Larry Kart Posted April 8, 2006 Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 Raney fans know this as one of the guitarist's best albums of the '50s (1956 to be exact). They also know that it's always been a very dull sounding disc (mostly thanks to a nasty ABC-Paramount pressing), so much so that I for one don't play it that much because I have a hard time picking out Raney's typically un-trebly lines from the surrounding murk. Well, the recent Verve reissue takes care of that problem. Timbres are in balance at last, the original engineering (by Frank Abbey and Earle Brown) turns out to have been more than OK, and Raney's top-form playing can be heard in all its logical-linear beauty. Brookmeyer of this vintage is an acquired taste; he's more than a bit square-ish rhythmically at times (often sounding like he's trying to improvise a yet unwritten Rodgers and Hammerstein tune), and I usually don't care for his folksy "down-home" tonal shadings, but the genuine melodic flow of his lines is hard to deny, and altogether he sounds a lot better to me now than he did back then (the remastering no doubt has something to do with this). Four tasty standards, four nice originals (two by Raney, two by Brookmeyer), Hank Jones splitting piano duties with Dick Katz, Teddy Kotick (a big plus), and Osie Johnson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted April 8, 2006 Report Share Posted April 8, 2006 I'll be on the lookout for this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Brookmeyer of this vintage is an acquired taste; he's more than a bit square-ish rhythmically at times (often sounding like he's trying to improvise a yet unwritten Rodgers and Hammerstein tune)... Another Instant Classic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 I grabbed this about a month ago. Time (finally) to get rid of the shitty old cassette copy. It occurs to me that this CD is labeled with "Decca Originals". I don't know my label affiliation histories as well as I should by now, but even if ABC Paramount was affiliated with Decca, this still looks odd somehow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Don't know about the original, but I love this stuff. Did Jimmy Raney ever make a bad recording? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 I grabbed this about a month ago. Time (finally) to get rid of the shitty old cassette copy. It occurs to me that this CD is labeled with "Decca Originals". I don't know my label affiliation histories as well as I should by now, but even if ABC Paramount was affiliated with Decca, this still looks odd somehow... Just 21st century idiots not knowing 20th century corporate histories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 I don't know my label affiliation histories as well as I should by now, but even if ABC Paramount was affiliated with Decca... They weren't, not that I know of. But look at all the non-BN stuff that BN reissues as BN. Wack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 In the same vein, "VERVE ORIGINALS" prominently displayed in the same place would have been easier to understand... but... Decca? Chuck, I'll admit that I have some idiot in me too, but at least I'd do some research if I were responsible for decisions like this. "Did Jimmy Raney ever make a bad recording?"... I can't think of one I'd call "bad", although "Strings & Swings" was never a big personal favorite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Chuck, I'll admit that I have some idiot in me too, but at least I'd do some research if I were responsible for decisions like this. I'm and idiot in two (count 'em, two) centuries. Y'all should know that by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 "Did Jimmy Raney ever make a bad recording?"... I can't think of one I'd call "bad", although "Strings & Swings" was never a big personal favorite. It's been long time since I've heard that one (no turntable), but I remember digging that one. I'm guessing it never came out on CD. Time to get a turntable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 I can't think of one I'd call "bad", although "Strings & Swings" was never a big personal favorite. Don't have it anymore but have fond memories of the string quartet side (unissued Signal date). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron S Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Chuck, I'll admit that I have some idiot in me too, but at least I'd do some research if I were responsible for decisions like this. I'm and idiot in two (count 'em, two) centuries. Y'all should know that by now. Hell, two centuries--how about two millennia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Is this indeed a stereo recording, as CD Universe indicates? http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?...=lk_organissimo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted April 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Mono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 (edited) Thanks so much, guys. I'm a Raney nut, love and have been profoundly influenced by both his playing and writing. In the 50s I don't think anyone could touch him. He picked up on Bird and definitely developed his own thing in pretty short order. He probably scared a lot of respectable horn players! Listen to the quintet with Getz. Not only does he take no backseat, he really keeps his front-line partner on his toes. Plus the blend they got! Magical. Everyone knows (or should) the Storyville stuff, but also check out Birdland Sessions 1952. Stan was like a raw flame on that, with Jimmy right behind him! Incredible! Why they tried to package him as 'cool' I'll never get. Even before "Early Autumn" he was red hot on his first teenage leadrer dates where he copied Dexter. But you caught me with pants down and practically off on this one. I don't know how it slipped under my radar but remediation is imminent and will be immediate. And thanks again. I have one question, though, for fellow Raney-ites: What do you know of the current availability of a date called Jimmy Raney in Three Attitudes, which I believe may have been released on ABC with the 'attitudes' therein Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, and I can't remember who else---in fact I couldn't even swear it was Cohn. Brook I'm pretty sure of, though. I remember one tune, 'Up in Quincy's Room". I don't remember even hearing the record. A guy who once owned a record store put it aside for me and I totally f-d up by never coming to claim it, one of my more moronic lapses. I saw it again for $50 around ten years ago at a place called Footlights records on 14th st. here in NYC. Was it ever reissued? Any other info? I'm dying to obtain this. Finally, if you want to hear Raney at his peak, and in the company of Brook in very good form (along with new NYC