Ode to the Hep label

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Warmin' up is shown as available from several suppliers on Amazon UK

Thanks - I'll try that now! I've been having a look every month or so, but not since before my hols.

MG

Just ordered it. Thanks RD44.

[ghost of miles]

Hep has just put out the November 1949 Nat King Cole trio concert at Carnegie Hall. This was part of a double-bill tour with Woody Herman's big band; Encore put out a CD a few years ago of both acts performing in California. Looking forward to the Hep release, which includes notes by Will Friedwald.

Amazon UK listing

Edited August 1, 2010 by ghost of miles

[bichos]

thanks, ghost of miles, for this great news. have just ordered one!

keep boppin´

marcel

[Ted O'Reilly]

Just had a first-time listen to the NKC Carnegie Hall concert. There's an interesting mix of material--vocal and instrumental--with good sound dug out of old grooves by Herb Pomeroy.

It was a fairly new version of the group, still with Joe Comfort on bass, but now with Irving Ashby replacing Oscar Moore on guitar. It was no longer "The Nat 'King' Cole Trio", but "Nat 'King' Cole and his Trio", with the addition of Jack Costanzo on (ugh) bongos.

On first hearing, I'd call it an excellent release, even allowing for my personal bugagoo: bongo drums. Don't like 'em, especially on swing-based music -- too static, too abrupt a feeling. Not as offensive if used beside a regular drum set, but please, not on their own...

I'll listen again tomorrow, see how my first impressions hold up.

[ghost of miles]

Got mine today, planning to listen tomorrow (I'm currently listening again to all of the Hep Thornhill releases, as I'm introducing a Thornhill tribute tonight in Terre Haute). BTW, Hep now has a Facebook page.

[bichos]

got mine today. sound is o.k. to my ears. for me it´s a little sensation to find and release a total unknown concert recording of a great performer. why they can´t do this with the lester young library of congress jam sessions or the bill savory collection? i was delighted to read in the liner notes that "hep" hopes to release a comprhensive edition of the july 23, 1949 shrine concert of woody herman at some point in the near future.

i can only say: every new issue of "hep" is a treasure! very rare in these days!!

keep boppin´

marcel

[jazztrain]

Ted:

I assume you mean Doug Pomeroy, not Herb. Looking forward to hearing this.

Just had a first-time listen to the NKC Carnegie Hall concert. There's an interesting mix of material--vocal and instrumental--with good sound dug out of old grooves by Herb Pomeroy.

It was a fairly new version of the group, still with Joe Comfort on bass, but now with Irving Ashby replacing Oscar Moore on guitar. It was no longer "The Nat 'King' Cole Trio", but "Nat 'King' Cole and his Trio", with the addition of Jack Costanzo on (ugh) bongos.

On first hearing, I'd call it an excellent release, even allowing for my personal bugagoo: bongo drums. Don't like 'em, especially on swing-based music -- too static, too abrupt a feeling. Not as offensive if used beside a regular drum set, but please, not on their own...

I'll listen again tomorrow, see how my first impressions hold up.

[Ted O'Reilly]

Ted:

I assume you mean Doug Pomeroy, not Herb. Looking forward to hearing this.

Just had a first-time listen to the NKC Carnegie Hall concert. There's an interesting mix of material--vocal and instrumental--with good sound dug out of old grooves by Herb Pomeroy.

It was a fairly new version of the group, still with Joe Comfort on bass, but now with Irving Ashby replacing Oscar Moore on guitar. It was no longer "The Nat 'King' Cole Trio", but "Nat 'King' Cole and his Trio", with the addition of Jack Costanzo on (ugh) bongos.

On first hearing, I'd call it an excellent release, even allowing for my personal bugagoo: bongo drums. Don't like 'em, especially on swing-based music -- too static, too abrupt a feeling. Not as offensive if used beside a regular drum set, but please, not on their own...

I'll listen again tomorrow, see how my first impressions hold up.

Right you are! Thanks for the correction.

And by the way, having listened to it several times now, I stand by the first impression: it's a very good release. Perhaps not essential (pace, NKC fans) but very enjoyable, and the kind of document I love to see made available.

Interesting that the cover shown on the Amazon site is not the one on the disc. Hep advises that it was a mockup, and was changed because the photo was changed...

[ghost of miles]

Allegro is running a 25% off Hep label sale this week.

[jtaylor]

Interesting that the cover shown on the Amazon site is not the one on the disc. Hep advises that it was a mockup, and was changed because the photo was changed...

When the disc was first advertised, no photograph of Cole from the actual concert had yet been located. Thus, a shot from around the same time period was planned to be used as the best available option. Fortunately, a 'Popsie' photograph was located at the last minute and used as the cover (and included in the liners).

Edited October 5, 2010 by jtaylor

[AllenLowe]

just a correction - the sound was done by Doug Pomeroy, not Herb.

[jazztrain]

Allen: Already noted by me three posts up and then confirmed by Ted.

On the other hand, the quote attributed to me earlier today by jtaylor ("Interesting that the cover shown on the Amazon site is not the one on the disc. Hep advises that it was a mockup, and was changed because the photo was changed...") was not from me.

just a correction - the sound was done by Doug Pomeroy, not Herb.

[jtaylor]

I did indeed unintentionally misquote you. My apologies.

[ghost of miles]

JTaylor, it's a great CD--I'm featuring it on an upcoming Afterglow and will also include it in an end-of-year Night Lights reissues/historical releases roundup. I may have asked you this already, but were you involved with this Cole project? (I seem to recall that you were. Don't have the CD with me to check right now, though.)

[AllenLowe]

never mind

is that JR Taylor who used to do stuff for the Smithsonian?

