Brad Posted June 23, 2003 Report Posted June 23, 2003 Courtesy of Alan Lankin, there are some interesting reissues coming out tomorrow: Chet Baker - The Most Important Jazz Album of 1964/1965 (Colpix) Count Basie - Chairman of the Board (Roulette) Billy Eckstine - Once More With Feeling (Roulette) Jimmy Rushing - Five Feet of Soul (Colpix) Dinah Washington '62 (Roulette) Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges (Verve LPR) The Jimmy Giuffre 3 - The Easy Way (Verve LPR) The James Moody Story (Verve LPR) Stan Getz - Reflections (Verve LPR) Phil Woods and the European Rhythm Machine - Live at the Montreux Festival (Verve LPR) Quote
Soul Stream Posted June 23, 2003 Report Posted June 23, 2003 Is the Colpix stuff coming out under the domestic Verve umbrella? Or is this import stuff? Quote
Saint Vitus Posted June 23, 2003 Report Posted June 23, 2003 Thanks for reminding me of this ... I'm glad that the Verve list looks far better than the list from the company I'm boycotting. Did Chet Baker play A Love Supreme on the Colpix or was there another most important jazz album of 1964/65? Quote
Saint Vitus Posted June 23, 2003 Report Posted June 23, 2003 Is the Colpix stuff coming out under the domestic Verve umbrella? Or is this import stuff? The Colpix is being released under the supervision of Michael Cuscuna. Quote
Brad Posted June 23, 2003 Author Report Posted June 23, 2003 There's some definitely interesting ones. The Baker looks to have a lot of Dameron on it, the Basie and the Rushings look like ones I want to get. The Mulligan-Hodges combination also sounds like something too good to pass up. The James Moody Story I couldn't find too much about on AMG, except as a Trip LP. If it's one and the same, it's supposed to be very bop-infused. Tomorrow could be another of those bad ($$) days. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted June 23, 2003 Report Posted June 23, 2003 The Colpix stuff is an EMI/BN effort. Quote
JSngry Posted June 23, 2003 Report Posted June 23, 2003 The Basie is a must-have for Jerry Lewis fans. Quote
JSngry Posted June 23, 2003 Report Posted June 23, 2003 Brad - "Blues In Hoss Flat", the opener of the Basie album, is the piece that Lewis used for his famous pantomine in "The Errand Boy" where he was fantasizing about being, well, Chairman of the Board. You know, the one where he's at the board table by himself w/a big stogie and is barking at the imaginary board in sync w/the music. Pretty clever, actually, at least the first time through. Otherwise, it's a good album, but a little too tightly arranged overall for my tastes, a big step along the way for the criticisms that Basie's band was turning into a "swing machine" and losing any and all spontanety. The only thing that really opens up is "Seque In C", which is REALLY nice. The writing's top-notch throughout, especially Thad's "Speaking Of Sound" & "Mutt & Jeff", but again, more solos and less ensemble would have made it more to my liking. But as I understand it, the album did really well saleswise, so that's that! Besides, it's all history now, The REAL Basie band is long dead, so any document from the "glory days", and this was definitely from the glory days, has merit as a document, I think. But the same band doing the same material live and stretching out some would have probably made for a better album. Just my opinion. Classic cover though: Quote
Ed S Posted June 24, 2003 Report Posted June 24, 2003 I've got the Baker, Eckstine, Rushing and Washington on the way. I did not get the Basie as I have the Mosaic. Those Verve's look very nice as well. Quote
Brad Posted June 24, 2003 Author Report Posted June 24, 2003 Jim, thanks. Had forgotten. Memory (plus a lot of other things) are fading. Wasn't lucky enough to get the Mosaic so I'll probably spring for this. Perhaps BN will get around to reissuing all of the material from the Roulette studio sessions. Quote
Paul Christie Posted June 24, 2003 Report Posted June 24, 2003 I have a vinyl copy of the Basie "Chairman" album, and would consider getting the CD. I agree with you JS that it's perhaps a bit over-arranged, but that seemed to be the way with the Atomic era Basie at that stage. I still like the groove they created, and some of the textures they achieved with their horns. Very different from the Ellington band, but the thing I like with these late 50s and early 60s recordings (both Ellington and Basie) is that it was the early days of stereo and what I would call true high fidelity recordings - so you do get to hear the big band in full and glorious sound. As for the Hodges/Mulligan disc - people have been calling for this one for years, especially on the long defunct Verve BB. I only have a few tracks from the session on a couple of other compilations, and what I've heard I really love. I think it has Mel Lewis on drums - it really swings. Can't remember the bass player off hand... Quote