arrivsl Jim Hall) run, don't walk to get David X. Young's Jazz Loft. It came out around 5 years ago. 2 CDs and many reprints of Ypung's great and original paintings. He owned a building in the Flower District and had a loft where many cats would come by nightly to juice and jam. Cats like Zoot, Bill Evans, Pepper Adams, sometimes Monk (Hall Overton, his one-time collaborator, had a rehearsal space in the building) and Sonny Rollins. Anyway, Raney stretches out magnificently especially on "Spuds" (an "Idaho" head).Maybe 20 choruses in a perfect arc. It's really something to hear. Edited April 10, 2006 by fasstrack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalo Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Brookmeyer of this vintage is an acquired taste; he's more than a bit square-ish rhythmically at times (often sounding like he's trying to improvise a yet unwritten Rodgers and Hammerstein tune)... Another Instant Classic! My reaction, exactly. Funny and true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted April 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 I have "In Three Attitudes" -- Attitude 1: Brookmeyer, Attitude 2: Cohn, Attitude 3: Red Mitchell. As I recall, it's nice but not as "on" as the Brookmeyer/Raney ABC, perhaps because you've got three separate "shortish" recording sessions here -- three tunes with Raney and rhythm (R. Mitchell on bass), and two each with Cohn, Raney, and rhythm and Brookmeyer, Raney and rhythm (different rhythm sections on each date). Sounds to me like everyone went into the studio thinking that things would be/might be over before everyone got warmed up. On the other hand, a nicely remastered CD might convince me otherwise; those ABC-Paramount pressings were murky. A bonus: The LP cover has three fine candid color photos of Raney taken by the gifted Roy De Carava. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 I have one question, though, for fellow Raney-ites: What do you know of the current availability of a date called Jimmy Raney in Three Attitudes, which I believe may have been released on ABC with the 'attitudes' therein Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, and I can't remember who else---in fact I couldn't even swear it was Cohn. Brook I'm pretty sure of, though. I remember one tune, 'Up in Quincy's Room". I don't remember even hearing the record. A guy who once owned a record store put it aside for me and I totally f-d up by never coming to claim it, one of my more moronic lapses. I saw it again for $50 around ten years ago at a place called Footlights records on 14th st. here in NYC. Was it ever reissued? Any other info? I'm dying to obtain this. I don't think it's ever been issued on CD, but I do believe it was reissued on vinyl in the UK back in the late '70's/early 80's, on Jasmine. Probably not much easier to find now than an original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 I have "In Three Attitudes" -- Attitude 1: Brookmeyer, Attitude 2: Cohn, Attitude 3: Red Mitchell. As I recall, it's nice but not as "on" as the Brookmeyer/Raney ABC, perhaps because you've got three separate "shortish" recording sessions here -- three tunes with Raney and rhythm (R. Mitchell on bass), and two each with Cohn, Raney, and rhythm and Brookmeyer, Raney and rhythm (different rhythm sections on each date). Sounds to me like everyone went into the studio thinking that things would be/might be over before everyone got warmed up. On the other hand, a nicely remastered CD might convince me otherwise; those ABC-Paramount pressings were murky. A bonus: The LP cover has three fine candid color photos of Raney taken by the gifted Roy De Carava. I don't care. I still want it. Thanks for you're reply, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 I have one question, though, for fellow Raney-ites: What do you know of the current availability of a date called Jimmy Raney in Three Attitudes, which I believe may have been released on ABC with the 'attitudes' therein Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, and I can't remember who else---in fact I couldn't even swear it was Cohn. Brook I'm pretty sure of, though. I remember one tune, 'Up in Quincy's Room". I don't remember even hearing the record. A guy who once owned a record store put it aside for me and I totally f-d up by never coming to claim it, one of my more moronic lapses. I saw it again for $50 around ten years ago at a place called Footlights records on 14th st. here in NYC. Was it ever reissued? Any other info? I'm dying to obtain this. I don't think it's ever been issued on CD, but I do believe it was reissued on vinyl in the UK back in the late '70's/early 80's, on Jasmine. Probably not much easier to find now than an original. I shoudda grabbed it when it was offered. What a jerk I was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim R Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Forgot to add this link (a previous discussion...) Jimmy Raney thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 (edited) Forgot to add this link (a previous discussion...) Jimmy Raney thread Yeah, I saw that before. Thanks a lot for starting that and remembering a genius who evidently was too musically soft spoken and self-effacing for the idiots whose heads he sailed over (not that he didn't have an ego, he had an immense one, I mean self-effacing in that he wasn't an obnoxious in-your-face self promoter. He was laid back and Southern). What a shame. What a dumb, fucked up country and culture. Thanks again for appreciating him. I'm a jazz guitarist and people seem to think I'm a pretty good one. But I couldn't touch Jimmy Raney if I lived to be 120, played every day all day, and took genius pills. He was a 99.9 percentile player. Edited April 11, 2006 by fasstrack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 genius pills Think you could hook me up with some of these? I ordered some awhile back but I think they sent me idiot pills by misteak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted April 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Actually, Free For all, you were sent genius pills. But they only work when taken orally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 genius pills Think you could hook me up with some of these? I ordered some awhile back but I think they sent me idiot pills by misteak. No, goddamnit. I got dibs. Do you know the one about the guy who gets a flat in front of a mental institution? An inpatient comes out and sets up the jack, raises the car, puts on the spare in 5 minutes. Driver: "How'd you do that so fast? I thought you people had problems in the brain department." Inpatient: "Yeah, I do. I'm crazy. But I'm not stupid...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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