AfricaBrass

Jazzbo, you're not strange at all. I really like The Old Masters label. The only thing I've got are the 3 Frankie Trumbauer Tram volumes, but I love the music. I wish I had more like it. I went through the upcoming releases list, but I couldn't find much that I was interested in. Since my budget is limited these days, I've given up on trying to keep up with all the new releases/reissues. Five years ago I would have planned to buy most of the items on that list, but now I'm mostly enjoying what I already have. Apart from some of the titles you guys have mentioned. The Stan Kenton reissue on BN is the only thing that I'm excited about. I can't really tell you why, but I like Kenton. Bombast and all. :rsmile:

I really dig those old Fantasy two-fers. I've try to pick up all that I can. One of my favorite jazz lp bargains are the Pablo lps. I don't know a lot about audiophile stuff, but I have picked up some very nice Pablo pressings for a couple bucks. I really like all the Art Tatum lps they released. The Evans is a great deal. That two-fer was the first Bill Evans I ever bought. :rsmile:

I typed this out for your non-poll post, so I figured why waste it. My vote in this poll is for the Gil Melle. I was tempted to go with the Watkins because I figure the Melle will win. I'm glad you created this poll! I loved this series of Conns. If it was me, I'd get them all. My favorites of the ones you listed are: Gil Melle – Complete Fifties Sessions Julius Watkins – Julius Watkins Sextet Vols. 1 & 2 Howard McGhee Vol. 2/Tal Farlow Quartet Sal Salvador Quintet/ Kenton Presents... The 52nd Street reviews were good. Thanks for the link. I love the Gil Melle. The music is very interesting. I think emusic.com has some of his OJC releases from the fifties. The Julius Watkins was the last 10" Conn I purchased. I just couldn't get myself to pick it up. The idea of the french horn didn't really excite me. Boy! Was I wrong. I really liked the album. It's one of my top 10" Conns. Since I play guitar, the Sal Salvador and Tal Farlow releases are favorites (McGhee's album is no slouch either). This probably isn't much help to you, but it was a great series. Same goes with the West Coast Classics Conns. If you don't have those.... I'd get them, they're really enjoyable too. I think the Conns are the only thing BN releases anymore that I get excited about. I'm really excited about the next batch, as I have been with most batches so far.

I did the same thing. The Melle really got me excited about the 10" series. I'd put it in my top 5 connoisseurs. :rsmile:

Cool! I hope you like it. I voted for the Watkins. I dig the 10" Conns. That was such a cool series. I really love the Gil Melle. Was that in any of the polls? :rsmile:

You're welcome! I'm listening to the Kirk show right now. It sounds good!

That's a great idea!

I couldn't find it for a while. I found it two ways: 1) Search under album name - conflict 2) In the jazz section, check the new tab. It was there when I looked a little while ago Good luck! :rsmile:

Thanks Rooster Ties! I'll check it out. I know this isn't emusic related, but it's mp3 related. Here's a link to a site that has some cool mp3 downloads. Right now they have a live Roland Kirk show from 1970 and a Miles show from 1975. They alternate the shows, so check it out. Darkfunk

I've just finished listening to this album for the first time. I love it!!!! I downloaded it from emusic.com, but I need to buy a copy of this.

I finally downloaded Jimmy Woods' Conflict. I have to say that I'm impressed with the variable bit rate mp3 sound quality. I've only listened to it with headphones on my computer, but I'm happy to say that I don't hear any of the whooshiness that I'm used to with mp3's from Fantasy. The file sizes are a bit bigger, but I think it was a great move of emusic going to VBR. :rsmile:

Congratulations RDK! :rsmile:

You should have listed THIS POLL. I would have voted for it.

Yeah, I did pick some of my favorites. They are pretty hard choices. My personal pick is John Patton's Boogaloo. I have it on vinyl and cd and it's lifted me out of the dumps a few times. I just realized that most of my titles are older Rare Groove releases. It was GREAT being a BN fanatic in the mid-nineties. I couldn't wait for the next batch of issues/reissues to come out. I guess I'm just jaded, but I don't get as excited about the Rare Grooves as I used to. I think for me it's the concentration on Mizell productions as reissues that have taken the fun out of it for me. I'd rather hear the sixties/early-seventies stuff. :rsmile:

You want it? You got it! I created a poll. Rare Groove Poll #1

Whoo hoo!!!!

As connoisseur series500 series requested, I have made my Rare Groove poll. These titles are some of my favorites. I was really tempted to just do a John Patton only poll because they are all very greazy, but I was good included 1 title from each artist. So if you're not polled out, please vote. :rsmile:

pryan, If the expense of a double cd set isn't an issue, I'd recommend the set. I really like it. The route I took with Ayler was through his ESP recordings. I'd recommend Spiritual Unity or Spirits Rejoice. If you have an emusic.com membership, I believe they have the ESP albums. You'll probably get better answers than mine, since I'm not the biggest Ayler expert here, but I think you'd be safe with any of these albums. Good luck! :rsmile:

Thanks for the great polls, connoisseur series500! This was a great idea. :rsmile:

I agree. It would be very wise of BN watch these polls to see which Conns they should re-released as RVG's. Maybe Kevin can give the results to Michael Cuscuna when he talks to him. Everybody should have the ability to buy Tina Brooks' True Blue. I really love that album. I just wish I could vote for more than one item. :rsmile:

Just when I thought I was safe. I want the Captain on video!!!! :rsmile:

I really love the Atlantic set. I would feel very comfortable recommending it. One thing I did was to reburn the albums onto cd with the original track order as twofer cds. I do this with a lot of my box sets. I checked half.com and it looks like they're selling for around $60 there. I have to say that I really do feel hosed by the Impulse set. I had most of the cds on it already, but I bought it anyway. Now that they keep finding alternates, I get more bummed out. I think I've bought some of that Coltrane stuff 3 times already. :rsmile:

Ah, Ken Nordine! I love those Word Jazz albums. My wife's favorite color is purple. I bet you can figure out the next part. I feel like I live in a grape. She can't stop buying purple things. Our bedroom is purple. Our living room is getting more purple all the time. Heck, she usually dresses in purple. I guess I'm lucky she doesn't like blue. She would look like the girl who turned into the blueberry in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. That would just be too much!!!! I'd have to find some Oompa Loompas to roll her away. :rsmile:

Jazzbo, THANK YOU! couw, You mean there's another way to spell that blasted word! aarrrgh!!! Just when I finally got it down. How do you keep track of multiple languages? I only know english (and a bit of poor spanish) and that's hard enough. :rsmile:

Thanks Hans, I'll take it off my wish list (which is quite long anyway). That's too bad that it was a disappointment for your friend.