Fantasy Jazz Site--GONE!

[Ron S]

Try going to the Fantasy site (www.fantasyjazz.com), then wait a couple of seconds. And be prepared: life as we knew it is OVER.

[Saint Vitus]

If you do not wait and click on a link, the Fantasy site still seems to work. As for the Concord site, I hope the update is not completed on the Fantasy catalog. Several artist pages have some important titles missing in the discography.

[Eric]

Yech indeed. So much for any identity or brand.

I did discover this piece in the "Vault" section:

November 2, 2005

Prestige Profiles Q&A with Nick Phillips

Tell us about this new Prestige reissue series, the first to be released since Concord Records’ purchase of the Fantasy, Inc. catalog and the formation Concord Music Group...

The label name “Prestige” couldn’t be more appropriate. Some of jazz’s most prestigious and significant artists made their home on Prestige, from Miles D avis and John Coltrane, to Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins. With the Prestige Profiles series—and the concept of including a different various-artists bonus disc to accompany and complement each artist-specific collection—our intention was to make it easy and affordable for the casual jazz listener to make some exciting new discoveries, while also presenting artists and performances that would make for some compelling rediscoveries for even the most seasoned jazz aficionado. Either way, it’s a super value on some timeless music.

With such a wealth of material in the Fantasy vaults what were the criteria you used for putting together the material on the bonus discs?

First of all, the tracks included on the Prestige Profiles bonus discs are exclusively from the Prestige catalog. The idea was that each Prestige Profiles collection not only musically profiles the artist that is featured on disc one, but also profiles the Prestige label, telling a different part of the Prestige story with each unique, various-artists bonus disc collection.

We decided that the best way to approach compiling a unique bonus disc to accompany each Prestige artist collection was to first and foremost select performances that would be musically compatible with the featured artist disc; that it wouldn’t be a too much of a musical stretch to listen to the companion bonus disc after hearing the artist-specific collection. So, for example, the music on the bonus disc that accompanies the Coleman Hawkins disc is decidedly swing-oriented, while the companion bonus disc to the Eric D olphy collection features music that is much more modern and left of center.

In addition to stylistic compatibility, I also looked to highlight other connections to the featured artist wherever possible, including selecting tracks by artists who had a direct association with the profiled artist, and/or played the same instrument. For example, in the bonus disc that accompanies the Miles D avis collection, I started by selecting tracks by those artists in the Prestige catalog that had direct associations with Miles—John Coltrane, Red Garland, Gil Evans, etc. Then I rounded out the bonus disc with performances by some of Miles’s trumpet-playing peers on Prestige, closing with, appropriately, an all-out jam by trumpeters D onald Byrd and Art Farmer on Miles’s own composition “ D ig.”

For the jazz novice, describe the impact and historical importance of the Prestige Records catalog.

If it were only for the formative recordings on the label by two of jazz’s most influential artists, Miles D avis and John Coltrane, Prestige would still be an essential part of jazz history. And yet there’s so much more in the Prestige catalog that has undeniably made it one of the most important labels in the history of jazz, including seminal works by modern jazz legends Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk; envelope-pushing recordings by artists such as Eric D olphy, Yusef Lateef, and Booker Ervin; straight-ahead, swinging sessions by artists such as Gene Ammons and Ed die “Lockjaw” D avis; and countless classic soul-jazz recordings of the ‘60s by Jack Mc D uff, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Charles Earland, and others. That’s just scratching the surface in terms of the depth of the Prestige label. If you take all of the artists and the variety of jazz styles documented on Prestige and its subsidiary imprints such as New Jazz, Swingville, and Moodsville, it is very clear that Prestige represents an impressive and important chunk of the jazz pantheon.

Why was the decision made to reissue the 10 "Best Of" discs so soon after their initial release?

Fantasy Records released the Prestige “Best of” collections at the end of 2004 at a time when Concord and Fantasy were nearing the final stages of negotiations. It was pretty apparent to all involved—including Fantasy’s distributor—that that the deal was close to being concluded. Those “Best of” releases, in many respects, fell through the cracks. They were released at an inopportune time with minimal distribution and marketing support. So, only a limited number of them ultimately found their way into the hands of music fans.

[Concord Music Group president] Glen Barros came up with the idea to create unique various-artists bonus disc collections to accompany artist-specific compilations—something that, to the best of our knowledge, hadn’t been done before—in order to provide a broader and deeper survey of the Prestige catalog. Because we thought that the Prestige “Best of” compilations—which were compiled by the Fantasy Records staff—were well-chosen collections, we decided to try to give this music the attention we thought it deserved by making available to a broader audience via the Prestige Profiles concept and releases. With some attractive new packaging, the value-added component of the individual bonus disc collections, broader distribution, and focused sales and marketing efforts, our intention is to, quite simply, get this important music into the hands and ears of many more music fans.

Because the original Prestige “Best of” compilation C D s are now out of print, those who did find and purchase them when they were originally released, it turns out, now have what amounts to a very limited edition release. For those who didn’t obtain the Prestige “Best of” releases the first time around, the Prestige Profiles versions—with the addition of a different bonus disc with each of the first ten titles— expose music fans to even more essential music from the Prestige catalog, at the same low price as the original “Best of” releases. We think that music fans will find the Prestige Profiles series’ combination of musical quality, music quantity, and value quite appealing.

