45RPM Blue Note Jazz Reissue Series Coming Soon...

[Clipped and Shorn]

Mark,

Check out samples and examples any way you can and see if you are ready to expand your horizons toward getting into the "microcosm" of the individual soloist. One factor that you might consider is that when jazz ensembles are larger, often the music is 1) more arranged as you seem to prefer, and 2) less time for each soloist to dominate in solos. Many names in jazz are associated with both approaches and is why I would recommend the popular album "Mingus Ah Um" way before I would recommend "Charles Mingus presents Charles Mingus" on Candid. Both, of course, are masterpieces in their own right.

A lot of West Coast Jazz used the larger ensembles and tighter arrangements and shorter solos and there is plenty more there to explore.

Do you have "Blue Train", this was Trane's only title on Blue Note, and I think would be a good way for you to see if you like Trane, and if you can develop a deeper appreciation for this type of soloing which is really brilliant on thils album. When you are singing along and have memorized Lee Morgan's solo as you listen you will know you have arrived and then you might become a fan of the type of (extended blowing) jazz that you are currently avoiding.

There are many artists who emphasized arrangements and include great soloists. I have been listening lately to Gerald Wilson and Benny Golson, both of whom fit this description. Wilson's "Big Band Modern" for example not only includes these nice arrangements (1954), but also contains some tracks of very rare early bebop (1950) featuring the great soloist Wardell Gray and others. Until you can develop a true appreciation for "extended blowing" I would rather not see you develop any pre-mature negativity about classic recordings outside your current realm of appreciation. It should be a more organic growth and learning process.

On a hunch, I am thinking I would like to see you get into "Blue Trane" and let's see if we can go from there. Is that by any chance one of the new 45 rpm issues? Its bluesy but also in the "hard bop" vein, and its Coltrane.

Do you like Theolonious Monk? Have you discovered his music yet?

-CLHipped & ÍÓ؉˜

[garymd]

Blue Train is coming. I believe it will be with the AP series. Also, Cannonball & Miles, Something Else is one Mark should like.

Mark - You should get a 45rpm copy of Art Pepper Plus Eleven and You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce. They are on Contemporary 45 reissues and are GREAT West Coast jazz Lps. I play my copies to death. I would try to track down those Atlas Record's West Coast Jazz albums too. They feature guys like Pepper, Shelly Manne and Jack Sheldon and sound as good as any LP I own! They go for about $30. If you need help finding a few, just say the word.

[garymd]

Curtis Counce was a bass player who was the leader on just a handful of albums, all on the Contemporary label I think. I have all but the one where he's wearing a space suit on the cover and they are all great. Harold Land on Tenor, Jack Sheldon on trumpet and Carl Perkins on piano (at least on a couple) and the great Frank Butler on drums. Amazing albums!!! Carl's Blues, You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce (also released as Counceltation) and Landslide are worth looking for. West Coast Jazz at its best.

It's also worth getting a copy of Plus Eleven on Analogue Productions vinyl, either 33 1/3 or 45, even if you have the CD. It might be the most phenominal jazz recording I own (in the top five anyway). Tops the new BN 45s by a long shot IMO. Elusive Disc or Acoustic Sounds might still have a few.

[Travis In Austin]

Curtis Counce was a bass player who was the leader on just a handful of albums, all on the Contemporary label I think. I have all but the one where he's wearing a space suit on the cover and they are all great.

You are correct again oh Jazzmesiter, all on Contemporary save and except one: Exploring the Future on the DOOTO label.

[garymd]

You're welcome Mark. Always happy to help others spend money Please let me know what you think when it arrives. I haven't heard the 45 myself (mine's the 33 1/3 version) but Jay (Canyonman) just bought a copy and says it's amazing as well. Plus, I really dig those black label Contemporary pressings.

[rplace]

Mine were due in today...just checked the FedEx site and got this message "Local weather delay, delivery not attempted" BUMMER! The roads are not evern bad today. I know UPS would have made the trip. Since today is Friday I was looking forward to the weekend with my new discs.

[Clipped and Shorn]

Mark,

That was the 45 twofer LP I brought to that Bay Area get together that you came down for, but unfortunately as you remember we had no turntable set up that time at Bob's. It is great sounding for sure especially at the 45 speed. And, you will get good practice changing your TT belt. The regular original LP always sounded very nice too.

-? ? ? (©fini)

[Clipped and Shorn]

Another good one to sneak out is a nos copy if you can find it, of "Marty Paich Big Band -The New York Scene" on Discovery. You already know and like (and have on cd) this material but few realize that it has been reissued on this exceptionally fine sounding vinyl.

