mjzee

Oh, I don't know whether anyone's linked to this previously. It's a great interview with George Martin and his son Giles: Wall St Journal

Just got my Mono box in the mail today. It's pretty. Haven't broken the shrink wrap yet, but plan to tonight. Does anyone know or understand the rationale for including the original 1965 stereo mixes of Help! and Rubber Soul in the box? I presume they differ from the new mixes in the Stereo box. Also, why only these 2 albums?

I have that Charlie Parker on Verve box set!

Yeah, Netflix is great. Are you aware of the "Watch Instantly" feature? You can watch about 10% of their titles instantly on your computer, at no extra cost. Even better, if you also have a Tivo box, you can "Watch Instantly" on the TV that your Tivo is attached to. It's just amazing.

Was listening today to Kilauea, from Sunny Days, Starry Nights. He never stops thinking fresh and giving his all to his audience. Happy Birthday, Newk.

Sounds like the back covers of a lot of '50's Verve releases.

Growing up with the Capitol masters, I always thought they were punchier and livelier than the British masters, especially in mono. So IMHO Dave Dexter did a good job there. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" on the Capitol 45 just jumped out of the speakers. As for the first 4 albums being available on CD only in mono, blame McCartney and the other surviving Beatles for that decision.

In terms of range of different styles of jazz, we must consider Gary Peacock. I notice that he's on the Carmell Jones Mosaic. A short bio from AMG: A subtle but adventurous bassist, Gary Peacock's flexibility and consistently creative ideas have been an asset to several important groups. He was originally a pianist, playing in an Army band while stationed in Germany in the late '50s. Peacock switched to bass in 1956, staying on in Germany after his discharge to play with Hans Koller, Attila Zoller, Tony Scott, and Bud Shank. In 1958 he moved to Los Angeles where he performed with Barney Kessel, Don Ellis, Terry Gibbs, Shorty Rogers, and (most importantly) Paul Bley, among others. After moving to New York in 1962, Peacock worked with Bill Evans (1962-1963), the Paul Bley trio, Jimmy Giuffre, Roland Kirk, and George Russell. In 1964, after a brief stint with Miles Davis, Peacock started an association with Albert Ayler in Europe, also playing with Roswell Rudd and Steve Lacy. Peacock alternated between Ayler and Paul Bley for a time and returned briefly to Miles Davis in the late '60s. After a period in Japan (1969-1972), Peacock studied biology (1972-1976), worked with Bley, and off and on from the late '70s has played (and recorded) in a trio with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette.

I remember when Spiritualizing the Senses came out, and lyrics were printed on the back cover; when I saw that, I inwardly cringed. Then I heard the record and - surprise! - no vocals, just a lot of good music. It was a very pleasant surprise. Eddie Harris was on that record, correct?

Many are also here: http://www.birkajazz.com/archive/prestige.htm

Oh good for you for ordering that though! I endlessly forget to include it in my nominees as since they own it it can't time out, whereas all the other big boxes can. I suppose also because there may be a few other live Parker discs I should get before this set is my thinking, along with the competition of all the other Mosaics. When I get back from vacation I intend to finally buy the Armstrong and probably add a Select too. Yeah, ideally there are a lot I'd like to get (assuming unlimited time and money...yeah, right), like all the Bird's Eyes discs. But this one is actually attainable.

Don't forget the calendar: Covering Jazz 2010 Calendar

I agree. They also seem to live the longest.

I ordered the Bird Box in February, when it was on backorder. It is still on backorder. My credit card has not yet been charged for it. I called Mosaic last week to ask when it will be in stock, and they told me they didn't know.

Thanks, Chas!

Some good news, for those with the mono jones. I got this email today from Amazon: Hello from Amazon.com, Our records indicate you purchased a Beatles Mono Box Set, and we wanted to update you on its availability. This new information will not affect your pre-order--if you pre-ordered a mono box set, you will receive it. The manufacturer has informed us that they will be producing additional mono box sets due to high demand. While the box set remains a limited-production item, it will not be capped at 10,000 copies for the U.S. market, as originally reported. We will be getting more of the box sets in stock and will continue to update availability information on our FAQ page: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?ie=...ocId=1000419971.

I was going to make some pithy, witty comment to that effect (or at least attempt to), but then saw that Mike Weil beat me to it. For those who don't have the set (nyah, nyah), this is from Michael Cuscuna's booklet notes: Harold Land's Jazz Impressions of Folk Music, the final album in this collection, was recorded by Imperial, an independent label that dabbled in jazz from time to time. These July '63 sessions were the last recorded small group collaboration by Land and Carmell Jones (they would appear on Gerald Wilson's exquisite Portraits at the end of the year). As a young record buyer in 1963, I avoided this album like the plague. Every time I looked at the tunes, The Kingston Trio ran through my head. It wasn't until about 10 years later that Chuck Nessa insisted I listen to it, promising that the soloing was first-class. And he was right. BTW, does anyone have a scan of the Harold Land cover?

Sorry, but no. I'm holding the LP in my hands (Columbia JC 35755). Byas is on the front cover, Bud is on the back. The album is billed, on both front cover and spine, as Don Byas / Bud Powell. And the liner notes, which begin on the front cover, discuss only Byas for the first four paragraphs.

Got my Carmell Jones today. I don't hate it already!

When the LP was first released, it was billed as Don Byas / Bud Powell, and Byas's portrait was on the cover.

I'd been on the fence for awhile about the Carmell, but seeing it hit Last Chance, I went for it. Just an instinctual thing. I wonder whether I'll do the same once the Weston hits Last Chance.

If it was my money I would say no just going on the Amazon pre-order prices. Even on sale the Stereo Box Set is going for $486 where individual discs are going for 12.99. For a bit over 200 dollars you get all 16 discs that make up the box set. Even at single discs going for full retail at 18.99 it comes out to $304 pre tax if you bough all 16. I wonder how many Mono boxes will be going up on Ebay for outrageous prices like the Dead Fillmore Boxes. I think a lot of people may have ordered two with one to keep and the other to sell. Amazon now isn't even taking new orders on either boxed set. Still, since Capitol never said the stereo box is a limited edition, Amazon's probably waiting for more to become available, rather than having to deal with angry customers, and at that point the price will probably come down. As for King Ubu's original question, I think the early Beatles were a very different band than the later Beatles. I know many people who like one or the other, but not both. If you do want it all, perhaps consider the two "Capitol Albums" boxes (where you have both mono and stereo), and supplement them with the remastered versions of the other titles. If you buy them individually, it won't be such a hit to your budget.

I've enjoyed this for many years:

Very sad. I've enjoyed this compilation for many years. RIP.

Weren't most (all?) of Wallington's vintage trio recordings done for Prestige? The solo albums he did for a Japanese label late in his career are marvelous. The 8 trio sides (with Curley Russell and Max) on Savoy are my favorite Wallington. The other trio sides on Savoy with Russell and Charlie Perry are not far behind. I have the trio sides (with Curley and Max) on this compilation: The Modern Jazz Piano Album