What is next on the reissue agenda?

There are a number of things in the works for 2006, including a Rudy Van Gelder Remaster series. Many of the recordings in the Prestige catalog were recorded by the renowned jazz engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Selected essential albums that Rudy originally engineered will be transferred by Rudy from the original analog stereo master tapes and remastered with high-resolution 24-bit digital technology. New liner notes will be included along with the original LP liner notes. Amongst the first 10 Prestige RVG Remaster releases that are currently slotted for release in March of 2006 are such indispensable jazz classics as Sonny Rollins’s Saxophone Colossus, John Coltrane’s Lush Life, The Modern Jazz Quartet’s D jango, and Relaxin’ with the Miles D avis Quintet.

In celebration of the 80th birthdays of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, we’ll release a boxed set in April 2006 featuring all of the Prestige recordings of the legendary Miles D avis Quintet featuring John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones.

We’re planning to extend the Profiles series to other labels and artists in the Concord Music Group catalog. Next in the Profiles series will be Stax Profiles collections featuring some of the celebrated Memphis soul label’s icons, including Albert King, Johnnie Taylor, Booker T. & the MGs, Otis Redding, and others. We’re also planning a Milestone Profiles series in celebration of the Milestone label’s 40th Anniversary in 2006.

There’s much more, but those are a few of the highlights from the first half of 2006

[Ron S]

The new Concord site indicates that it will replace the old Fantasy site. Man, this sucks.

[Jim Alfredson]

The new Concord site indicates that it will replace the old Fantasy site.  Man, this sucks.  

←

But c'mon, you can buy the new Soulive record.

[catesta]

It seems to be hit and miss.

Just now I could access the old catalog pages, but an hour ago it re-directed me to the Concord pages.

Any idea if we can still order the hard copy catalog?

[Man with the Golden Arm]

What is next on the reissue agenda? 

There are a number of things in the works for 2006, including a Rudy Van Gelder Remaster series.  Many of the recordings in the Prestige catalog were recorded by the renowned jazz engineer Rudy Van Gelder.  Selected essential albums that Rudy originally engineered will be transferred by Rudy from the original analog stereo master tapes and remastered with high-resolution 24-bit digital technology.  New liner notes will be included along with the original LP liner notes.  Amongst the first 10 Prestige RVG Remaster releases that are currently slotted for release in March of 2006 are such indispensable jazz classics as Sonny Rollins’s Saxophone Colossus, John Coltrane’s Lush Life, The Modern Jazz Quartet’s D jango, and Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet.

that'll be nice hearing some Prestige titles all fizzy and compressed with some nice armageddon volume tweaking!

[J.A.W.]

What is next on the reissue agenda? 

There are a number of things in the works for 2006, including a Rudy Van Gelder Remaster series.  Many of the recordings in the Prestige catalog were recorded by the renowned jazz engineer Rudy Van Gelder.  Selected essential albums that Rudy originally engineered will be transferred by Rudy from the original analog stereo master tapes and remastered with high-resolution 24-bit digital technology.   New liner notes will be included along with the original LP liner notes.  Amongst the first 10 Prestige RVG Remaster releases that are currently slotted for release in March of 2006 are such indispensable jazz classics as Sonny Rollins’s Saxophone Colossus, John Coltrane’s Lush Life, The Modern Jazz Quartet’s D jango, and Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet.

that'll be nice hearing some Prestige titles all fizzy and compressed with some nice armageddon volume tweaking!

←

You're probably right... Ugh...

[Daniel A]

As for the Concord site, I hope the update is not completed on the Fantasy catalog. Several artist pages have some important titles missing in the discography.

←

Which ones were missing when you looked? I just browsed through a couple of artists, and it appeared as if all titles from the old Fantasy catalog were still there.

Allthough, I must admit that I stopped searching after assuring me that this essential Riverside album is still in the Concord catalog...:

[Ron S]

Which ones were missing when you looked? I just browsed through a couple of artists, and it appeared as if all titles from the old Fantasy catalog were still there.

Allthough, I must admit that I stopped searching after assuring me that this essential Riverside album is still in the Concord catalog...:

But what about the 20-bit K2 remastering?

[Saint Vitus]

As for the Concord site, I hope the update is not completed on the Fantasy catalog. Several artist pages have some important titles missing in the discography.

←

Which ones were missing when you looked? I just browsed through a couple of artists, and it appeared as if all titles from the old Fantasy catalog were still there.

←

I quickly looked up two Arts, Farmer and Tatum. Both had several titles missing.

[mikeweil]

It seems to be hit and miss.

Just now I could access the old catalog pages, but an hour ago it re-directed me to the Concord pages.

Any idea if we can still order the hard copy catalog?

←

Use this link to go directly to the catalog page.

The latest printed catalog is available for download as a pdf file on this page - better than nothing.

