CJ Shearn

First Pablo posted in this thread:

RIP

Marco, Sony does not have the rights for "The Other Side of Abbey Road", Universal does so it would not be a part of the CTI Masterworks program.

The man brought the funk and groove!

There goes Nonesuch

*bounces around room in insane joy* Do y'all know how close I came to picking up the Turrentine on vinyl at the Austin Record Show this weekend? Just something in the back of my mind said, "Wait, you just never know, and they ain't done reissuing yet." Straight Life? In the Beginning? Body Talk? Am I in Heaven already??? It's like the folks at Sony Masterworks are going down that list I e-mailed 'em earlier this year! Love love LOVIN' it!!! I cannot possibly say enough good things about IN THE BEGINNING. It is a desert island disc for me. So much so that I'll probably still keep the old CD version of it, which I never do. I cannot WAIT to crank up STRAIGHT LIFE and BODY TALK, especially the Hubbard. They've done such a fantastic job with the remasters so far, I can't wait to hear how they take care of this bad boy!!! *more jolly bouncing around the room* Yeah, the original album mixes are killing all the domestic remixes of years prior, they are so much better. I mean the remixes are clearer yes but they lack the warmth. I do think the 2 disc "California Concert" is a great remix job and the mastering is warm, far superior to any previous US releases. I just hope they leave "Straight Life" as the LP sequence like the original CD reissue and don't duplicate and add the tracks from "California Concert" since they did the mega reissue of that one. I hope that for the original tapes of "Body Talk", the tape warbling and sliding up to pitch at the beginning of "Dance" like it does from the tape the previous reissue is mastered and remixed from doesn't exist on the 2 track masters. The tape warble there on the opening splash cymbal is nasty and sounds as if they unpaused the tape. Anyone else know what I'm talking about at the beginning of "Dance" on the 2002 reissue?

I pulled out the '97 edition of "Straight Life", and I'm really looking forward to hearing the remaster from the original tapes, as the '97 remaster has quite a bit of distortion, and upper end harshness. If the Masterworks edition of "First Light" is anything to go by, the master is much cleaner than the '01 remix as there is far less distortion on the drums and overall, ditto with "Beyond the Blue Horizon".

Very cool! Great customer service, I think they understand the kind of fans buying these reissues. Anyway, June 14th there is a new batch coming: Freddie: Straight Life http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8509833&style=music (note the credits are used from the '97 reissue here which is a mistake I'm sure as the '97 edition is a remix, not the original album mix) Stanley: Don't Mess With Mr. T http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8509735&style=music Hubert Laws: In the Beginning http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8509768&style=music George Benson: Body Talk http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8509913&style=music Pretty standard stuff, Doug Payne hinted to me about this batch, but they appeared up for preorder at CD Universe so I found out the titles yesterday. I never owned the Laws but will get all 4 and replace the existing previous reissues of the other 3 (ditched the 80's version of the Turrentine a long time ago) because these new ones truly sound wonderful. He did tell me though that the next batch later this summer will include some rare titles added like some first time on CD in the US, KUDU's. Let's hope for Hubbard/Turrentine "In Concert" which may be a release of the complete concert!

The problem I had with my SR60's and I still have them is the "V" wire twisting like what was said above and the left driver got a tear in it. I'm perfectly happy with the Audio Technica's which are fine, no problems. The fact they are closed back eliminates problems like dust, hair, that get into Grado's which is their ONLY downfall.

I had to call my local shop and have him reorder "Beyond the Blue Horizon" b/c the disc, upon further playing will not play straight all the way thru. The condensation, smudges on the disc from the packaging or whatever happened, is uncleanable. My careful center to edge cleaning made the skipping even worse which is odd as there are no circular scratches on the disc.

Wow ShowsOn, that's unacceptable damage. Doug Payne had told me Sony wanted to use thick, glossy cardboard just like the LP's for these reissues as they put a lot of money into the program but for some reason it did not happen. I forget what program it is that allows you to rip tracks from CD's that are badly damaged but people on here have used it.

That's annoying isn't it? My copy of "Beyond the Blue Horizon" I had to wipe dust from b/c track 8 was skipping, actually what works you have to be so careful and do it lightly, gently apply compressed air, it works. And there is a small annoying section of pencilmark like looking scratches on the center of the disc but they don't affect play.

Got "Beyond the Blue Horizon", "First Light" (traded in the previous reissues) and "Salt Song", the others I ordered didn't come in yet. The sound quality should be much improved on this, been impressed with each in this new series so far.

You should be more concerned with records he's put out recently like "Songs and Stories" and late 90's albums like "That's Right" and "Standing Together" all of which are pretty bad. Except for a legit, dirty funk tune on "That's Right" called "The Thinker" which was more CTI like than anything he's done since. If you seperate Benson's playing from the horrid backing of his smooth albums, it's passable but still nothing like Benson at his peak when he really stretched. Benson still stretches but we never get to hear it cuz he shows up at clubs and jam sessions and blows everyone away with his guitar playing.

It's a shame Creed didn't get the All Stars together for a concert around 1990 when he briefly resurrected CTI briefly. Benson, Carter, Airto, Laws, Cobham, Deodato, James and DeJohnette are still around. Ron Carter has agreed to a CTI All Stars reunion and asked Creed to call him, but I imagine Benson would come on board only at a significant price. I would admit its not the same without Freddie, Stanley, Grover, Hank Crawford and Johnny Hammond.

Nice! I will be sure to get it in June

I still don't understand Creed's motivation to overdub session musicians like Steve Gadd who is as great as some of the players on the live dates on albums like "George Benson In Concert: At Carnegie Hall" and my personal fav. "CTI Summer Jazz at the Hollywood Bowl" which I'm listening to now. Actually Richard Seidel is looking at the legal ramifications of that 1972 Hollywood Bowl concert, it's my theory that since Sony has been using the original masters for these reissues, the original tapes lay untouched somewhere. Actually Seidel is pushing to get the entire 1973 Freddie Hubbard/Turrentine "In Concert" sessions released, of which there is enough material for 2 CD's, to fill out the original LP's.

Nice article. Here it is http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730104576260903900205990.html I know Creed is not happy with how Sony is issuing the CTI stuff.

Very nice receiver

It is! LOL.

http://www.ctimasterworks.com/discography I'll pass on the Benson as I already have the '97 reissue and a European version of the Hubbard that includes a fantastic live version of the title track (ok Big Al, ignore it cuz I said live =) but I would very much enjoy having a non CDR (from a kind soul on this board) copy of the Sebesky.

Yes chewy, the CD (I have the K2) is mono. Makes sense why on the OJC reissues of Eric Dolphy in Europe 1-3 that the "Remastered For Stereo" line is blacked out on the covers for vols. 2 and 3. Though those albums on CD are true stereo.

Last I've heard him was "Folklore" by Vincent Herring. May not be a bad idea to put that one on.

Oh boy................ skip!

Jim, where are you for this one?