jazzbo

Yes, that's the one. Sure wish they would do this one again in the US with new masgtering,

"The Dixie Sound of Jack Teagarden" Roulette stereo LP

John Coltrane "Coltrane" UHQCD Impulse disc from Japan. Sounds pretty darned good.

I found a Japanese copy of this early two cd set for a great price. . . and I spent a bit of time comparing the American version to it. . . and both are quite nice, the American a little darker, the Japanese a little airier. . . . I love this music. I love Gershwin (a love my father's passion for the music instilled in me) and I like how this "Almanac" differs from other "Songbooks" in arrangements and ensemble variety and the unique nature of Connor's interpretative singing. Just gets to me. . . in part because her voice also reminds me in timbre of the voice of someone I love very very much (the "one that got away.") Chris Connor "Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Songs" http://www.soundfinder.jp/img/products/102080/1311260400/4e2962cd-56e0-4526-953c-584bcbb7dc63/568269.jpg[/img]

In a few cases yes. I personally am NOT a big fan of either of those series. I like the TOCJ series more than the McMaster but find them in general just a bit too polite for my system. These new ones are like Goldilocks' porridge for me, just right.

I was in similar shoes but I'm glad I went for the set. The excellent transfers (uncredited) and the excellent mastering of this set makes this the best sounding digital versions of this material that I have heard, and I have had both the American and Japanese versions. And to have all the material in the same excellent mastering is another big plus. It's too bad this won't be around longer.

Yazz Ahmed "Polyhymnia"

Mostly Other People Do the Killing "Kind of Blue"

I'm absolutely certain Mike would not become an unreasonable tyrant leading a Facebook group! I've had a different experience in a Facebook group, a political one. Like minds really fueling a sense of community and no more "issues" than happens on this forum, less in fact. But I expect the present group created on Facebook to just be an "emergency safe house" rather than a full-blown replacement forum, which it just can't be.

Awesome! Thanks for the headsup.

Okay, no hurry on my account. As you likely know I was thanking someone else.

Thanks for sharing.

Thomas Bell and the Contemporary Jazz Quartet "Another Dimension" Atlantic/Warner CD Japan One of the first LPs I ever owned was the mono copy of the original release of this LP. A Peace Corps volunteer my father directed gave this to me, as part of a box of records Atlantic gave to each volunteer, and he didn't like jazz so he gave me three of the records from the box. This was one of them. A part of the start of my jazz journey (my parents had some swing records and some Brubeck and Ellington from the 'fifties).

So many leaving us. RIP Eddie. I really like the Blue Notes. And I have a few other appearances.

Keith Jarrett "Expectation" Columbia Records, Sony France single cd reissue. I have had this on LP since the early 'sevenites and this is my second cd version. Would have been interesting to see what further Columbia records would have been like if they hadn't dropped him from the roster after this one and only release (recorded between "Facing You" on ECM and "Fort Yawuh" on Impulse).

Had a rare opportunity to do some Saturday listening and concentrated on old favorites including Jobim's "Stone Flower" and "Ellington Indigos."

Just started my Dad's latest book "Father Taylor: Boston's Sailor Preacher, as seen and heard by his Contemporaries." Fascinating book that my father worked on researching and compiling for years, and finally has printed via amazon publishing.

"John Wesley Harding". . . I return to this one more and more as time goes by. Just such vivid yet ambiguous imagery and wording. And such a wonderfully spare and vibrant musical atmosphere for most of it. This album gets under my skin.

Grateful Dead "Workingman's Dead" The 50th Anniversary edition of this album arrived today, out today. I listened this morning to the Mobile Fidelity SACD which to me on my system sounds fantastic. Then the new version arrived (3 cd, 2 of which are a live show mixed from 16 track from '71) and I listened to this version of the album. It sounds very good darker and thicker sounding than the SACD. If you have the SACD and don't need the live show one can comfortably stick with the SACD. Except. . . man the lenticular slipcase cover on this is OUTSTANDING. Really a trip! And this album has a cynically hopeful statement so ripe for this time: "One way or another this darkness got to give."

Mosaic leases and the owner can do what they wish with the material, even I believe Mosaic's mastering. It doesn't really bother me, I get the Mosaic as that is what I would want and I'm glad the music is available for others.

