felser

I mean track #2!

Track #1 from this. Track #9 on my December BFT! No wonder it sounded so familiar and so good to me, LOL! The whole album is strong, but the cuts with the guest artist greatly benefit from his presence.

1 – Pleasant enough but faded into the background for me on the soprano solo. The recitation seems to have great meaning to the speaker, though I’m not sure what he was referring to. 2 – Stylistically, this is certainly in my wheelhouse, all Coltrane/Sanders-ish. The alto/soprano combo makes me think of the Grubbs Brothers (The Visitors), but I don’t think it’s them. I think I’m familiar with the song (though not the version), just have to remember what it is. Very strong cut overall, I hope I have it on the shelves somewhere! This one will bear repeated listening from me. 3 - Nice lighter follow up to the previous cut. The guitar solo to me is just functional, though I like his tone and his comping. The saxophone solo is excellent, a modern player who nonetheless listened to Ben Webster in his formation. Maybe Joe Lovano? 4 – Very dramatic! I like it fine, though it’s not my “thing”. 5 – “Straight No Chaser”, not familiar with this version. First thought was Herbie Mann, but I don’t think it’s him. Another pleasant cut, though the bass soloing goes on much too long. 6 – I want to like it. I prefer the flute on this to the one on the previous cuts. Cut is leaning too much on sort of clunky Afro-Cuban rhythms, though not without its appeals. Enjoying the organ and especially the vibes when they show up. An unlikely spot for the “A Love Supreme” riff to show up mid-song. But then it just sort of ends without resolution or fade, so in the end it’s not a winner for me. 7 – Really good for what it is, but not my sort of thing at all. 8 – More to my liking. Up the alley of those Grant Green 70’s BN albums where he played the best hits of the day with excellent small group backing. Not much improvisation on those, but great sounding music. I listen to them frequently as background music, and could see myself listening to this also. Really enjoying this, wouldn’t mind having it on my shelves, along with cut #2. 9 – No thanks. Sounds like mash-up of several songs, eventually landing on “Truckin’”, but by way of “Green Onions” and “Peter Gunn”. I like all of those songs, but not this. 10 – Not for me. Can’t relate at all to this cut except for the trumpet solo. Thanks for the interesting BFT, and I especially await the reveal or ID of cuts 2 and 8.

Thank you, St. Alphonzo!

Thanks Thom and Matthew! Quick scan through the cuts reveals that this sounds like a bracing listening experience! Lots of flute.

I owned that at one point, upgraded to the Edsel sets which came out in 2014 (194 cuts on 9 CD's,they were a substantial improvement in every regard). The sound quality difference between the set you have and what Cherry Red will do in the remastering is likely to be astounding. But that doesn't matter much unless her music is important to you (it is to me).

Full details here: https://theseconddisc.com/2025/03/31/dont-walk-on-by-dionne-warwicks-make-it-easy-on-yourself-the-scepter-recordings-1962-1971-due-in-june-on-12-cds-from-soulmusic-second-disc/

Traditionally done the last day of the month!

Time for the reveal?

Agreed that there are some wonderful deep Bacharach/David cuts by Warwick. Decades ago, Rhino put out a CD called 'Hidden Gems' which highlighted some of them. My favorite Warwick record (and one of my favorite records, period), "Reach Out For Me", got lost in the early 1964 Beatlemania shuffle and only reached #20 on the Billboard Pop Charts. It is increasingly a very emotional listen for me as I age and experience life, and sometimes I play it several times in a row. As mentioned by Jim and TTK, I agree that a lot of great work by her was B-sides, album cuts, low-charting A-sides, almost all written by Bacharach/David. And she or Sceptor passed on releasing her versions of some great Bacharach/David songs as A-side singles, and they went on to be big hits for others. Foremost is "What The World Needs Now Is Love", which saved Jackie DeShannon's career (and Warwick's version doesn't approach DeShannon's emotion and urgency - Warwick did not like the song, said it was "Too country"). Others include "Make It Easy On Yourself" (Jerry Butler, Walker Brothers), "Wishin' and Hopin" (Dusty Springfield), "Close To You" (Carpenters), "The Look of Love" (Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, Dusty Springfield), etc. Another of my favorite lost deep cuts is her version of "It's Love That Really Counts", though she could not match the vulnerability the Shirelles brought to that one. I own maybe half of the cuts on the upcoming box, but between the price and the expected top quality packaging and remastering, I'm all in and will sell off my current ownings of this material.

Coming May 27. 280 tracks, 14 hours. Amazing stuff, I can't wait. https://www.cherryred.co.uk/dionne-warwick-make-it-easy-on-yourself-the-scepter-recordings-1962-1971-12cd-slipcase

I'm also currently listening to that set, finishing up disc 2.

The Cherry Red labels do great mastering.

Similar with Richie Havens.