dom minasi

[mike casinghino]

has anyone heard the two dom minasi blue note albums:

1) when joanna loved me

2) i have the feeling i've been here before

if so, what did you think? without being nasty, if you did not like them.

thanks.

[relyles]

Sorry, no. I know it is not your question, but I have heard the recent disc with Mark Whitecage and an organist whose name I can not recall. Liked that one a lot.

[Bill Fenohr]

Mike,

I have both albums,but have not listened to them in years, if that tells you anything. I will try to dig them out and give them a spin.

[Daniel A]

I had "When Joanna Loved Me" once, and I'm afraid it's among the lesser productions from the 70s Blue Note era. From what I can remember, cheap-sounding strings and clearly un-inspired playing.

I hope that wasn't too nasty?

Edited March 10, 2005 by Daniel A

[Bill Fenohr]

OK, i gave them both a spin. Both are pretty foregettable dates. When Joanna Loved Me is the better of the two. Two tracks have strings,with the rest being a quartet with guitar,bass,drums and conga. I Have The Feeling...with strings,including harp,borders on the dreaded smooth jazz of today.

I would not look for these dates to be reissued by BN.

[alankin]

I haven't heard these either, but I think that Minasi was pretty unhappy about the production. Probably one of the reasons he didn't record anything else for many years.

[mike casinghino]

since i am getting close to completing my blue note collection(or at least what i consider a complete blue note collection), i am now checking into the more obscure titles. daniel a., no that was not too nasty. relyles, i have some of mr. minasi's later cd's. i think they are very good. bill, thanks for taking the time to give them a listen, and your opinion. alankin,you are correct, on dom minasi's website, he tells about all the problems he had with george butler & blue note. thanks again for everyone's input.

[Daniel A]

He came to the attention of Blue Note's George Butler, who assumed responsibility for the label after the United Artists buyout. Butler signed Minasi and released his first record as a leader in 1974. When Joanna Loved Me received adulatory reviews and—at a time when jazz could be found on the radio—airplay. Minasi's career seemed assured.

He was flown to California to record a follow-up. But, by this time, Blue Note had been sold and was about to reach its disco-inferno nadir. I Have the Feeling I've Been Here Before, a commercial recording overburdened with production in the manner of contemporaneous Blue Notes by the Blackbyrds and Bobbi Humphrey, had none of Joanna's graceful takes on standards. Minasi disowned the record, fired two managers who were using him to get in front of Butler and, at the height of his career, walked away.

"I just got disgusted with the music business", Minasi told me.

* Dom Minasi: Time's Tales by John Chacona, January 2004 *

[Daniel A]

There are also some interesting comments from Minasi on his website:

http://www.domminasi.com/discography.htm