hopkins

Yes, these two: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_Dates,_California_1958 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_Concerts,_California_1958

I wrote a modest article about the Sunset Ballroom recording a few years ago; https://paulstephane.github.io/music/2021/10/01/Sunset-Ballroom.html Good album.

Good to know. Thanks.

I was recently interested in purchasing a copy, but the prices are indeed insane. I wonder if the book is available in public libraries. It is unfortunately not available on the Internet Archive (where you can "borrow" books and read them online).

I have this CD version: https://www.discogs.com/release/27038556-Della-Reese-With-Duke-Ellington-His-Orchestra-On-The-Radio-The-1962-Live-Guard-Sessions The liner notes indeed state that the recording date was February 13, 1962. Nice concert.

Fletcher Henderson live from the Grande Terrace, July 1938

This results in a stereo "downmix", where the two channels are added together (and then divided by two). As a result, you can get cancellations between sound in the left and right channel. Nowadays, digital "players" also offer this option. My digital streamer - WiiM Pro - has that option and the results are not always very pleasing. Some software also have the option (I use Foobar2000, which has this option). Your phone may have the option (Android does). Sometimes listening to a single channel is preferable to listening to a stereo downmix to mono. It all depends on the recording. Here's an explanation of cancellation:

Here's a forum discussion in which you can read that mono cutting heads were in use for all pressings labeled as "mono" until 1968 (that is how I interpret it): https://www.audionirvana.org/forum/the-audio-vault/analog-playback/94972-steve-hoffman-on-playing-back-mono-lps I guess this explains why, for example, mint copies of 1967 mono versions of Hendrix's Bold as Love sell for over 2000€...

Understood.

Yes. During the late 50s, a lot of albums were also issued both in stereo and mono, and I always prefer listening to mono - in fact I often listen to them on a single speaker. I think the switch was gradual. An example of an album I recently bought: Hodges, Blues-a-Plenty, from 1958. I believe it is true mono.

Yes. I have two shells. I do have to adjust the weight of the tonearm, but I may be able to optimize that a little by adjusting the position of the cartridges - am a beginner in all this...

I had the same question as you. I recently decided to purchase an Ortofon 2M mono cartridge for my Technics SL-1200 GR turntable. I was really surprised by the positive difference it made. Hard to describe - just better sound

I just got this CD and I am very happy I did. Can't get enough of Ray Nance's violin! One of Jan Evensmo's last solography was of Ray Nance, and it is worth reading to find some more hidden gems: https://www.jazzarcheology.com/ray-nance/ This CD has a 1970s session with Earl Hines that has some lovely violin (tracks 7-12 are with Nance): https://www.discogs.com/release/14394475-Earl-Hines-Ray-Nance-Mostly-Fats-Unissued-Sessions I added one of the tracks from that session (which I had actually send to him, as he had missed it in a first version) to a YouTube video on my channel, "In memory" of Jan Evensmo after he passed away earlier this year.

Here's an article on the Hurricane club, from which so many of these broadcasts were made, with some pictures of Duke & the orchestra: https://exploringoldnewyork.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/a-legendary-hurricane/

Eddie Lambert wrote a lengthy chapter on the treasury broadcasts in his book "Duke Ellington: A Listener's Guide" I copied it on my (very modest) "blog", and included the list of the 25 CDs with the recording dates so you can listen to the tracks that are highlighted by Lambert. https://paulstephane.github.io/2024/06/20/Ellington-Treasury-Broadcasts.html

Strange. Could it be a question of subscription "region" (I am in France) ? It is on the top of the list of "Releases" when I search for "Duke at his very best". Edit: I have a subscription to the streaming service so I am not looking in their "store". Perhaps it is not available for download.

This is the release I was referring to: Listen to the release Duke At His Very Best - The Jimmy Blanton, Billy Strayhorn, Ben Webster Sessions - Legendary Works, 1940-1942 by Duke Ellington on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/album/c3c47ggxpx2wa

Hi, I have it. I just wish the entire Savory collection would have been released!

For what it's worth, that album (Monk's Greatest Hits) is available on the Internet Archive. They have the liner notes in PDF format, which makes it easy to copy/paste the text if you want to quote it. https://archive.org/details/cd_monks-greatest-hits_thelonious-monk

Valuable: the Savory recordings (how I wish more had been released...) Expensive: no idea.

Perhaps he will be attending the performance. Though he is now 97...

Going to see this Martial Solal tribute tonight: https://www.maisondelaradioetdelamusique.fr/evenement/onj-frederic-maurin-bruno-ruder-solo

I may be nitpicking here, but I have this exact CD and some of the tracks are "quasi mono", others are stereo (ex: tracks 4, 10 and 12). Close enough, I guess.