More Keepnews reissues

[AllenLowe]

Feather, apparently, also managed to kill a recording session that was supposed to take place with Lester Young and Art Hodes, due to his personal feuds, from what I've heard.

When I was working on an article many years ago I naively called Feather up on the phone to ask him some relevant question - naive because I assumed he was the benevolent jazz sage who would talk to me. He was obnoxious and nasty for no apparent reason; I found out later from others that that was just him, that he would be that way whether or not he had particular reason. It was very unpleasant - I've made "cold" calls to a number of famous jazz people - Tristano, Rollins, Dizzy, even Stan Getz - and have NEVER experienced anything like that. Some people are wary because they don''t know you, but he was downright abusive -

Edited September 18, 2007 by AllenLowe

[DMP]

The "bonus" cuts on the Russell are from the same session.

[ejp626]

The "bonus" cuts on the Russell are from the same session.

Hmm -- interesting. I guess under those circumstances I might pick it up, though I am not in a hurry. I wonder if YourMusic is going to get these eventually.

[jazzbo]

yourmusic has not stocked any Concord/OJC products in some time, I wouldn't think you'll see these there.

[six string]

I picked up the Clark Terry cd Serenade to a Bus Seat recently. Good sound and solid playing. I'm not the biggest fan of Clark Terry because of those partially slurred notes he plays a lot. It sounds like he's playing underwater or something. I know, I just don't get it. Guilty as charged. What I do really like on the album are the solos from Johnny Griffiin and Wynton Kelly. It's a very good album imo.

[AndrewHill]

Definitely have my eye on the Monk

[montg]

In the annoying "moldy fig" versus "progressive" wars of the '40s, which wasted so much energy, polluted the atmosphere, and were even hurtful to some musicians, LF was among the key figures

Was there a specific provocation by LF that prompted Muggsy Spanier to write "Feather Brain"? Or was Muggsy just reacting to LF's general 'moldy fig' stuff?

[paul secor]

In the annoying "moldy fig" versus "progressive" wars of the '40s, which wasted so much energy, polluted the atmosphere, and were even hurtful to some musicians, LF was among the key figures

Was there a specific provocation by LF that prompted Muggsy Spanier to write "Feather Brain"? Or was Muggsy just reacting to LF's general 'moldy fig' stuff?

Probably just an honest reaction to Slick Len.

Don't know the real answer. Someone else probably will.

[montg]

The good and bad of Feather is kind of embodied in the 1946 recording between Ellington and Louis Armstrong for RCA. Feather gathered them together as part of the Esquire all stars (the good of LF) but then Feather takes this once in a lifetime meeting of giants in their prime and has them play two of his own songs rather than standards or Ellington compositions (the bad of LF). (OK says to LF, 'get your own thread').

[jazzbo]

OKay, OK, here's back to you.

Got in two of the new ones yesterday, the Russell and the Monk.

I haven't yet spun the Monk.

The Russell has excellent sound. The alternates at the end are nice, but. . .not really essential.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

(OK says to LF, 'get your own thread').

LMAO

MG

[Christiern]

The good and bad of Feather is kind of embodied in the 1946 recording between Ellington and Louis Armstrong for RCA. Feather gathered them together as part of the Esquire all stars (the good of LF) but then Feather takes this once in a lifetime meeting of giants in their prime and has them play two of his own songs rather than standards or Ellington compositions (the bad of LF). (OK says to LF, 'get your own thread').

That was typical of Leonard. RCA once asked him to compile an LP from their rather large and rich Bluebird/Victor blues catalog. He bypassed a number of certified gems to include his own compositions and one on which he played pedestrian piano. Also, when Columbia asked several jazz writers to pick their favorite selection from the Columbia catalog, only Leonard picked a dud: a track from his own "One World Jazz" album, a gimmick on which a tape was sent around to different parts of the world, with musicians adding their track--there was no rapport, so interaction, a major jazz feature, was impossible.

[Matt]

The Russell has excellent sound. The alternates at the end are nice, but. . .not really essential.

Hi Jazzbo. Can you (or anyone else reading this) comment on the sound quality of this new remaster as compared to the 1996 Ojc release?

Thanks

[Late]

Has anyone picked up the new Keepnews edition of The Freedom Suite? Am I correct in understanding that there are now three performances of "Til There Was You"? If so, Sonny Rollins' discography will have to be updated.

Also cool that the duo track (sans Rollins) has now been added to complete the session.

And ... any comments on the sound? The Japanese version I have doesn't actually sound so good, but maybe that's a result of the source tape's condition.

[Cliff Englewood]

The Russell has excellent sound. The alternates at the end are nice, but. . .not really essential.

Hi Jazzbo. Can you (or anyone else reading this) comment on the sound quality of this new remaster as compared to the 1996 Ojc release?

Thanks

IMHO, I didn't notice that much of an improvement myself, very slight if any.

[jazzbo]

I think I feel it's more improved than Cliff does. . . . It may not be worth rebuying solely for the improved sound, but there is an improvement.

[mgraham333]

Has anyone picked up the new Keepnews edition of The Freedom Suite? Am I correct in understanding that there are now three performances of "Til There Was You"? If so, Sonny Rollins' discography will have to be updated.

Also cool that the duo track (sans Rollins) has now been added to complete the session.

And ... any comments on the sound? The Japanese version I have doesn't actually sound so good, but maybe that's a result of the source tape's condition.

You are correct. The OK edtion adds Take 1. Takes 3 & 4 on the OJC edition.

My copy should arrive tomorrow. I'll compare it to the OJC.