CBBB - OPEN DOOR (Muse 5056)

[JSngry]

Muse liners (by the enigmatic - to me, anyway - Fred Norsworthy) say it was recorded in Prague in 1967 for Supraphon. Good stuff, FUNKY recording quality.

Where else has this material been issued (LP or CD), and if so, has the sound been cleaned up? Is this Muse LP the only non-Euro issue of this?

As always, thanks in advance.

[P.D.]

According to Lord, the Muse was the only issue of this. Mine is on Muse, bought with split cover from a used bin after much searching for it. I was on a complete CDr CBBB mission at the time.

I don't think it has ever been on CD, though there appears to be some activity in Europe with CBBB releases lately, maybe it will come.

[couw]

I only ever saw a Clarke/Boland compilation LP on Supraphon. Way too expensive though.

here 'tis

[JSngry]

Thanks, guys!

And to think that Da Bastids let it go for $7.00!

[jazzbo]

That one Supraphon (is it a compilation?) sounds better than the Muse does. . . I've never seen the Muse in any other form.

[couw]

if this were indeed recorded in the Supraphon studios, it's a little odd it was never released. Supraphon shipped a lot of vinyl across the borders to stock up on hard currency.

[couw]

That one Supraphon (is it a compilation?) sounds better than the Muse does. . . I've never seen the Muse in any other form.

I don't know, I thought it was a compilation. How does the track listing compare?

[couw]

Ah! according to this site, the muse album was recorded not in Prague, but in Cologne!

site also says:

ISSUES: KPM (Keith Prose Music) entitled JAZZ CONVENTION VOL.I

Muse MR 5056 = Happy Bird(D)B/90076 = Tobacco Road B/2544 all entitled FRANCY BOLAND/KENNY CLARKE BIG BAND OPEN DOOR

now KPM is not exactly a label that rings a lot of bells with me.

[JSngry]

It's not the same album at all. The two Supraphons, that is. Unless Muse is giving wrong info. Who knows?

NOTES: most probably this was not recorded in Prague, but in Cologne

Why do they say this?

The Muse liner notes DO say that "This album is one of a series which has been released by the CBBB organization, recorded in Czechoslovakia (Prague International Festival of 1967)"

I see that the Muse is missing a "Griff's Groove", which kinda pisses me off, but hey...

Edited September 17, 2004 by JSngry

[jazzbo]

I'm not near my stuff, but I think that other Supraphon (yes, it's not the same lp Jim) is not a compilation but the result of a day's recording.

[sidewinder]

Looks like a different track listing to 'Open Door'. This is one of the few CBBB LPs that I don't have.

'The Turk' is also on 'Sax No End', which is from about the same vintage with Fats Sadi in the lineup also. Don't have the LP in front of me I'm afraid to check the dates.

I have a feeling I came across a cheap copy of that Supraphon LP in a London shop some years ago for not a lot of £. I think I must have passed on it having seen 'The Turk' and thinking it was a compilation.

Edited September 17, 2004 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

Just been checking the Schema sisite over in Italy and they have some mighty fine reissues on Rearward, both CD and LP, including some good CBBB material. 'Off Limits' looks a corker (I've only ever heard 'Astro Rama' and it smokes), the McRae 'November Girl' was also recorded with the band in London (at Lansdowne studios I think). The 2LP 'Strauss' and Sahib Shihab compilations are also hugely recommended and sound brilliant.

Get yer Kenny Clarke Francy Boland mega-cool vinyl and CDs 'ere.......

[Bill Fenohr]

The Supraphon lp is kind of confusing. All but two songs appeared on other albums. So in one could say its a compulation.

But as i say there are two songs Tarantas Drive and Sunday At Ten that only appear on the Supraphon. All of side two was on a German Columbia titled Folk Songs or something like that. One song from side one was on one of the Atlantic releases and another from side one was on one of the Columbia lp's.

I don't know if this clears up any questons.

Edited September 17, 2004 by Bill Fenohr

[king ubu]

Get yer Kenny Clarke Francy Boland mega-cool vinyl and CDs 'ere.......

Can't help on the CBBB thing, but thanks for that link, Sidewinder! I picked up this one by Giorgio Azzolini recently in a sale, and it's great! Perfect bft material...

ubu

[mikeweil]

AFAIK the material on the Muse LP (I have the Happy Bird issue, which seems to be a bootleg) is different from other versions of the same tunes. Gigi Campi made all kinds of deals ...

I will check some of them tomorrow.

