MPS - George Shearing / Monty Alexander / Eugen Cicero / Art Van Damme

[king ubu]

Searching around the jazzecho.de site I found these two new MPS/Universal box-sets - I've got no further infos, but at lest the Shearing looks somewhat interesting (but then I ought to get the Van Damme and Cicero first... the only of these I have is the Doldinger, which is very good!)

George Shearing, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Stewart - The MPS Trio Sessions (CD)

2007 MPS-Records | CD 060251745068

CD 1

[1.] Tricotism 2:51

[2.] Windows 4:22

[3.] No Moon At All 5:19

[4.] Some Other Spring 2:47

[5.] Wait Till You See Her 4:10

[6.] Tune Up 3:34

[7.] The Party's Over 5:20

[8.] The Lamp Is Low 3:41

[9.] Lazy Afternoon 5:30

[10.] Cowboy Samba 4:51

[11.] Cheryl 2:51

[12.] 500 Miles High 4:48

[13.] I Wished On The Moon 5:30

[14.] Old Folks 4:34

CD 2

[1.] Jordu 5:14

[2.] P.S. I Love You 7:34

[3.] Everything Happens To Me 3:54

[4.] Here's That Rainy Day 5:40

[5.] Invitation 3:03

[6.] In Your Own Sweet Way 6:12

[7.] Alice In Wonderland 6:15

[8.] All This And Heaven Too 7:04

[9.] No Greater Love 5:16

[10.] Con Alma 5:57

CD 3

[1.] The Fourth Deuce 5:33

[2.] The Wine Of May 4:37

[3.] Don't Get Around Much Anymore 6:18

[4.] Consternation 5:12

[5.] Sweet And Lovely 7:06

[6.] My Little Anna 3:47

[7.] Sweet Lorraine 3:59

[8.] Lois Ann 2:57

[9.] G & G 5:51

[10.] Poinciana 3:18

[11.] This Can't Be Love 6:27

CD 4

[1.] Fjärlins Vingor 5:00

[2.] Last Night When We Were Young 4:48

[3.] Amaryllis 3:46

[4.] Strange Enchantement 5:08

[5.] Look At That Face 4:11

[6.] Portrait Of Jennie 5:20

[7.] Song Bird 5:28

[8.] This Is All I Ask 5:42

[9.] A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square 4:55

Monty Alexander - Alexander The Great! - Monty Swings On MPS (CD)

2007 MPS-Records | CD 060251745062

CD 1

[1.] Montevideo 4:23

[2.] Where Is Love 5:03

[3.] Here Comes The Sun 4:52

[4.] Love Walked In 6:19

[5.] Brown Skin Girl 4:37

[6.] This Dream Of Mine 4:05

[7.] So What 10:26

[8.] It Could Happen To You 13:21

[9.] Theme From Summer Of '42 4:28

[10.] Monticello 3:53

CD 2

[1.] We've Only Just Begun 5:51

[2.] I've Never Been In Love Before 7:24

[3.] Theme From Love Story 6:19

[4.] Concerto D'Aranjuez 7:17

[5.] Ben 6:47

[6.] Battle Hymn Of The Republic 5:00

[7.] Carnival In Jamaica 5:29

[8.] For All We Know 7:00

[9.] Rude Old Man 3:30

[10.] Theme From Shaft 8:20

[11.] Theme From Shaft 8:20

CD 3

[1.] S.K.J. 7:17

[2.] Theme From Summer Of '42 6:51

[3.] Now Is The Time 4:50

[4.] You Are The Sunshine Of My Life 8:21

[5.] Feel Like Making Love 7:01

[6.] On A Clear Day You Can See Forever 6:52

[7.] Green Dolphin Street 7:46

[8.] Emily 7:55

[9.] Alypso 3:47

[10.] The Entertainer 8:34

CD 4

[1.] Chameleon 7:01

[2.] Sweet Lady 6:44

[3.] People Make The World Go Round 11:23

[4.] What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life 6:35

[5.] Bluesology 4:49

[6.] Soft Winds 4:19

[7.] Come Sunday 8:28

[8.] That's The Way It Is 5:09

[9.] Bossa Nova Do Marilla 5:19

[10.] You're My Everything 5:53

[11.] Estate 6:39

[12.] Got To Go 4:35

edited to have the other mentioned boxes in the title, too (2008-03-23)

Edited March 23, 2008 by king ubu

[king ubu]

and for a change an interesting new single disc is out in the cheapo series from German Unversal, Clark Terry's "Clark After Dark - The Ballad Album":