From the Zev Feldman facebook page: 'BLACK JAZZ RECORDS' VINYL REISSUE SERIES! I'm excited and honored to be a co-producer with my good friend Gordon Anderson at Real Gone Music on a vinyl reissue series from the underappreciated Black Jazz Records catalog. The first 3 releases (by Doug Carn , The Awakening and Walter Bishop Jr. ) are due out August 28th (plus Gene Russell's "New Direction" to be released on August 29th for Record Store Day ) drop #1. Read the full press release below. Black Jazz is considered to be the first black-owned jazz label since the 1920s and its mission statement was "to promote the talents of young African American jazz musicians and singers." Gordon and I first started talking about this project back in 2017 when we were thinking about labels to reissue that are deserving of wider recognition. Black Jazz seemed like an obvious choice for many reasons, but tracking down information about who had the rights was an adventure. Luckily things came together eventually last year and I'm thrilled to be rolling these out now. Each LP and CD includes liner notes by the acclaimed author Pat Thomas ("Listen Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975") and is remastered by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision Mastering , and pressed on black vinyl at Gotta Groove Records, Inc. with lacquer cutting by Clint Holley and Dave Polster at Well Made Music. Also, with each Black Jazz album release, Real Gone Music will donate $500 to the Equal Justice Initiative . Video by A.J. Dickerson. ************************ FULL PRESS RELEASE: Black Jazz Records Highly sought-after Oakland based jazz label that ran from 1971-1975 founded by pianist Gene Russell and percussionist Dick Schory Three vinyl releases from the catalog available August 28 on Real Gone Music Featuring the work of keyboardist/composer Doug Carn, Chicago group The Awakening and pianist Walter Bishop Jr. Plus Gene Russell’s New Direction will be released on August 29 for RSD In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the art form we call jazz exploded into endless permutations, including free jazz, spiritual jazz, soul jazz, fusion, and funk. At that time, a number of black-run collectives organically sprang up across America. In Chicago, there was the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), which spawned among many other artists the Art Ensemble of Chicago. In Watts, Horace Tapscott founded UGMAA (Union of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension). In Brooklyn, the CBA (Collective Black Artists) included Reggie Workman, Donald Byrd, and Stanley Cowell (co-founder of the Strata East Record label) among its members. In Detroit, Wendell Harrison, Phil Ranelin, and others formed a collective called The Tribe. And from Oakland came Black Jazz Records, founded by pianist Gene Russell and percussionist Dick Schory. Reputed to be the first jazz record label started by an African-American since 1921, its mission statement was "to promote the talents of young African American jazz musicians and singers." Under Russell’s artistic direction, the label only put out about 20 albums during its short, 4-year (1971-1975) tenure; and then, due to ownership issues and general neglect, the label went underground. Way underground, in fact…but not so far down that a new generation of crate diggers and DJ’s weren’t able to discover the label’s incredible array of modal, soul, funk, and free jazz, much of it imbued with the political and spiritual concerns of the day (and selling for a pretty penny online). Finally, in the ‘90s and early ‘oughts, the Black Jazz catalog emerged on CD in Japan; but for the most part, the entire label’s output was never reissued on vinyl anywhere. Real Gone Music first began tracking down the rights to the Black Jazz label back in 2017. Finally, after a couple of leads went cold, we were able to connect with the rights-holders in early 2020…right before quarantine and the subsequent events that triggered worldwide protests for racial equality. But this music succeeds on a deeper level than just a reminder that the struggle against prejudice continues unabated 50 years later. It offers manifold moments of beauty that remind all of us of our common humanity and the love that, if we let it, binds us all. Real Gone is proud to present the Black Jazz catalog on LP, remastered by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision Mastering, and pressed on black