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Stereojack

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Posts posted by Stereojack

  1. The thing I like about these Storyville sets is like the Tatum,Duke and Webster boxes...

    A) they are relatively inexpensive (circa 60-80$ or so).

    B) they tend to have a lot of live dates

    C) a lot of the material is European dates which often only show up here (US) as expensive imports.

    I don't like the packaging... but it's often a lot of good, OOP music that's hard to get for a great price...Given the lack of specifics on the Wilson I don't know how much of this will apply...

    All of the previous Storyville boxes, to my knowledge, were compilations of material previously issued on Storyville. I'm familar with most of the Wilson previous releases, and would not consider any of them to be essential. Since the death of (Storyville founder) Karl Emil Knudsen, the company seems content to repackage the catalog in this way.

  2. I think you've answered your own question. I'm not saying that Wilson ever played badly. It just seems that many of the later dates are perhaps a little low key for my tastes, compared to the brilliant playing he displayed in his younger days. Of course, this hasn't stopped my from acquiring most of them over the years. I was answering the original question as to whether this new set was worthwhile as an introduction to Wilson, and I think not.

    O.K., thanks for the confirmation. As I have not been able to find a track list during an initial search, I take it from what you say that the set has a fairly large share of later recordings?

    My comment was a general one about the probable value of this set, not a specific review. I think Chuck has expressed enthusiasm for some of the music that Storyville has issued in the past, and I have assumed that much of it will probably be on this set. That said, I am less than enthusiastic as to whether one who has no Wilson would find this to be a good introduction. A better introduction would be the Hep series that contained his complete 1930's sessions (as leader), the Benny Goodman small group set that RCA compiled a few years ago, or the aforementioned BG Quartet reunion date to represent his mature years. I have no doubt that a lot of fine music can be found on this set, but I question just how essential much of it is. If I gave the impression that I have specific knowledge of the contents of this set, that was not my intention. As a long time Wilson admirer, I was merely offering an opinion as to any set of this nature would be a good introduction. If you want to hold my feet to the fire for speaking out of turn, so be it.

  3. Just up!

    http://www.storyvillerecords.com/Default.aspx

    I've got no Wilson... What say you vets???? Is this likely to be a good one????? :unsure: :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:

    Wilson was great in the 30's & 40's - got a little sleepy in later years. This set appears to be a mixed bag.

    One of his finest later performances was with the Benny Goodman quartet reunion, recorded for RCA in 1963.

    In which respect do you consider this to be a mixed bag?

    I guess a lot of his prime leader dates of the 30s/early 40s have been reissued a zillion times (e.g. his big band on Tax and elsewhere, his small grups on various CBS twofers) but what exactly is there on this set that would be exceedingly hard to come by elsewhere among his earlier work (even for those who've been collecting for quite some time)?

    Or is it just there are too many of his later dates that you find "sleepy"? (I see what you mean, though - beyond a certain dose polishedness, politeness and gentlemanliness can be a bit too soothing).

    I think you've answered your own question. I'm not saying that Wilson ever played badly. It just seems that many of the later dates are perhaps a little low key for my tastes, compared to the brilliant playing he displayed in his younger days. Of course, this hasn't stopped my from acquiring most of them over the years. I was answering the original question as to whether this new set was worthwhile as an introduction to Wilson, and I think not.

  4. IMO, better yet would be a Mosaic of the sides with Lloyd and Szabo, as the Columbia's have never made it to CD and the Impulse's were butchered.

    This may be tough for Mosaic to pull together, as they would have to draw from at least four labels to gather it all:

    Drumfusion (Columbia)

    A Different Journey (Reprise)

    Passin' Thru (Impulse)

    Man From Two Worlds (Impulse)

    Transfusion (Studio West)

    I agree that these are all fine records, and would make an excellent set. The last one consists of short tracks recorded for the US Navy, and first issued in the 1990's. Perhaps not as essential as the others, but interesting. Lloyd is also on Chico's previous Columbia LP ("The Chico Hamilton Special"), but the format is closer to the old Hamilton group, with cello and no Szabo.

