Buddy DeFranco - Tommy Gumina

[garthsj]

This may have come up before, but given the fact that none of the reccordings by this group has ever been reissued (as far as I know) on CD, would their output make a great 3-CD select? There is some amazing improvisation on those albums ... Get the word to MC, please ..

[Ken Dryden]

I think that I have a couple of their collaborations, but given the small interest in accordion by most jazz fans, the commercial potential for such a set is probably very limited.

[Swinging Swede]

This is one thing I've been thinking about too, and very much would like to see come out. These are the relevant albums AFAIK, and they are all Universal-owned:

Pacific Standard (Swingin') Time (1960) Decca DL-4031

Presenting The Buddy De Franco-Tommy Gumina Quartet (1961) Mercury MG-20685

Kaleidoscope (1962) Mercury MG-20743

Polytones (1963) Mercury MG-20822

The Girl From Ipanema (1964) Mercury MG-20900

Although I don't know what the selection would be if they all are included!

Speaking of De Franco, a bunch of his 1950s Verve recordings have recently been released by the Andorrans. They include albums that never have been on CD before, or only on early 1990s Japanese CDs:

Buddy De Franco And The Oscar Peterson Quartet (also on a Membran CD)

The Buddy De Franco Wailers

Buddy De Franco Plays Benny Goodman (early 1990s Japanese CD)

Buddy De Franco Plays Artie Shaw (early 1990s Japanese CD)

I Hear Benny Goodman And Artie Shaw (early 1990s Japanese CD)

Wholly Cats

Closed Session

Generalissimo

Live Date! (early 1990s Japanese CD)

Edited July 7, 2007 by Swinging Swede

[jazzbo]

Verve or Mosaic really missed out on a great opportunity to reissue those GREAT albums before los Andorrans did!

[Edward]

Verve or Mosaic really missed out on a great opportunity to reissue those GREAT albums before los Andorrans did!

I agree, although I place the blame squarely on Verve. Verve has completely mismanaged Buddy de Franco's catalog during the CD era. (For instance, why did it issue "Mr. Clarinet" as a full-priced, limited edition pressing in an LP mini-sleeve when, at the time, the same exact session had been available as a Japanese pressing at the same price? Of course, aside from "Mr. Clarinet", the Verve Elite Edition disc with Oscar Peterson, and the tracks from the 5-disc Lionel Hampton boxed set, Verve U.S.A. has reissued NOTHING by Buddy de Franco on CD, not even a single disc compilation.)

Perhaps I am stating the obvious, but I think that the only reason that Verve opened its doors to leasing its material to Mosaic again a few years back was because of the rather belated realization that European copyright laws only offered protection for 50 years.

At any rate, as Ken noted, I am not sure that this set would be commercially viable, but I definitely would buy it.

Edited July 7, 2007 by Edward

[garthsj]

Verve or Mosaic really missed out on a great opportunity to reissue those GREAT albums before los Andorrans did!

I agree, although I place the blame squarely on Verve. Verve has completely mismanaged Buddy de Franco's catalog during the CD era. (For instance, why did it issue "Mr. Clarinet" as a full-priced, limited edition pressing in an LP mini-sleeve when, at the time, the same exact session had been available as a Japanese pressing at the same price? Of course, aside from "Mr. Clarinet", the Verve Elite Edition disc with Oscar Peterson, and the tracks from the 5-disc Lionel Hampton boxed set, Verve U.S.A. has reissued NOTHING by Buddy de Franco on CD, not even a single disc compilation.)

Perhaps I am stating the obvious, but I think that the only reason that Verve opened its doors to leasing its material to Mosaic again a few years back was because of the rather belated realization that European copyright laws only offered protection for 50 years.

At any rate, as Ken noted, I am not sure that this set would be commercially viable, but I definitely would buy it.

The question of commercial viability always comes up ... but when I look at some of the more obscure "Selects" currently available, I have to question this concern. The original DeFranco Mosaic Box (albeit with the additional attraction of Sonny Clark, who was in vogue at the time) was very successful, in both LP and CD form. (God knows! Many of us DeFranco fans had given up hope of ever seeing this material, in any form, ever again). This set commands a pretty hefty price on eBay when its somes up. I think that DeFranco has enough "cult" fans (like me .. I am the World's Greatest Living Buddy DeFranco Fan!), that this set, as a 'Select' should be commercially viable, and those five LPs would fit nicely on 3 Cds, with maybe the addition of the more commerial album (originally on the Dot label) with Nelson Riddle as an added bonus...

[Chuck Nessa]

I think you don't really understand the customer base. Any DeFranco release is a guaranteed 500 seller.

[Edward]

Again, I think that a Mosaic Select of this material is a great idea, and I would definitely buy one. I have no idea, though, what Mosaic's expectations are in regard to the sales of its Select series. The first two releases in this series came out 4.5 years ago, and I would be curious to know what sales are to date (and whether these sales are meeting expectations).

[BruceH]

I'd also be very interested in a Buddy DeFranco Select.

[Tjazz]

Verve or Mosaic really missed out on a great opportunity to reissue those GREAT albums before los Andorrans did!

I wouldn't always discount Mosaic. They probably couldn't get the license from Verve.

Do you know if Andorrans paid any licensing fees? Seems like alot of European re-issues are under different copyright laws.

(I'd buy any Buddy Defranco re-issues too)

Edited July 8, 2007 by Tjazz

[Stefan Wood]

I think it is a great idea for a Select!

[Tjazz]

Speaking of De Franco, a bunch of his 1950s Verve recordings have recently been released by the Andorrans. They include albums that never have been on CD before, or only on early 1990s Japanese CDs:

Buddy De Franco And The Oscar Peterson Quartet (also on a Membran CD)

The Buddy De Franco Wailers

Buddy De Franco Plays Benny Goodman (early 1990s Japanese CD)

Buddy De Franco Plays Artie Shaw (early 1990s Japanese CD)

I Hear Benny Goodman And Artie Shaw (early 1990s Japanese CD)

Wholly Cats

Closed Session

Generalissimo

Live Date! (early 1990s Japanese CD)

I see these on Lone Hill Jazz. Is that the same as Andorrans?

Best prices seen at Tower.com

Buddy Defranco from Tower.com

[brownie]

I see these on Lone Hill Jazz. Is that the same as Andorrans?

Lonehill Jazz is one of several labels that appeared several years ago in Spain, mainly in the Barcelona area. At some point they carried (most probably for tax reasons) an Andorran adress which made them know as 'Andorrans'.

From what I can see here, they now carry an EU adress.

Edited August 14, 2007 by brownie

[Niko]

did you know Andorra is the country with the highest life expectancy in the world?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra

Edited August 14, 2007 by Niko

[RDK]

did you know Andorra is the country with the highest life expectancy in the world?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra

It's the mountain air and the lax property laws...