Test of Time Records

[Guest Chaney]

411 Records

441 introduces Test of Time Records

From JazzTimes, March 2, 2005:

Independent record label 441 Records is set to launch a new label that focuses on great music of the past. Test of Time Records will release at least 30 rare titles from the East Wind Masterpiece Collection from Japan.

The first four releases on Test of Time, to be released in late March and early April, are Hommage by Andrew Hill, At the Village Vanguard by The Great Jazz Trio, Yesterday’s Thoughts by Art Farmer and Confirmation by Sheila Jordan.

Harry Rosen, president of 441 Records, said he isn’t worried about the records’ ability to appeal to music lovers years after their original recordings. “Even after 30 years, those titles definitely stand on their own,” he said in a press release. “They have clearly withstood the test of time.”

Each of the four first releases holds a place in music history. Hommage was the first solo piano effort ever by Andrew Hill, while Yesterday’s Thoughts is a ballad effort by Art Farmer and Confirmation is Sheila Jordan’s second album recorded after Portrait of Sheila Jordan (Blue Note). At the Village Vanguard is a live recording that documents the performance by Hank Jones, Ron Carter and Tony Williams—a group who later became known as the Great Jazz Trio.

The East Wind Masterpiece Collection, formed in 1975, released and recorded 72 albums in its five-year life span. The majority of the albums on East Wind were engineered by the late David Baker who had more than 2,000 recordings to his name when he died. All of the albums from East Wind now being released by Test of Time have been upgraded and digitally remastered using a process called Direct Stream Digital, or DSD, which refines the original recordings for better audio quality. -- Cristina Sousa

Any thoughts on this reissue program? Anyone experience the initial offerings?

[Head Man]

Test of Time releases

It's good to see these recordings back in print again. I don't know for certain but I would think that most of them are seeing the light of day on CD for the first time. I know that the Andrew Hills - Hommage & Nefertiti have been available for some time on East Wind in Japan but I don't recall seeing any of the current releases on CD.

I already own the two Andrew Hill CDs on East Wind & they are both fine records. 'Hommage' is solo piano whilst 'Nefertiti' is a trio with Richard Davis (bass) & Roger Black (drums). I don't know whether they sound any better on Test of Time but my copies sound fine, so I won't be replacing them. I don't know anything about the third Andrew Hill due out later this year - 'Blue Black' but will almost certainly be buying it when it comes out.

I have been playing 'The Great Jazz Trio at The Village Vanguard' for about a week and it's a grower. Hank Jones is on fine form and is pushed along nicely by Ron Carter & Tony Williams. My only complaint is that the CD only runs to about 37 minutes & since there are another two CDs coming along later this year from the same session, I would like to have seen perhaps a double CD set containing everything.

The Art Farmer & Shelia Jordan CDs arrived today so I've only played them once but initial impressions are positive.

The Art Farmer is a set of ballads with Art on flugelhorn and the sound he produces is gorgeous. Both Cedar Williams on piano & Sam Jones on bass are on top form but Billy Higgins is a problem for me. I just don't think he suits this type of session but I'm sure that there will be plenty who disagree!

The Sheila Jordan is a typically quirky set but if you like her singing then you won't be dissappointed. The selection of songs is excellent as is her backing group of Norman Marnell (tenor), Alan Pasqua (piano), Cameron Brown (bass) & Beaver Harris (drums).

All in all Test of Time seems to have made a good start to an interesting series of rereleases. The music has been remastered and sounds very crisp but the liner notes leave something to be desired; consisting solely of a track & personnel listing plus a single paragraph of information about the session.

[Guest Chaney]

Took me a while to read through all the enthusiastic responses but thanks for the post, Head Man.

The only East Wind releases that I own are the three Hill dates. Blue Black is worth getting although, IMO, it's not as good as Nefertiti.

[gslade]

Looking forward to A.Hills' Blue Black as it was the only Japanese Eastwind I could not

find

The other releases look good also

[Chuck Nessa]

Why not a thread about About Time instead?

[marcello]

Here are some of the more interesting dates to me:

I own the Cedar Walton/Pitt Inn, a great, great record; Sam Jones/Seven Minds, with Bob Berg; The Great Jazz Trio/Direct From LA and The Vanguards; and the Cedar Walton/Pentagon, another really fine date with Clifford Jordan and Ray Mantilia on conga.

EW ARTIST TITLE REC.

7009 / 8009 Cedar Walton Pit Inn 74

7010 Sam Jones Seven Minds 74

7012 / 8012 Art Farmer To Duke With Love 75

8014 Oliver Nelson Stolen Moments 75

8016 Terumasa Hino Live In Concert 75

8017 Andrew Hill Hommage 75

8018 Ronnie Mathews Trip To The Orient 75

8021 Hank Jones Hanky Panky 75

8023 Al Haig Chelsea Bridge 75

8025 Art Farmer Yesterday's Thoughts 75

8029 Andrew Hill Blue Black 75

8030 Reggie Lucas Survival Themes 75

8032 Andrew Hill Nefertiti 76

8042 Art Farmer At Boomers 76

8043 Masabumi Kikuchi Wishes / Kochi 76

8046 The Great Jazz Trio Love For Sale 76

8047 Art Farmer The Summer Knows 76

8052 Al Haig Duke 'n' Bird 76

8053 The Great Jazz Trio At The Village Vanguard Vol 1 77

8055 The Great Jazz Trio At The Village Vanguard Vol 2 77

8056 The Great Jazz Trio Kindness, Joy, Love & Happiness 77

8057 Jackie McLean New Wine, Old Bottles 78

8062 The Great Jazz Trio Milestones 78

8063 Laurindo Almeida Concierto de Aranjuez 78

8064 The Great Jazz Trio The Great Tokyo Meeting

8065 Terumasa Hino Live In Nemuro: Wheelstone

10002 Cedar Walton The Pentagon 76

10005 The Great Jazz Trio Direct From L.A. 77

Sorry about the late response! The East Wind was/is great. Buy the way, the sound of the vinyls that I have, are wonderful.

[wolff]

I wish them luck. I know there is a connection between 441, 88's and Avatar. More details. Does 88's have a stock in 441? Maybe, 88's will release in analog/vinyl in Japan. I can hope.

Remastered using DSD, but these are going to be CD's? Makes no sense to me.

Edited May 2, 2005 by wolff

[marcello]

There is a relationship between 441 and Avatar. Avatar's address is 441 53rd Street. 88's and Avatar are related to Sony and when the 88's recordings come out in the US, they are released on 441. To complicate things futher, many of the 441 and 88's artists perform at The Kitano Hotel, but that may just be a matter of convience and not business, but I wouldn't bet against it. All of this is very secretive and insular.

Here is another photo taken at Avatar for a 88's session with Joe Locke and Geoffrey Keezer this last March. You may see this session, and a previous one from last year, come out on 441 this year.

[wolff]

With DSD being used, you'd think these will be released as SACD somewhere. Japan? Have not seen anything about it at 88' site.

[marcello]

I would bet they will be since Mr. Itoh, of both 88's and East Wind ( and God knows what else), was the lead excutive at Sony in charge of the SACD development and marketing.

Itoh-san and Keezer-san photo:

[wolff]

Interesting!!!

From what I've heard 88's is one of the few labels doing SACD right. Seems like SONY has bailed on SACD. Be nice for those into the format to get these titles.

I see East Wind(Japan) has released quite a few of these titles as CD's.

Edited May 2, 2005 by wolff