Ode to the Hep label

[jostber]

Do you have recommendations for some of the releases in the Metronome series?

http://www.hepjazz.com/metro.html

Edited October 13, 2008 by jostber

[Clunky]

ELLA FITZGERALD Live at the Savoy - 1939-40- no vocals

JOE MOONEY QUARTET vols 1 & 2: 'Joe Breaks the Ice'

NAT PIERCE 'Boston Bust Out'

BUDDY RICH & His Orchestra And His Legendary '47-48 Orchestra

BOYD RAEBURN & His Orchestra 'The Transcription Performances 1946'

these are my top Metronome picks ,also add the Basie/Young Jubilee set

Edited October 13, 2008 by Clunky

[jazzbo]

If you're at all open to Voutey, the Gaillards are all three very fine. I also really like the Goodman/Hasselgard.

[Peter Friedman]

My three recommendations are:

Count Basie & His Orchestra - The Jubilee Alternatives

Benny Goodman with Wardell Gray & Stan Hasselgard - Benny's Bop 1948-49

Nat Pierce - The Boston Burst-out

[captainwrong]

Is there anywhere to get discography info for these releases? I've bought several through eMusic and I'd buy more if I knew more of what I was getting. I couldn't find the info on their site, maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?

[king ubu]

another sale at allegro:

http://www.allegro-music.com/label_search.asp?label=HEP

[king ubu]

I ordered these, I hope they were good choices:

Sounds Of Harlem 60336610652-HEP 1065

Sounds of Harlem 60336610662-HEP 1066

Groovin' High in 60336600152-HEP 15

1948-Transcripti 60336600172-HEP 17 [Claude Thornhill]

They All Had Rhy 60336600482-HEP 48

I'd still love to get the Norvo and Wilson series, and more of the Thornhill...

Edited January 23, 2009 by king ubu

[papsrus]

I'm in!

Just fired up Teddy Wilson's "Of Thee I Swing" after retrieving it from the mailbox and loving it. Gotta comb through this thread for some more ideas.

[ghost of miles]

Looks like Hep has a new release out--a 2-CD set of Artie Shaw's 1945 Spotlight broadcasts:

New Releases

I have a single-disc comp of some of this material but will probably trade it in and go for the Hep.

[king ubu]

Is that the Jazz Unlimited disc? If so, I have it as well. With Eldridge on the first few tracks?

Played the two Harlem volumes over the weekend, lovely stuff! Some of it just nice, but some of it very good! Also it's cool to get a spotlight on overlooked/little-known musicians, such as Taft Jordan!

[ghost of miles]

Is that the Jazz Unlimited disc? If so, I have it as well. With Eldridge on the first few tracks?

Yes, it's the Jazz Unlimited--thanks, KU, couldn't remember the name of the label. I need to do a comparison to see how much extra material has landed on the Hep, but I'm enough of a Shaw fan to want to take the plunge.

[king ubu]

I still need to play the Hep 44/45 3CD set and the Hindsight 3CD set first... but I think I'm growing to be more of a fan each time I play some of Shaw's music! I'll also need that Freshsound disc with the 1949 recordings:

The Artistry Of Artie Shaw And His Bop Band 1949

Artie Shaw

Featuring: Artie Shaw (leader, cl) with Don Paladino, Don Fagerquist, Dale Pierce and Vic Ford (tp), Sonny Russo, Fred Zito, Ange Callea and Porky Cohen (tb), Herb Steward and Frank Socolow (as), Al Cohn and Zoot Sims (ts), Danny Bank (bars), Gil Barrios (p), Jimmy

REFERENCE: FSRCD 397

BAR CODE: 8427328603973

PRICE: 9.90 €

In 1949, just before he was about to start yet another big band, Artie Shaw made the following statement: "We'll find an identity. Perhaps it would be fairer to say I'll find one. Sooner or later all bands that stick find an identity, and find it through their leader. All the sounds -the creative arrangements, the pop tunes and the originals - must be channelized through the leader."

And on September 14, 1949 Artie Shaw was back on the bandstand, opening at Symphony Hall, Boston. The band's book contained both old and new material, and it was the first time Shaw had gone on the road with a band for many years. The 1949 band features a mixture of numbers associated with the Shaw bands of the early 40's and some in a more modern vein from new writers/arrangers such as Tadd Dameron, Johnny Mandel, Gene Roland and George Russell, with the more exotic Latin sounds coming from the pen of John Bartee.

