Shawn

The first batch of Prestige RVG's come out on the 21st of this month. As per usual, most of the chosen titles have been reissued ad nauseum...but there are a couple nice surprises that I would be willing to upgrade if the sound is improved. March 21st: Red Garland - Red Garland's Piano (nice to see they picked something other than Groovy, plus it's a great session) Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Relaxes (Another nice choice) then all the usual suspects... Relaxin' With Miles, Lush Life, Django, Quiet Kenny, Saxophone Colossus, Boss Tenor, Out There, Burrell & Coltrane Hopefully more adventurous choices to come....

This little birdy can tell you that the bass is cruddy on the entire album...even the tracks that were issued on Sixth Sense. In my opinion, it's the main thing that drags this session down a few notches.

Just picked up the Archie Shepp - Black Gipsy. AWESOME! The sound is great as well.

Correct. One other thing to remember is that for people with emotional problems (like myself), the withdrawal symptoms from trying to quit can really be torture. It can trigger a major depressive episode...and when you find yourself asking whether it would be better to buy a pack of smokes and calm down...or slit your wrists...there's a pretty good chance you'll decide to keep smoking.

Stanley Turrentine - Mosaic Disc 1 (Comin' Your Way) next up will be the Horace Parlan Mosaic, going to listen to all these Turrentine/Turrentine/Parlan/Tucker/Harewood sessions back to back.

I lived in Fort Scott KS from 1979-1983...the main thing I remember were the brick streets. I had no idea he was from there.

Austin to Dallas. I'd drive 3 hours one way for a good slice any day....

Graphs don't really tell you anything, there's too many different ways to manipulate audio digitally. The only "giveaway" is if they are completely squared off at the top, that means either heavy compression or digital limiting (rock CDs are all mastered that way these days).

Thanks for adding that link...stunning work, heartbreaking. I love the photo of the "Colored Only" entrance to the department store, it's such a juxtaposition with how elegant & refined the lady and her daughter are.

Obituary

The article I read said he had been long suffering from an "undisclosed" illness.

I've got the Soul Meeting twofer reissue. The total time shows as 79:19 in my CD player (the back of the CD case says 79:08). There is no mention of any editing or omissions (Fantasy usually admits it when they tinker). I did a quick check of the ending of each song, there are only 2 tracks with board fade-outs: In A Funky Groove (10:36) & Soul Meeting (7:01). When transferring from LP to CD, there are alot of opportunities to reduce the total playing time (usually length of fade out, time between tracks, etc).

I think this recording was jinxed from the start. Isn't this the session where Milt's vibes weren't available so they had to use a rental? I seem to remember reading that somewhere. I have 3 versions of this (orginal US CD, Mosaic, JRVG) and they all sound like crap...but...it's a great session, so I just EQ it a little and enjoy.

Wow. I've been a huge Lateef fan for awhile now (thank you Lon), but really haven't ventured past the Savoy/Prestige/Impulse dates that much. Found this album online this morning and it kicked my ass awake! The title of this album is perfect, it does paint a clear portrait of where Yusef was at circa 1968. The rhythm section is brilliant: Hugh Lawson, Cecil McBee and Roy Brooks. Lateef's music required very astute players that could do justice to all the shifting colors he painted with. There isn't a single wasted second on this album, every song is a gem, concise but with plenty of open space for exploration. I especially liked the overdubbed flute/tenor on See Line Woman. Cecil McBee is the hippest cat on the planet.... Any other fans of this record? What other Atlantic Lateef records are essential?

1987 B.C. - The stone age of digital mastering.

My recently purchased Horace Parlan Mosaic (just arrived today). It never ceases to amaze me how good that Turrentine/Turrentine/Parlan/Tucker/Harewood lineup was. All of the sessions they did together are wonderful. Now...if Blue Note would PLEASE do an RVG of Look Out!!!! Sheesh!!!!

It's a session he did for Black And Blue with Milt Buckner. It was reissued a few years back with extra tracks on an import CD, haven't run across that one yet. Anyway, killer stuff and you can get the Laserlight version for about $5.

Helen Merrill is totally addictive...I'm glad there isn't a cure.

The Rhino reissues are exact duplicates of their UK counterparts, however, the reissue series started before Rhino got around to releasing any of them in the states. The first one Rhino issued here in the states was the Made In Japan remaster...then they've been working their way backwards to catch up. The Fireball reissue came out years later in the States than it did in the UK. I'm guessing they haven't got around to In Rock yet. By the way, that Black Sabbath box set has excellent remastering. Well worth picking up! You can get it cheap at yourmusic.com

I like Cirrus a good deal, just listened to it a few weeks ago. None of the Hutcherson 70s recordings have me running for cover, although in the grand scheme of things they aren't as memorable either. But that's not surprising considering Bobby's nearly flawless 60's output... oh yeah...and I'm one of the people that think San Francisco is a "stone classic"...because it is!

Anthrax (the band) is still alive and well, John Bush is still the vocalist. HOWEVER... The "Among The Living" era band (with Belladonna, Dan Spitz) recently re-united for an anniversary tour, which was filmed and then subsequently released on both CD & DVD. Here's the cover:

Very nice record. I'm also very fond of the album released in the "Standards" series...in fact that is one of my favorite Smith sessions.

I totally agree. Dalton had a darkness that was perfect for a "more serious" Bond, the only actor to play the character like someone who was half mad with remorse over the murder of his wife. It's just too bad they saddled him with a couple less than stellar films to show off his portrayal. I think they should have stuck with him longer.

If anybody has either of these tracks in digital form (mp3, whatever) I would be ETERNALLY grateful. I purchased both of the U.S. CD releases so I think I've paid for the right to own them. Junior Mance - The Seasons (deleted track from Big Chief, released on the Sweet & Lovely twofer) Hank Mobley - Alternating Current (deleted track from the Messages twofer) Can someone help a poor guy out? Thanks! Shawn