CJ Shearn

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?

He really held the bass chair well with Tony Williams. Ira Coleman on!!!!!! THE BASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

It's sad that it's not very compassionate. Maybe she couldn't handle meeting a child with cancer? She should focus on making another happy than herself.

Great tune. That'll be an album to put want list. Lots of Woody in Hino's tone there, I've heard the strong Freddie influence on other stuff. Some of Tony's most creative playing of the period on that tune also,

Very true, his spirit was willing and the ideas ARE there intact, tho the chops are greatly dimished.

Thanks for the recs. Stuff with no discernable melody isn't a problem for me, it might just be Brotz' full throttle intensity that I've grappled with. "Machine Gun" and "Balls" remind me of "Ascension" levels of intensity x20 on steroids. I can't afford to buy more discs at the moment so I will see if Rhapsody has them and check them out there. I read an interview with Brotzmann once and like Cecil Taylor, his listening tastes seemed to be some of the most inside stuff you can think of, pretty funny. I also find it cool that players like Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits are in his quartet b/c we think of them as mainstream players but they can play free too, I heard Revis play outside on "Braggtown" by Branford.

I've tried VERY hard, watching various youtube clips, listened to some of "Machine Gun" and I just can't get into it, I'll keep trying I guess..... It's weird that I love things like Trane "Live in Japan" and "Song X" but not Brotzmann. I think the most interesting thing about his approach is like tonally he takes a cue from Hawk and applies it in a free idiom.