Tracklisting:

1. Smooth and Easy 3:22

2. Krazy Cat 3:20

3. Afro-Cubana 3:44

4. Stardust 3:40

5. Fred's Delight 4:07

6. I Get a Kick Out of You 3:26

7. Mucho de Nada 3:28

8. I Cover the Waterfront 3:15

9. 'S Wonderful 3:02

10. Similau 3:27

11. Aesop's Foibles 3:42

12. They Can't Take that Away from Me 2:54

13. So Easy 3:23

14. Carnival 3:07

15. Orinoco 2:40

16. Innuendo 4:31

Arrangements: Johnny Mandel (#6), Tadd Dameron, Gene Roland, John Bartee, Lennie Hayton (#4,8), George Russell, Ray Conniff (#9), George Siravo (#12), and Paul Jordan (#14).

Personnel: Artie Shaw (leader, cl) with Don Paladino, Don Fagerquist, Dale Pierce and Vic Ford (tp), Sonny Russo, Fred Zito, Ange Callea and Porky Cohen (tb), Herb Steward and Frank Socolow (as), Al Cohn and Zoot Sims (ts), Danny Bank (bars), Gil Barrios (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Dick Niveson (b), Irv Kluger (d)

Recorded on 1949.

(edited to add info on the cd)

Edited February 12, 2009 by king ubu

[ghost of miles]

I still need to play the Hep 44/45 3CD set and the Hindsight 3CD set first... but I think I'm growing to be more of a fan each time I play some of Shaw's music!

Those are both outstanding sets! Two very different bands, but wow...the Hep 1944-45 really blew me away when I first heard it. And some great airchecks on the Hindsight set (from a period that Artie was pretty scathing about whenever he looked back upon it).

[bichos]

info for all artie shaw fans:

the new "hep" double cd "artie shaw: the complete spotlight band 1945 broadcasts" is out now! it has the five complete unedited spotlight bands plus three tracks from a "fitch bandwagon" broadcast of nov. 7, 1945 ("s´wonderful", "night and day", "let´s walk")with his wonderful band including roy eldridge, barney kessel, ray linn, dodo marmarosa and herbie steward. in addition to the "jazz unlimited" cd from 2003 it has the following more from september 12, 1945: "if i loved you", "out of this world", "begin the beguine"(complete), "together". from september 19, 1945: "stardust", "i cover the waterfront", "just floatin´ along"(complete). from september 26, 1945: "i´m gonna love that guy", summertime", "it had to be you". from october 3, 1945: "dancing in the dark", "softly as in a morning sunrise", "out of this world". and from october 10, 1945: "i can´t get started", "grabtown grapple"(the gramercy five with the wonderful dodo marmarosa on piano [one more item in his discography!!!!]), "it might as well be spring". and although other issues both on lp and cd of the edited spotlights exist this is the only double cd that contains all the tunes.

keep boppin´

marcel

[Clunky]

Looks like Hep has a new release out--a 2-CD set of Artie Shaw's 1945 Spotlight broadcasts:

New Releases

I have a single-disc comp of some of this material but will probably trade it in and go for the Hep.

Got the Hep 2cd Artie Shaw 1945, first impressions , excellent sound by Doug Pomeroy, not sure it sheds really much new light on Shaw for me but a fine set none the less. The few small group tracks are excellent although Little jazz is missing from 3 of the 5 Gramercy Five numbers.

[ghost of miles]

info for all artie shaw fans:

the new "hep" double cd "artie shaw: the complete spotlight band 1945 broadcasts" is out now! it has the five complete unedited spotlight bands plus three tracks from a "fitch bandwagon" broadcast of nov. 7, 1945 ("s´wonderful", "night and day", "let´s walk")with his wonderful band including roy eldridge, barney kessel, ray linn, dodo marmarosa and herbie steward. in addition to the "jazz unlimited" cd from 2003 it has the following more from september 12, 1945: "if i loved you", "out of this world", "begin the beguine"(complete), "together". from september 19, 1945: "stardust", "i cover the waterfront", "just floatin´ along"(complete). from september 26, 1945: "i´m gonna love that guy", summertime", "it had to be you". from october 3, 1945: "dancing in the dark", "softly as in a morning sunrise", "out of this world". and from october 10, 1945: "i can´t get started", "grabtown grapple"(the gramercy five with the wonderful dodo marmarosa on piano [one more item in his discography!!!!]), "it might as well be spring". and although other issues both on lp and cd of the edited spotlights exist this is the only double cd that contains all the tunes.

keep boppin´

marcel

Thanks much for the rundown, marcel--will definitely pick this one up.

