Stereojack

I can't speak for other Monk compositions, but Brilliant Corners was definitely spliced together. Apparently the musicians were introduced to the tune at the recording session, and just couldn't make one flawless take.

Oh man, what a terrible day. NHOP and now Stan Levey. Just last week I was listening to "This Time the Drum's On Me" in the car and marvelling at Stan's beautiful playing!

Actually both are correct. Newborn's name was actually Phinus, pronounced FINE-us, but kids in high school used to taunt him and call him "fine-ass", so he changed it to the more conventional Phineas, even though his friends still called him Phinus. I heard this from his brother, Calvin Newborn.

Another Robison tune I like a lot is "'Round My Old Deserted Farm". Teagarden's version was the first I heard, but my favorite version is by Mildred Bailey, who also did a pretty nice version of "Old Folks".

Theo-lonious Monk Winston Marsalis Lawrence Marablay

I guess I ought to mention that most of the Charlie Parker & Lester Young stuff that was issued on this label has been issued elsewhere, so there is nothing to get excited about there. However, there were some good records by Cecil Payne, Mundell Lowe, Yusef Lateef, Duke Jordan, and a few others that are worth having. It's funny - this label started out as a deluxe label with laminated gatefold covers, and ended up a cheapie budget label by the 70's.

I share everybody's enthusiasm about this set. It doesn't get any better. These have been admired as audiophile quality recordings since the LP era, when there were only four volumes. The albums were originally released on Contemporary, a label renowned for great sound quality. It is to Fantasy's credit (and to remastering engineer Phil DeLancie) that the CD's came out so good. I do have a few quibbles with the programming choices for the CD bonus tracks. Each of the four original volumes contains an alternate version of a tune on the set. It seems to me that they could have put these tracks on different volumes just for the sake of variety. Volume 5 was created for CD, and includes a tune "How Deep Are the Roots", creited to Horace Silver. I've been a Horace fan for forty years and have never heard of this tune. Does anybody know its origin?

Booker T was married to Priscilla Coolidge, sister of Rita. Made several LP's as "Booker T and Priscilla".

I was gonna name this one but Harold Z beat me to it! As an rhythm section, these guys are the best. Always economical, always in the groove.

This is true - I have seen a few. I believe that when Lion & Wolff sold the label, they may have turned over whatever label stock they had, and it was used up on the next releases. Liberty pressings with New York USA labels are rare, but they do exist. I have seen certain collectors refer to these as "originals", but I suspect that they were pressed concurrently with the more common Liberty pressings.

Me too. Have always loved this session and have preferred it to the more celebrated "Unity". Sam Rivers is just amazing on this, and everyone is really ON! Had to get the CD for the alternate take.

It was Red Prysock, a contributor to many King sessions. My favorites are Sam "The Man" Taylor and Plas Johnson, both of whom played on hundreds of records in all styles. Taylor's "Cloudburst", originally issued as by "Claude Cloud" on MGM is a classic. Sil Austin was another great honker - made several great LP's for Mercury (as did Prysock). If I have to pick an all time favorite R&B tenor solo, it'd have to be Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk", featuring Clifford Scott.

Another Wilder tune I like a lot is "Who Can I Turn To" (not the Anthony Newley song!). Tommy Dorsey recorded it with a Jo Stafford vocal in the early 1940's, and Booker Little did a nice version on his Time LP. Morgana King made a whole LP of Wilder songs called "The Winter of My Discontent", including It's So Peaceful in the Country, While We're Young, and Who Can I Turn To. I don't think he's at all overrated.

I picked up the three CD's when they came out, and was equally disappointed to find that some of the tracks were mono. I have all the albums on vinyl, and they are all stereo. Fantasy has been known to screw things up stereo-wise in the past, for whatever reason. I love these sessions. I guess because the records were produced by Richard Carpenter, he had them record a number of Tadd Dameron tunes. Maybe Carpenter owned a piece of the publishing? Although Carpenter's motives may have been monetary, the music is wonderful.

