Yusef Lateef - Live In London (Harkit)

[l p]

anyone know the decade of this recording?

[brownie]

Seems that all Harkit releases from Ronnie Scott Club's appearances were taped during the mid sixties. The Harkit site mentions the Yusef Lateef CD but does not give details or samples yet:

http://www.harkitrecords.com/

[l p]

http://www.jazzprofessional.com/Main/Les%20Tomkins.htm

>>>In 1963, a conversation with Ronnie Scott led to Les taking his original tape recorder, a Ferrograph Mark 2, into Ronnie's club for three years and making recordings of the American jazz greats who were performing live in London for the first time...>>>

if this is correct, then it was a big mistake for him not to record well into the 70's (unless he died or something).

[JSngry]

Maybe he got magnetized.

[l p]

more likely he didn't think ahead.

[jazzbo]

From his biographic information looks like he got too busy.

[JohnS]

I saw Yusef at Ronnie Scott's. It was notable for a late start and real difficulties getting home. Can't recall the date but if was recorded at during the same season in was mid-sixties.

[l p]

From his biographic information looks like he got too busy.

what could be more important. his little magazine articles?

[jazzbo]

Looked to me as if he became editor. Seems that could mean longer hours and could also have put him in a position where he didn't feel safe doing recording. I don't know. Sometimes a person makes decisions on what is important to their world that may be different than what we might choose. Then again, I might choose the articles too . . . hard to say.

[l p]

Then again, I might choose the articles too . . . hard to say.

seems like an easy decision the other way for me.

[l p]

i'm just saying that IF there was nothing stopping him from continuing to record past the 64-66 period, then it would have been nice to have later recordings. there are some 1970's audience recordings from ronnie scott's, so that will have to do.

[jazzbo]

I'll agree it would have been nice! But apparently it was not easy for him to just continue taping, and he did choose the writing to the recording (something I might do NOW and might not have done twenty years ago!) Also, it's possible that he had received some flak/pressure for recording, that Scott may have removed his approval, I don't think we have enough information.

I'd love to hear a lot more recordings from the sixties from Scott's though!

[sidewinder]

Maybe the change of location of 'Ronnies' from the 'Old Place' to bigger premises in Frith Street around this timeframe may have had something to do with the stoppage in recording?

[sidewinder]

[jazzbo]

Good information Sidewinder, could well have been a or the factor.

[sidewinder]

I've just checked my copy of the biography of Ronnie Scott (written by Scott's daughter) which states that Lateef was actually the first artist to appear at the new (Frith St) club starting Friday 17 Dec 1965. Ernestine Anderson was the other half of the bill. Quote:-

'There were no electric lights on the tables, only candles, and there was no front door. The first drink was on the house and the punters poured into the club whilst the staff tried to make sense out of the chaos.'

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were also in the audience apparently and in hysterics as they surveyed the fiasco... B)

I wonder how Tompkins managed to record things (using his own portable generator perhaps? ). Presumably by the following week things were sorted out...

So it looks as if the move to Frith St was not the deciding factor. What did happen around 1966/67 though was a marked increase in 'name' US bands featured at the club, a higher profile and the first visit of big bands such as Buddy Rich's (who recorded there in the early 70s for RCA). Commercial pressures therefore might have been a factor.

Edited July 25, 2004 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

In the move to Frith St the Harold Davison Agency (who were partner to Scott and Pete King in running the club) injected significant capital in order to secure the lease. The influence of this agency and their raised profile may also be a factor.

[JSngry]

Maybe some/lots of the artists expressed their wishes not to be recorded, at least without some form of compensation?

Speaking of which, thee Harkit discs all go to great pains to mention that the tapes have been fully authorized (or some such) and leased by the original owner, but they don't say a word about whether or not the artists themselves have granted permission, much less if are being compensated.

If Sonny Rollins has actually authorized his release, that would mean that he's finally mellowing about old stuff of his coming out. If that's the case, and I seriously doubt that it is, somebody needs to get into the RCA vaults ASAP and get all that Village Gate stuff a-goin'!

[l p]

somebody needs to get into the RCA vaults ASAP and get all that Village Gate stuff

if you're referring to the 1962 village gate sessions,

someone already has. and as i say that that music is some lame shit, i should add that i dislike rollins' music, and his playing.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Well, then your opinion of said Rollins recordings is hardly worth mentioning and certainly not worth listening to.

Mike

[l p]

Well, then your opinion of said Rollins recordings is hardly worth mentioning and certainly not worth listening to.

Mike

my opinion counts as much as yours. and in my opinion, it counts more than yours.

[l p]

on those recordings, rollins is out of his element with the music that he's trying to play (avant garde, evidently). as a sax player he's a lightweight anyway.

everytime i'd complain about a rollins that i'd heard, people would say the same thing: that you have to catch him in his good years. well, i've heard things from at least 10 random years. when do the good ones come up?

[Gary]

on those recordings, rollins is out of his element with the music that he's trying to play (avant garde, evidently). as a sax player he's a lightweight anyway.

everytime i'd complain about a rollins that i'd heard, people would say the same thing: that you have to catch him in his good years. well, i've heard things from at least 10 random years. when do the good ones come up?

try this

[Gary]

or this

[Gary]

& this