The TCB label

[slide_advantage_redoux]

Is anyone particularly knowledgeable about the budget label "TCB"? I have the release with Freddie Hubbard and Curtis Fuller, and I enjoy it a lot. The playing is terrific and the solos are great too, but production values I always questioned. The intonation I found to be ridiculously bad. Any producer could have stopped the session and insisted they tune up. Am I being too anal? I don't think so.

In this collection I am currently cataloguing I came across another TCB release. "The Third World" with DOnald Byrd and Booker Ervin. I am so busy typing into Excell that I haven't taken time to drop a needle on much of anything so far, but I have a stack of them lined up, and this one is in it.

Oops....I meant to type Booker Ervin, not Little.

Edited September 25, 2006 by slide_advantage_redoux

[Dmitry]

I asked the same question on the old BN Board some years ago. Since then I've come across several TCB Lps. Basically they're junk, imo. TCB was a budget reissue label from the 70's. The sound quality of the LPs I've played was pretty spotty, with some weird reverb added. I stay away from them.

[Shannon Dickey]

I have the Booker Ervin/Booker Little LP on tcb (tcb 1003). Sound is spotty. I don't know where these recordings came from?!? Anybody know the provenance of this particular session?

I heard several years back that whoever WAS in charge of tcb, got into some heavy legal problems, as these were essentialy Bootlegs. If anyone can shed some light on the Ervin/Little session it would be much appreciated!!

[Chuck Nessa]

Most of the stuff was from Warwick. Much of it has been reissued by Fresh Sound. Check sessions by Fuller, Teddy Charles, etc for details. No time now.

[michel1969]

I have the Booker Ervin/Booker Little LP on tcb (tcb 1003). Sound is spotty. I don't know where these recordings came from?!? Anybody know the provenance of this particular session?

I heard several years back that whoever WAS in charge of tcb, got into some heavy legal problems, as these were essentialy Bootlegs. If anyone can shed some light on the Ervin/Little session it would be much appreciated!!

The Booker Ervin Booker Little was originally released on Warwick (W 2033) as Teddy Charles' new directions quintet "Metronome presents Jazz in the Garden at the Museum of Modern Art" with TC + Ed Shaughnessy, mal Waldron, Addison farmer + BE and BL NY 25/08/1960 This record is quite tough to find, but not especially sought after. Quite good session anyway

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Is this the Swiss label TCB? I have two CDs on that label, both by Bubba Brooks. "Smooth sailing" has Kenny Drew Jr and Peter Bernstein and a rhythme section both called Washington and is a thoroughly good Soul Jazz album. "Polka dots & moonbeams" has Lonnie Smith, Jack Wilkins and Persip and is an album I love very mucho.

MG

[king ubu]

The swiss TCB label (founded/headed by drummer Peter Schmidlin - someone posting here used to work for him, I remember, but can't tell who it was) is a very nice one!

Their "Swiss Radio Days" series has some great discs to offer - my one favourite is the fantastic 1969 Basle concert of the Jones/Lewis big band, featuring terrific solos by Joe Henderson, Richard Williams, Jerome Richardson, Jimmy Knepper, Roland Hanna and of course the whole band is smokin¨!

TCB also releases new recordings, by artists like Buster Williams, Lynne Arriale, Louis Hayes and other "modern mainstream" musicians. They also have a few nice things in their catalogue that are most certainly below most listeners' radars, like the "International Hashva Orchestra", a Tristano-influenced cool band by Nat Su (alto sax) with Mark Turner, and a few other, more adventurous releases (Pago Libre's "Cinémagiques", for instance).

A great label, I'd say, and hopefully there's no connection to this crappy vinyl reissue label! Or if there was, let that be a youthful sin of Mr. Schmidlin, since TCB nowadays is very respectable company, or so I think.

[Chuck Nessa]

No connection with the Swiss concern or any yogurt company.

[JSngry]

No explanation of where the TCB string overdubs on the Andrew Hill album came form?

Although, there's one cut on the TCB that's not from the Hill Warwick LP, iirc. But that's just one...

[felser]

Most of the stuff was from Warwick. Much of it has been reissued by Fresh Sound. Check sessions by Fuller, Teddy Charles, etc for details. No time now.

I think Collectables also reissued some, using the TCB billings. Fresh Sound used the original, proper Warwick billings, and are the way to go. The sessions are generally worthwhile, especially 'The Third World' (originally a Curtis Fuller album, I think). and the Byrd-Adams, but TCB would change the leadership credits in order to market under the name of the most recognizable musician, regardless of whether he was leader or sideman. Hence the Byrd-Adams stuff came out on the TCB reissues under Herbie Hancock's name. The sound quality is poor, even for the era, but is quite listenable.

[Shannon Dickey]

Thanks for the information, Michel!

It IS a good session, regardless of the sound.

---HB

[michel1969]

Thanks for the information, Michel!

It IS a good session, regardless of the sound.

---HB

Your thread made me dig it out and listen to it. Yes : more than quite good ! Booker Ervin is, as usual, extraordinary. And the music is really good.

[Chas]

No explanation of where the TCB string overdubs on the Andrew Hill album came form?

Those strings sound synthesized ; maybe an ARP String Ensemble Synth ??

Although, there's one cut on the TCB that's not from the Hill Warwick LP, iirc. But that's just one...

I've wondered about this too . The track " Good Time Soul " was not on the original vinyl or the current Fresh Sound CD . An outtake perhaps ? The current Fresh Sound CD does not have the original cover . However , Fresh Sound did issue the session on vinyl with the original cover ( and possibly on CD ? ) . It did not have " Good Time Soul " either .

Fresh Sound used the original, proper Warwick billings, and are the way to go. The sessions are generally worthwhile, especially 'The Third World' (originally a Curtis Fuller album, I think).

The Third World is actually a Various Artists date called " The Soul of Jazz Percussion " . Issued by Fresh Sound on CD , it is now OOP . Alan Saul's Booker Little discography has more details . It is an excellent date , though it has the typical Warwick gimmicky " Three Dimensional " stereo .

Of course the TCBs are crap . Back in those days however , the Warwick LPs were rarae aves , and consequently , the TCBs were the only way to hear the music . I have five TCBs ; were there any more ?. I never saw any TCB reissues of the Warwick albums of Cootie Williams or Mary Osborne or Ralph Burns ( this last now available from Fresh Sound ) .

The Curtis Fuller Boss of the Soul Stream Trombone was on TCB under Freddie Hubbard's name IIRC . It is worth having , as is the Pepper Adams-Donald Byrd Out of this World date which is Herbie Hancock's recording debut , and which as already noted , was issued under Hancock's name on TCB .

[JSngry]

No explanation of where the TCB string overdubs on the Andrew Hill album came form?

Those strings sound synthesized ; maybe an ARP String Ensemble Synth ??

Definitely.