vinyl at Gotta Groove Records with lacquer cutting by Clint Holley and Dave Polster at Well Made Music. Produced by Real Gone Music’s Gordon Anderson and decorated jazz archivist Zev Feldman, each vinyl reissue features the original black-and-white Black Jazz album artwork, which, on early releases, featured an identical front and back cover, with the back cover turned “upside down.” And, both our vinyl and CD releases will feature added liner notes by Pat Thomas, author of Listen Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975 that draw a straight line between what was happening then…and what is happening right now. With each Black Jazz album release, Real Gone Music will donate $500 to the Equal Justice Initiative. DOUG CARN Featuring the Voice of Jean Carn Spirit of the New Land Of All the Artists Who Recorded for the Black Jazz Label, Keyboardist and Composer Doug Carn Was the Most Prolific, Releasing Four Albums for the Imprint 1972’s Spirit of the New Land Was Recorded When Carn Was Also Working with Earth, Wind & Fire Was His Second Black Jazz Release, but the First One (of Two) Co-Billed to His Wife, Vocalist Jean Carn Spirit of the New Land Is Arguably the Most Collectible LP in Carn’s Catalog Features His Knack (as on Miles Davis’ “Blue in Green”) of Adding Lyrics to Modern Jazz Standards, Set to Jean Carn’s Soaring, Five-Octave Range Star-Studded Cast of Musicians Includes Trumpeter Charles Tolliver, Saxophonist George Harper, Trombonist Garnett Brown, Tuba Player Earl McIntyre, and Drummer Alphonse Mouzon A Deeply Spiritual and Uplifting Album Pat Thomas’ Liner Notes Include Excerpts from a Freewheeling Interview with Doug Carn Himself THE AWAKENING Hear, Sense and Feel Chicago-Based The Awakening Were the Only “Group” Recorded by Black Jazz and Released Two of the Most Sought-After Albums in the Label’s Entire Catalog The Awakening’s Roots Were in the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) Collective That Claimed The Art Ensemble of Chicago Among Its Most Esteemed Artists Both Bassist Reggie Willis and Tenor Saxman/Flautist Ari Brown Were AACM Members Other Members of The Awakening Hailed from the City’s Thriving Soul Jazz Scene Co-Leaders Trumpeter Frank Gordon and Keyboardist Ken Chaney Played for Young-Holt Unlimited Trombonist Steve Galloway Appeared on Melvin Jackson’s Soul Jazz Classic Funky Skull Hear, Sense and Feel Inhabits That Sweet Spot Between the Free Jazz and Afrocentric Explorations of the Art Ensemble and the Rhythm-Heavy Soul Jazz Sound of Such Chicago-based Labels as Brunswick and Cadet Original Copies Sell for Hundreds of Dollars Online if You Can Find Them at All WALTER BISHOP JR. Coral Keys Pianist Walter Bishop, Jr.’s Coral Keys Was the Second Album Released by Black Jazz (the First, Gene Russell’s New Direction, Will Be Released a Day Later on the First RSD Drop August 29) Bishop Had Led Earlier Dates with Such Legends as Bassist Jimmy Garrison (John Coltrane) and Drummer Jimmy Cobb (Miles Davis) With Such a Formidable Resume, Bishop Assembled an All-Star Line-Up Featuring Woody Shaw on Trumpet, Reggie Jackson on Bass, Idris Muhammad on Drums, and Harold Vick on Flute, Tenor, and Soprano Sax All Songs Composed by Bishop, Highlighted by “Soul Turn Around,” Which Later Turned Up on Freddie Hubbard’s 1969 LP A Soul Experiment Think Herbie Hancock’s ‘60s Blue Note Recordings Gently Polished with a Soul Jazz Sheen Highly Collectible and Eminently Tasteful GENE RUSSELL New Direction New Direction Was the Black Jazz Label’s First Release, from the Label’s Producer, Pianist and Composer Gene Russell Features Sidemen Henry “The Skipper” Franklin and Steve Clover The Jazz Piano Trio Setting Is More Straight-Ahead Than Later Black Jazz Releases but Hints at the Soul and Modal Jazz to Come Clear with Heavy Black Swirl Vinyl Pressing Limited to 1500 Copies Exclusive to Record Store Day and Coming Out on the First RSD Drop, Saturday, August 29 For Press Inquiries Contact: stephanie@sweisspr.com

Jovino Santos Neto "Current" Every time I hear one of his albums I get lost in the music. He's a great pianist and writer imo.

Horace Silver "You Gotta Take a Little Love" Blue Note Japan SHM-CD Billy Cobham on drums with Randy Brecker and Bennie Maupin in the front line. Good stuff! Followed by Michael Pedicin, Jr. "As it Should Be: Ballads 2" Quite nice. Maybe better than his "Ballads" disc by a few hairs.

I don't think you have to worry. . . the reality is extremely elusive.