V.S.O.P. (the label from San Diego)

[neveronfriday]

My only complaint about these CDs has always been that they are so short, the label could easily create two-fers. As it is, some of these sessions, which were probably 10 inch LPs, run under 30 minutes. Sure, it's 30 minutes of great music, but it doesn't help the wallet. Quite honestly, I've always bought these in the used bin because of this. Maybe if they had made two-fers, I might have felt different.

I don't mind so much. Yes, they're a bit pricey (the ones I got cost between $4 and $7, which I think is more than reasonable when compared to a lot of totally overpriced crud on the market) if you consider the amount of music that's on there, but they are also readily available and a great reissue program. Worth supporting, I think.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

The Mike Barone Big band - Live At Donte's, 1968

HEY GUYS WHAT IS THIS ONE ALL ABOUT?

whos in the band and is this a good one. WCJ big band is my favorite

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

have there been a lot of recordings from Dantes-- i know of the art pepper one, the warne/art one and some warne solo stuff from the 80s but besides all that and the above mentioned one is there a lot of west coast jazz recorded there?

[neveronfriday]

The Mike Barone Big band - Live At Donte's, 1968

HEY GUYS WHAT IS THIS ONE ALL ABOUT?

whos in the band and is this a good one. WCJ big band is my favorite

From the VSOP website:

V.S.O.P. #103

THE MIKE BARONE BIG BAND: LIVE AT DONTE'S, 1968

*December 11, 1968 : Larry McGuire, Buddy Childers, Gary Barone, Steve Huffsteter (tp); Jim Trimble, Pete Myers, Vince Diaz, Ernie Tack (tb); Lou Ciotti, Bill Hood, (ts); Med Flory, Bill Perkins (as); Jack Nimitz (bs); Mike Wofford (piano); Jim Hughart (bass); John Guerin (drums).

**November 6, 1968 : Same as December 11, 1968, except Cliff Bryant replaces Mike Wofford (p); Charlie Loper replaces Jim Trimble (tb), and an unknown player replaces Pete Myers (tb).

SONGS IN THIS CD:

* Tumbling Tumbleweeds** 5:22 (Bob Nolan)

* Deedle-Dydle* 4:27 (Mike Barone)

* I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good* 4:37 (Paul Francis Webster, Edward Kennedy Ellington)

* My Melancholy Baby* 13:29 (G. Norton, E. Burnett)

* The Masquerade Is Over** 5:19 (H. Magidson, A. Wrubel)

* Juss Messin' Around 7:13 (Mike Barone)

* Put Your Arms Around Me Honey* 8:02 (J. McCree, A. Von Tilzer)

* By Candlelight** 4:40 (Bill Hood)

* The Non-Viennese Waltz Blues* 13.:20 (Joe Gordon)

* Flupp** 4:47 (Mike Barone)

* My Heart Belongs To Daddy* 3:39 (Cole Porter)

Price: $13.00/each

Recorded at Donte's in North Hollywood, CA.

Session Producer: George Jerman;

Production Coordinator: Bob Edmondson;

Mastering: Joe Sidore;

Liner Notes: Mike Barone, Alan & Marilyn Bergman;

Cover and Liner Photos: Mike Barone.

Mike Barone's Big Band was an institution at Donte's in North Hollywood from 1966 to 1969. Through this working band, Mike Barone composed and arranged hundreds of charts, of which 300 were commissioned by Doc Severinsen. In addition to writing for the Tonight Show Band, Mike Barone is a highly accomplished trombonist. Thanks to George Jerman and his Ampex recorder and Joe Sidore's excellent mastering work, these classic moments are presented to a larger public for the first time almost 30 years to the day after they were created.

[John Tapscott]

The Mike Barone Big band - Live At Donte's, 1968

HEY GUYS WHAT IS THIS ONE ALL ABOUT?

whos in the band and is this a good one. WCJ big band is my favorite

It's more than a good one. It's very good, some may even say excellent. Hard swinging, exciting big band jazz. Highly recommended, no matter what coast you like.