2007 MPS-Records | CD 060251744144

[1.] Misty 5:31

[2.] Nature Boy 4:24

[3.] Georgia On My Mind 5:23

[4.] November Song 5:06

[5.] Clark After Dark 6:14

[6.] Willow Weep For Me 5:48

[7.] Yesterdays 4:25

[8.] Emily 4:29

[9.] Angel Eyes 5:32

[10.] Girl Talk 5:05

Too bad they stopped their great MPS series of a couple of years ago only to replace that with these cheapo "Jazz Club" albums (most of those are just compilations, mostly falling under "stoopid music", rather than "jazz"... a notable exceptions is Dizzy Gillespie's 1968 Berlin concert album, as well as the Bond album by Ingfried Hoffmann, the hammond organ player of the Doldinger quartet - two fine albums!)

[king ubu]

just for the sake of completeness, here's the info on the other boxes done by Universal Germany in recent years:

Klaus Doldinger - Early Doldinger - The Complete Philips Sessions (CD)

2006 Boutique | CD 060249877999

CD 1

[1.] Bluesy Toosy 4:49

[2.] Be-bop 4:13

[3.] Delilah 5:08

[4.] Well You Needn't 5:40

[5.] Blues For George 6:48

[6.] Solar 4:12

[7.] Stars Fell On Alabama 4:40

[8.] Signal 3:45

[9.] I Didn't Know What Time It Was 3:12

[10.] Woody'n You 5:27

[11.] Recado Bossa Nova 2:43

[12.] Copacabana 2:05

[13.] Chega De Saudade 4:49

CD 2

[1.] Waltz Of The Jive Cats 8:09

[2.] Blue Note Samba 5:39

[3.] Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 5:40

[4.] Groovin' In Berlin 3:44

[5.] Minor Kick 4:27

[6.] Careless Love 8:54

[7.] Ack, Värmeland du sköna 2:15

[8.] Two Getting Together 7:27

[9.] Fiesta 4:48

[10.] Viva Brasilia 3:35

[11.] Insensatez 4:18

[12.] Subo 3:14

[13.] Malaguena 4:01

CD 3

[1.] Negra Sin Sandalia 5:00

[2.] Recado 3:22

[3.] Argentinia 3:45

[4.] Guachi Guaro 4:43

[5.] Praeludium Nr. 3 3:22

[6.] Shakin The Blues 4:57

[7.] Quartenwalzer 4:55

[8.] That Bluesy Sound 5:34

[9.] Tears 4:52

[10.] Five For You 5:51

[11.] Run Baby Run 4:23

[12.] Watch It 4:50

[13.] Just A Little Bit Of Soul 4:16

CD 4

[1.] The Surrey With The Fringe On Top 6:42

[2.] What's New? 3:59

[3.] Midnight Session 3:34

[4.] For Two Only 5:24

[5.] Sweetie's Bounce 5:50

[6.] Joe's Blues 3:39

[7.] Like Someone In Love 15:15

[8.] The Night Time 2:46

[9.] Pavana 'The Earl of Salisbury' 4:16

[10.] Ciacona in F minor 5:24

[11.] Waltz Of The Jive Cats 3:11

[12.] Quartenwalzer 9:26

Art van Damme - Art van Damme - Swinging The Accordion On MPS (CD)

