Charles Tolliver

[mrjazzman]

Heard some sound samples from the new big band cd, sounds pretty good. Here's my question. He has an LP on Strata East called "Compassion" I don't see this lp in his discography on allmusic guide(I do see it at Amazon). Sometimes you get the same session with two different titles maybe two different record companies. Has compassion been issued under a different title? What are the cuts on that LP. And, is "Live In Berlin" the same as "Live in Berlin at the Quasimodo, Vol. 1????????????????

[Rooster_Ties]

The two "live in Berlin" things are one in the same (I'm 99% sure).

"Compassion" is a unique date (a Strata East release), recorded in Nov. 1977, with a fairly unique line-up as well (all Tolliver compositions).

Tolliver - trumpet

Nathen Page(!) - guitar

Steve Novosel - bass

Alvin Queen - drums

Earl's World (12:47)

Impact (5:40)

Compassion (11:00)

Truth (9:51)

Page is a fantistically interesting guitar player, who I'm really rather fond of. He also has a rather unorthodox playing method. Here's a description from an on-line review...

...like most of his albums, the play list is entirely made up of his compositions written to accommodate his slightly unorthodox way of playing. He uses a thumb pick, not on his thumb, but on the forefinger of his right hand. Perhaps this helps to explain his unique lines and phrasing. It seems at times that what you're hearing has to be an overdub - but it turns out it isn't.

I'll do some digging and come up with a partial discography for Page when I get the chance.

"Compassion" has been released on CD once, in Germany in 1991 (on Bellaphon), but for some reason or another - it hasn't ever been released on Charly in the mid-to-late 90's (like most of Tolliver's other Strata dates have). I got mine on eBay from a UK seller a few years ago, probably for around $25 (including shipping), and it was worth every penny.

Well worth seeking out, whether you're interested primarily for Toiliver, or the rare "trumpet, guitar, bass drums" line-up, or Nathan Page. GREAT album, all the way around!!

(Note: Page does spell his first name "Nathen", though it's often mispelled the "correct" (more common) way as "Nathan". It is mispelled as Nathan on the CD of "Compassion" that I own, for instance.)

Edited December 30, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[felser]

Heard some sound samples from the new big band cd, sounds pretty good. Here's my question. He has an LP on Strata East called "Compassion" I don't see this lp in his discography on allmusic guide(I do see it at Amazon). Sometimes you get the same session with two different titles maybe two different record companies. Has compassion been issued under a different title? What are the cuts on that LP. And, is "Live In Berlin" the same as "Live in Berlin at the Quasimodo, Vol. 1????????????????

There are two volumes of the Quasimodo cuts, vol. 1 and vol. 2. On the spine, they are titled 'Live in Berlin/Vol. 1' and 'Live in Berlin/Vol.2'. The CD's themselves are labeled 'Live in Berlin at the Quasimodo/Vol. 1' and 'Live in Berlin at the Quasimodo/Vol. 2' Both recorded July 21 & 22, 1988. Personnel is Tolliver - trumpet, Alain Jean-Marie - piano, Ugonna Okegwo - bass, and Ralph Van Duncan - drums. Vol. 1 has "Ruthie's Heart", "Ah, I See", "Stretch", and "On The Nile". Vol. 2 has "Toughin' ", "Drought", "For Love of What", "Impact", and "In the Trenches". Vol. 1 came out in 1990, vol. 2 came out in 1992.