Teasing the Korean

WOW!!! If I can get the original for 50 cents at the thrift store, the digital remaster with bonus tracks is worth at least 75 cents. Please post a link to any reputable retailer offering this jewel for 75 cents, and I'll be sure to buy it.

Why spend money on the reissue when there are multiple copies at the thrift store for 50 cents?

Nick De Caro - Happy Heart - A&M

Oliver Nelson - Skull Session - Flying Dutchman (original)

Impulse stereo.

The structure of this poll is dividing and conquering the opposition, much like a US election.

I prefer mono LPs, but that said, here's a stereo record with great sonics. Not exactly jazz from a purist's standpoint, but on the cusp: Henry Mancini's Combo album, recorded just after Peter Gunn. Features a nine or 10 piece group with rhythm and 4 horns. I have an early RCA Living Stereo copy with the black Little Nipper label that sounds fan - f*cking-tastic. Bass and drums are dead center, everything else is spread out across the spectrum. The cymbals have a nice sizzle without sounding harsh, and the trumpet has a nice rounded quality that doesn't force me to dive for the treble. Great bass, great presence. There are two novelty numbers on the album but the other 10 are first rate.

Yes, but what's ironic is that there were vocalists with wider audiences than Ella (at the time) who had more interesting arrangements than what is heard on the Cole Porter/R&H sets. Not sure what was going on there...

Never saw this one! What's it like?

I have a decent amount of Ella and admittedly don't listen to her often. Still, there is some quality about her singing - especially on the live stuff - that brings tears to my eyes when I least expect it. Also, from a technical standpoint, it seems that on the live stuff she's able to sound both raspy and crystal clear simultaneously, and the more she goes, the better her voice gets. Someone said earlier that her interpretations of ballads lacked, but I think select ballads of hers, such as "Get Out of Town," "So in Love" and "Isn't it a Pity," are very moving and heartfelt. And I wish she was paired with better arrangers on the Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hart songbook albums.

And I'll take superior pop music over run-of-the-mill jazz any day...

To my ears, those stereo World Pacifics always seem light on the bass and a little shrill in the high end. I find I have to tweak the dials significantly for these. An all-time fave! Looks great on the wall next to Junior Mance, Straight Ahead (Capitol).

I respect your right to not like Ella, but she's not in the same category as Mabel Mercer either.

I respect your right to not like Ella, but she's not in the same category as those two - if for no other reason than the fact that they use over the top vibratos more characteristic of stage singing.

MONO!

This may be my favorite of his. Mine's stereo; I've never seen a mono.

This is the way to go when heavy duty cleaning is involved, believe me.

Assuming the LPs didn't warp (which is possible), they can be cleaned, but you'll probably need a heavy duty cleaner, such as a VPI or Nitty Gritty machine, to really do the trick. The cheapest Nitty Gritty goes for about $300, so you'll have to decide if it's worth it. I've cleaned LPs with heavy mold and god-knows-what on one of these machines and have been amazed by the results.

I'm broke for the next month or so. I'm thinking about that Denon. It seems like the Grado doesn't do anything beyond what the mono button does. Don't mean to hijack the forum!

Except mine is a mono copy.

This album, along with its companion "Jungle Jazz," are amazing records that deserve to be reissued. A perfect example of how great music falls through the cracks because it doesn't meet rigid boundary definitions. Great solos from Plas Johnson and Larry Bunker. BTW, the mono version of this which you have was recorded with completely different mic placement than the stereo. The mono has much more presence.

Was this recorded/filmed/videotaped? On an episode of "Playboy's Penthouse" from 1959, Hef plays Ella Fitzgerald a live recording of her that was allegedly recorded at the festival, and remarks that it is "not commercially available."

Thanks for this.

I just picked up the double live album on Arista/Freedom. Haven't spun it yet; how is it? I *think* side 4 is with an orchestra, but I'm not sure. If so, that should be interesting.

Any info on the date of the recording? I just watched a live segment of Ella on "Playboy's Penthouse" from 1959 or 1960. Her live stuff just slays me.