(RIP) Is Jack Wilson (Atlantic & Blue Note 60s pianist) dead?

[monkboughtlunch]

Dusty Groove has the new Japanese import CD of Jack Wilson's Song for My Daughter (Blue Note 1969). http://www.dustygroove.com/item/682485/Jack-Wilson:Song-For-My-Daughter

I hadn't heard this one. In general, I'm not a fan of string overdubs on jazz albums. But it looks like Wilson still gets some solo room.

[mikeweil]

Billy Byers did the string arrangements. Do you know the Hampton Hawes album with strings Byers arranged? This would give you an idea of what to expect. The focus clearly is on Wilson's piano playing, the strings are arrannged in a kind of dialogue with the piano. Very tasteful, IMHO, not schmaltzy, a swingin' rhythm section, and one of the better jazz with strings albums made - I searched for years until I got a used promo copy on ebay.

[blind-blake]

I've been spinning Ramblin

Pretty good lp/cd

Always liked that album. Some good playing by Roy Ayers as well.

[sidewinder]

Just picked up a UK London Atlantic of the 'Jack Wilson Quartet'. Very nice sound, as expected of this imprint. Good session.

[paul secor]

Can the title of this thread be changed?

[JSngry]

Has the question been answered yet? I really haven't been paying attention.

[paul secor]

Has the question been answered yet? I really haven't been paying attention.

I haven't read through the thread, but this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Wilson_(jazz_pianist) seems to say he passed away.

[JSngry]

Looks like the mournful moment occurred after this thread began, title edited accordingly.

[soulpope]

could pls any of you dedicated Jack Wilson followers give me feedback/advice wether subject trio date is worth looking for ?

[mikeweil]

Spinning my 1992 Japanese LP copy right now - great album! Like this much better now than when I bought it, I'm glad I kept it. Howard Holzer recorded this in L.A., so it sounds more like a Contemporary LP. Wilson is on the forefront, his excellent accompanists get only a solo or two - Leroy Vinegar and Philly Joe Jones - the latter is recorded much better than on any Blue Note LP, IMO.

There is no better way to get an idea of Wilson the pianist, very wide dynamic range, good chops, good spirits. I'd definitely recommend it.

My LP sounds great, but I will get me the Wilson/Ayers reissue. As I stated elsewhere, a dream team - Ayers had the most beautiful vibes sound of all during those years, and his melodic style is a pefect match to Wilson's slightly flamboyant tendencies. In other words, another recommendation.

Edited May 23, 2014 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

One question: Is this the same Jack Wilson?

[mikeweil]

p.s. The Lord Disco says it is - has anybody here heard this?

[soulpope]

Spinning my 1992 Japanese LP copy right now - great album! Like this much better now than when I bought it, I'm glad I kept it. Howard Holzer recorded this in L.A., so it sounds more like a Contemporary LP. Wilson is on the forefront, his excellent accompanists get only a solo or two - Leroy Vinegar and Philly Joe Jones - the latter is recorded much better than on any Blue Note LP, IMO.

There is no better way to get an idea of Wilson the pianist, very wide dynamic range, good chops, good spirits. I'd definitely recommend it.

My LP sounds great, but I will get me the Wilson/Ayers reissue. As I stated elsewhere, a dream team - Ayers had the most beautiful vibes sound of all during those years, and his melodic style is a pefect match to Wilson's slightly flamboyant tendencies. In other words, another recommendation.

Mike, thnx a lot for your indepth feedback....sounds like two "Friday acquisitions" to me ......

[Dan Gould]

p.s. The Lord Disco says it is - has anybody here heard this?

I have - someone here sent it along years ago, I'm sure they'll forgive me for not remembering exactly who.

It's been a really long time since I listened so it's impossible to say or .

[Head Man]

I just noiced this at CDJapan:

...looks interesting.

[monkboughtlunch]

I just noiced this at CDJapan:

...looks interesting.

I picked up the Pied Piper Japanese CD. It's a needle drop from an Lp. I guess the master tapes are missing in action. It would be cool if the original Heider multitracks were located and the complete show was remixed and issued.

Edited May 23, 2014 by monkboughtlunch

[Head Man]

I just noiced this at CDJapan:

...looks interesting.

