chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 why does rca print a little story where you have to read the story in order to find out who played on it, like some 2nd grade-test: why didnt they just print the discog detalis- theres a LOT of blank space not utilized on the back of this particylar cover--- RCA VICTOR is a respectible company: did their jazz dept. notoriously lack? or how did it stack up @ the time, comp. to BN, prestieg, etc etc as far as jazz is concerned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 (edited) RCA VICTOR is a respectible company: did their jazz dept. notoriously lack? or how did it stack up @ the time, comp. to BN, prestieg, etc etc as far as jazz is concerned Edited September 7, 2009 by Big Beat Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 why does rca print a little story where you have to read the story in order to find out who played on it, like some 2nd grade-test: why didnt they just print the discog detalis- theres a LOT of blank space not utilized on the back of this particylar cover--- RCA VICTOR is a respectible company: did their jazz dept. notoriously lack? or how did it stack up @ the time, comp. to BN, prestieg, etc etc as far as jazz is concerned RCA was a major label, which means that they were very large, and released all kinds of records - classical, pop, ethnic, easy listening, and everything in between. The number of jazz recordings on RCA is relatively small, and although a lot of fine music appeared on RCA, the packaging was not always created by jazz lovers or experts. Blue Note, Prestige, et al were geared to and created by jazz lovers who appreciated the importance of details like personnel and other minutia that may have seemed inconsequential to the general public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 (edited) I can think of some excellent sides on US RCA-Victor: Bill Dixon - Intents and Purposes Sonny Rollins - Our Man in Jazz Sonny Meets Hawk Joe Daley - At Newport '63 Gary Burton - Duster Jeanne Lee & Ran Blake - The Newest Sound Around George Russell - Jazz Workshop Not to mention some excellent discs on European and Japanese RCA imprints by Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, Lee Konitz, Charlie Mariano, Keith Tippett, Chris McGregor, Ray Russell, Tony Oxley... Edited September 7, 2009 by clifford_thornton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjzee Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 why does rca print a little story where you have to read the story in order to find out who played on it, like some 2nd grade-test: why didnt they just print the discog detalis- theres a LOT of blank space not utilized on the back of this particylar cover Sounds like the back covers of a lot of '50's Verve releases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 (edited) Time to call attention to "The RCA Victor Encyclopedia of Recorded Jazz." What a great set. I still go back to it very often to this date. The sound in many instances is till unsurpassed. It was my introduction to Bird, Diz and many others. Whatever it's faults RCA has kept something similar (and in good sound) available into the cd era. For those of you unfamiliar with my first reference "The RCA Victor Encyclopedia of Recorded Jazz" was a series of 10" lps sold in supermarkets for 49 cents an 10" lp. I came across it just as I was getting interested in jazz and scoffed them up. INDISPENSABLE!! Edited September 7, 2009 by Harold_Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmonahan Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Like all the majors Victor has blown hot and cold over the years with its jazz holdings. I think their old Vintage series in the late 60s was one of the best reissue series ever done (even if the vinyl was sometimes of pretty poor quality!), and their subsequent Bluebird series reissued a lot of very fine music. Now, of course, they're part of the mammoth Sony/BMG. Who among us "old-timers" would ever have thought that Victor and Columbia would be owned by the same company? Bizarre! greg mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 I can think of some excellent sides on US RCA-Victor: Bill Dixon - Intents and Purposes Sonny Rollins - Our Man in Jazz Sonny Meets Hawk Joe Daley - At Newport '63 Gary Burton - Duster Jeanne Lee & Ran Blake - The Newest Sound Around George Russell - Jazz Workshop Not to mention some excellent discs on European and Japanese RCA imprints by Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, Lee Konitz, Charlie Mariano, Keith Tippett, Chris McGregor, Ray Russell, Tony Oxley... Sadly Intents & Purposes never has made it to CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Not likely to happen, either. Which is too bad because it's a monumental work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flat5 Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 (edited) Sad to say, who is actually playing the music is not important to many people. Was watching on You-Tube yesterday Frankly Jazz - The Lighthouse Allstars. The announcer only told the viewer who the bass and tenor were. At the end of the program everybody involved with the show was listed in the credits but not the musicians. How many movies have we watched that feature a solo musician in the score who does not get mentioned in the credits? RCA