[ghost of miles]

New release on the Hep label:

CD 87

CORKY CORCORAN

with Lamplighter All Stars 1945.

Outstanding mainstream jazz from 1945 featuring two giants of the tenor sax Corky Corcoran and Lucky Thompson.

Appears to include Arnold Ross, Count Basie and Willie Smith as well.

Edited August 22, 2009 by ghost of miles

[Guest Bill Barton]

It's been a long time since I thought about Hep...

Much of the historical material sounds interesting indeed. And I never knew that Jessica Williams and Rob Mazurek had recorded for them!

Here's one from that Allegro list that's worth checking out:

Don Lanphere

Edited August 22, 2009 by Bill Barton

[bichos]

New release on the Hep label:

CD 87

CORKY CORCORAN

with Lamplighter All Stars 1945.

Outstanding mainstream jazz from 1945 featuring two giants of the tenor sax Corky Corcoran and Lucky Thompson.

Appears to include Arnold Ross, Count Basie and Willie Smith as well.

just listening to the new hep cd: corky corcoran: the lamplighter all stars broadcasts-1945". t h a t i s i t !!!!!!!

wonderful relaxed, live swingin´ sessions without time restrictions. (the tracks are between 4 and 10 minutes long). three sessions with emmett berry (what a wonderful trumpet player!), willie smith (good as always), corky corcoran (this boy can blow), arnold ross (with some of his best solos here- belive me!), allen reuss (playing also solo-guitar, rare!) zutty singleton (a master of the drums), jake porter, (a trumpeter who sounds very modern), barney bigard and some of the basie band including lucky thompson!! reminds me of the sunset all-stars recordings for the sunset label from the same year but this is live!! a wonderful cd that i can´t prise high enought!! together with the "lamplighter´s jazz sessions" on the "a jazz hour with" label from 1999 the only two medias that have this wonderful broadcasts! the last has also a rare track with oscar pettiford and his group from 1945. historic!

go and get it!!!!!!

keep boppin´

marcel

[J.A.W.]

Like Mosaic, Hep Records are struggling, so if you are planning to get some of their excellent CDs, do it now, it will be appreciated!

I do not have any connections with Hep

Edited November 27, 2009 by J.A.W.

[ghost of miles]

Amen to that--an incredible label. I pretty much buy anything Alastair puts out. One recommendation would be any of the post-1945 Claude Thornhill titles.

Edited November 28, 2009 by ghost of miles

[Clunky]

Hep is a wonderful label, last week picked up Ice cream on toast by Slim Gaillard and the excellent compilation Guitars in Flight - Swing to Bop 1939-47 Volume 1

I hope they survive.

[jazztrain]

Ironically, I was just listening to the 1946-1947 performances, volumes 1 & 2 yesterday. One of the transcription discs is also in the to be listened to pile.

Amen to that--an incredible label. I pretty much buy anything Alastair puts out. One recommendation would be any of the post-1945 Claude Thornhill titles.

[ghost of miles]

I've got all 8 of the Hep Thornhill volumes--they were invaluable in putting together the Night Lights Thornhill show. Hard to imagine any other label (outside of Chronological Classics, which for some reason never got around to CT) devoting that many CDs to the man from Terre Haute.

[Big Beat Steve]

Speaking of the Hep label, has anybody ever taken the plunge and bought the "New Friends Of Rhythm" CD (CD 1086)? That "swinging the classics" idea has its charm (and I've listend to a fair bit of that kind of tunes frm that period) but I am not so sure if this particular one really does swing in a really jazzy manner or if it is all just gimmickry. Somehow I am a bit wary when classical musicians all of a sudden discover their jazz inclinations.