JSngry Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Rock-Duke-Ellington/dp/B000001VTV Maybe the stealthiest Ellington album ever released, you look at this and think, ah, leftovers, silly stuff, whatever, but no, there is some badass Ellingtonia all over this thing, most if not all of it from the later-y days, and the band is tight. Get it for a penny + postage. Or if you like, pay more. It's all stockpile stuff, and if you're thinking that maybe the riches of the stockpile was depleted by the time they released this one, well, no. I'd not put it at the "major find" level of The Jaywalker, which is kinda equally stealthy, but for waht you pay relative to what you get, hey... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alankin Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 5/20/1965, 6/22/1972, 6/12/1972 - Chicago & Toronto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duaneiac Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 Yes, that is a good one. Another LaserLight CD that is well worth picking up is this It's a typical Armstrong concert probably from the very late 1950's or early 1960's. Very good sound quality and it's quite an enjoyable concert which should be easy to find for a very reasonable price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcello Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 Me too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles65 Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 It's all stockpile stuff, and if you're thinking that maybe the riches of the stockpile was depleted by the time they released this one, well, no. I'd not put it at the "major find" level of The Jaywalker, which is kinda equally stealthy, but for waht you pay relative to what you get, hey... Danish Ellingtonian Bjarne Busk who heard all of the stockpile said that there are still about 10 quality CD's that could be produced from the stockpile. Bjarne compiled the My People CD for Storyville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjzee Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 Are there any other Duke Laserlights worth getting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 Don't miss out on the "Happy Birthday Duke" discs, they're excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alankin Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" has stockpile recordings from 1966 & 1969. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmonahan Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) Are there any other Duke Laserlights worth getting? Lon mentioned these, and I second his recommendation. The Happy Birthday Duke! cds have the band in some good live recordings from 1953 and 1954: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Ellington+Happy+Birthday+Duke!&rh=n%3A5174%2Ck%3AEllington+Happy+Birthday+Duke!&ajr=0 gregmo Edited September 27, 2014 by Greg M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjzee Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 Grabbed a used copy of the birthday box from a reseller; also ordered Cool Rock. Thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjzee Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 Now, those Laserlights are different than the "Private Collection" discs released on Atlantic, correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 What about these LASERLIGHT CDs (Jazz Collectors Series) in general? I have two (picked up YEARS ago): One feat. the Louis Prima orchestra of the Majestic period, and one which is a split feature for the Chico Marx orchestra and the Desi Arnaz band. Both bought rather cheaply, and I never thought of them as major items, just as impulse buys (at least a period version of "Oh Babe" by the Prima band (omitted on the Savoy twofer), and the first reissue of the Chico Marx band I ever had come across up to that point - novelty interest, for sure ... ). Now how does this LASERLIGHT CD series rate in general? If these Ellington CDs are such major and apparentyl well-programmed gap fillers, then what about issues by other artists? Is Laserlight universally known for picking really heretofore unissued live or radio items from the vaults? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 Laserlight is a cheap budget label with (mostly) poor product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 Thanks for the tip. I enjoyed Happy Birthday Duke CDs, though I eventually parted with them. I was surprised there was somebody selling this for a penny in Canada (usually prices are higher than that!), so I have placed an order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 Laserlight is a cheap budget label with (mostly) poor product. So I had figured - cheap budget label with poor playing time and (not necessarily poor but at any rate) filler-type "product" (you mean music, right? ) that is OK for the price paid but not necessarily more. Which is why why I had sprung for these two discs mentioned above that DID fill gaps in an otherwise exceedingly skimpy reissue discography (at that time). But how come, then, that quite a few seem to be drooling about those Ellington and Armstrong releases from the same series - artists where on the face of it you ought to be able to easily rehash much more material (from known and released sources) to sell to the unwary from the grab bins? Why the (relatively speaking) "gems" here? What WAS their overall (re)issue policy after all? Really only hit and miss? THAT was my question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medjuck Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) I