If you want to go even further into arranged and large ensemble, there are some very nice things by Claus Ogerman (one with Bill Evans on electric piano which I like) and Lalo Schifrin, among others, to explore. You can also find recordings of jazz influenced movie scores, many are classics. Even Les Baxter made some jazzy albums as well as exotic/latin influenced. Most of this type of material is very well recorded on major labels. Historically, there is Sauter/Finegan, but most is on collectible LPs. For that matter, have you explored Count Basie, especially the earlier work....oh, I forgot, not necessarily hifi.

When I listen to jazz on fm radio I hear tons of stuff, lots of new stuff, that is great and that you would like, but most is new to me. Do you get any good jazz shows up your way, or online....could be a great way to find out about material you would love to then own.

-? ? ? (©fini)

[Clipped and Shorn]

Good going, they are getting harder to find. You are getting some record sleuthing chops! The hunt is part of the fun. This issue sounds every bit as good or better than the highly sought after collectible and now expensive original.

-? ? ? (©fini)

about collecting. I stand corrected. I changed it to "find". I know what you mean. Collecting per say is another type of obsession. I do not consider myself a "collector" in that sense either. I really wanted and needed to hear every thing Bird played. That is not collecting! I have always used recordings for enjoyment, history, and learning music as well as writing about music, music history, and musicology. When a guy pays more for the sexy cover than the person wanting the music, I sometimes suspect there is a collector involved, but then again...I am not so sure. I am glad I bought "Mambo For Cats" years ago because I needed the music (it was the only place a certain piece was issued) and now it is a very expensive collectible because of the Jim Flora cover and commands good money even when the LP inside is missing. Are all "art collectors" considered "Collectors"? If one has art on the wall is that person necessarily a collector, what is another better word for this? For that matter how does one actually define a collector. Stamp and coin collectors seem to be collectors, especially if it goes contrary to good "investment", which it mostly does not, given enough time. Record collectors....I don't know, maybe if they don't really care about the music....like that guy selling the bezillion records mostly still sealed.....he was a collector, also since he will take a big loss on that investment. Behind every "collector" is a person who has a good reason for possession of said stuff. (Like needing or wanting an audiophile issue of something readily available in several less expensive versions for the purpose of demonstrating equipment ....no, not a "collector", no...... me either.

Maybe, defn: if a person pays more than $16.95 for an album, she is a collector.

2) Another possible definition: If one has to do something, anything, other than simply shooting fish in a barrel to obtain something special in a category in which other type examples are already owned, that "effort" can be called "collecting". If you need to make any effort to house the stuff, shelves, cabinets, etc. you might be a collector. If you need to list it or catalogue it, it is a collection.

-? ? ? (©fini)

[fini]

I collect display cabinets to house my collectible display cabinet catalogs.

I should get around to cataloging them.

[Clipped and Shorn]

I collect display cabinets to house my collectible display cabinet catalogs.

I should get around to cataloging them.

I would love to own a coffee table book of your collection to add to my book collection about collections.

-? ? ? (©fini)

[garymd]

about collecting. I stand corrected. I changed it to "find". I know what you mean. Collecting per say is another type of obsession.

I'm no authority - - but for me, collecting involves obsession to possess, for its own sake, well beyond the utility of an item. If I am going to add more items to my stash, I want high utility and low obsession factor. I have a couple times fallen into collecting, and I simply don't like the vibe of it. Can a guy listen to a million records? I dunno, probably not though. I've seen guys with 20 or 30 old receivers piled up - unconnected. Seems like an obsession to me. I'll get this record and play the grooves off it. When it's bitten the radish, I'll toss it out. I am ruthless about weeding out things. Keeps me light on my feet!

I so agree. My collecting days are over. If I won't play it, I'm going to sell it. When you get to a certain age, you start thinking about what happens to your "stuff" if something hapens to you. I don't want my wife or kids dealing with a million records that are way more valuable than they know. The gear is bad enough!

"Maybe, defn: if a person pays more than $16.95 for an album, she is a collector."

I certainly hope not! I've paid way more for most of mine but I PLAY them. That's the difference. Maybe, defn:

If a person buys records, pays more than $16.95 for each but doesn't play them, she is a collector.

[Clipped and Shorn]

"Can a guy listen to a million records?"

