British jazz reissues

[mjazzg]

I've just listened to 'Free An' One'. 

What a great listen, great remastering. Punchy music that swings like a good 'un.  Peter King is tremendous on this, as they all are really.

[sidewinder]

Sunbeam Records (Richard Morton Jack) are just about to issue this limited numbered edition - timed for the forthcoming RSD - on vinyl.  Apparently it’s a prototype run of the ‘Pendulum’ session by the Quartet with Dave Tomlin. Comes with booklet and poster apparently - the Don Shinn reissues were so well done by them that I am sure this will be a good one.

This has been a very good year for Mike Taylor issues and it promises to get even better when Decca get round to the two Taylor albums (hopefully).

Updated - I’ve heard the pre-release. Sound is good for s home recording, the music intriguing and the biographical booklet superb.

Edited July 4, 2021 by sidewinder

[Rabshakeh]

I've been indoors today mostly watching the old BBC series Jazz Britannia from the early 00s. It has aged exceptionally well - a sort of quality TV experience that you don't get so much any more.

[sidewinder]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

I've been indoors today mostly watching the old BBC series Jazz Britannia from the early 00s. It has aged exceptionally well - a sort of quality TV experience that you don't get so much any more.

If you see that bit where Ian Carr quotes ‘Jazz is Dead’ - he recounted that humourous story involving the Flamingo Club to me verbatim in the bar at the Barbican during the interval of the live show in an unexpected and delightful chat. It had been on TV a couple of days before (2005 or 2006 I think).

Edited July 18, 2021 by sidewinder

[Bluesnik]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

I've been indoors today mostly watching the old BBC series Jazz Britannia from the early 00s. It has aged exceptionally well - a sort of quality TV experience that you don't get so much any more.

I wish I could see that.

[sidewinder]

11 minutes ago, Bluesnik said:

I wish I could see that.

Here’s episode 1 on YouTube. Episode 2 ‘Strange Brew’ (the best of the 3 in my opinion) is also on there.

https://youtu.be/vi8fn4KE8AU

Ian puts in an early appearance at 1min 35.

Edited July 18, 2021 by sidewinder

[Bluesnik]

Thanks, Sidewinder.

[sidewinder]

33 minutes ago, Bluesnik said:

Thanks, Sidewinder.

No probs. Just rewatched Episode 1 myself and had forgotten just how entertaining it was.

[Harbour]

22 hours ago, sidewinder said:

If you see that bit where Ian Carr quotes ‘Jazz is Dead’ - he recounted that humourous story involving the Flamingo Club to me verbatim in the bar at the Barbican during the interval of the live show in an unexpected and delightful chat. It had been on TV a couple of days before (2005 or 2006 I think).

 

On 28/06/2021 at 7:04 PM, sidewinder said:

Sunbeam Records (Richard Morton Jack) are just about to issue this limited numbered edition - timed for the forthcoming RSD - on vinyl.  Apparently it’s a prototype run of the ‘Pendulum’ session by the Quartet with Dave Tomlin. Comes with booklet and poster apparently - the Don Shinn reissues were so well done by them that I am sure this will be a good one.

This has been a very good year for Mike Taylor issues and it promises to get even better when Decca get round to the two Taylor albums (hopefully).

Updated - I’ve heard the pre-release. Sound is good for s home recording, the music intriguing and the biographical booklet superb.

There seems to be a cd version coming in Sept too according to this Japanese site

https://merurido.jp/item.php?pdid=SBDP1101

and doesn’t seem to be a Japan only release though no mention on the Sunbeam site

Edited July 19, 2021 by Harbour

[mjazzg]

Just how "home recording" is the sound on the Mike Taylor @sidewinder ?

I have it in a shopping basket but can't find any samples online

Edited July 19, 2021 by mjazzg

[sidewinder]

36 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

Just how "home recording" is the sound on the Mike Taylor @sidewinder ?

I have it in a shopping basket but can't find any samples online

From recollection (need to give it another spin) it is not too bad at all. I think it was done using Tony Reeve’s recorder. Comparable to ‘Mandala’ I think.

It’s a really nice issue and the booklet is a fantastic Taylor bio. 

Edited July 19, 2021 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

9 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

From recollection (need to give it another spin) it is not too bad at all. I think it was done using Tony Reeve’s recorder. Comparable to ‘Mandala’ I think.

It’s a really nice issue and the booklet is a fantastic Taylor bio. 