once picked up a Laserlight cd with some of the Ellington Musicraft cuts. Also some King Cole trio transcriptions. Edited September 27, 2014 by medjuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjzee Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 A quick search brought up these intriguing titles, apparently not available elsewhere: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 Those French sets are editions of stuff out on a French label as well, in various editions ... there are many of those, several Monks, Mileses, Blakeys, three Petersons, a great one by the Clark/Boland Big Band, one by Dizzy ... not sure if each of them has been out in each form (there were French single discs, too).A copy of "Cool Rock" was just shipped ... crossing fingers (I've come to distrust most marketplace sellers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Rock-Duke-Ellington/dp/B000001VTV Maybe the stealthiest Ellington album ever released, you look at this and think, ah, leftovers, silly stuff, whatever, but no, there is some badass Ellingtonia all over this thing, most if not all of it from the later-y days, and the band is tight. Get it for a penny + postage. Or if you like, pay more. It's all stockpile stuff, and if you're thinking that maybe the riches of the stockpile was depleted by the time they released this one, well, no. I'd not put it at the "major find" level of The Jaywalker, which is kinda equally stealthy, but for waht you pay relative to what you get, hey... This disc documents my friend Paul Serrano (musician/producer/engineer) in Duke's band on my 21st birthday. Stuff can't get better than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 Laserlight is a cheap budget label with (mostly) poor product. So I had figured - cheap budget label with poor playing time and (not necessarily poor but at any rate) filler-type "product" (you mean music, right? ) that is OK for the price paid but not necessarily more.Which is why why I had sprung for these two discs mentioned above that DID fill gaps in an otherwise exceedingly skimpy reissue discography (at that time). But how come, then, that quite a few seem to be drooling about those Ellington and Armstrong releases from the same series - artists where on the face of it you ought to be able to easily rehash much more material (from known and released sources) to sell to the unwary from the grab bins? Why the (relatively speaking) "gems" here? What WAS their overall (re)issue policy after all? Really only hit and miss?THAT was my question. The Nat Cole recordings for instance were on a Music & Arts set that is OOP and extremely pricey (alas, I'd love to have it, only have one of the Cole Laserlight discs). Don't know much, but they did some good stuff, such as three volumes of Baden-Baden recordings (compiled by Michael Frohne, I think) - music by Hans Koller, Zoot Sims, Oscar Pettiford a.o. Then there are the French radio recordigs they did - as I said above, I'm not sure if all of them were out on Trema/Pour ceux qui aiment le jazz or whatever that label's called (I've got some of their releases but never figured which was the actual label name). There's a load of good stuff there, and even though the LaserLight releases look cheap and come with minimal, superficial liners, they're mighty good! to be continued ... (too many pics for one post) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 these definitely aren't all of 'em ... in some cases, there are single SACDs culled from 2CD sets - once bought one of 'em accidentally. the proper French releases first looked like this: then later they looked like this (digipacks, single discs only, as far as I know, splitting up the previous editions): one of those SACDs: (they look nearly the same, except for the logo) These are French radio recordings, sound is pretty good I'd say (but I'm used to plenty, so don't hold me accountable if your seventhousand dollar tube amp and fifteenhundred dollar headphones make audible any deficiencies of these). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 as for Ellington, there's this one, too: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duaneiac Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 (edited) A quick search brought up these intriguing titles, apparently not available elsewhere: That Buddy Rich CD is very good. It's his big band of, I guess, the late 1960's (LaserLight releases are often short on details). There was also a LaserLight CD called Tuff Dude with a Buddy Rich small band that is worth getting. The Joe Pass Christmas CD is okay. It's fine for it's purpose (background holiday music) but it is not a major item in his discography. I have the Ella Fitzgerald CD too. Haven't listened to it in a while, but I recall it being good, but not dramatically different from many other "live" CDs one can find by Ms. Fitzgerald. I think the same company put out the LRC label (with recordings from Sonny Lester's catalog) and LaserLight. Other worthwhile LaserLight/LRC CDs I have include: For some reason, the system would not allow me to post more images, but the other titles included Blue Bossa by McCoy Tyner Dedication by the Thad Jones Mel Lewis Orchestra Parisian Thoroughfare by Stephane Grappelli Velvet Soul by Carmen McRae Crown Royal by Woody Herman Funkiest Little Band In The Land -- Jimmy McGriff Edited September 28, 2014 by duaneiac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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