CD 1

[1.] That Old Black Magic 2:10

[2.] Parla Nova 2:54

[3.] Runnin' Wild 2:27

[4.] Here's That Rainy Day 3:41

[5.] Tonga 3:01

[6.] Robbins Nest 4:40

[7.] Topsy 2:38

[8.] Amoureux 3:09

[9.] Tangerine 3:51

[10.] Soon It's Gonna Rain 2:16

[11.] Ode To Cleavage Or The Camel 4:00

[12.] Playing Around With The Blues 2:15

[13.] Satin Doll 3:07

[14.] Autumn In New York 2:51

[15.] Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair 2:16

[16.] Blue Light And Shadows 2:44

[17.] Love Walked In 2:52

[18.] It Could Happen To You 3:32

[19.] Ecstasy 2:36

[20.] Swanee 2:22

[21.] Since I Fell For You 4:21

[22.] Easy Swing 2:25

[23.] Nancy (With The Laughing Face) 4:03

CD 2

[1.] Cute 2:47

[2.] One Morning In May 2:53

[3.] Gentle Art Of Love 3:43

[4.] Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 2:54

[5.] I Wished On The Moon 2:25

[6.] I Concentrate On You 2:21

[7.] Chicago 2:50

[8.] Moxi 3:29

[9.] Just In Time 2:19

[10.] It's Over 2:50

[11.] Speak Low 3:01

[12.] I Cover The Waterfront 3:15

[13.] Cherokee 3:39

[14.] Love For Sale 2:32

[15.] You Don't Know What Love Is 3:11

[16.] I Get A Kick Out Of You 2:34

[17.] Happy Moments 2:13

[18.] After You've Gone 2:57

[19.] Summerwind 2:54

[20.] My Romance 2:26

[21.] Lullaby In Rhythm 2:37

[22.] At Last 3:36

[23.] Andy 3:16

[24.] Darktown Strutter's Ball 2:18

CD 3

[1.] I Got Rhythm 3:11

[2.] Give Me The Simple Life 2:40

[3.] All The Things You Are 3:34

[4.] Pandora 2:13

[5.] Love Me Or Leave Me 2:36

[6.] Pennies From Heaven 3:32

[7.] Don't Get Around Much Anymore 3:07

[8.] Lover Man 3:26

[9.] If I Had You 2:12

[10.] Avalon 2:20

[11.] Day In Day Out 2:53

[12.] For Sale 2:32

[13.] The Way You Look Tonight 2:41

[14.] Yellow Days 3:59

[15.] The Lonesome Road 3:09

[16.] Wave 2:51

[17.] I'm Beginning To See The Light 2:46

[18.] Sweet Georgia Brown 2:37

[19.] Undecided 1:57

[20.] Doree's Tune 2:13

[21.] Bernie's Tune 3:19

[22.] Watch What Happens 2:19

[23.] Stars Fell On Alabama 3:29

[24.] 'S Wonderful 2:43

CD 4

[1.] Easy To Love 2:06

[2.] Shiny Stockings 2:53

[3.] Lush Life 3:11

[4.] Sunny 2:52

[5.] Love Is Here To Stay 2:16

[6.] Snowfall 3:26

[7.] Four Brothers 2:38

[8.] O Barquinho 3:12

[9.] On A Wonderful Day Like Today 2:41

[10.] Love Is Blue 2:38

[11.] What The World Needs Now 1:38

[12.] Poor Butterfly 2:48

[13.] Cheers 2:55

[14.] Deep Night 3:17

[15.] Hot Action 2:48

[16.] Viniette 3:32

[17.] Patou 2:37

[18.] I Only Have Eyes For You 3:06

[19.] Pick Yourself Up 2:08

[20.] Paco 2:35

[21.] Your Turn 3:00

[22.] How Will I Forget 4:28

[23.] A Foggy Day 3:00

[24.] The Best Thing For You 3:02

CD 5

[1.] Turnabout 2:19

[2.] Sunday Kind Of Love 2:05

[3.] I Want To Be Happy 2:13

[4.] Tenderly 3:19

[5.] Gone With The Wind 3:24

[6.] Everything I've Got 2:21

[7.] Let Yourself Down 2:00

[8.] On Green Dolphin Street 3:41

[9.] I Saw Stars 2:19

[10.] Small World 2:14

[11.] It's Easy To Remember 3:04

[12.] The Man I Love 2:09

[13.] Blue Lou 2:35

[14.] It's A Blue World 3:09

[15.] My Kind A Love 2:29

[16.] Laura 3:37

[17.] Too Close For Comfort 2:28

[18.] When Your Lover Has Gone 3:12

[19.] The Song Is You 2:17

[20.] The Things We Did Last Summer 3:37

[21.] Cheek To Cheek 2:40

[22.] On The Alamo 3:41

[23.] Jim 3:10

[24.] Diane 2:59

thread about this here:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=30594

Eugen Cicero - Swinging The Classics On MPS (CD)

2006 MPS-Records | CD 002894762788

CD 1

[1.] Solfeggio in C minor 5:39

[2.] Sonata in C 3:55

[3.] L'adolescente 5:25

[4.] Bach's Softly Sunrise 6:13

[5.] Fantasia in D minor (Andante, Adagio, Allegretto) 5:23

[6.] Erbarme dich, mein Gott (from the St Matthew Passion) 5:54

[7.] Grande Valse brillante in E flat, Op. 18 4:12

[8.] Prélude in A, Op. 28, No. 7 8:29

[9.] Valse in C sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 5:40

[10.] Prélude in C minor, Op. 28, No. 20 3:33

[11.] Etude in E, Op.10, No.3 5:38

[12.] Prélude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4 7:10

CD 2

[1.] Introduction from Swan Lake, Act I, Op. 20 6:28

[2.] Più mosso from Swan Lake, Act II, Op. 20 4:39

[3.] Andante and Theme from Swan Lake, Act II, Op. 20 7:36

[4.] Ouverture Miniature from The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a 5:08