I picked up the Pied Piper Japanese CD. It's a needle drop from an Lp. I guess the master tapes are missing in action. It would be cool if the original Heider multitracks were located and the complete show was remixed and issued.

Oh dear, I just ordered it! Is the sound awful?

[monkboughtlunch]

I just noiced this at CDJapan:

...looks interesting.

I picked up the Pied Piper Japanese CD. It's a needle drop from an Lp. I guess the master tapes are missing in action. It would be cool if the original Heider multitracks were located and the complete show was remixed and issued.

Oh dear, I just ordered it! Is the sound awful?

The sound is ok for a needle drop. It's a Wally Heider recording so it was well engineered. You will hear slight LP surface noise on some tracks if you listen on headphones. Also, the original producer of the album had the stupid, cringeworthy idea of fading out "Walk On By" and then concurrently fading up post-production overdubbed applause over the musical fade out. Wilson's performances are of a high caliber, but one soon pines for the complete sets, remixed from the multis after hearing this Lp dub. A remix would also rescue the material from the stupid original production decisions and fade outs on some tracks. If the Heider multi-tracks still exist, one one presume they might contain unissued performances of other Wilson songs.

This YouTube clip will give you an idea of the overall sound quality, although it's a compressed mp3 so the CD sounds a bit better. A very exciting rendition of Coltrane's "Impressions:"

Edited May 24, 2014 by monkboughtlunch

[Head Man]

I just noiced this at CDJapan:

...looks interesting.

I picked up the Pied Piper Japanese CD. It's a needle drop from an Lp. I guess the master tapes are missing in action. It would be cool if the original Heider multitracks were located and the complete show was remixed and issued.

Oh dear, I just ordered it! Is the sound awful?

The sound is ok for a needle drop. It's a Wally Heider recording so it was well engineered. You will hear slight LP surface noise on some tracks if you listen on headphones. Also, the original producer of the album had the stupid, cringeworthy idea of fading out "Walk On By" and then concurrently fading up post-production overdubbed applause over the musical fade out. Wilson's performances are of a high caliber, but one soon pines for the complete sets, remixed from the multis after hearing this Lp dub. A remix would also rescue the material from the stupid original production decisions and fade outs on some tracks. If the Heider multi-tracks still exist, one one presume they might contain unissued performances of other Wilson songs.

This YouTube clip will give you an idea of the overall sound quality, although it's a compressed mp3 so the CD sounds a bit better. A very exciting rendition of Coltrane's "Impressions:"

Many thanks for that, monkboughtlunch.

I like Jack Wilson a lot so l won't cancel my order

[monkboughtlunch]

Check this out!  Two and a half hours of live video footage of Jack Wilson performing in Japan:

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2018 by monkboughtlunch

[soulpope]

6 hours ago, monkboughtlunch said:

Check this out!  Two and a half hours of live video footage of Jack Wilson performing in Japan ...

Thnx for sharing ....

[monkboughtlunch]

The bassist, Masayuki Kume, posted this comment about the video, suggesting the video was apparently made in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

"Thank you  so much ! I was playing with Jack,by drummer.I'm very happy to see playing with Jack.Almost 30 years ago.I learned a lot of musical things from him.I was touring with him three times in hokaido . I thnk this video is 3rd tour. Masayuki Kume."

This setlist was posted on YouTube with the video:

1.Unknown(incomplete)
2.Autumn sunset
3.Unknown
4.Evidence
5.Unknown
6.Our Waltz
7.Recorda me
8.Milestones
9.invitation
10.Margo's Theme
11.Unknown
12.Razão De Viver(A Little Tear)
13.Waltz for Ahmad
14.Gingerbread Boy
15.Unknown
16.Autumn leaves
17.Milestones
18.Unknown

[monkboughtlunch]

Here is a link to sound samples from the forthcoming Jack Wilson "Call Me" CD being released January 14, 2019.  Note that this features Roy Ayers on vibes.

Live recordings from 1966.   ==>>  https://www.juno.co.uk/products/jack-wilson-call-me-jazz-from-the/716768-01/

This appears to be a legal, legitimate release of live radio broadcast recordings in Seattle.  The booklet has a forward by Ahmad Jamal.