Most people who buy records do listen to them. That guy who had millions of them for sale on eBay many SS, admitted he was collecting because it was some kind of preservation archive and wanted to hand it over to someone else to continue the preservation. He mentioned having duplicate copies, so some could be sold to help pay for the archive. I have more records than you, have had many since the 50s, and have listened to them many times over the years and have learned much, including developing my own musical style so to speak. If a musical point comes up and I need to go back to the recording, I can usually find it in a matter of minutes. Over the years one continues to discover new things about the recordings one has owned for many years. So, the simple answer to the question, is yes, a guy with a million records probably can and does listen to them, if nothing else, at first when he obtains them. Records simply are not something to collect for its own sake like objects to look at in a display cabinet, I do not know anyone who does that. The socalled "collectible" records most likely became that because of the significance of the music in one form or another. Often times a high priced rare recording is used to produce a reissue when no other form is extant, and is the very reason for its high value. I sold a rare 78 of Moondog on Brunswick for a friend and was surprised at what it brought, a year later, it was used to make a reissue on a new compilation. Many people behind the scenes who are able to bring music forth for the consumer are involved in these details. Still not "collecting". Bob Dylan "borrowed" someone's rare collection in his formative years to invent what he did, at least that is how the story goes. Good thing his friend had those historical recordings in his collection.

I agree, if the porcelain tea cup collector, takes them out of the display cabinet and has a tea party regularly, more power to them in my book.

If you have a good needle, no need to worry about wearing out those LPs. You will never listen to them that much. I still listen to LPs I have been playing since 1956, even with questionable needles. Now I use a good styli tho.

-? ? ? (©fini)

[Clipped and Shorn]

If you don't play them, they were mistakes, so yes, get rid of them. Assuming you will never want to play them in the future for any reason. If you "outgrow" them, and know they have no listening value to you, get rid of them or sell them or whatever. When do you get rid of the ones you do listen to? Are you planning to be dead next week or next year or in 20 years. Tough call.

-? ? ? (©fini)

about collecting. I stand corrected. I changed it to "find". I know what you mean. Collecting per say is another type of obsession.

I'm no authority - - but for me, collecting involves obsession to possess, for its own sake, well beyond the utility of an item. If I am going to add more items to my stash, I want high utility and low obsession factor. I have a couple times fallen into collecting, and I simply don't like the vibe of it. Can a guy listen to a million records? I dunno, probably not though. I've seen guys with 20 or 30 old receivers piled up - unconnected. Seems like an obsession to me. I'll get this record and play the grooves off it. When it's bitten the radish, I'll toss it out. I am ruthless about weeding out things. Keeps me light on my feet!

I so agree. My collecting days are over. If I won't play it, I'm going to sell it. When you get to a certain age, you start thinking about what happens to your "stuff" if something hapens to you. I don't want my wife or kids dealing with a million records that are way more valuable than they know. The gear is bad enough!

"Maybe, defn: if a person pays more than $16.95 for an album, she is a collector."

I certainly hope not! I've paid way more for most of mine but I PLAY them. That's the difference. Maybe, defn:

If a person buys records, pays more than $16.95 for each but doesn't play them, she is a collector.

[garymd]

I currently own about 2,000 records that I have no plans to sell. I also own another 1,000 or so that were either "mistakes" or records I thought I could grow to like or that I just couldn't pass up because they were in such great condition. My "collection" keeps growing because albums that I love are being reissued and sound much better than the originals in many cases. I just don't think my tastes will change to the point where I will begin enjoying an album I hated 20 years ago. 99 times out of 100, I'll probably still hate that record! As an audio geek, my goal is to own the best possible pressing of the albums I really enjoy. These BNs are a perfect example. As these new pressings arrive, I will compare to my originals and keep what sounds best to my ears.

I hope to live another 30 to 40 years. Still, a tough call.

[Clipped and Shorn]

Thank goodness for eBay and even Amazon for saving us from not having to be at the mercy of the old record shop or used book shop where the guy offers you $15 for a box of albums and turns around and sells them for their true value. I figure I can unload stuff when I need to, as I have in the past and even recently, and meanwhile many things while still on the shelf here are a good store of value. A lot of thrift store classical, which I sometime enjoy, will go back there or to a local library sale, thus supporting a good cause. The things of real valule I will hopefully unload in the future when I, or my proxy, can still get to the post office. Last time I sold stuff on eBay I came to realize that having an eBay store is the way to go because you can leave something there with a BIN price, waiting for the person who really wants it. This same approach of eBay store or regular auction goes for books, and the amps and speakers, when the time comes. Meanwhile a person can also consider bequeathing the things if you can think of a good home for them.

I think the only "collectors" who accumlate for no good reason other than "possession for its own sake" are magpies and crows, the rest of humans other than the truly insane accumulate for "reasons" and most likely can unload the same stuff to others who will in the future also relate to those "reasons" and place value on it. In fact some people collect things not for any reason other than simply to resell hopefully for a profit. Its just business, but it resembles "collecting" in some respects.

