Horo Records

[Hot Ptah]

Does anyone have definitive information on what happened to the albums released on the Italian Horo label? Why haven't they been reissued on CD? Who has the rights to them? Will they ever be issued on CD?

[B. Clugston]

It would be nice to see these. I have one of the Sam Rivers Trio records and it's fantastic.

But I thought I once read somewhere 'don't hold your breath.'

Discography is here:

http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~moudry/discog/horo.htm

Past discussion here: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=7671

[Guest youmustbe]

The guy, whatever his name is, doesn't want them on cd. I'm told he he's been offered deals, but said 'not interested'. I'm also told that if you can contact him, he'll sell you vinyl for 50 bucks or so. My info is from a record store that loves that shit.

[Guest akanalog]

aldo senoosio or some shit.

yeah i think he will sell you stuff wholesale if you want it.

sketchy.

look around rec.music.bluenote i think there was some talk on that which is probably archived.

a place here in NYC has bootlegged the sun ra horo albums onto CD. new voices new blues or whatever it is called is awesome. i think impossible used it on a BFT too.

[mikeweil]

Aldo Sinesio, IIRC.

There was some pretty interesting stuff on that label. The double discs were somewhat progressive, with two Sun Ra titles, one Gil Evans, a Max Roach Quartet, etc., whereas the single LPs were more mainstream.

[BFrank]

I have a couple of them:

- Dannie Richmond "Jazz A Confronto 25" (I believe this was a series)

w/Don Pullen, George Adams, Jack Walrath, Dave Friesen, Irio De Paula, Afonso Vieira. 7/28/75. Obviously a Mingus spin-off.

- Max Roach "The Loadstar" w/Cecil Bridgewater, Billy Harper, Reggie Workman. 7/27/77. 2 LPs, 2 tunes. This is BEGGING for CD release, if for no other reason than to get these cuts into one piece each.

[JSngry]

A few friends have sent Aldo Sinesio e-mails, trying to buy the LPs at his price. Those e-mails have gone unanswered.

[JSngry]

- Max Roach "The Loadstar" w/Cecil Bridgewater, Billy Harper, Reggie Workman. 7/27/77. 2 LPs, 2 tunes. This is BEGGING for CD release, if for no other reason than to get these cuts into one piece each.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't those two tunes recorded in two pieces each? There's a countoff at the beginning of each side, iirc.

[kh1958]

I have the five Don Pullen/George Adams/Dannie Richmond Horos, but I sure wish I had the Sun Ra, the Max Roach, the Gil Evans, and quite a few others.

[brownie]

I have quite a number of these (great Sam Rivers, Ran Blake, Archie Shepp, Lee Konitz/Martial Solal, Max Roach albums there).

One of my regrets was not purchasing the Sun Ra albums when they were available. There were so many Ra albums coming out at the time that I could not afford to buy all of them!

[BFrank]

- Max Roach "The Loadstar" w/Cecil Bridgewater, Billy Harper, Reggie Workman. 7/27/77. 2 LPs, 2 tunes. This is BEGGING for CD release, if for no other reason than to get these cuts into one piece each.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't those two tunes recorded in two pieces each? There's a countoff at the beginning of each side, iirc.

I don't think so, but I haven't listened to them in a long time. I'll have to check them out soon.

[mikeweil]

- Max Roach "The Loadstar" w/Cecil Bridgewater, Billy Harper, Reggie Workman. 7/27/77. 2 LPs, 2 tunes. This is BEGGING for CD release, if for no other reason than to get these cuts into one piece each.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't those two tunes recorded in two pieces each? There's a countoff at the beginning of each side, iirc.

Your memory serves you right, Jim!

[JohnS]

Pressing quality was rather poor on some issues, another reason for cd reissue.

[P.L.M]

Pressing quality was rather poor on some issues, another reason for cd reissue.

Like on most italian labels at the time, except BLACK SAINT/ SOUL NOTE.

I've ask the question to some "specialists" about the complete vanishing of the HORO records.

They explain me that SINESIO was a contractual RAI producers and the recording sessions was first intended to be broadcast on radio.

Seems that actually, SINESIO don't own no RIGHT on this sessions anymore and legally can't produce CDs from them.

The question is who own the rights from the HORO's session NOW?

The musician? Don't think so.

The RAI? Depends what kind of contract they had with the musicians at the time of the session.

And who has the tapes, today? SINESIO? The RAI?

Seems to me than the whole story is a can of worms and than the label has never been really legit.

Edited August 19, 2006 by P.L.M

[JSngry]

That's the first time I've hear about the Sinesio/RAI connection, but that would explain a lot of things.

Fascinating bit of info if true!

[P.L.M]

I tell you what I've been told by a french collector and historian, a story who have been mostly confirm by an italian jazz producer from whom most of you know the label, I supposed (but who's not Giovanni Bonandrini).

Edited August 19, 2006 by P.L.M

[JSngry]

Rings true to me.

[medjuck]

I bought the Gil Evans lp at the Record Collector in LA nearly 20 years ago and it cost me $35 then!

[B. Clugston]

One of Sun Ra's Horo recordings is discussed here, including samples:

http://www.destination-out.com/

[Hot Ptah]

I think that the three Sun Ra albums on Horo are among the very best of his entire recorded output. The big band album, "Unity", may be the only time that the full Arkestra was successfully captured live, in a consistently excellent album from start to finish, playing swing and mainstream jazz pieces in a tight, focused way, with inspired solos--it just all came together on that 2 LP set.

[clifford_thornton]

I'd buy the Ra, MEV and Rivers LPs at $50 each, for sure...

The only Horo records I've had were the Roach and the Lacy "Threads," and only kept the Roach.

[Rooster_Ties]

I have one of the Ra Horos ("Other Voices, Other Blues"), and would buy it on CD in a heartbeat. Stunning, to put it mildly -- especially Michael Ray's contribution. (It's a quartet date, a rare small-group session for Ra.)

[Late]

Do a blog search for Massimo Urbani. Great trio record on Horo.

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think this label will ever have (legitimate) CD issues. This leaves searching for the original LPs (spendy), or turning to blogs. Sometimes the latter is the only way to hear out-of-print music. A shame, perhaps, but true.

I really want to hear the Sal Nistico on Horo.

[Hot Ptah]

I have noticed that Max Roach's "The Loadstar" is now listed in an ebay auction for $29.99, with no bids on it.

I saw Sam Rivers this summer at an outdoor festival. He was autographing items afterwards. I had him autograph his Horo album. He had a conversation with his daughter about whether they owned a copy. They weren't sure.

Edited November 24, 2008 by Hot Ptah

[jostber]

I think that the three Sun Ra albums on Horo are among the very best of his entire recorded output. The big band album, "Unity", may be the only time that the full Arkestra was successfully captured live, in a consistently excellent album from start to finish, playing swing and mainstream jazz pieces in a tight, focused way, with inspired solos--it just all came together on that 2 LP set.

"Live In Montreux" is a great Arkestra live too. One of my Ra favourite albums.

I agree regarding "Unity". This should absolutely be reissued. Maybe ArtYard have a possibility? They did release "Sleeping Beauty", "On Jupiter", "Media Dreams" and "Disco 3000".

Edited November 24, 2008 by jostber