[jtaylor]

JTaylor, it's a great CD--I'm featuring it on an upcoming Afterglow and will also include it in an end-of-year Night Lights reissues/historical releases roundup. I may have asked you this already, but were you involved with this Cole project? (I seem to recall that you were. Don't have the CD with me to check right now, though.)

Only in a very minor way was I involved with the Carnegie disc. Had more of a role with this Analogue Productions reissue.

Edited October 6, 2010 by jtaylor

[ghost of miles]

Nice! WHERE DID EVERYONE GO?... God, I love that record.

We're using Nat for our main fund-drive thank-you gift this year. Just a best-of anthology, but you can probably guess who pushed eagerly to make NKC the premium pick...

[jtaylor]

Good man, David! Push that NKC whenever you can.

[ghost of miles]

JTaylor, it's a great CD--I'm featuring it on an upcoming Afterglow and will also include it in an end-of-year Night Lights reissues/historical releases roundup.

The Afterglow program featuring the Cole CD is now archived for online listening:

Nat King Cole at Carnegie Hall '49

...also early and late sides of Miles accompanying a vocalist (Sarah Vaughan and Shirley Horn) and a couple of obscure Artie Shaw sides with June Hutton.

[Ted O'Reilly]

Here's a background story to the NKC disc, about David Lennick's role in it. http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/873786--music-buff-unearths-nat-king-cole-show

David's done dozens and dozens of things for Naxos, most of which are not available in the US. A good example of his work is the Ellington 1946 Musicraft material -- the best transfers of that stuff I've ever heard. (Duke Ellington "Jam-a-ditty" Naxos Jazz Legends 8.120813)

[mjzee]

There's a review of the NKC Hep in the Wall St Journal:

WSJ

[ghost of miles]

Here's a background story to the NKC disc, about David Lennick's role in it. http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/873786--music-buff-unearths-nat-king-cole-show

David's done dozens and dozens of things for Naxos, most of which are not available in the US. A good example of his work is the Ellington 1946 Musicraft material -- the best transfers of that stuff I've ever heard. (Duke Ellington "Jam-a-ditty" Naxos Jazz Legends 8.120813)

Thanks for the link, Ted--I added it to the Afterglow program page. I'll have to check out that DKE Naxos CD too (I have Duke's Musicraft sides on the HAPPY-GO-LUCKY LOCAL cd).

[ghost of miles]

Here's a background story to the NKC disc, about David Lennick's role in it. http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/873786--music-buff-unearths-nat-king-cole-show

David's done dozens and dozens of things for Naxos, most of which are not available in the US. A good example of his work is the Ellington 1946 Musicraft material -- the best transfers of that stuff I've ever heard. (Duke Ellington "Jam-a-ditty" Naxos Jazz Legends 8.120813)

Just got the Naxos Duke of the Musicraft sides and you're right, Ted--much superior to the other versions I've heard as well. Thanks for the tip.

[ghost of miles]

New Hep release on the horizon:

Ellington Crystal Gardens 1952

Hep link

[bichos]

great, if not sensational news for all bunny berigan fans: according to michael p. zirpolo, author of a book about bunny berigan hep records will release some unissued airchecks of bunny berigan this summer:

"ANNOUNCEMENT!

It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce that an agreement has been reached between the University of Wisconsin and Alastair Robertson of Hep Records, which will allow previously unissued aircheck and other recordings made by Bunny Berigan in the late 1930s that are housed in the University’s Mills Music Library to be sonically restored, digitally remastered, and issued on the Hep label for worldwide distribution and sale.

Very soon, the acetate disks on which these recordings were made will be shipped from Madison, Wisconsin to sonic engineer Doug Pomeroy in New York City for digital transfers to be made, sonic restoration, and remastering. After that has been done, the acetates will be returned to the Mills Music Library, and the digitally remastered sound files will be sent to Alastair Robertson in Scotland. Mr. Robertson will then begin the production process.

The contemplated CD issue, which we hope will be out this coming summer, will include previously unissued Berigan recordings made while Bunny and his band were at the Hotel Pennsylvania in the spring of 1937, the Paradise Restaurant in the spring of 1938, possibly a recording from their stay at Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan in October of 1938, and a recording that seems to have been made in a studio in the fall of 1938. “I hope to include at least a dozen previously unissued performances on this CD,” said Mr. Robertson recently. “I have heard dubs of the acetates that have not been optimally transferred or sonically restored. Although there is much great playing on them by Bunny and they are pretty good soundwise, until I get the final digital transfers that have been cleaned-up by Doug Pomeroy, I cannot say with certainty exactly how many of them will be of sufficient sound quality for commercial issue. But I hope that the CD will have at least a dozen previously unissued tracks on it. The balance of the tracks on the CD will be rare but previously issued airchecks that all have excellent Berigan playing on them, and range in sound quality from very good to excellent. My objective with this CD is to present as much previously unissued Berigan music as possible in the best sound possible with the best Berigan playing possible.”

Among the musicians who will be heard with Bunny on this CD are: Buddy Rich, George Wettling, Johnny Blowers, drums; Georgie Auld, tenor sax; Joe Dixon, Gus Bivona, Joe DiMaggio, alto sax and clarinet; Sonny Lee and Ray Conniff, trombone; Joe Bushkin and Buddy Koss, piano.

I will assist Mr. Robertson in any way I can with the production of this CD. I will be writing the liner notes, compiling the necessary information about each selection, and providing the photos that will be used.

I will provide continuous reports on the progress of this project on the “Mr. Trumpet” website. You can also go to www.hepjazz.com and scroll down to “Hep Jazz News,” and click.

MICHAEL P. ZIRPOLO"

great news, indeed!!!

keep boppin´

marcel