Duke Ellington : Never No Lament: The Blanton-We

[WD45]

Thanks for the cool pix Lon!!! I don't think I've ever seen those photos, nor a photo of Harry Lim! What is going on in those photos? Duke with the Condon gang? Max? Bud? That's a record I'd like to hear! The guitar sure has the National style, though it doesn't look like a steel guitar.

Weren't many of those Nationals painted with Hawaiian themes?

[J.A.W.]

Try to find the Dreyfus Jazz collection titled Ko-Ko. Best sounding Blanton-Webster period music available, IMO.

I fully agree.

[Mark J]

Lon - thanks for the info! Great photos - would love to be a fly on that wall!!

WD45: Weren't many of those Nationals painted with Hawaiian themes?

I haven't seen many photos of those, but you are correct. It sure looks like a National.

[BERIGAN]

Hi Mark,

I thought I knew more about this, here's what I've learned from one of the photos captions online:

private jam session, NYC, August 1939

Great Photos Lon!

Now, here is where it gets weird...I recalled that Chick Webb died in 1939...allmusic says...Jun 16, 1939 in Baltimore, MD!

[BERIGAN]

i took the plunge!

Let us know how the sound it to your ears! I only listened to it on a listening post at a B&N and it was so bad (And I can easily listen to Acoustic recordings) I thought I would never get it...think I posted about this awhile back, just wonder if some of the early batches had something wrong with them...Batches??? What do I think these are, cookies?

[jazzbo]

Ber, there are definitely two different events photographed, and the one with Lim was the one I found with that description.

I don't know, I've heard the Dreyfus, admittedly not on my system, and it seemed more "polite" to me (to a fault) but I'm not sure I would prefer it. . . . I like the RCA transfers a lot.

[BERIGAN]

Ber, there are definitely two different events photographed, and the one with Lim was the one I found with that description.

I don't know, I've heard the Dreyfus, admittedly not on my system, and it seemed more "polite" to me (to a fault) but I'm not sure I would prefer it. . . . I like the RCA transfers a lot.

Just checked out the photos again...Man, look how drenched in sweat they were! You have to be jazz crazy to have a jam session after a long day and sweat like a pig!

Never heard the Dreyfus set. I just held on to the old RCA set...it's not all that bad...

[Bright Moments]

i took the plunge!

Let us know how the sound it to your ears! I only listened to it on a listening post at a B&N and it was so bad (And I can easily listen to Acoustic recordings) I thought I would never get it...think I posted about this awhile back, just wonder if some of the early batches had something wrong with them...Batches??? What do I think these are, cookies?

i'll give a full report!

[Bright Moments]

i took the plunge!

Let us know how the sound it to your ears! I only listened to it on a listening post at a B&N and it was so bad (And I can easily listen to Acoustic recordings) I thought I would never get it...think I posted about this awhile back, just wonder if some of the early batches had something wrong with them...Batches??? What do I think these are, cookies?

i'll give a full report!

←

well i just finished disc 1 (see my thread about music backlogs! ) and it sounded fine to me!

on to disc 2!!

[medjuck]

That means you must have listened to Jack the Bear by now. If it sounds fine then they've drastically improved the sound from the Centennial Box.

[bluesbro]

That means you must have listened to Jack the Bear by now.  If it sounds fine then they've drastically improved the sound from the Centennial Box.

←

No, it is the same, I compared them already.

[Guy Berger]

That means you must have listened to Jack the Bear by now.  If it sounds fine then they've drastically improved the sound from the Centennial Box.

←

It's been said a bunch of times already, but the sound is fine as long as you're not too sensitive to high-end buzz.

Guy

[Chuck Nessa]

I like the sound of the Centennial box and Never No Lament is from the same masters. I agree Jack The Bear has some problems but NOT enough to keep people away. FYI, Steve Lasker (Centennial box engineer) redid Jack The Bear for the BMG "Centennial Collection" (cd/dvd combo) and it sounds dandy. I will eventually burn a new disc to replace the earlier one.

[Bright Moments]

That means you must have listened to Jack the Bear by now.  If it sounds fine then they've drastically improved the sound from the Centennial Box.

←

That means you must have listened to Jack the Bear by now.   If it sounds fine then they've drastically improved the sound from the Centennial Box.

←

It's been said a bunch of times already, but the sound is fine as long as you're not too sensitive to high-end buzz.

Guy

←

I like the sound of the Centennial box and Never No Lament is from the same masters. I agree Jack The Bear has some problems but NOT enough to keep people away. FYI, Steve Lasker (Centennial box engineer) redid Jack The Bear for the BMG "Centennial Collection" (cd/dvd combo) and it sounds dandy. I will eventually burn a new disc to replace the earlier one.

←

i went back and relistened to jack the bear and yes, the buzz is there. it is not the same way for the rest of the 3 disc box and it is not as offensive as one would think.

i am happy to have this music in my collection!!

[jazzbo]