status of: bobbi humphrey- FLUTE IN

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

has it ever been reissued on lp or cd?

as far as the orginal go is it like really really rare or something? never even seen a pic of the cover...

how does this one compare/releate to blacks and blues, or Satin Doll?

lee morgans on it, cant believe i dont have it

[JSngry]

Billy Harper's on it too, as are Idris Muhammad, George Duvivier, and Hank Jones. Only on selected cuts, though.

Apparently there was an Applause reissue:

I found it used a few years ago & have kept it for Lee & Billy, who are only on one or two cuts, IIRC. It seems to show up used less often than her later albums, so if you see it and you want it, carpe diem.

Those later albums of hers are much more conceptually produced, and better for it I think, since Humphrey is not a particularly strong improvisor and was better served by being presented in a different context. Her talents and those of Lee & Billy were different, and this album speaks to that.

[Rooster_Ties]

I'm normally a HUGE fan of Harper, and Lee (especially in the late 60's, and what little there is of him in the 70's) -- and I'm a big fan of quite a bit of 70's jazz in general...

...but I have to say that the one time I heard this date, I was pretty nonplussed. -_-

Maybe worth $4 or $5, as an impulse buy -- but otherwise, it ain't quite what it looks like on paper.

[ep1str0phy]

I think Humphrey adds some pretty crucial color to Lee's last date (also w/Harper), but I'd venture--with no offense intended--that she was the weak link (like JS said, "improvisation"-wise) in that group.

[andybleaden]

Got it and never play it that often

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I've got this one, because Gloria Coleman is on one track.

One I hardly ever play.

MG

[umum_cypher]

Billy's lovely, there's one great Lee solo. Sound is duff on the Applause, production is dodgy in general: you can hear the bleed-through from the solos the horns tried before the final overdub.

[Dan Gould]

It seems to me Bobbi Humphrey's BNs, weak as they are IMO, would be right up the new Mosaic Contemporary's alley.

[Hot Ptah]

I have read that Humphrey literally could not improvise. She would write out her solos in advance and memorize them. When asked by a record producer to take an additional chorus on a solo, she could not do it, and then confessed.

I saw her live last year, and her flute playing was embarassing. My daughter's elementary school band flute players all play more in tune and with better intonation. I have heard some bad flute playing by the beginners at the elementary school but by the end of their first year of playing, they were all much better than Humphrey today.

Instead of playing much flute, Humphrey smiled a lot onstage, danced around, often shouted at the crowd to party, and repeated a cute way of saying "hello" countless times.

[Noj]

I'd love to edit her flute out of several of the funkier tracks laid down behind her boring noodling.

[mike casinghino]

what gets me is blue note can release, blacks & blues,and satin doll, and applause can release flute in,on cd. well how about some far superior albums(imo) by jeremy steig,legwork,this is jeremy steig,and wayfaring stranger?i have e-mailed mosaic about a steig mosaic select or a blue note doubletime release,the response, we may do a jeremy steig best of release on blue note.well blue note,first you release the humphrey albums as single cd's,and then we may do a best of for jeremy steig??? this is a bunch of bs imo!

[mike casinghino]

i forgot to add, i'm damn pissed!!!

[andybleaden]

i sense conflict in your message. -_-

I also know what you mean

I would love also to hear Jeremy Steig on Wayfaring Stranger. I have got a few tracks from compilations which are awesome

Edited April 5, 2007 by andybleaden

[Kevin Bresnahan]

what gets me is blue note can release, blacks & blues,and satin doll, and applause can release flute in,on cd. well how about some far superior albums(imo) by jeremy steig,legwork,this is jeremy steig,and wayfaring stranger?i have e-mailed mosaic about a steig mosaic select or a blue note doubletime release,the response, we may do a jeremy steig best of release on blue note.well blue note,first you release the humphrey albums as single cd's,and then we may do a best of for jeremy steig??? this is a bunch of bs imo!

Yeah, but chicks on the cover sell... just ask Diana Krall.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

how disapointing

[JSngry]

Dude, she worked in the context of those Mizell productions precisely because of those Mizell productions. Left to her own devices, it's pretty slim pickings...

Still, if you see a copy of Flute In for a reasonable price, pick it up, just because. No Lee Morgan (or Billy Harper) collection is truly complete without it.

[Bright Moments]

can anybody recommend this one?

[Chuck Nessa]

not me.

[Bright Moments]

not me.

thats good enough for me! thanks!

[Christiern]

I can vouch for the fact that Humphrey cannot improvise. When I did my "Jazz Set" TV series, I was bamboozled into devoting one show to her--what a terrible waste that was! The only saving grace was that she had a good band that included Harold Mabern. She, herself, was mediocre and unable to add an extra chorus when I needed her to do that.

[felser]

not me.

Chuck, maybe you had to be there to really appreciate that one

Seriously though, no reason to worry about that recording.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

what other people were on your show Jazz-set? ever going to do dvds of it?

