clifford_thornton Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 I was listening to The Golden Eight, an early Clarke-Boland side recorded in Cologne, and was struck by the question: why is this on Blue Note? The liners detailed the circumstances of the recording, but not the facts behind Lion's choice to release it. Was it licensed from another label? Are other tracks from the session on other CBBB records from the era? Considering that the bulk of their output from the '60s seems to be on Vogue and MPS, this one-off for BN is kind of weird and I guess I'm just now starting to wonder as I get more into their output. Long live Karl Drewo! Quote
jazzbo Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 Great stuff isn't it! I haven't noticed the tracks duplicated on another label release. . . maybe Alfred bought it and released it. Maybe not. Someone here will have the answer. Quote
Don Brown Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 According to Tom Lord's Jazz Discography this date was issued exclusively on the Blue Note label, both on LP and CD. Quote
Gheorghe Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 I must admit, I also wondered why this album is on BlueNote, because you wouldn´t expect that. It´s a great album, really! Well, about BlueNote stuff recorded in Europe.....there are a few more examples: Dizzy Reece "Blues in Trinity" (which I think was recorded in London though they had to write on the liner notes that it was recorded in France, it has something to do with a record ban they had in UK), Dexter Gordon "Our Man in Paris", "One Flight UP", Ornette Coleman "Golden Circle Vol1+2". Some of those records were produced by Frank Wolff who went to Europe quite often. But it wasn´t Wolff who produced "Golden Eight", it was Gigi Campi, the famous Gigi Campi from Köln/Germany. About the musicians: You mentioned Karl Drewo. Of course I saw him live on many occasions in Austria (where he came from). It´s too bad he died to early. It was always a great pleasure to hear him, and he was such a nice man. In his hometown St. Gilgen/Wolfgangsee near Salzburg they still have a "Karl Drewo-Jazzfestival" each year. Quote
Shawn Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 Hank Mobley's The Flip was also recorded overseas. Quote
sidewinder Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 (edited) Didn't someone on this board once mention that the 'Golden Eight' mono original was one of the rarest of the BN NY USA pressings? Alan Songer, perhaps? Edited October 23, 2008 by sidewinder Quote
sidewinder Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 Great stuff isn't it! I haven't noticed the tracks duplicated on another label release. . . maybe Alfred bought it and released it. Maybe not. Someone here will have the answer. At least one of the tracks (the Karl Drevo ballad - not sure of the title off of the top of my head) was re-recorded some years later by the CBBB (I think with Tony Coe taking the tenor solo part). Will have to check. Quote
JohnS Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 A Musicians Union ban on overseas musicians prevented publicising the London recording of Blues in Trinity. Quote
andybleaden Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 I have to say that this lp has never ever failed to disappoint me...shame really as I spent years trying to get it and finally scored a Japanese cd . Never made my foot tap , not even once...dunno why either Quote
JohnS Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 I've had the Japanese vinyl for years and guess I've played it a couple of times but it didn't make any impression on me either. Quote
sidewinder Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 I have to say - I like it. Always viewed this one as a prototype run with smaller group for the SABA LPs of the late 60s. Quote
jazzbo Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 I've always liked it too, and it was the recording that made me seek out the other Clarke-Boland recordings. Quote
Dave James Posted October 23, 2008 Report Posted October 23, 2008 I have always held G8 in high regard. With regard to Karl Drewo, there's a CD of his that makes an occasional appearance on Dusty Groove that's worth picking up. It's called Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie, although I've always wondered why they didn't call it Clap Hands, Here Comes Karly. Up over and out. Quote
clifford_thornton Posted October 23, 2008 Author Report Posted October 23, 2008 Ah yes, that was originally on Metronome and fetches big $$ for the vinyl... Thanks to everyone for assistance - guess it's just an oddity in the BN catalog! Quote
