chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted June 25, 2006 Report Share Posted June 25, 2006 it was called like: the chico special or something- on this weird columbiaesque label- and it was lloyd, chico, a cello i didnt know, and others i didnt know as well. is this album some weird reissue. is it good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 25, 2006 Report Share Posted June 25, 2006 It is indeed called Special, and in my opinion, it is anything but. As far as I know, it is Lloyd s first record with Chico, and the band is still playing in the "cool" chamber mode. The material and the band both sound really tired. Better things were just around the corner, however. Although, there is a totally hip long drum solo on the last tune (called "Trio" IIRC) that is worth hearing a few times. But other than that... The label you found it on is Odyssey. That was a Columbia subsidiary that I think was dedicated to preserving "historical" material, although why this one qualifies is beyond me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted June 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 hey jsdnskfgy! so its no good? hmm. i like chicos chamber jazz records but i could see how he ran the gamut w/ that. im happy i didnt get that it was 10 bucks. i like passin throgh though- was that is comback record? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Yeah, I think that one would be considered the "comeback", although there was also one on Warner Brothers w/the same lineup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Yeah, I think that one would be considered the "comeback", although there was also one on Warner Brothers w/the same lineup. "Chico Hamilton Special" is the last of the records that Chico made featuring the instrumentation of saxophone, cello, guitar, bass, drums, and it is one of the first with Charles Lloyd. It was preceded by another forgettable album of tunes from Bye Bye Birdie & Irma La Douce, both albums recorded at the same sessions in November, 1960. Chico had recorded with this instrumentation for Warner Bros, although Eric Dolphy was the saxophonist. "Special" was reissued in the 1970's on Columbia Special Products, which was CBS's custom label, not distributed through CBS's regular network, but sold through cutout houses and via special promotions with companies such as Firestone, Goodyear, etc. I agree that the "chamber jazz" format had gotten old & tired by this time, and so did Chico, I guess, because in the next year he revamped the band, retaining Lloyd, and adding Garnett Brown (tbn), Gabor Szabo (gtr), Albert Stinson (bass). The next record, "Drumfusion", recorded in February, 1962, reflected this new "harder, tougher style" (as Chico called it), and signaled a rebirth for Chico. A series of fine albums with (basically) this band followed: Passin' Thru (Impulse) A Different Journey (Reprise) Man From Two Worlds (Impulse) These four albums are well worth seeking out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 The next record, "Drumfusion", recorded in February, 1962, reflected this new "harder, tougher style" (as Chico called it), and signaled a rebirth for Chico. A series of fine albums with (basically) this band followed: Passin' Thru (Impulse) A Different Journey (Reprise) Man From Two Worlds (Impulse) These four albums are well worth seeking out. AMEN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Definitely! I have all of those except for the Reprise, of which I've only recently become aware. How does it stack up against the others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Definitely! I have all of those except for the Reprise, of which I've only recently become aware. How does it stack up against the others? It's good but not great, IMHO. On the plus side there's a track where Lloyd takes a long inside-outside solo -- some of the best 60s playing I've heard from him. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Definitely! I have all of those except for the Reprise, of which I've only recently become aware. How does it stack up against the others? It's good but not great, IMHO. On the plus side there's a track where Lloyd takes a long inside-outside solo -- some of the best 60s playing I've heard from him. Guy I think it's pretty strong - certainly well worth owning, if a tad mellower than the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 And it had a neat cover. Chico looked "in charge". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 I bet he wasn't in charge of the art director! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 My favorite Chico cover. . . this one makes me howl in laughter in its 12" glossy glory! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 I dunno man, this one always gets me: Especially the back cover (not pictured), which is the same thing, only moreso. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 I know. I dig that one a lot too. But "EL CHICO." And the damned cape. It just slays me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erhodes Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Definitely! I have all of those except for the Reprise, of which I've only recently become aware. How does it stack up against the others? It's good but not great, IMHO. On the plus side there's a track where Lloyd takes a long inside-outside solo -- some of the best 60s playing I've heard from him. Guy I think it's better than the Impulse sides but that's admittedly because of the track Guy describes, which is titled "One Sheridan Square". I'm not a big fan of Lloyd but I think this, and his first lp as a leader , "Discovery", contain his best playing. The Reprise album is a more straight ahead album than "Passin' Thru", et al, though I say that not to convey that it is conservative but that it is more about the playing, the improvising. Jack, do you know the recording date of the Reprise? Ed Rhodes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Jack, do you know the recording date of the Reprise? January 19/29/31, 1963, San Francisco & LA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youmustbe Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 I bought 'Different Journey' when it came out. I forget whether it came out before or after I heard the band at the Vanguard, in 62 or 3, but it has remained one of my top 10 Jazz albums. Still unscratched and I have a second copy just in case! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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