[mikeweil]

The Carmen McRae with the CBBB, BTW, is a real gem. One of the high points in the singer's discography, IMHO, and much better than the LP recorded with Gitte, which partly uses the same arrangements.

I saw a video of the CBBB with Carmen and Dizzy one time - this should be on DVD!

[sidewinder]

Mike - I fully agree with your comment on the Carmen McRae. Her voice is in wonderful form on this LP, the only negative from my perspective is the 'tinkly' sound of the electric piano on some of the tracks, which can sound a bit dated now. My copy is the UK Black Lion release and I've never been happy with the sound quality, which I find amazing as this session was recorded by Adrian Kerridge (of Rendell-Carr Dennis Preston Columbia fame) at Lansdowne studios. Its probably a Black Lion thing, I've never been happy with the quality of their 70s vinyl on the whole. Often looks mint but sounds less than mint. Maybe I sould invest in the Rearward reissue..

Thanks for the recommendation Ubu - there's some mighty interesting Italian jazz there which I'm sure to sample in future orders. I put in an order yesterday for the 'Off Limits' the Griffin/Bags 2LP, the Shihab 'Cats' 2LP and the Drevo LP with the crazy cover. About 4 hours later I saw a mint second hand copy of the Drevo in a shop over here for a few pounds. Just typical !

Edited September 19, 2004 by sidewinder

[Tony Pusey]

This is a facinating thread. How much CBBB stuff is available on CD? And is this Italian material representative? A good place to start? Are these cds jewel cases? so many questions....

[jazzbo]

Yes, I really like the McRae collaboration (though I hardly think it's HER best work!)

The Rearward cs from Italy are very nice! (Only the Strauss is really a Clarke Boland Big Band date; the others are small group sessions with personnel drawn from the band). They come in a sort of pressboard digipak with a separate booklet that is bound and packed with pages. Wonderful cd sound too and great performances! There is also a jewel case cd from them of a Karl Drewo lp that is "sort of" a CBBB small band date.

MPS Germany has the Mark Murphy collaboration out, as well as a quartet date of Francy Boland's that is very good. . . .

MPS Germany released three cds recently of All Smiles, More Smiles and Felini 712 all in fantastic remastering and with original cover and liner notes. These are great sessions. (Felini 712 was part of a previous MPS cd). Two CBBB sessions were on cd from Collectables recently, Handle with Care and Hear Our Meaning (and Handle with Care was out on Koch in possibly better sound as well on cd). There was also of course the sortof seminal recording that Blue Note leased for lp (The Golden Eight) and Blue Note Japan has released on cd (twice).

There are likely other cd releases. There are still other titles that could be released. . . PLEASE. . . on cd. One of my favorites is the Sahib Shihab on Argo. . .has this come out on cd from Japan?

Edited September 19, 2004 by jazzbo

[sidewinder]

There are still other titles that could be released. . . PLEASE. . . on cd.

The Black Lion 'On Her Majesty's Pleasure' must be due for reissue I guess. There's some fantastic stuff on that one. Not least the work of Tony Coe, Ronnie Scott and Johnny Griffin.

There was also a compilation put out by MPS some years ago now, out of print now, I've got the feeling the title was 'Three Latin Adventures' or something of that ilk. Around the same time they brought out the Nathan Davis.

Edited September 19, 2004 by sidewinder

[jazzbo]

Right, "Three Latin Adventures" which included Felin 712, Latin Kaleidoscope and Cuban Fire. There was also a cd that reissued "All Blues" and "Sax No End." (An excellent cd!)

[sidewinder]

All great sessions. I really should have picked up the 'Three Latin Adventures' CD when it was available as I don't have 'Cuban Fire'. Doh !

[sidewinder]

Oh wait - 'Cuban Fire' was the McFarland suite on the other side of 'Latin Kaleidoscope' wasn't it? I can breath easy..

[sidewinder]

The LP of 'Off Limits' has arrived from Italy, together with the Drevo and Baggs/Griff. 'Off Limits' sounds pretty excellent, typical late period CBBB. They seem to have forgotten to send the Sahib Shihab 2LP set though (or maybe it was lost on my order? ).

[tjobbe]

..... There was also a cd that reissued "All Blues" and "Sax No End." (An excellent cd!)

←

for those who might have searched for that CD of All Blues and Sax No End...you can currently get this from the spanish Freshsoundrecords for 5,50€/6,55$ plus S&H wiithin their Verve Collection Sale (just placed an order for one copy )

Here the Link

Cheers, Tjobbe

Edited September 10, 2005 by tjobbe