sidewinder Posted October 24, 2008 Report Posted October 24, 2008 The 'Clap Hands, Hear Comes..' has been reissued on CD and LP by Rearward/Schema but I guess it must now be OOP. The reissue on LP sounds pretty damn good ! Quote
king ubu Posted November 1, 2008 Report Posted November 1, 2008 The 'Clap Hands, Hear Comes..' has been reissued on CD and LP by Rearward/Schema but I guess it must now be OOP. The reissue on LP sounds pretty damn good ! I ordered a used copy of this the day after your post... enjoying it right now! Quote
sidewinder Posted November 2, 2008 Report Posted November 2, 2008 The 'Clap Hands, Hear Comes..' has been reissued on CD and LP by Rearward/Schema but I guess it must now be OOP. The reissue on LP sounds pretty damn good ! I ordered a used copy of this the day after your post... enjoying it right now! Nice one ! Quote
michel1969 Posted November 2, 2008 Report Posted November 2, 2008 (edited) Didn't someone on this board once mention that the 'Golden Eight' mono original was one of the rarest of the BN NY USA pressings? Alan Songer, perhaps? Yes it is a rare one, but not sought after. I think we can consider this record as a sort of the "first try" of what would become later the "Clarke Boland big band". Unfortunately my "CBBB" albums are stored else where, but if remember well, many of the "future" (we are in 1961) CBBB musicians are already featured in the Golden Eight. The producer of the session is Gigi Campi, he had an active role in the CBBB releases. Edited November 2, 2008 by Michel Quote
clifford_thornton Posted November 3, 2008 Author Report Posted November 3, 2008 The 'Clap Hands, Hear Comes..' has been reissued on CD and LP by Rearward/Schema but I guess it must now be OOP. The reissue on LP sounds pretty damn good ! Still issued as in print on the Rearward site. Quote
Gheorghe Posted November 8, 2008 Report Posted November 8, 2008 Yesterday I listened again to that album. Just beautiful, I love it. Quote
Daniel A Posted November 8, 2008 Report Posted November 8, 2008 The 'Clap Hands, Hear Comes..' has been reissued on CD and LP by Rearward/Schema but I guess it must now be OOP. The reissue on LP sounds pretty damn good ! Still issued as in print on the Rearward site. I believe they've run out of LP copies but do still have the CD. Quote
Late Posted June 8, 2022 Report Posted June 8, 2022 This album doesn't get mentioned enough. It really is quite burning in spots—most notably the opener "La Campimania" and the title track "The Golden Eight"—aided in no small part by the deft drumming of Kenny Clarke. The recording quality is also excellent—perhaps that had something to do with Alfred Lion purchasing it. Or maybe Lion and Clarke had an exchange of some sort—one can only speculate. In addition to Karl Drevo being on fire on this recording, listen to Dusko Gojkovic! Great trumpet playing (and great intonation). An interesting discographical note: The Golden Eight was recorded May 18-19, 1961. A handful of months later, on November 14, 1961, Kenny Clarke and Dusko Gojkovic assembled almost the identical band and made a session that ended up being part of an album titled Belgrade Blues. (The LP has two different bands, one largely American, the other European; the "American" session was recorded in 1966. I think they may have originally been separate 10" inch records?) Both The Golden Eight and Belgrade Blues have "La Campimania" on them. The Blue Note version is faster; the RTB version (unreleased until 1967) features Gojkovic more heavily. Both are great. This thread is in the Discography forum, which is good, but it could easily be in the Recommendations forum as well. A sleeper of an album—very warmly recommended. Amazing sound, and excellent arranging skills—the octet sounds like a big band at times. Quote
mhatta Posted June 8, 2022 Report Posted June 8, 2022 Several years ago, the rehearsal tape(?) of The Golden Eight was unearthed as The Golden Eight: Encore!. It was recorded on May 2, 1961. It's also very good. Quote
mikeweil Posted June 8, 2022 Report Posted June 8, 2022 (edited) The Clarke-Boland collaboration was perfect and very special. Boland wrote rhythmically perefect fits for Klook. Edited June 8, 2022 by mikeweil Quote
Late Posted June 9, 2022 Report Posted June 9, 2022 21 hours ago, mikeweil said: The Clarke-Boland collaboration was perfect and very special. Agreed. For 1961, they somehow feel a little ahead of their time (despite Coltrane, Giuffre, etc.). Quote
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