CJ Shearn

xybert makes a GREAT point that the personnel on records (the "tree" that leads to other branches) is insignificant to most people. I have some friends who like jazz, but they like the sound and or mood, they could care less why the Freddie Hubbard/Wayne/Curtis Fuller lineup of the Jazz Messengers is significant, or why we go nuts over Miles' Second and Lost Quintets. One of my best friends has told me maybe I can help her get into jazz but she knows her tastes pretty well (a lot of pop music from all over Asia, and classical) and its unlikely she'll share a passion for it. Then there is the reality of someone else I know, really likes a lot of jazz after have been exposed to samples in hip hop, and he likes some "real" stuff(Weather Report, Herbie, Pat Metheny- although the albums I really like, such as "Tap" he tends to dislike , RTF) but often because he really loves disco also, he goes for albums in my opinion that are near the bottom of an artists' catalog like "Sit on It" by JOS, all the Mizell produced Donald Byrd stuff, their Johnny Hammond productions, a lot of Arista/GRP stuff......... we aren't the audience for those records these days, (those some here do love those for what they are) A whole new generation loves those mid 70's and early 80's albums, in a way those of us who have straight ahead as a base just don't. I consider my tastes in jazz pretty wide, but because I find certain 70's albums or GRP albums pretty dated, some people see it as snobby, good if generic playing on many of them, which just doesn't hit me. I like the GRP albums that don't sound like typical GRP (Michael Brecker: Now You See it Now You Don't, "Greenhouse" by the Yellowjackets, "Reunion" by Gary Burton) there's a reason those albums on that label overflow used bins, IMO. Once a few listeners wanted to go further and found out there was better stuff, and they took an interest in it, or their tastes changed, the GRP stuff went out the window. Then again, the main issue is most people just want nice background music, even for the crate diggers who check out the original albums from some of those 70's BN or GRP samples, since they are way too young to remember when CD 101.9 and stations of that ilk played that stuff, they love the vibe. Jazz is getting to a younger fans through Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge ("Live Today" is very good) Jose James, Ben Williams, but why aren't those records like Black Radio crossing over on the radio, and on what's left of music videos? maybe because still, the musical content is too deep for people who enjoy stuff like T.I. Nicki Minaj, etc....... that's nothing new though either, when I was 12 when Us3 hit big with "Cantaloop", that stuff never really crossed over to the kids into mainstream hip hop. There's some cool stuff on like, "Triumph of the Heavy" by Marcus Strickland, but most people won't want to hear it. That's OK. Most people don't wanna hear Trane, Dizzy, that's ok too.

It seems quite a bit of the Smalls audience are students actually, quite a few come from the New York Jazz Workshop and other music programs. Some of the jazz audience, I think, it's healthy that the new audiences checking out groups like Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge, come from less a jazz background than a hip hop one, who come to jazz via samples used by J. Dilla and others. Some of that audience, (like an acquaintance of mine for example, who likes straight ahead, but really likes mid 70's Blue Note and GRP, because he loves disco) stuff aren't as interested in classic BN or Riverside, Prestige, like our audience. Hopefully through the new stuff new fans will check out the rich and varied history. The audience still tends to be a middle aged white one, for mainstream jazz, at any gig I've gone to though.

Very interesting ! Imagine working as an electrical engineer/'resident genius' in the tech department at that place. You'd never get any work done.. I think, even though I'm not a vinyl person it's very good they are doing this. Watching the Don Was interview, I felt he was very genuine in the endeavor of this project and it will be interesting to hear the alternatives.

Don't know if this will help, but Bernie Grundman explains how he had to repair the master for "Newk's Time".

They are also on Rhapsody, listening to "Two Headed Freap" because I've never listened to it in it's entirety. The only Foster I own is "Live at Montreux" which I think is a wise choice...... IMO, it's his best record. Are these some of the greatest B-3 records ever? (an acquaintance of mine loves the '74-78 UA era BN especially). no....... but a good occasional listen. Glad to see them out though in digital form.

Happy birthday!!!!

