Bluesnik

It's a fantastic set, well documented and one of Fresh Sound greatest projects. I just wish they would get around to compiling and issuing a Vol.2. But I also heard that this what not planned right now.

I think my next VICJs will be some new titles I still don't have. I'm not much of an upgrader and am normally happy with what I have. Even some early 90s CDs. I only pick up reissues of records I already have in very special cases, or when I can get them cheap. But I never really warmed to the ZYX OJCs, soundwise and packagewise. How can somebody produce such an unappealing object with such great source material? So I will slowly replace them over time. With VICJs or US K2, wherever these are cheaper. From what I have I'd say the Bill Evans are the prime candidates. The other day I was listening to New Jazz Conceptions in its 20bit edition and thereafter to Kenny Drew Trio, a great, great piano trio session IMO, as an earlier '92 Fantasy remaster. And it sounded much better. The rest will or will not follow, but only at lower priority, compared to getting new material. Oh, and I forgot, there is a bunch of VICJs reissued in 09/04 which are supposed to be a budget edition at 1500¥. But I don't know the full list. Maybe it's on the Losin site. I know the most popular titles are in there.

These are a must for me and I think I'll go for the Lonehills. Much as I'd love to get the Japanese sound and packaging I'm not willing to spend more than four times what the Lonehills would cost me. And there are enough other Japanese things I want to pick up. So as long as I have a decent alternative I think I will decide against them. I have been listening to the Jazz Lab reissue for a couple of weeks now and I'm more than satisfied with the sound. It still breaks my heart though to let them pass me by and I still catch myself with "and if...?" thoughts from time to time. It's different when there's no alternative to that compilation format, except maybe vinyl. And I also dislike the way they throw those albums together. I'm a sucker for 50s album artwork and facsimile editions and love having everything in original packaging and sequence. But I guess if they can't use the original artwork and reproduce the album release as it was in the day they want to go the added value route and sell it from a "complete whatever" or compiled sessions angle. How did they do those Jubilee, Dootoo, Dawn et al. reissues before though, I ask myself? Or the recent Crown Conte Candoli or the Johnny Mehegan Quartet I'm planning to pick up*? I think I know the answer ... * I knew nothing about that one before checking AMG. In the book or the Penguin I couldn't find him. But Kenny Dorham as sideman (and the cover, I must admit)called my attention. I'll see. Maybe I post something in the Artist forum to find out...

Maybe I'll do it too. It's a great image. I have a BN screensaver on at work and I like having Dexter Gordon on A Swinging Affair or the dancing typo on Cool Struttin welcoming me back after my lunch break. Thanks Jim and Couw for your help.

Thank you, Jim R. I have that image, plus a couple more from the net. But as you say they're not the cleanest images or pretty low res. I wasn't sure they would print well. Also some of them wre a bit dark. This one is fone, but like all from gokudo, looks as if it was scanned with the plastic sleeve on. But with couw's retouching I think it'll do. I will print out a test and see. Thanks, Couw.

I like Hawes a lot. As sideman (one session that comes to mind is the Bud Shank with Bill Perkins one which is actually half of Bud Shank & Shorty Rogers on Pacific Jazz) or leader. Just last night I was listening to Early Years, a new compilation of trios and quartets recorded in live and studio settings between 51 and 55, predating his first recordings for Contemporary. I have only heard the trio live sessions so far, but I liked them a lot. They were recorded in 51 and 52 at The Haig and a Surf Club with Joe Mondragon and Shelly Manne, Lawrence Marable and Larry Bunker. Sound's so so, but not bad considering they're club recordings. What I don't know is the source of that material, if it's been issued before and where. I must admit I still haven't read the liners. But for Hampton Hawes fans I'd recommend it. It's an interesting glance at his, errr ... Early Years.

I'm looking for a cover scan of Lee Morgan's The Cooker, preferably the TOCJ edition. I already have the back cover and think I could make up the spines, but if you could provide that as well (back and spines in one piece) it'd be much better. I would need a (home) print quality scan. If anybody could help me out with that he/she would make me very happy. Thanx.

I'm considering replacing some of my ZYX and regular OJCs with K2 remasters in the near future and am trying to decide which route to go: Japanese or US domestic. Are the domestic Fantasy K2s sonically equivalent to the VICJs? And in which cases do you consider the improvement over the ZYX 20 bit remasters or even the older OJCs to be barely noticeable? I'm particularly considering the Miles, Bill Evans, Monk, Sonny Rollins, Coltrane and McLean material. I'd appreciate your opinion and help with this.

That's exactly the same quesion that's been going around my head for some time now. Are they actually the same remasters as the VICJs? And what about those budget editions? They should just be repressings, I think, but ...

I have vols. 1, 5 and 6. So I don't think I'm getting the new one. I might, anyway, if it turns out to be a major upgrade with a host of new features instead of just the usual maintenance upgrade. So, for those who are already holding it in their hands: what is there new in this seventh edition? Is it just the addition of new titles or is there some kind of concept shift?

I'm looking for Elmo Hope "Trio and Quintet" (Blue Note). Does anybody have a spare copy to sell or can help me getting hold of it (new or s/h)? I'd really appreciate it. By the way, was the '97 Collectors Choice a repress of the '91 release or a new release/remaster? Thanks.

I can find a very cheap new copy. If you decide against ordering from Freshsounds (another reasonable option) PM me. I think it was something like 6 or 7 € plus what it would cost to ship from Europe.

Yes, that's what I did two days ago, not long after posting. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't a better solution. I was hoping they would be released here, where I always can get them very cheap, but I just didn't want to risk it in the end. The difference to the prerelease CD Universe price (+ shipping) is actually not very much, but this way I can buy them when I want. I finally ordered the Bopland set together with them. And now its the same game again with hte Conns. If it wasn't for CP I'd wait and get them later when they are price reduced. About the mastering, I guess it'll be McMaster again, like I think was the case with the Japanese reissues.

Is the last crop of Chet Baker Pacific Jazz titles being reissued in Europe? And if so, will they be copy protected? Does anybody know anything about that? From what I have been able to find out it looks like just the Prince of Cool boxset has an official street date, at least in Germany, though I assume the other titles will eventually be released in the EU too, only a little bit later. And any ideas about how they might compare sonically to the TOCJs (I'm not sure all were SBJC) released some years back?

email sent re Watkins and Cliff Craft

The Farlow and Jazztet sets will be distributed in Europe (by Universal, I assume), just as the Mulligan and Eldridge were before. This was confirmed by Mosaic.

Another real good one is Shorty Rogers and His Giants, with Art Pepper, Jimmy Giuffre, Hampton Hawes, JOe Mondragon, Shelly Manne and others. Wonderful swingin West Coast stuff. RCA Spain put out a lot of Shorty Rogers reissues some years ago. And they don't sound bad.