I like to think the only thing I really collect is interest and equity, one way or another, meanwhile I enjoy my library and archives and quality listening equipment, and plan to liquidate a few minutes before I kick the bucket. I too tend to upgrade favorite recordings and can always sell or trade the lesser pressings and often do, but mostly I sell things that I cannot relate to anymore or can be better replaced by new quality reissues, eg. sell Bobby Paunetto on Mardi Gras for $1000+ to some Japanese "collector" who HAS to have an original pressing, and replace it with a perfectly good reissue (vinyl or CD) which sounds every bit as good or better than that used original for only <$12.00. The original vinyl sold for $7 if one was on the Casalegre mailing list, or if you lived in NY at the time which I did not.

Maybe that is a good definition of a collector, eg. one who must have an original pressing regardless of actual sound quality. Other than that the sickness is simply being an audiophile type and not a "collector", eg. when there might actually be some ("good") sonic reason, however subtle, to have the original pressing at 10,000% more cost, or at least the best possible pressing, like you say. I know how that is, especially when it is a recording that is musically very important to you. So many reissues have been crap. Good that they are making good ones now. I am perfectly happy with the reasonably priced CD of "Presenting Jackie Mclean" nice quality Japanese production of that early if not first recording by him. I have plenty other original Jackie on vinyl, don't have to have everything on vinyl, especially if I missed latching onto something in its day for normal prices which is the case for that particular record, and thank goodness I did do plenty of that, obtaining and finding records since mid 50s and dragging them around with me ever since. Too me, cool is happening to have acquired some of those now 3 and 4 figure LPs in the old days when they were mostly under $10.... It has never been about collecting for me, just wanted the music (however I am tickled by this default appreciation in value, nothing wrong with that). I have never paid anywhere near even a 3 figure price for any LP ever.(closest I came was grabbing a NM 10" Savoy of Mambo Hambro. important to my specialty area of expertise, and pretty difficult to obtain and not available in any other form and very unlikely to ever be reissued, similar but not even as obscure as the 10" LP of "Concerto in Percussion" on SMC which is arguably the very first Latin Jazz masterpiece. Its nice to seek out things obscure enough to NOT have ridiculous "collector" prices, but even way more scarce and often more historically/or musically important, mostly because hardly anyone knows about them..........yet.

-? ? ? (©fini)

[joshnich]

I do not have 2000 records but I have a few. Gary is spot on. Its kind of like a closet. If you havent worn something for a year it is doubful you are ever going to wear it again. Kind of tru with music as well. I have taken to putting a box near my record shelves and as I peruse looking for the next disk to spin and come accross something that I havent listened to in years i toss it in the box. No ebay for me to much of a pain. i take them to rasputins records and get credit for records that I may listen to!

Josh

[Mike Lindsey]

I will have to check out the Marty Paich Big Band lp... Mark, can you provide a link for the lp.

I have had a chance to listen to both of the latest BN releases, and wanted to hear them both one more time this weekend before commenting. On first listen, though, I was digging what I was hearing.

Mike

[garymd]

My sealed copy arrived today- - - sounds beautiful. There is just a potload of recording finesse here to make this music just float out of the speakers

I like the way you worded that Mark. Music floating out of the speakers is a great way to put it. I'm glad you like the record. Like I said, I think it's one of the best Analogue Production LPs out there.

There's a ton of nice Art Pepper recordings out there and many are really inexpensive. Almost all of the late 70s/early 80s Galaxy recordings can be had for a song (under $10) and the 70s Contemporary reissues of his early stuff like Gettin' Together are great. Also, Analogue Productions released a bunch of his albums on 33 1/3 and all sound amazing. I don't have to mention the Atlas recordings again but I will (the 2 with Sonny Stitt are fantastic) or Richie Cole's, Return To Alto Acres (bought a sealed copy for $7 recently on ebay).

Mike - I'm eager to hear your review, and anyone else's, of the latest 45s.

[rplace]

So nobody stepping up to the plate on the two new releases yet? Well I gave the Kenny Drew Undercurrent a spin yesterday.

My first impression was not quite the Oh My Gosh WOW as the other two. Perhaps I am getting used to them. The two horns in the first track were very very far let and right while the piano seemed muffled. Each solo seemed very forward almost too much so while the rest of the music seemed to be lost. Then near the end of the track it really started to cook and drew me in some more. I must give that one another chance. Then the second track simply blew me away. It was stellar. Great tune, great mix each instrument in its place I could not get enough. It really sounded nice...perhaps the best track of the lot so far. Side 3 and 4 were somewhat in between. Very, very nice but did not blow me away like the first two complete LPs did. I did not get a chance to give LD +3 a spin, but it did get cleaned so hopefully tonight.

Anyone else drop a needle on them yet? Thoughts?