Shrdlu

Whatever the source of the TOCJs was, it was different from the source for the RVGs (namely the actual session reels). The TOCJ sources are at least one generation further along than the sources for the RVGs, but the point is that the TOCJs have the advantage of having been made before the RVGs, which means there had been less time for any tapes to deteriorate when the TOCJs were produced. And damage could occur to the session reels without the sources used by Toshiba being damaged. I assume that Toshiba made the TOCJs from masters (of whatever kind) that they have had since the days when they first issued BN LPs in Japan. I suspect that the TOCJs may even have been dubbed from vinyl, and not just in the well-known case of "Sweet Honey Bee", with its crackles. I don't think that anyone has ever found out just what went on. The name of the TOCJ engineer was posted on the BN bulletin board, after a long search.

Man alive! What a palaver! I kinda scanned it and it brought me under conviction. I give up. I'm just going to play them as they are.

The TOCJs ("Blue Note Works") were taken from LP masters in the case of BN albums that came out straight away after being recorded, whereas the RVGs are taken from the session tapes, which are now old. So, generally speaking, sonic flaws that are present on the RVGs are sometimes not found on the TOCJs. This is one reason why the TOCJs are better than any RVG (or other recent issue). Obviously, we can't blame BN U.S. or Rudy for this. Specific examples of this that I have heard are on Mobley's "Dippin'", and "The Horace Silver Trio". It seems that this new Tyner is another example. I think the TOCJs should be kept available as the definitive BN CD reissues.

Alex, did you catch the Orson Welles Video Will on "The Critic"? It began with an ad for Mrs Smith's fish sticks! On the subject of wines, and the pompous rubbish written about this rotted grape juice, James Thurber had the last word, which went something like this: "It's a simple wine, without any breeding, but I think you will be amused by its presumption."

Will get to that asap, Al. Thanks. The AMG guide, which I find very useful, very often, doesn't like McFarland much. In any case, their reviews are generally worthless, I think.

"Oleo" just uses the stock "I Got Rhythm" changes.

Everywhere you look, nowadays. Is there no store that is booze-free? One more suggestion: "Plonk de Plonks". I have lived in Canada. A friend once said "Canadian wine comes in three varieties: red, white and industrial strength." I liked the mock Orson Welles on "The Critic", who was advertising Gallo wines, and said "Sensibly priced at just a dollar a jug."

I have a 26-year-old son who just comes to my place to save on bathroom tissue. He reads mail-order catalogs.

Well, this is too good to be so little known, Chris. It's sad that it probably won't be reissued outside Japan. The tapes are apparently lost. That would explain why DCC put out CDs of Gary's other two Skye albums but not this one. I must check out those two Jacksons. You can't go wrong with Milt, in any case. I missed most of the CTIs the first time around because there was so much from earlier years to catch up with.

That prompted me to give that album a spin again. Great stuff, but it isn't anything like the McFarland session. It's interesting to consider how different two sessions, with the same or similar personnel, can turn out to be.

I think this thread should be moved over to the Politics section.

The answer you seek is here: LINK: official Andrew Hill "Mosaic Select" thread... Ha, ha! Gotcha!

Har, har, har! That's a classic, Dave. Made my day! I remember that tune on the radio, but not what it was called. But I have to agree with Mike's comments. Mike, you described that superbly. And, it is not that there is any shortage of albums with Vernell - whom I also like, by the way. My preference is for the original, drumless trio.

No, it isn't. I found a mono, not rechanelled for stereo, Epic LP in very good shape with these. (Epic 3212). The contents of this are exactly the tracks that have reverb on the French 2 CD set. These LPs don't seem to be hard to find. I think I got mine from Gemm, but it might have been eBay.

I hear that they are planning an Andrew Hill Select, too. I wonder what will be on that.

Well, Hubert does not dominate this album. There are some short solos, but it's mainly ensemble work, so it could be anybody, really. The solos really dig in, and make you think "Yeah!". I have never heard a massive amount of Laws, but I remember when he first appeared on albums, in the late 60s, and I have always liked his sound and ideas. This is a real, specialist flutist, not just a tenor player who plays it because everybody is doing it and he can't avoid it. (Though a lot of those are very good, too.) I don't recall many album names from back then, but there was a "Flute By Laws" album, and he was on some CTI albums, as well as Quincy Jones' masterpiece "Walking In Space", I think. Also, he is good on the Chick Corea double album "Inner Space" - you need the Japanese version of that one to get good sound.

It's mine, too. Uncanny, as, also, my Mom was born in the same year as Trane, 1926.

Hard to choose a short list, but I guess Pops, Bird and Trane have influenced me more than any others. But I like zillions. I remember a guy calling me nuts when I was about 20 because he thought that I liked too many musicians. But there are a lot of good ones!

I recently posted a brief recommendation about this one in the Reissues section, but this is the place for it. The new Japanese CD of this arrived about 10 days ago, and it has really grabbed me. This album is absolutely haunting! I don't often play a CD over and over, especially in these times of a surplus of reissues, but "Today" really stands out. The album is chock full of gems. The star, for me, is the (acoustic) guitar of Sam Brown, of whom I've heard very little. The engineer caught his sound superbly on this album. Sam out-Spanishes the Spanish themselves. Up there, too, is Hubert Laws, who reminds us that he is one of the very top flutists. (Here, he is heard on alto flute and piccolo, as well as the regular model.) The whole group gets into a terrific groove on many tracks - especially in some tags at the ends of selections. The rhythm is Brasilian mainly, and you won't hear a smoother combination of percussion, guitar and bass. It sure helps to have Ron Carter and Grady Tate on board! On one track, Ron treats us to a sustained spell with the low D on his extended bass. Gary's arrangements are wonderful, and though he isn't a singer in the operatic category, his voice is actually quite pleasant, I think; his intonation is very good. There's also a reasonable amount of his vibes work to be heard. The selection of songs is very good, too. A couple of things I would change: I would lose the cello, and I would have had Curtis Fuller play without a mute, in the manner of Jimmy Cleveland and Urbie Green on the Jobim sessions. And I don't like "Suzanne", with its silly lyrics, though the background is nice. One bad track out of 12 isn't doing too badly. Give this one a spin. The CD is taken from a less than VG+ LP, but the remastering is great, and one can ignore the occasional sonic flaw in the vinyl. Or, get a used LP.

Agreed. Are we to assume that these are rarer than Fats Waller's accompaniments for various singers in the 20s, all of which were reissued by Classics in France?

Is it like that fabulous one on "Out To Lunch"?

Mine was Curley.

Brad, are you aware that there are two CDs' worth of recordings by the trio with guitar on the Columbia label (Epic and Okeh, originally) - if you can find them, that is? They are matchmates for this Argo (Parrot) album, and are real good listening, especially with grits and thrology by the campfire.

I, too, have friends in Pensacola.

I think what I am saying is that I'm an old fogey, but Humphrey Lyttleton is a much older fogey (if not the whole BBC).