Thanks for the quick reply

[romualdo]

On 18/07/2021 at 6:09 AM, sidewinder said:

Here’s episode 1 on YouTube. Episode 2 ‘Strange Brew’ (the best of the 3 in my opinion) is also on there.

https://youtu.be/vi8fn4KE8AU

Ian puts in an early appearance at 1min 35.

Just watched the first two episodes - can't believe I missed this  (Don't think it was shown in Australia at the time)

Amazing footage (esp Harriott in episode 1), but episode 2 covers the period i'm most interested in (Little Theatre, Blue Notes, etc etc)

So many of the people interviewed have since passed.

There appears to be a third program but it doesn't seem to continue on from #2 (is that correct) - looks like it covers the UK trad jazz scene (no interest there for me)

Anyone with any interest in British Jazz should watch both episodes #1 & #2

[Rabshakeh]

I enjoyed the first two a lot as well. I could have done with a little more Blue Notes and a little less Cream, but I am pleased that they included stuff like the SME at all.

I think the third is not available, but I read somewhere that it covered Courtney Pine etc. I haven’t seen that one. It expect that it would have had quite a different feel, since by then England was wide open to US influence. The BBC used to have a habit of making music programmes with names like ‘Pub Rock Britannia’, and I think that the other trad episode just happened to have an accidentally similar sounding name.

I would be interested to know what forum members in other comparable foreign jazz “hubs” like Sweden or Germany or Japan make of the programme. Presumably the same dynamics of information scarcity and then desperate games of catch up would have played out there too in the 40s to mid 70s.

[mjazzg]

two new ones from Rhythm and Blues, a Garrick and more Rendell/Carr

http://rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk/?product_cat=jazz-cds

[sidewinder]

3 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

I enjoyed the first two a lot as well. I could have done with a little more Blue Notes and a little less Cream, but I am pleased that they included stuff like the SME at all.

I think the third is not available, but I read somewhere that it covered Courtney Pine etc. I haven’t seen that one. It expect that it would have had quite a different feel, since by then England was wide open to US influence. The BBC used to have a habit of making music programmes with names like ‘Pub Rock Britannia’, and I think that the other trad episode just happened to have an accidentally similar sounding name.

The third one kicks off with early 80s pop incursions by Keith Tippett/Larry Stabbins, Working Week, Loose Tubes, Courtney P., Soweto Kinch, Jazz Jamaica, the late 80s Yuppie Jazz boom to bust and then a bit of an overall recap.

2 hours ago, mjazzg said:

two new ones from Rhythm and Blues, a Garrick and more Rendell/Carr

http://rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk/?product_cat=jazz-cds

Can’t keep up with all this new stuff !

3 hours ago, romualdo said:

Just watched the first two episodes - can't believe I missed this  (Don't think it was shown in Australia at the time)

Amazing footage (esp Harriott in episode 1), but episode 2 covers the period i'm most interested in (Little Theatre, Blue Notes, etc etc)

So many of the people interviewed have since passed.

There appears to be a third program but it doesn't seem to continue on from #2 (is that correct) - looks like it covers the UK trad jazz scene (no interest there for me)

Anyone with any interest in British Jazz should watch both episodes #1 & #2

That footage of Joe Harriott is the only film footage of him playing which survives, I believe. Part of a ‘Tribute to Duke’ put together by the BBC for Ellington’s 70th which was re-broadcast on BBC4 back in 2005, effectively recreating that Stan Tracey Big Brass album with the Ellington tribute. A Denis Preston production/collaboration. All star lineup with Ian Carr, Tony Coe, Harry Beckett etc. Wish they would repeat it !

Edited July 20, 2021 by sidewinder

[romualdo]

12 hours ago, mjazzg said:

two new ones from Rhythm and Blues, a Garrick and more Rendell/Carr

http://rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk/?product_cat=jazz-cds

what a treasure trove - wondering if the releases are CDs or CDrs (a la Acrobat & others)

Soho Scene 59-60 mentions that the release is a CDr

http://rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk/?product=soho-scene-59-60-jazz-goes-mod-4cd-shipped-with-booklet-and-cd-inlays-but-without-jewel-case-to-cut-down-on-foreign-postage

[Big Beat Steve]

11 hours ago, romualdo said:

what a treasure trove - wondering if the releases are CDs or CDrs (a la Acrobat & others)

Soho Scene 59-60 mentions that the release is a CDr

http://rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk/?product=soho-scene-59-60-jazz-goes-mod-4cd-shipped-with-booklet-and-cd-inlays-but-without-jewel-case-to-cut-down-on-foreign-postage

I am not surprised. A couple of years ago I bought Soho Scene 61 (RANDB042) and Soho Scene 62 (RANDB035) and on looking closer at the back of the CDs they turned out to be CD-Rs too (at first I had not noticed). Lately disc 2 of the 61 volume has developed distortions on the final few tracks (similar to collapsing home-burnt CD-Rs) on one CD player though not on another one I tried it on. So it looks like the CD-R is not on its way out yet after all but something seems to be sub-optimal somewhere.