Brad Posted June 24, 2003 Author Report Posted June 24, 2003 Paul, it's Buddy Clark, according to AMG. Quote
DrJ Posted June 25, 2003 Report Posted June 25, 2003 Also agree with Jim to a point, but CHAIRMAN is actually one of my favorite big band albums of that era. There is a restrained feel, but for that band I think it really worked - and there's always the Mosaic of live material if you are in the mood to hear them bust out a little more! Will be glad to replace my vinyl copy, which is a so-so repressing. Quote
Tjazz Posted June 25, 2003 Report Posted June 25, 2003 Courtesy of Alan Lankin, there are some interesting reissues coming out tomorrow: The Jimmy Giuffre 3 - The Easy Way (Verve LPR) I got this one. You can get it Deepdiscountcd.com for $9.97 Quote
JSngry Posted June 25, 2003 Report Posted June 25, 2003 (edited) Will be glad to replace my vinyl copy, which is a so-so repressing. Yo dude - MY copy ain't even a Roulette and it ain't even called "Chairman Of The Board"! It's a MONO lp called COUNT BASIE PLAYS HIS HITS OF THE 60s on the renowned Pickwick/33 label, plucked from a TG&Y store, I think, somewhere in the very early 70s. Sentimental value and an archivist's passion for the days of dimestore bargain racks precludes me from EVER replacing this item! :D Edited June 25, 2003 by JSngry Quote
sidewinder Posted June 26, 2003 Report Posted June 26, 2003 Did Chet Baker play A Love Supreme on the Colpix or was there another most important jazz album of 1964/65? I believe that this Baker album features Phil Urso on tenor and Hal Galper on piano. I guess that it was recorded around the time that Baker temporarily lodged with Tadd on return to the US and signed the infamous 'deal' with Richard Carpenter which led to all sorts of problems. There's a very nice version on it of Dameron's 'Mating Call', featuring Baker on flugelhorn (presumably the instrument that was pawned at some stage around this time). Glad to see this one re-issued ! Quote
Vincent, Paris Posted July 2, 2003 Report Posted July 2, 2003 I believe that this Baker album features Phil Urso on tenor and Hal Galper on piano. ... Jymie Merritt on bass; Charlie Rice on drums. Five tracks composed and arranged by Tadd Dameron. I wish the 'Golden Boy' album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers was among the Colpix reissues. Quote
Dan Gould Posted July 2, 2003 Report Posted July 2, 2003 I'm not a Baker fan but I am definitely interested on account of the Dameron involvement-one of my all time favorite jazz composers. Quote
brownie Posted July 2, 2003 Report Posted July 2, 2003 I'm not a Baker fan but I am definitely interested on account of the Dameron involvement-one of my all time favorite jazz composers. According to James Gavin's Baker bio 'Deep in a Dream', Tadd Dameron and Baker spent time together at Riker's Island. Dameron was sentenced there in 1958 (for 3 years). Baker arrived the next year and stayed for four months. Quote
JSngry Posted July 2, 2003 Report Posted July 2, 2003 I had some nutty dime store version of the Benny Carter Kansas City side, same cover but different label w/no indication it was ever on Roulette. Emus, perhaps? I often wondered what the deal was with that label. Remember, though, Roulette was Morris Levy, one of the most notorious gangsters in the biz, so ANYTHING is possible! Quote
Dan Gould Posted July 2, 2003 Report Posted July 2, 2003 For what its worth, I have an Emus pressing of Count Basie/Joe Williams, Just The Blues and it is, by far, the very nicest sounding album I own. Quote
Brad Posted July 2, 2003 Author Report Posted July 2, 2003 I picked up a few of the Roulettes. The Baker I picked up principally for Phil Urso, who is way underrated. This was a worthy pickup. The only criticism I have are the Chet Baker vocals. They take a bit getting used to but I suppose are mildly inoffensive. I find his falsetto type of singing odd but this is my first experience with it. However, the whole group is strong. Besides Urso, Galper deserves special praise, IMHO. The Dameron arrangements are very, very good. I also picked up the Jimmy Rushing. If you like someone belting out the songs, this is worth it. There's some soloing instrumentations but Mr. Five By Five is obviously the star here. Another good reissue. Quote
DrJ Posted July 3, 2003 Report Posted July 3, 2003 I snagged the Basie CD last weekend and let me tell you it SMOKES. The remastering is very vivid, packs a great wallop. Malcom Addy did the tape transfers, and it really shows - that guy is fast becoming my hero! Worth the upgrade from a so-so LP pressing and THEN some. Quote
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