Track Listing

Call Me
Serenata
Harbor Freeway 5 P.M.
Here's that Rainy Day
C.F.D.
The Shadow of Your Smile
Nirvanna
Pensativa
Stolen Moments

====

Release Notes
All recordings previously unreleased, close to 1 hr of music
Jack Wilson was a ubiquitous keyboardist in the LA studio scene of the sixties and recorded for Atlantic and Blue Note from 1962 – 1970
Features a young Roy Ayers on vibraphone
Written appreciation of Jack Wilson by Ahmad Jamal
24 page booklet features several unpublished photographs

Call Me: Jazz from the Penthouse presents previously unreleased live recordings of underrated jazz pianist Jack Wilson and his quartet, best known for his work on the Atlantic and Blue Note labels. Featuring a young Roy Ayers and recorded in Seattle at the Penthouse jazz club in July and August of 1966 when Wilson’s group was touring the west coast with Redd Foxx, these recordings feature a mix of standards, current pop hits of the day, and originals by Wilson himself. In addition to Roy Ayers on vibes, the group features Von Barlow on drums and Buddy Woodson on bass. The deluxe 24-page booklet features an appreciation by Ahmad Jamal, interviews with Roy Ayers and Von Barlow, producer’s notes, and previously unseen archival photographs. These recordings were made just two weeks before Wilson & Co. would enter the studio to record his classic Blue Note debut Something Personal.

Edited January 15, 2019 by monkboughtlunch

[monkboughtlunch]

On 12/9/2010 at 9:36 PM, mjzee said:

eMusic just added both Brazilian Mancini and The Jazz Organs. Both seem very short (< 25 minutes each).

I figured out why the album "The Jazz Organs" is so short on the Essential Media Group digital release.   

It runs 29.8% fast!!

I determined that Essential Media Group transferred the album from a vinyl record and played it back at 45 RPM instead of 33 RPM, thereby shortening the playback duration of the album on digital formats. 

I bought a first pressing on the Vault label on vinyl and played the record at 33 RPM and it sounds much better at the correct speed.  

Amazing that they played the vinyl album back at 45 RPM and couldn't hear that the performances sound like The Chipmunks instead of jazz.  Essential Media Group then took their sloppy, crappy sped up digital transfer and published the album on iTunes and Amazon.com.  So this is how the modern world hears "The Jazz Organs" in digital format.  Sped up from a questionable label.

There are several Jack Wilson titles that only exist in digital form as transfers from vinyl.  Ramblin' is example of an apparently pirated recording published on CD by the bootleg Fresh Sounds label in Spain. 

It boggles the mind that a reputable producer/boutique label hasn't yet approached Warner Music and published Ramblin' on a CD from the original master tapes (and also added any outtakes/alternates as bonus tracks).

Edited January 15, 2019 by monkboughtlunch

[monkboughtlunch]

This is from another thread on this forum.  Forum member Ted O'Reilly's 1987 recording of Jack Wilson was recently published on digital.  Links are below.  It's great that unreleased recordings of Jack such as this date and the forthcoming 1966 live Penthouse date are being legally released!

On 9/8/2018 at 1:33 PM, Ted O'Reilly said:

I'm reviving this topic to pass on word from Jack Wilson's widow Sandie.  She has made available the solo piano recordings that I taped at Toronto's Cafe des Copains in 1987.  Michael Cuscuna contributed the liner notes and indicates they are unique in that Jack never made a solo piano album. 

Here are the links Sandie provided me:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3EPk7gCkHtXghpDGLuGYg8

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1394213999?ls=1&app=itunes

Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-at-the-café-des-copains/1394213999

Track Listing

    •    1
 Oblivion 2:22



    •    2
 The Bad and the Beautiful Theme 7:43



    •    3 
Jack Wilson Narrative #1 0:55



    •    4 
I Mean You 3:47



    •    5 
Lament 6:28



    •    6 
Jack Wilson Narrative #2 0:23



    •    7 
Daahoud 2:55



    •    8 
Indian Summer 6:55



    •    9
 I Didn't Know What Time It Was 6:06



    •    10 
Jack Wilson Narrative #3 1:48



    •    11
 Moon Mist / Day Dream / Lush Life / Take the "A" Train 10:39



    •    12
 Again 5:37



    •    13 
Just One of Those Things 4:03


Recorded live by Organissimo forum member Ted O'Reilly on February 11, 1987 in Toronto, Canada.

Edited January 15, 2019 by monkboughtlunch