Guest akanalog Posted May 25, 2005 Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 anyone have this album? the rhythm section (steve novosel on bass and jimmy hopps on drums) offers some of the most intrusive akward accompaniment i have heard on a professional release. they constantly draw attention to themselves instead of accenting what cowell is doing (and he is excellent on this album). it is sort of like the other guys had this idea of creating a new bill evans trio but didn't know when or where to pull it off. this wasn't the place for it i don't think. i think the penguin guide mentions this rhythm section performance by saying something along the lines of "they try gamely but show little clue of knowing what is expected of them" or something like that and i have to say i agree. it could be since this is a black lion release it is just mixed poorly and coweill should be higher in the mix, but i think the overly aggressive playing by the other two guys is the main issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted May 26, 2005 Report Share Posted May 26, 2005 I have to admit I like this very much, and enjoy the work of Novosel and Hopps, two underrecorded players, but agree the piano could be higher in the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 anyone have this album? the rhythm section (steve novosel on bass and jimmy hopps on drums) offers some of the most intrusive akward accompaniment i have heard on a professional release. they constantly draw attention to themselves instead of accenting what cowell is doing (and he is excellent on this album). i think the penguin guide mentions this rhythm section performance by saying something along the lines of "they try gamely but show little clue of knowing what is expected of them" or something like that and i have to say i agree. it could be since this is a black lion release it is just mixed poorly and coweill should be higher in the mix, but i think the overly aggressive playing by the other two guys is the main issue. I wouldn't describe Hopps and Novosel's playing as " overly aggressive " in the main , however I would agree with you on the ballad track " Sweet Song " . Here I find it hard to believe that Hopps was even in the same room with Cowell ; if he was , he sure wasn't listening or sympathetic to what's going on . That track always leaves me scratching my head . Board member Ken Dryden's AMG review put it a little more neutrally : ".... Hopps' over the top percussion contrast(s) with the beauty of the leader's ballad "Sweet Song ' . Contrasts indeed , just not in a good way musically . Hopps is more supportive on the rest of the tracks, though I do wish he wasn't so forward in the mix . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 That was, I believve, the Music, Inc. rhythm section of the time, so it's not like they were strangers to each other. Far from it. I've always heard this as weirdly recorded/mixed more than anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 I've always heard this as weirdly recorded/mixed more than anything else. That's what it was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ep1str0phy Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 (edited) They were also the rhythm section on Rahsaan's (or Roland's, if we're being historically correct) "The Inflated Tear." As far as I'm concerned, the Novosel/Hopps team was one of the finest rhythm combos (w/Ron Burton) Rahsaan ever worked with, even if it often failed to reach the ecstatic heights of his other studio (the Davis/Byard/Jones combo) or live groups. Honestly, I appreciate them more for subtlety, taste, and nuance than sheer bombast, of which there was certainly enough in the 60's/70's--which is not to deride their more notable peers. I agree with the foregoing opinions--either a bad day or a bad mix... and the playing, tucked in a bit, is really not as obtrusive as it sounds on the record. I mean, I wouldn't want to base my opinion of Art Davis on "Life"--a phenomenal concert, but probably one of the most poorly recorded records in modern jazz. Art sounds like he's being run through a Leslie speaker. Edited January 10, 2006 by ep1str0phy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 That was, I believve, the Music, Inc. rhythm section of the time, so it's not like they were strangers to each other. Far from it. I've always heard this as weirdly recorded/mixed more than anything else. Strange thing is, they recorded Tolliver's "The Ringer" in the same studio with the same engineer, probably immediately before or after, and it sounds a lot more balanced .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Friedman Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 I had a copy of Stanley Cowell's "Travelin' Man" CD and found it did not compare to a number of other CDs by Cowell. In fact, I thought it was pretty bad, and sold it. In my opinion, there are a number of very good CDs by Stanley Cowell that I would recommend. But "Travelin Man" is by no means one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Friedman Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 I had a copy of Stanley Cowell's "Travelin' Man" CD and found it did not compare to a number of other CDs by Cowell. In fact, I thought it was pretty bad, and sold it. In my opinion, there are a number of very good CDs by Stanley Cowell that I would recommend. But "Travelin Man" is by no means one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 (edited) How does Travellin' Man compare to Illusion Suite? That's the only Cowell I have so far, and it's a good one. I'll have to get it out again, haven't spun it for a while. Edit--looks like Peter's answered that question. What's the best Cowell? Edited January 11, 2006 by Noj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 (edited) One of the best Cowell-lead dates is his BRILLIANT CIRCLES (Black Lion, 1969). Shame it's also one of THE worst-sounding (worst-recorded?) studio-dates that I've ever heard. Sound sucks, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Includes some amazing Woody Shaw and Tyrone Washington too. Not to be missed, as long as you don't pay a mint for it. Edited January 11, 2006 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 I think I traded my copy. It was too frustrating how horrible the balance was. I know you've got some of the other Tyrone Washington recordings. I haven't been fortunate enough to come across anything yet. Brilliant Circles was it. I loved that music the first time I heard it. It was just too frustrating. I hope someone does that session justice one of these days. Does anyone know how the source recording is? I've never heard the vinyl, just the CD reissue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 I have the Brilliant Circles LP, which I haven't played in years. It's somewhere in my LP stacks. My records show that it is on the Arista Freedom label. Do you think that they licensed it from Black Lion, or vice versa? We were talking maybe three months ago about Lloyd McNeal. I mentioned that I saw him in concert in the fall of '68, with Eric Gravatt on drums. As I recall, Steve Novosel was on bass. I enjoyed him. Wasn't Novosel married to Roberta Flack at one time? I may have seen him play with her too. I can't say for sure that he was with her when I saw her perform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relyles Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 The sound on my Arista/Freedom LP of Brilliant Circles also sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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