BTW - if you want to browse the catalog like you are used to do online, you can rip the whole site to your harddisc, Xaldon web spider or other software will create a mirror of the whole site. With a fast connection it doesn't take too long.

Edited November 12, 2005 by mikeweil

[catesta]

Thanks.

[BERIGAN]

It seems to be hit and miss.

Just now I could access the old catalog pages, but an hour ago it re-directed me to the Concord pages.

Any idea if we can still order the hard copy catalog?

←

Use this link to go directly to the catalog page.

The latest printed catalog is available for download as a pdf file on this page - better than nothing.

BTW - if you want to browse the catalog like you are used to do online, you can rip the whole site to your harddisc, Xaldon web spider or other software will create a mirror of the whole site. With a fast connection it doesn't take too long.

←

this is what I get clicking the link....

Not Found

The requested document was not found on this server.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Web Server at concordmusicgroup.com

[J.A.W.]

It seems to be hit and miss.

Just now I could access the old catalog pages, but an hour ago it re-directed me to the Concord pages.

Any idea if we can still order the hard copy catalog?

←

Use this link to go directly to the catalog page.

The latest printed catalog is available for download as a pdf file on this page - better than nothing.

BTW - if you want to browse the catalog like you are used to do online, you can rip the whole site to your harddisc, Xaldon web spider or other software will create a mirror of the whole site. With a fast connection it doesn't take too long.

←

this is what I get clicking the link....

Not Found

The requested document was not found on this server.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Web Server at concordmusicgroup.com

←

Same here...

[Claude]

It seems that Concord is in the process of integrating the Fantasy website content into theirs. They have implemented a redirect that sends requests to fantasyjazz.com over to concordmusicgroup.com, although the Fantasy pages are not yet available on the new server (hence the error message). Instead of this mess, it would have been better just to close the Fantasy website until the reorganisation is finished. Maybe on monday it will be fixed.

I have the Fantasy 2004 PDF catalog on my hard drive, but it is a whopping 43MB file, so I cannot send it by email.

Edited November 13, 2005 by Claude

[mikeweil]

this is what I get clicking the link....

Not Found

The requested document was not found on this server.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Web Server at concordmusicgroup.com

Sorry - it worked perfectly on my computer/browser combination - until today. As Claude stated, the Concord webmasters are working on integrating the whole Fantasy online catalog into their own site, which will take some time.

Edited November 13, 2005 by mikeweil

[Ron S]

Now when you type www.fantasyjazz.com into your browser, it takes you directly to the new Concord site--no first stop in Fantasyland.

Of course Concord, being headquartered in Beverly Hills, has to have a web site that is totally Hollywood with all the bells and whistles and fancy web effects. I know they're still working on it, but this site seems much slower and more awkard to negotiate. While the old Fantasy site was somewhat behind the times from a web-design technology perspective (no fancy Macromedia Flash effects, etc.), it had an elegant simplicity that made it easy to negotiate to get to the information you were seeking very quickly.

Incidentally, on the Concord home page, a search under "W" in the artitsts drop-down (alphabetized by FIRST name now ) reveals a list that is missing Wes Montgomery. I know that's only temporary--you can still get to him through the convoluted "shop" pathway--but still, . . . .

Also, something tells me that we're no longer going to see both the original and the 20-bit K2 masterings of titles maintained in the catalog. Of course, we'll be lucky if any mastering of a lot of these titles is kept in the catalog.

[CJ Shearn]

what? no more K2's?

[Saint Vitus]

what? no more K2's?

←

I'd rather lose K2's if that means the entire OJC catalog remains in print. But of course that won't be the case. The day Concord starts deleting Fantasy catalog left and right is the day I start boycotting their products.

[J.A.W.]

what? no more K2's?

←

I'd rather lose K2's if that means the entire OJC catalog remains in print.

←

My thoughts exactly.

[Ron S]

what? no more K2's?

Or at least no more offering both the K2 and the OJC releases of the same title. I'm just speculating--don't know that's going to happen for a fact. Right now, the site's so screwed up it's hard to tell exactly what they're going to keep in the catalog (e.g., under Wes Montgomery in the "Shop" section, there are no K2's, but they're also completely missing titles like "Boss Guitar" and "Full House" that I can't imagine them deleting from the catalog ).

[Ron S]

Well, I stand partially corrected. It seems that if you search for an artist in the search box at the top of each page, you get a complete (at least at first glance) listing of the titles that had appeared on the old Fantasy site. In fact, in the case of Barney Kessel, I found 2 titles that had been OOP and had not been appearing recently on the Fantasy site ("Feeling Free" and "Red Hot and Blues"). So could it be that Concord is actually bringing some OOP titles back? Or perhaps they're just clearing out some stock that Fantasy had in storage? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

But still no K2's on the site--at least that I could find.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I thought this might happen, when I read of the takeover, so I downloaded the whole Fantasy catalogue in March as a series of 806 .txt files. It's a bit hard to e-mail the lot, but if anyone wants some specific bits of info, I'll be pleased to help.

MG

[Roger Hiles]

Don't forget the waybackmachine for old web pages-- the Fantasy catalog from 2004 lives on.

Check out this link: click here