Great drummer - was never able to leave the west coast, because of parole restrictions, I believe. Made a great album as leader for Xanadu.

I wonder if you are thinking of Speigle Wilcox, who played with the California Ramblers and Jean Goldkette in the 1920's. He left music, but came back after retiring from the day gig in the 1970's. He was a regular fixture on the trad festival scene in those days. He was in the Goldkette band at the same time as Bix Beiderbecke, and appears in Brigitte Berman's film about Bix.

For the record, Trane did not leave during the tour. The tour with Stitt was in October, 7 months after the tour with Trane. Several concerts from these tours have been issued over the years, and they are all pretty amazing!

Just read through this entire thread - in the past I shared Allen's disdain, even though I love Desmond and Joe Morello, whom nobody has mentioned.... After having seen Brubeck on Jazz Casual and the Ken Burns & Martin Scorcese series, and having talked to musicians who knew Brubeck, I have genuine admiration for him as a man. He really is one of the good guys. I think he had the good taste and sense to lead one of the great jazz ensembles for nearly a decade, enjoying commercial success unparalleled in modern jazz. I always resented him for that, and found his playing to be laughable. Still, I keep coming back to the records with Desmond & Morello (especially the great Carnegie Hall album), and in recent years I've been gobbling up the late 60's albums with Mulligan. Good stuff! We can tolerate his piano playing to hear the other guys.

I was going to mention this as soon as I entered the thread. You beat me to it, Allen, but I'll second your enthusiasm. A great record!

Then you'l be hitting that next big wall (July for me) before I do!

I stand corrected. Dowd certainly was not the first. RCA made several experimental recordings in the early 1930's, the most famous of which are the Duke Ellington medleys recorded in 1932, formerly issued on Everybody's (LP) and Natasha (CD). The best sounding versions can currently be heard on the Ellington Centennial box. Film companies were making stereo recordings in the 1940's, and some of the music has been issued in stereo on CD. I'm thinking of a series that comes from MGM musicals with Fred Astaire & others. As far as a practical application to commercial recordings, Dowd is an important pioneer in the field.

While I take your point, I think all good music has value, whether it is high intensity or low key, and I get just as much satisfaction from the MJQ as I do from some of the more hard driving musicians. Yes, at a time in my life when I needed that intensity they didn't do it for me, but they certainly do now. Yeah, I know, I'm just an old geezer! jack

Tom Dowd at Atlantic was one of the first engineers to experiment with stereo. He was recording in stereo as early as 1955, although the company probably didn't release anything in stereo that early. Several companies were releasing stereo recordings on reel-to-reel tape starting around 1956. The first stereo LP's came out in 1957. Rudy Van Gelder first recorded in stereo in 1957. Since he was the engineer for just about everything on Blue Note, Prestige, & Savoy at the time, these labels began to release stereo LP's the following year. Many companies were experimenting with stereo early on, although the stereo masters stayed in the can for many years. A few instances I can think of: Nat King Cole - Love Is the Thing (rec. 1956) Miles Davis - Miles Ahead (1957) Recently I discovered a 1954 Cal Tjader date that is in stereo, but don't know the circumstances. jack

In my younger days I felt many of the sentiments expressed by others here: they don't swing, the music is too genteel, pretentious, etc. As I began to appreciate the individual talents of the players in other settings, I gradually came to appreciate the very special place that this band holds in the grand scheme of things. I would say that I am an ardent fan at this point. Personal favorites: Fontessa Blues at Carnegie Hall For Ellington (one of their last, absolutely brilliant) jack

The session was recorded June 21/22, 1967, right after "Jazz Gunn", which was issued on Atlantic. For whatever reason, Atlantic did not release this session at the time. Concord released it in 1976 - don't know if they acquired it from Atlantic or from Shelly himself. jack