Duke Pearson set with Xmas Music?

[tranemonk]

I was thinking about getting the Duke Pearson select set but noticed that Disc 3 is basically all Xmas tunes. It's from an album called Merry Ole Soul. I have no interest in Xmas music...

Does anyone have this set? And how good/bad/annoying/positively surprising is Disc 3??

thanks

[Brad]

I can't say I'm particularly crazy about the whole set but I think the Xmas music is really god. Of course, if you hate Xmas music, you may want to pass it up.

BTW, have you heard Bird doing White Christmas. It's a classic, man.

[Free For All]

  Brad said:

I think the Xmas music is really god. 

Well put.

[Big Al]

  Free For All said:

  Brad said:

I think the Xmas music is really god. 

Well put.

Nuts! Beat me to it!

[wesbed]

I believe this is not a great Select. It's not because of the Christmas music, however. The Christmas music and 'The Phantom' material on disk one are the best parts of the set.

[Stereojack]

  wesbed said:

I believe this is not a great Select. It's not because of the Christmas music, however. The Christmas music and 'The Phantom' material on disk one are the best parts of the set.

I agree. This set surprised me when it came out because it contains Duke's most commercial and forgettable LP's. "The Phantom" is Duke's last decent record of original compositions. I bought "How Insensitive" when it came out, and dumped it pretty quickly. Several years later I discovered that "Merry Old Soul" (the Xmas LP) was actually pretty good. Still, I don't recommend this set.

There's plenty of good Duke Pearson out there, and it isn't all on Blue Note. See if you can find the Koch reissues of "Honeybuns" and "Prairie Dog", both originally on Atlantic.

jack

[tranemonk]

thanks jack....

I appreciate the tips.... I'll look for those Koch releases...

At least I can take ONE Mosaic set off my list.... phew....

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

The X-Mas material is the best stuff on that set imho.

[Brad]

  Big Al said:

  Free For All said:

  Brad said:

I think the Xmas music is really god. 

Well put.

Nuts! Beat me to it!

Maybe not god-like but good, smarties

[connoisseur series500]

I must demure with the expressed opinions. B-)

I dislike "Merry Ole Soul" and I like "How Insensitive!"

Flora Purim's vocals are outstanding; and I even like the choral voices as well. Some beautiful music on that session for sure.

I didn't care for the Mosaic Select at all, but I have "How Insensitive" on JRVG. "Stella by Starlight" and "Christo Redentor" are highlights along with the Purim tracks.

[connoisseur series500]

There are about three tunes on "How Insensitive" which are total crap, BTW, but again, there is a lot of good stuff on there as well.

[jazzbo]

I guess I'm weird. . . I like all of that set, and "It Can Only Happen with You" is probably my favorite part.

I hate Xmas music. I really LIKE "Merry Ole Soul," it and the Marcus Roberts' cd "Prayer for Peace" are the only ones I'll listen too. "Merry Ole Soul" is really really good.

[Brad]

As a last point, I think overall this is a good set. I can't say I like everything but then there aren't that many artists whose output I universally like. I think it's worth picking up despite the naysayers.

[andybleaden]

Listen I had this set

I HATE Xmas music

I like this set

I got it and lizstened to the Merry ole Sole session ( albeint over xmas and it was areal bonnus...saved having all that over nonsense on

Go for it....its worth it for the other lps on the set and this was a bonus for me

[mike casinghino]

another for the duke pearson select.

[etherbored]

nice avatar, mike!

time for me to chime in on the pearson select...

it's excellent and i say go for it *unless* you can't stand the 4200/4300 series of groovy style modernisms that some of the players were into at the time.

the christmas material is very nice to have,

-e-