[Christiern]

what other people were on your show Jazz-set? ever going to do dvds of it?

No DVDs as yet, but the Mingus documentary, "Triumph of the Underdog" includes part of one selection and my interview with Mingus. I believe all the Bill Evans performances have made their way to YouTube. Here is a partial list of shows to which we can add a forgettable one featuring Barry Miles (agreed to under political pressure) and a memorable one with Randy Weston for which Dan Morgenstern kindly subbed for me (I was ill). As you will see, I don't have complete personnel for all the shows, but I'm slowly digging up that information. Wish I could dig up the tapes, as well.

Roy Haynes Hip Ensemble

2/7/72

Roy Haynes

(dms); and others.

Larry Johnson

2/15/72 (Air: 7/27/72)

Larry Johnson

(vcls and gtr).

Clifford Jordan

2/22/72

Clifford Jordan

(ts);

George Coleman

(ts);

Stanley Cowell

(p);

Bill Lee

(bs);

Tootie Heath

(dms);

Dee Dee Bridgewater

&

Sheila Jordan

(vcls).

Joe Lee Wilson

2/29/72

Joe Lee Wilson

(vc);

Rashied Ali

(dms), and others.

Jimmy Heath All-Stars

3/6/72

Jimmy Heath

(ts);

Curtis Fuller

(tb);

Kenny Barron

(p);

Bill Lee

(bs);

Al Heath

(dm);

Mtume

(congas).

Rashied Ali

3/14/72

Rashied Ali

(dms);

Carlos Ward

(as, flute);

Dave Burrell

(p);

Sirone Jones

(bs).

Ray Draper & the New Island Social Club

3/21/72

Ray Draper

(tuba, Bar. horn, vocals, percuss.);

Atlee Chapman

(valve tb);

Clive Stevens

(sop & ten sax);

Bu Pleasant

(organ, vocals);

Stu Williamson

(bs);

Richard Crooks

(dms).

Irene Reid

3/28/72 (Air: 7/13/72)

Irene Reid (vcls); acc. by The

Jiggs Chase

Quartet: Chase (organ);

William Phipps

(flute and Bar. sax);

Jimmy Ponder

(gt);

Kenny Pollard

(dms).

Sam Wooding

4/11/72 (Air 8/3/72)

Sam Wooding

(p);

Louis Metcalfe

(tp);

Jimmy Wright

(ts);

Jimmy Shirley

(g);

Al Drears

(dm);

Rae Harrison

(vcl).

Charles McGhee and The Gap

4/11/72

Charles McGhee

(tp); and others.

Keno Duke

4/18/72 (Air: 7/6/72)

Keno Duke

(dms);

Frank Strozier

(ts);

Julius Watkins

(French horn);

Dennis Moorman

(p);

Larry Ridley

(bs).

Joe McPhee

4/18/72

Joe McPhee

(tp, ts);

Clifford Thornton

(tp);

Mike Kull

(p);

Harold Smith

(dms).

Lonnie Liston Smith

4/25/72 (Air: 8/24/72)

Lonnie Liston Smith

(el & acoustic piano);

Charles Sullivan

(tp);

Jazzbo Alexander

(flute);

George Barron

(ss);

John Gilmore

(sax);

Stanley Clarke

(bs);

Norman Connors

(dms);

Mtume

(congas).

Jeremy Steig

4/25/72 (Air: 8/17/72)

Jeremy Steig

(flute);

Eddie Gomez

(bs);

Gene Perla

(el. bass);

Don Alias

(dms).

Ted Curson

5/2/72 (Air: 9/7/72)

Ted Curson

(tp, piccolo horn);

Bill Barron

(ts);

Lee Scippers

(vibes);

Sam Jones

(bs);

Freddy Waits

(dms).

Charles Mingus

5/9/72 (Air: 8/31/72)

Charles Mingus

(bs);

Lonnie Hillyer

(tp);

Charles McPherson

(as);

Bobby Jones

(ts);

John Foster

(p);

Roy Brooks

(dms).

Ray Bryant Trio

5/16/72 (Air: 8/10/72

Ray Bryant

(p);

Harold Dodson

(bs);

Leroy Williams

(dms).

Bobbi Humphrey

5/23/72 (Air: 9/21/72)

Bobbi Humphrey

(flute);

Harold Mabern

(p);

Bob Cranshaw

(b);

Mickey Roker

(dms).

Bill Evans Trio

5/30/72 (Air: 9/14/72)

Bill Evans

(p);

Eddie Gomez

(b);

Marty Morrel

(dms).

[Niko]

wow, out of the many interesting things you see every day this list sure stands out!

(for me, especially, Jordan, Wilson, Ali, Draper, Duke)

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

WOW!!! Atlee Chapman & Bu Pleasant!

WOW!!! (2) Irene Reid with Jiggs Chase! WOW again!

MG