[5.] Mélodie antique française 8:02

[6.] Chanson napolitaine 5:35

[7.] Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 8:03

[8.] Etude No. 2 in E flat 5:57

[9.] Etude in G sharp minor (La Campanella) 2:50

[10.] Liebestraum 5:11

[11.] Etude in A minor (La Chasse) 4:57

[12.] Consolations No. 1 4:45

[13.] Sogni d'amore 3:50

CD 3

[1.] Dir gehört mein ganzes Leben 4:47

[2.] Seltener Weizen, seltene Gerste, seltenes Korn 4:50

[3.] Memories Of Clausenburg 4:10

[4.] Süßer Klang ertönt 4:36

[5.] Nur ein Mädel gibt es auf der Welt 4:16

[6.] Dort in der Ferne 4:16

[7.] Im Mondenschein 4:54

[8.] Der Schlitten eilt 4:38

[9.] Und Bach? (after Prélude in C minor) 4:01

[10.] Rumänische Volksweisen 4:59

[11.] Rumänisches Volkslied 3:53

then there's this box by Friedrich Gulda, no clue what it actually contains - well, it's stated in the track listings, but I have no clue if that's in some way jazz-related or not...

Friedrich Gulda, Friedrich Gulda - Midlife Harvest (CD)

CD 1

Sieben Galgenlieder nach Texten von Christian Morgenstern

Original Version

[1.] Vorspiel 3:10

[2.] Galgenberg 1:37

[3.] Bundeslied der Galgenbrüder 2:12

[4.] Der Hecht 2:27

[5.] Der Seufzer 2:00

[6.] Mondendinge 2:40

[7.] Der Zwölf-Elf 3:54

[8.] Galgenbruders Frühlingslied 1:14

[9.] Nachspiel 1:49

Concertino For Players And Singers

Original Version

[10.] 1. Movement 7:09

[11.] 2. Movement 7:14

[12.] 3. Movement (Finale For Ludwig) 5:23

[13.] Little Suite 17:10

Piano Concerto No. 1

Original Version

[14.] 1. Movement 8:15

[15.] 2. And 3. Movement 13:00

CD 2

Sieben Golowin-Lieder

Original Version

[1.] Wann i geh 11:07

[2.] Du und i 3:36

[3.] Wenn du mi einmal loswerd'n willst 3:03

[4.] Auf Visit' 4:13

[5.] Die schöne Musi 9:12

[6.] Selbstgespräch im Kasgraben 6:39

[7.] Andrerseits 4:28

Play Piano Play

Original Version

[8.] 1. Part 1:54

[9.] 2. Part 3:35

[10.] 3. Part 4:02

[11.] 4. Part 4:01

[12.] 5. Part 2:29

[13.] 6. Part 1:48

[14.] 7. Part 4:37

[15.] 8. Part 3:31

[16.] 9. Part 1:54

[17.] 10. Part 3:04

CD 3

[1.] Variationen über "Light My Fire" 13:11

[2.] Variations 12:18

Piano Concerto No. 2

Original Version

[3.] 1. Movement 13:08

[4.] 2. And 3. Movement 16:22

Music For Four Soloists And Band

Original Version

[5.] 1. Movement 9:40

[6.] 2. Movement 8:26

[7.] 3. Movement 6:46

CD 4

[1.] Fantasy For Four Soloists And Band 18:03

Suite For Piano, E-Piano And Drums

Original Version

[2.] Ouvertüre 4:03

[3.] Bossa Nova 4:30

[4.] Aria 4:35

[5.] Finale 3:46

[6.] Prelude And Fugue 4:05

Sonatine

Original Version

[7.] 1. Movement - Entrée 5:30

[8.] 2. Movement - Ballad 6:38

[9.] 3. Movement - Shuffle 4:16

[10.] Variations For Two Pianos And Band 17:28

CD 5

[1.] Blues Fantasy 10:27

[2.] Meditation (nach einem Motiv von Fritz Pauer) 11:55

[3.] Duo 19:09

[4.] Poem für Friedrich Gulda 9:42

[5.] Anima in Heidelberg 1972 11:10

[Daniel A]

then there's this box by Friedrich Gulda, no clue what it actually contains - well, it's stated in the track listings, but I have no clue if that's in some way jazz-related or not...

I've heard some of it, I found sound clips online once but I'm not there any available now. It's appears to be mostly jazz in semi-symfonic settings; big band or larger ensembles, choirs etc. There are improvised solos, but the works have very "composed" settings and occasionally seem a bit stiff.

[king ubu]

then there's this box by Friedrich Gulda, no clue what it actually contains - well, it's stated in the track listings, but I have no clue if that's in some way jazz-related or not...

