Harold Vick's "Commitment" (1966/74)

[Simon999]

I've bought a copy of Harold Vick's "Commitment", released in 1974 on Muse.

Great record! The album contains no recording dates, but I have read in various places that it wa recorded in 1966, and in some places is nominated to have been "released " in 1966. The liner notes provide no helpful information about this.

I was wondering if anyone knew :

- If it was released on another label in 1966

or, if not :

- Why it was held back for 7 years, and who it was recorded "for" originally.

Thanks for any info!

Simon

[Simon999]

... further to this, does anyone know of any comprehensive sideman discographies for any of the players that might answer my questions ? Obviously I've checked AMG but it's little help ...

Walter Bishop Jr - piano

Victor Feldman - vibes, piano

Malcolm Reddick - guitar

Ben Tucker - Bass

Mickey Roker - drums

Herb Bushler - bass

Thanks again,

Simon

[Head Man]

Bruyninckx has the date of recording as June, 1966 and the only reference to a record release as MUSE MR5054. Not a great help, I know.....but something.

[Niko]

on this list of muse releases, reissues are marked in dark red - and commitment is listed in black... no further information on the origins of the session however...

http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Labels/muse.htm

sounds great indeed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2w2Q_7Wb4Y

Edited February 20, 2009 by Niko

[Simon999]

Thanks a lot for your replies guys ...

Interesting, June means he recorded it four months before he did "Straight Up" for RCA Victor at the start of October.

He also released "Caribbean Suite" for RCA Victor the same year (a busy 1966!). I'd be curious to know a recording date on that one, if it's pre-June then I guess these could be unreleased RCA Victor tracks (though I'm not sure how bound people were to particular companies).

Niko, "H.N.I.C" (Head Ni@@%r in Charge) is a great track - that youtube clip made me track this down. That's Victor Feldman on piano, he plays vibes on most of the tracks but took over from Walter Bishop Jr for that one. Another great track is an uptempo soul-jazz version of Jimmy Heath's "A Time and a Place" .

Anyway thanks again both of you, any more info people may have would be much appreciated!

[mjzee]

I've never heard of this Harold Vick release before, but there are some interesting similarities with Grant Green's "Iron City."

[Chuck Nessa]

He also released "Caribbean Suite" for RCA Victor the same year (a busy 1966!). I'd be curious to know a recording date on that one, if it's pre-June then I guess these could be unreleased RCA Victor tracks (though I'm not sure how bound people were to particular companies).

Bruyninckx says Caribbean Suite was recorded June 15 & 16, 1966.

[Teasing the Korean]

He also released "Caribbean Suite" for RCA Victor the same year (a busy 1966!). I'd be curious to know a recording date on that one, if it's pre-June then I guess these could be unreleased RCA Victor tracks (though I'm not sure how bound people were to particular companies).

That's a really good one!

[Chuck Nessa]

Interesting to note the following unissued RCA project:

Harold Vick (fl,ts) Vic Feldman (p,vib) Walter Bishop Jr. (p) Malcolm Riddick (g) Ben Tucker (b) Mickey Roker (d)

New York, May 1, 1967

UPA1-4086 Sunny (unissued) RCA

UPA1-4087 Reflections -

UPA1-4088 Home is where love is -

UPA1-4089 A time and a place -

UPA1-4090 Like Alice -

UPA1-4091 Where butterflies play -

UPA1-4092 Pitco blues -

Bob Bushner (b) replaces Tucker, rest same

New York, May 2, 1967

UPA1-4093 Blue gardenia (unissued) RCA

UPA1-4094 Wild is the wind -

UPA1-4095 Leave it the way it is -

UPA1-4096 Where butterflies play -

[Simon999]

Interesting indeed Chuck, I think you've found the session! ... perhaps with some later re-naming :

Tracklist for "Commitment" :

A1 "Commitment"

A2 "H.N.I.C"

A3 "A Time and a Place"

B1 "Out Of It"

B2 "Wild Is The Wind"

B3 "Blue Gardenia"

B4 "From Within"

The Vick compositions are A1 / A2 / B1 / B4.

These are the ones that don't match the names on that list, so I'd conjecture that he re-named them later ...

Well you guys are very impressive, many thanks again.