has a mixed track record in their handling of jazz. Al Hurt was not marketed as a jazz musician. RCA did some very shabby production for even their best jazz artists. I don't think Sonny Rollins was handled well or understood by the company at all, though he produced some of his best work under them. George Avakian's notes for "Our Man In Jazz" shows no understanding of the music on the record. His writing is just bullshit. Edited September 8, 2009 by flat5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 But Al Hurt was big on the sadist market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMP Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 TV Action Jazz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHill Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 TV Action Jazz! Stanley Wilson's music for the "M-Squad" show comes to mind. He had some excellent players on it like Pete Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Benny Carter and Red Mitchell! I can think of some excellent sides on US RCA-Victor: Bill Dixon - Intents and Purposes Sonny Rollins - Our Man in Jazz Sonny Meets Hawk Joe Daley - At Newport '63 Gary Burton - Duster Jeanne Lee & Ran Blake - The Newest Sound Around George Russell - Jazz Workshop Not to mention some excellent discs on European and Japanese RCA imprints by Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, Lee Konitz, Charlie Mariano, Keith Tippett, Chris McGregor, Ray Russell, Tony Oxley... Ornette Coleman's Forms and Sounds. Great album cover, which the Bluebird cd issue didn't use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Well, to be fair, that's not really a "jazz" record or conceived as such. He got the Red Seal of a classical record. Dixon should have, too (he'd requested that, as a matter of fact), but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flat5 Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Some good jazz is on Victor in spite of the company. That's a point I am making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 I'll add the excellent Masahiko Togashi LP We Now Create, on Victor Japan, to the list. But the notes are in Japanese, so I can't tell you how decently written they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Just picked up a reissue today of the Feb. 1957 Four Brothers reunion date. I recall it as being something of a damp squib, but no, not at all -- lovely ensemble playing, very committed solo work from everyone, including the very ill Serge Chaloff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Well, to be fair, that's not really a "jazz" record or conceived as such. He got the Red Seal of a classical record. Dixon should have, too (he'd requested that, as a matter of fact), but... It might have fed his ego but would have sold even fewer copies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 As some have mentioned, lots of good crime jazz on RCA - TV Action Jazz, Peter Gunn, M Squad, Mike Hammer, Impact. Also, lots of space age stuff that's not all jazz (strictly speaking) but is at least partially or tangentially jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Some great 60's Ellington on RCA. Also some good Johnny Hodges. I guess it wasn't RCA Victor, but take it back to Victor, Bluebird, whatever other early names were used & there's Jelly Roll, Bechet, the Ellington 40's band, late 40's Basie, Fats Waller, etc. - a world of early jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fomafomic65 Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 (...) I don't think Sonny Rollins was handled well or understood by the company at all, though he produced some of his best work under them. (...) Agree 100%. Rollins' RCA/Victor work is generally awesome in quality and still underrated. Just compare it with the later Impulse! productions, though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 The 'Jazz Workshop' series was a major program! Also the Al Cohn sessions! ... and so many more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 (edited) The 'Jazz Workshop' series was a major program! Also the Al Cohn sessions! ... and so many more! Agreed. That's the kind of 50s jazz I was thinking of when I said RCA wasn't THAT bad in the jazz field at that time. ... and so many more! Lou Levy, Pete Jolly, Nick Travis, Tony Scott, Shorty Rogers, Red Norvo, etc. Edited September 9, 2009 by Big Beat Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted September 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 im sorry im sorry- my orig. post was going to be narrower but i lost focus on it and thats what happened i think origianlly i just wanted to know, how RCA, the GREAT RCA, could do something so assinine like put the session/personel info buried in this love letter on the back to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 i just wanted to know, how RCA, the GREAT RCA, could do something so assinine like put the session/personel info buried in this love letter on the back to you. Many, many 50s/60s labels did just that, not just "majors" or other labels not focusing primarily on jazz but also Verve (as mentioned above). Musicians mentioned somewhere in the sales blurb disguised as liner notes, no recording dates, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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