Original Jazz Masters Series?

[fini]

I picked up 19 CD's from this series for $40 today. They're put out by da Music/Black Lion, and it's a nice mix of styles and artists ( Coltrane to Peggy Lee, to Monk, to Grappelli). Decent to excellent sound quality. I am diappointed, though, in the paucity of documentation accompanying each disc. I'll have to do some Google searching, I guess. Is anyone else here familiar with this series, or the da Music/Black Lion labels? It's turning out to be pretty good "bang for the buck."

fini

Oops! I meant to say, I spent $400 on them. NOW I deserve a response here!

[Clipped and Shorn]

fini,

I am not sure what material Black Lion may have licensed for that series, but this is an interesting label. Monk did one of his final trio recordings on that label with Art Blakey and Al Mckibbon, some great stuff. Dexter Gordon also recorded some fine sessions on that label. 19 CDs, that is a lot of jazz. Your bargain hunting is true to form . Congratulations.

C&S

[fini]

These cd's are great!! Mrs. fini did balk a bit at a Charlie Parker solo in "Round Midnight," saying "I hate it when they lose track of the tune," to which I responded, "Maybe it's YOU who lost track, dear." She's spent the day on the couch with a cold, so I forgive her. Oh, by the way, I previously mis-typed, I actually spent $4,000 on the set.

fini

[jazman]

Fini,

When you get tired of listening to those CD's, I'll take them off your hands. C&S is also correct about some of the artist on the Black Lion Label. You SCORED!

Klipsch out.

[Invidiosulus]

A friend of a friend got the same set for $0.40

That sounds like some nice Jazz.

*edit* I might have made a typo *edit*

Peace, Josh

[fini]

img scr="http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/files/DSC01456.JPG"

How do I get this image in the text? I type the above line with < at the beginning, and > at the end, but it doesn't work. When I go back to edit, it's changed the < & > to bracket & bracket. Is this a Mac thing?

fini

Now, when I type a square bracket, it changes to an angle bracket in the post!!! ARRGH!!!

[Clipped and Shorn]

fini,

wait a minute....Charlie Parker playing Round Midnight?, I only know of 4 times he played that tune on record, and it wasn't on the Black Lion label.

Two versions are home recorded radio (Birdland) broadcasts with excellent Bud Powell on piano, the most famous of which owned by Columbia {A Night At Birdland or some such title) appeared on numerous bootleg labels (Le Jazz Cool among others). And one very sonically compromised version on Fresh Sounds label.

The very poinant version, sad Bird on tenor, Miles date "Collectors Items" (wi. Sonny Rollins as well) {Prestige label}

Please post the details. The only version I can imagine them using is one of those Birdland radio braodcasts which they could have licensed for that series. If so, really check out Bud Powell, his solo there is one of those rare windows I was telling you about. If it is the version I am thinking about, you can hear someone moving the microphone closer to the piano when his solo starts.

unless they dug up something I don't know about, which would be cool, but I kind of doubt this.

So Missus fini don't like the "solo" part of jazz, hmmm, time for the big lecture......but not until the cold is gone.

I think, with that CD score, you will now really become a big jazz fan. That is great stuff you got there. Not the run of mill.

C&S

[fini]

Boy, I can't give you much in the way of details. Some of the cds in this series list the players, and the albums from which the cuts were drawn (as in the photo in my previous post), but in this case (Volume 3, disc 4), I only have: "Round Midnight"- Charlie Parker 5:02. Maybe the time would be a useful clue (as would hearing it, eh?). The only other info included is this statement:

"REGRETTABLY, NO RECORDING INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THESE MASTERS. HOWEVER, WE AT DA MUSIC BELIEVE THAT THESE RECORDINGS ARE OF SUCH QUALITY AND VALUE THAT THEY ARE INDEED WORTHY OF RELEASE."

fini

Listening to it this morning, it was Coltrane's "Naima" that the wife had a bit o' trouble with. It is a little "out there"...

[Clipped and Shorn]

The lack of information they admit too indicates it is one of the broadcast recordings I mentioned, although experts pretty much know the credits. The Prestige example is the only instance of Bird playing that tune in a studio recording. I am anxious to hear which version you have.

Regarding Coltrane's Naima, arguably one of the most beautiful tunes in jazz, the inexperienced ear will be so moved by a tune, that the abstraction of the solo will seem anti-climatic by comparison. Remember most people are actually not used to appreciating improvisation because so much other music they are exposed to does not feature it to any extent.

Often, jazz compositions are in a sense nothing more than a more highly refined improvisation. The tune takes on a definitive character, some more than others, depending on compositional parameters. If a person can get with Bird's bebop tunes, they usually will start to understand and appreciate the improvisations which follow. Knowing how an intricate bebop tune "used to be" something like a Blues or "Sweet Georgia Brown" or "How High The Moon" or " I've Got Rhythm" etc. clues the ear to the concept of the chord changes being the underlying structure. Learning to follow a jazz solo in relation to the harmonic structure is a trip, and can be engagingly abstract when it comes to Monk or simply amazing when it comes to Coltrane.

I remember when I first heard Round Midnight when I was a kid, I wanted to then find out about all the other Monk tunes that would be as intense and as special as that tune. I was only to find out that they were all different and there is ultimately no other tune quite like Round Midnight.

It was then fun, in consequent years, to hear all the variations that Monk thought about regarding this tune in (composition-like) improvisation, and even some very intricate (put on?) musical ambushes he set up for himself [listen to the long studio take contained on the "Complete Riverside collection". It is nearly 35 minutes long. I use it as the soundtrack for one of my films.

C&S

[jazman]

C&S,

That was a very good intro to listening to Jazz music. Just don't forget to mention the version of "Round Midnight" on the Miles Davis Columbia release "Round About Midnight". Short, but one of my favorite offerings of Monk's ageless composition.

Klipsch out.

[Clipped and Shorn]

There are countless versions of the co-written Round Midnight starting with Cootie Williams (with the young Bud Powell). Some, like you say, are classics. There are even more than one set of lyrics put to the tune, and many versions which delete the intro or the cool coda. One of the all time classics which preserves all the elements is with Eric Dolphy and George Russel.

-c&s

[jazman]

C&S,

"One of the all time classics which preserves all the elements is with Eric Dolphy and George Russel."

On which LP can I find that version?

Klipsch out.

[Clipped and Shorn]

Just go to Amazon and search it out.

Originally on Russell's LP "Ezzthetics" , which is also a fabulous composition by Russell. Now that I think of it I used this version of Round Midnight in a film soundtrack as well.