[BruceH]

I also love the black & white line drawing covers that some of them have, although I guess you should credit that to the Mode label. But kudos to V.S.O.P. for keeping the original covers and not going the "32 Jazz" route.

[sjarrell]

VSOP at emusic

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but emusic has a fine VSOP selection...

[ghost of miles]

The J.R. Monterose In Action was one of the first vinyl releases from VSOP. It does not seem to have been reissued by the label on CD. This was a very nice session.

Recorded in 1964? Bainbridge has reissued it on CD (different label, I realize).

[neveronfriday]

I'd actually love to have some more recommendations for someone who likes the V.S,O.P. reissues: What are other equally well-recorded and transferred (!) reissues of smaller west coast sessions on other labels?

[Big Beat Steve]

This may be a subject of IMMENSE controvery, but if you are looking for other reissues of more obscure West Coast jazz originally released on minor labels, you cannot bypass FRESH SOUND (true for a lot of more obscure non-West Coast 50s and early 60s jazz too).

I cannot help it but for the most part I do not find the reissue sound quality on those vinyls I've got all that shoddy. (Don't have too many FS CD reissues so cannot comment on their fidelity, but the Fresh Sound box they did on those Nocturne 10in LP's does sound quite nice, and since the inevitable "ripoff" word is going to crop up in this debate sooner or later too, this box seems to be the real thing anyway since it was done in cooperation with and endorsed by Harry Babasin's heirs).

So, long live Fresh Sound, IMHO!

Incidentally, there were quite a few vinyl repro reissues of similar 50s indie label jazz that appeared in the 80s/90s and that carried neither the Fresh Sound nor the VSOP reissue tags. E.g. Bob Florence Trio, Dorothy Donegan, Johnnie Pate (on the Stepheny label), etc., etc. Anybody got a defiunite clue as to where these reissues came from?

[Morganized]

I have several of these myself, the Marsh, Harper, Rosolino, but picked up the Oscar Moore on this recommendation.

Then the Oscar Moore quartet disc (on Tampa originally, while all the above ones were on the Mode label) is another really cool disc - with Carl Perkins.

Very nice date and plenty long at 50 minutes. Glad to see others are digging these VSOP reissues.

[Matt]

I have these, and there is not one bad one in them:

Don Fagerquist Octet: Eight by Eight (Music To Fill A Void)

Pepper Adams Quintet: S/T

Lucy Ann Polk: Lucky Lucy Ann

The Warne Marsh Quartet: Music For Prancing

The Marty Paich Quartet Featuring Art Pepper

Jimmy Rowles: Let's Get Acquainted With Jazz

Victor Feldman On Vibes

The Bill Holman/Mel Lewis Quintet: Jive For Five

The Bill Holman Big Band: In A Jazz Orbit

Flute Fraternity W/ Herbie Mann & Buddy Collette

Jimmy Rowles Septet: Weather In A Jazz Vane W/Herb Geller & Bill Holman

The Wright Approach: Dempsey Wright

John Graas: International Premiere In Jazz W/ Art Pepper & Bill Perkins

The Pete Jolly Trio & Friends

Ralph Pena: Master Of The Bass

Warne Marsh Quartet: Live At Dana Point, 1957 (2cd)

Herb Geller - The Herb Geller Quartet

The Ex-Hermanites

Shelly Manne - The Navy Swings

The Mike Barone Big Band - Live At Donte's, 1968

A Jazz Band Ball, First Set

A Jazz Band Ball, Second Set

Joanne Grauer - The Trio

Virgil Gonsalves Big Band Plus Six - Jazz At Monterey

Pete Jolly and Ralph Pena - The Duo

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

saw this howard roberts live @ dontes- w/ tom scott and organ--- i passed, but it looked ok