he's a huge, fuming presence and in the company of Duke and Roach - one hell of a record. And a more obscure favorite: MINGUS THREE, another trio but more of a sleeper in terms of notoriety, with Hampton Hawes and Dannie Richmond.

It IS very nice - I have the JRVG, and agree it sounds excellent. BUT with that one you miss out on a couple of really nice alternate takes - maybe not the biggest deal in the world, but with music at this exhalted level, I'd like to replace both the JRVG and my old McMaster American issue with a definitive US RVG. I agree MATADOR would be a nice one too, as would TALKIN' ABOUT... What about a surprise entry of Wayne Shorter's SOOTHSAYER (I think reissued around the same time as MATADOR, and in equally atrocious sound)?

What you say is true to a degree Simon. I have noticed as I have more and more of the titles they talk about that the Penguin Guide guys often extract comments (paraphrased) more or less straight out of the liner notes from various CDs (without crediting them as such).

Yeah, I immediately put the discs into those slimline jewel cases and took the booklet out and just store it right next to the discs. But it's crazy to have to do this!

Hang in there, what Bright Moments said.

Farmer / Golson / Jazztet. Sublime.

I thought I saw something a while back about this one actually already being on schedule for an RVG release...

Well my friend, while the outside looks kind of nice - a little repro vintage amp - when you pull off the lid, all you see are the CDs literally wedged into slots in regular old gray spongy foam. They're just hanging there in space, no protection, and they easily roll right out onto the floor. By far, hands down the WORST boxed set packaging ever, and certainly the chintzy-est.

Sounds like a winner... but oy, what a name for an LP! Produced by BF Skinner?!?

Yes indeed, BruceH, they are, they are. On another plane!

Yeah, OBLIQUE would be a really great "sleeper" RVG. It's a far, far stronger session than the more known HAPPENINGS, IMHO, and you gotta figure it would sell some on Herbie's name alone. TOTAL ECLIPSE would be good too, selfishly, but I'd vote for OBLIQUE so more people could hear it, it's way up there with Bobby's best. Soul Stream, I like your organ listing - but remember the Ike Quebec 45 sessions I mentioned are also laden with soulful B-3 playing!

Glad to see LEAPIN' AND LOPIN' being supported - are you getting this Kevin? Just kiddin', but really, this is a stone classic BN date, definitely should be perennially kept in circulation in state of the art format.

Funny enough, couw, I just found both that Shaw 2-disc LAST SESSIONS set as well as the MORE LAST SESSIONS 2 CD set that came out somewhat later used a few weeks ago and have been enjoying the hell out of both. Mysterious forces are at work in the universe...

Fully aware. I'm just thoughtful.

Jimmy Noone. Old but definitely not in the way.

That's I think what I paid for my set at half.com too Peter, probably from the same vendor (they must have bought a stockpile!). Wait till you hear the Rex Stewart, Buddy Rich Big Band, and Professor Longhair stuff...what a great set! That Mary Lou Williams material at the end is icing on the cake, too.

Hey, I'm no elitist when it comes to use of great music in ads...I've personally benefitted, being first exposed to artists in this manner who I then got to explore. The prime example for me was Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" being used in the VW ads a few years back, my first entry into his world. I don't see the harm, except for those permanent mental images that sometimes then get stuck in your head associated with the music (just what those ad guys and gals want!).

Would also like to see 10" era BNs (at least a couple) in RVG format...maybe an Art Hodes and a Bechet (yeah, and you know what they say about monkeys flying out of some oriface...) Here's some others: McCoy Tyner - EXPANSIONS There needs to be at least one Curtis Fuller title in the RVG format...probably would most like to see VOLUME 3 Where the hell is Sonny Clark - LEAPIN' AND LOPIN'? PRIME RVG candidate Would absolutely LOVE to see an RVG set of Ike Quebec's 45 recordings (heck, the Mosaic is LONG gone and the single Japanese disc FROM HACKENSACK TO ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS doesn't capture all that great music). I'm sure it would sound stunning

I will probably pick up the Black Lion remasters for the few tracks not included in the Mosaic, but would like to say that I find the sound on the Mosaic CDs to be quite good for the era (don't have the set right here in front of me but I believe this was a Malcom Addey job and it shows!).