Using my limited knowledge of Japanese (I know a bit, but it's terrible, took a semester and a half of Japanese. I have many friends there though) Meronezu (メロネズ） phonetically Merone is how Melonae sounds in Japanese though, so it's not a bad translation in that sense. People with better knowledge may correct me

I have none of the Brownie stuff inexplicably except for the Blakey/Birdland RVG's. I had Miles vol. 1 &2 as RVG's but there was a time I had so much space I downsized some discs, regrettably. We're not the target audience but this is always good for some of us if there if we want a different mastering choice or want to fill in the gaps. There's so much other music out there, I've given up on upgrading most of the BN's unless I really hated the sound (RVG's of Empyrean Isles, Out to Lunch) because it's money I don't have to do for the large quantity of classic Blue Notes I already own. I'd spring for the SHM versions of long OOP stuff like "Blue John" and the other Pattons in the SHM batch I don't have before something like these.

That's just........... man.

Some of the nicest musicians I've met and chatted with for sure: Ingrid Jensen, Steve Davis, Jim Rotondi, Pat Metheny, Ben Williams, Antonio Sanchez (he is hilarious too), Carl Allen, Vincent Herring, Marc Mommaas, Houston Person, Jack DeJohnette.

Glad I kept my Mobley Mosaic

Sad........

Agreed on McFadden, but its not like the casual jazz or new jazz fans the article caters to will know who he is. He's such a guitarist's guitarist. For McFadden with JOS I'd pick "Indiana" (from Groovin at Smalls) "Zing Went the Strings of my Heart" or "First Night Blues" from the February 1957 Mosaic. Perhaps the writer wasn't aware of Grant's "It Ain't Necessarily So" solo. How about Donald Byrd's great solo on "Places and Spaces"? just kidding! Sorry, an acquaintance of mine loves anything Mizell and the mid 70's BN catalog. We've argued about that stuf, I said there's great to very good stuff in that era of BN, you just have to find it. He of course he comes from a much different listening background from straight ahead, so it's understandable.

Me too. Great stuff, thanks

If a set combining his BN/Impulse/Pablo sides ever materialized from Universal, if they included the "comeback" BN's too, "Times Are Changing" is one of the WORST Freddie albums I've heard. Even cheesier than some of the Columbia stuff. The Youtube comments regarding that one are hilarious, one person ranks "Times are Changing" on the same level as "First Light"! Different tastes are so interesting sometimes, I feel sorry that "Times Are Changing" are some people's only exposure to Hubbard, it shows not much of what made him great at all.

From what I've heard, it's great stuff. Looking forward to picking it up in the future!

Very interested in checking this out after just reacquainting myself with Giuffre (I grew up with "The River" on a Columbia Jazz Masterpieces sampler), discussing "Spasmodic" for the blog."Free Fall" is one of the essential small group recordings on the list

I'm interested in hearing this one too

I missed it, watching now, great to see him share with our future in the music

Thanks!

Agreed. Haven't seen that shot before. I didn't think to compare it to the Mosaic. That doesn't have "Jazz Corner", either, since it's a studio-only set. Not true. The box contains: Big Beat Night in Tunisia Like Someone in Love Meet You at the Jazz Corner of the World, Vols. 1 & 2 Freedom Rider Roots & Herbs Witch Doctor I have all of those sans "Big Beat" as single disc reissues (RVG or otherwise). When the Mosaic was around (which I wanted so badly in high school, I chose the Jimmy Smith over it, glad for that decision) more than half that material wasn't available domestically IIRC. "Like Someone in Love" was briefly repressed in the Collector's Choice series, and "Big Beat" and "Night in Tunisia" were the only catalog mainstays. I got "Freedom Rider" right when it was reissued in '98.

Great thread, Chris, your post makes me want to check Lehman out. The name is familiar, I just never heard him.

These are the kind of sets that it's hard to steer non jazz savvy people away from. Rhapsody, I went to listen to "Testifyin'" by Larry Young (since I don't own it), and a whole bunch of repackaged bootleg Prestige/New Jazz titles show up, and a horrible needle drop of "Unity" among the legit releases.

Another Andorran job?

RIP......... a great mind and article.