  5. As it happens I have that one too (bought by an aunt of mine on location during a trip to the USA in 1974 that happened to include a visit to a club where Max played - and, though not a jazz fan, she thoughtfully had it autographed by Max Kaminsky and a few of his band members). Will give it a listen later to see what it's all about.

    Bruyninckx' discogaphy isn't of any help as he lists the mjusicians from the back cover as the line-up (and a rec. date of c.1955) for the entire LP.

    Would be a bit surpised if copycat Lord listed anything substantially different.

    I've got the LP. It is quite clearly a Boris Rose production, probably from more than one broadcast. I suspect that Boris may have supplied these to Max to sell at his gigs. Mine is also autographed, dated 1979.

  6. look what i found!!!

    :excited:

    gibbs_pollard.jpg

    I just live this picture!! I wish i could find something with Gibbs and Pollard playing together!

    in the meantime i am spinning Terry Gibbs plays the Duke (1957)!

    :tophat:

    Check this out:

  7. I had the good fortune to interview Joe on the air back in the early 90's. I found him to be somewhat low-key, reasonably friendly but not effusive, and willing to answer in detail all of the questions I asked him about his career, his records, and his stints with Horace Silver and (briefly) Miles Davis. One thing I do remember is that he chain-smoked through the entire interview, and I was too chicken to remind him that smoking was not allowed in the studio! My one regret is that I did not tape the interview.

  8. I wonder if *anybody* is actually playing his instrument in that one?!? Roy does look like he's playing the drums, but it doesn't appear to match the soundtrack at all. But definitely great fun to watch!

    Typically, the music was prerecorded, and the musicians pantomimed to the track. This was standard procedure in those days, mostly to allow for multiple camera setups. It sounds like Roy on trumpet to me. Was the switching of instruments some kind of inside joke, maybe?

  9. I suspect that the deal with "No Room For Squares" is that the 3/7/63 date, as great as it is, did not contain a funky "juke box" track, so the decision was made to spread the session over two LP's, each of which contained material from other dates. Hence, NRFS contains 2 tracks from the 3/7/63 date, and four tracks recorded 10/2/63, including the funky "Me 'n You". The next album, "The Turnaround", contains two more tracks from 3/7/63, plus 4 tracks recorded 2/5/65, including the prerequisite funky track "The Turnaround". All of this was sorted out in the 80's, when the remaining tracks from these dates were issued on "Straight No Filter" and on CD versions of of all 3 albums, with each session contained in its entirety in one place for the first time.

  10. I have seen George blow the roof off the joint on more than one occasion. His mastery of chord changes has brought criticism from some corners, but he's got a unique style and it's sad that he seems to be losing it. Let's hope this is just temporary.

    That said, I just head James Moody's latest on IPO, and at 83 Moody still sounds fine. Perhaps a little more subdued than before, but still able to muster up a fair amount of heat.

  11. 1237500768_51hvc5gbchl.jpg

    Last time I badmouthed this record, an Oliver Nelson fan came forward and declared that this album has been "unfairly marginalized". I guess if you search hard enough, you can find at least one person who likes anything you care to name!

    For the record, I like the France and Italy albums a lot - I think they are better that the Jazz Workshop and It Club recordings, mainly due to the presence of Frankie Dunlop on drums.

  12. The LP box set is not quite complete.

    From memory (for what it's worth), there was an alternate take from one of the Coleman Hawkins dates that was left off. I think it was issued earlier on a Queen Disc LP. I don't remember off hand if the missing alternate was included on the 4-CD Hawkins issue. If I have time later I'll try to figure that out.

    Sorry Steve, I meant reissued on compact disc. Correct me if I'm wrong but I am pretty sure that the LP set has it all.

    The Coleman Hawkins title was an alternate of "Cattin' At Keynote" (Feb 17, 1944) - was on Meritt LP 25 & is not on the Hawkins 4CD set

    The omitted Hawkins track was in fact the master take which had been issued on 78. The box (and the subsequent CD set) only contained the alternate, and Dan Morgenstern in his otherwise excellent notes denies the existence of a second take as listed in discographies.

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