How Popular Were The VeeJay Jazz Sides...

[JSngry]

Yeah, I know, some probably sold better than others, but how popular were the Morgan, Shorter, Kelley, Chambers, etc. albums overall? Some of it's been booted to death (or, at least, released on a lot of different labels), and some, like KELLEY GREAT, seems to have vanished w/o too much of a trace for several decades.

So - how much play did these things get in their time? A question for the vets, no doubt.

As always, thanks in advance!

[Harold_Z]

I didn't see them around much at all in local record stores...the exception being Eddie Harris.

[sidewinder]

I used to see 2nd hand vinyls of the Morgans and Shorters on the likes of Crescendo all the time. Especially during the 1970s. Funilly enough I never picked any of them up - the Mosaics were my introduction to this material. Sometimes its nice to defer these things ..

[P.D.]

The only one I remember when they were " new" was the Young Lions. I bought it too.

I do remember the Eddie Harris mentioned by Harold Z.. but didn't buy it.. for some reason Eddie recording Exodus( plus Spartacus and Mighty Lak a Rose) turned me off him.

Yeah I Know.. It Ain't wotcha do, It's the way thatcha do it... but we all have ocassional blind spots.

Later I bought some of the reissues ( and changed my mind about Eddie)

[JSngry]

I too saw the GNP/Crescendo albums quite a bit. But the VeeJay stuff also got out on some of the Everest labels (including a Lee Morgan album on Tradition, which was an otherwise all "folk blues" label).

As far as original VeeJay sides go, I don't know what the distribution was like for most of the jazz sides. I too have seen lots of Eddie Harris sides over the years, but not much else. I found a copy of Benny Green's THE SWINGINEST" used locally, and friends have similarly picked up KELLY AT MIDNIGHT and the Frank Strozier album.

The later "VJ International" albums were all available locally, but I'm talking "original" VeeJay jazz sides - not too many other than the Harris seem to have made it down this way, or if they did, they've not yet made it into anyplace I've had access to.

[sidewinder]

I've picked a few up 2nd hand. The Leroy Vinnegar 'Leroy Walks' and a Victor Feldman (can't recall the title). Goodness knows how they made their way across the pond ! B)

[ghost of miles]

How popular was the Vee Jay gospel material? I wish some of that would re-surface as well.