I've heard some of it, I found sound clips online once but I'm not there any available now. It's appears to be mostly jazz in semi-symfonic settings; big band or larger ensembles, choirs etc. There are improvised solos, but the works have very "composed" settings and occasionally seem a bit stiff.

Ah, I see... I wasn't interested really in that one, now I'm even less interested... the only Gulda I have is that early album with Idrees Sulieman, Jimmy Cleveland, Phil Woods and others, "Gulda at Birdland", from 1956, and even that I got for the band, not for Gulda himself... and I found it in a sale, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it at all...

[randyhersom]

How about a Cecil Taylor box, MPS??

[Chuck Nessa]

The following Gulda is a big band and the soloists are J J, Freddie Hubbard, Sahib Shihab and the composer.

Music For Four Soloists And Band

Original Version

[5.] 1. Movement 9:40

[6.] 2. Movement 8:26

[7.] 3. Movement 6:46

Others in the band include Kenny Wheeler, Herb Geller, Rolf Kuhn, Tubby Hayes, Ron Carter and Mel Lewis.

The original lp has two more tracks - Minuet (6:50) and Prelude and Fugue (4:15).

[Daniel A]

Chuck's post rang a bell, and a search came up with this:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...st&p=314510

Actually I've got two of the Saba/MPS albums in the set. The "Music for 4 soloists & band" album has some good solos from Hubbard, Shihab et al. No idea why two tracks are omitted from the box. The other album I've got is "As You Like It". Haven't listened to it in years, presumably for a reason.

Edited November 6, 2007 by Daniel A

[mikeweil]

No idea why two tracks are omitted from the box.

Especially since there is still some playing capacity left on all those discs ... I'm beginning to hate reissue compilers.

[king ubu]

Yeah, that sucks! Even more so as this particular album looks like one of the most interesting items included in the box!

As for CT: it was clear even with the much better earlier (digipack, around 2003) MPS reissues, that besides some of the fairly adventurous Hans Koller albums, none of the more "out" stuff on MPS would be reissued. Now that Universal Germany has taken full command, it's a pretty sorry thing, with the occasional album (such as the Clark Terry mentioned in my first post above) being the only thing they do more or less right, at all - besides the prestigious boxes, that is. (I doubt that they earn any money with those boxes either, wouldn't hold my breath for more of them to appear!)

[brownie]

How about a Cecil Taylor box, MPS??

Not a bad idea, although I doubt it will ever happen (Ubu's post just before this one is unfortunately too true).

If miracle happens and MPS does one, hope they will include the Gulda/CT collaboration 'Nachricht Vom Lande' that came out on the Brain label!

[Bluerein]

The Alexander and Shearing boxes are being pushed forward again and again (release date that is).....

[king ubu]

There's a new article up from yesterday on the Monty (and the Shearing) box on jazzecho.de. I guess that means it won't be too long until they'll be out. It also mentions a new reissue of "Montreux Alexander", I didn't check if that's part of the box, though.

http://www.jazzecho.de/mps_piano_power_131043.jsp

[king ubu]

Here's the "Montreux Alexander":

The Monty Alexander Trio - Montreux Alexander - 30th Anniversary Edition (CD)

2007 MPS-Records | CD 060251745061

[1.] Night Mist Blues 10:11

[2.] Feelings 5:37

[3.] Satin Doll 8:21

[4.] Work Song 13:35

[5.] I'll Drown In My Own Tears 4:01

[6.] Battle Hymn Of The Republic 5:02

[7.] Montevideo 7:21

[8.] You Make Me Feel Brand New 10:54

[9.] That's The Way It Is 3:15

[Bluerein]

The Montreux set is not in the box and has 3 extra tracks not on earlier reissues (not even in Japan).

[neveronfriday]

I ordered these although I have part of the Shearing/Pedersen set on a previous MPS release entitled "Three Originals".

[king ubu]

As I reported elsewhere, I was lucky and found the Eugen Cicero box in a used music store for less than the prize of one nice-price CD!

Just finished playing the first disc, which contains the Rokoko and Chopin albums, both with Charly Antolini drumming very tastefully (he was who spotted Ciceu, as was his real name, first). Quite a surprise, how good this is! I didn't expect much and would have never bought it for full prize... which would have been a mistake, I assume. The music is earthy as often as it's airy and light - as Berendt in one of his liners points out, Cicero took clues regarding block chord style from Milt Buckner and Oscar Dennard, rather than from George Shearing.

If the remaining two CDs are just as good, this will be a highly enjoyable set!

[king ubu]

related thread with more MPS Universal box sets:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=42958