Edited July 21, 2021 by Big Beat Steve

[sidewinder]

1 hour ago, Big Beat Steve said:

I am not surprised. A couple of years ago I bought Soho Scene 61 (RANDB042) and Soho Scene 62 (RANDB035) and on looking closer at the back of the CDs they turned out to be CD-Rs too (at first I had not noticed). Lately disc 2 of the 61 volume has developed distortions on the final few tracks (similar to collapsing home-burnt CD-Rs) on one CD player though not on another one I tried it on. So it looks like the CD-R is not on its way out yet after all but something seems to be sub-optimal somewhere.

I had trouble with my CD player after playing one of their sets - it sorted itself out after a power off but not willing to risk it again so the ‘Soho Scenes’ are now banned chez mois (at least on the main CD player). Shame really. Wish they had used real CDs.

[Big Beat Steve]

You know the strange thing is that after buying these two sets I gave them quite a lot of spins at two different intervals over a maybe 2-year period, and everything weas fine. And then, a couple of weeks ago, when I pulled them out again and spun them fairly often over a period of several weeks the one I mentioned started to play up (though not first time after playing it again). I will give these sets the benefit of doubt because the CD player I use right now is not a very recent one (though the other one where they play OK is even older and not necessarily a higher-end one) so something may be amiss. I am keeping my fingers crossed things will not get worse but I also wish they had used real CDs.

[sidewinder]

Seemed to play OK with my older machine but on the more recently acquired higher spec machine the problem was encountered. Not willing to risk it any further. So far only had this problem with ‘Soho Scene 63’ (I think). The player has had no problems with e.g. Acrobat.

[romualdo]

5 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Seemed to play OK with my older machine but on the more recently acquired higher spec machine the problem was encountered. Not willing to risk it any further. So far only had this problem with ‘Soho Scene 63’ (I think). The player has had no problems with e.g. Acrobat.

I'm wondering if they're all CDrs - has anyone checked the SME, Rendell/Carr (most recent) releases from the same label

Also, I'm interested in the 4CD Harry South Orch Broadcasts (has a disc of Harriott with the band) - anyone have that? It's currently reduced from £18 to £10

Also, they offer a service of removing jewel cases prior to shipment for overseas customers - useful to us here in Australia

[romualdo]

New Jazz in Britain Joe Harriott release (download) titled "Formation: Live '61

https://jazzinbritain.co.uk/album/formation-live-61

Recorded a few months after the "Free Form" album with 4/5 tracks from it on this live in studio recording (Les Condon replaces Shaky Keane for this session)

As usual with the previous JIB releases the SQ is very good IMHO.

Will be released as a 12" EP next January but I've already downloaded it & burnt it to CDr

[mjazzg]

3 hours ago, romualdo said:

New Jazz in Britain Joe Harriott release (download) titled "Formation: Live '61

https://jazzinbritain.co.uk/album/formation-live-61

Recorded a few months after the "Free Form" album with 4/5 tracks from it on this live in studio recording (Les Condon replaces Shaky Keane for this session)

As usual with the previous JIB releases the SQ is very good IMHO.

Will be released as a 12" EP next January but I've already downloaded it & burnt it to CDr

EP ordered, downloaded as well. Excellent release 

JiB really do have the longest lead-in times on th market for their vinyl releases. 6 months!

 

Edited July 24, 2021 by mjazzg

[medjuck]

On 7/24/2021 at 1:15 AM, mjazzg said:

EP ordered, downloaded as well. Excellent release 

JiB really do have the longest lead-in times on th market for their vinyl releases. 6 months!

 

I downloaded and have listened to this Harriot release several times and really enjoyed it.  I'm a little confused by the notes.  Was this music once considered "free"?  Seems to me each of the tracks has a  (slightly complex) theme followed by some improvisation followed by a restatement of the theme-- just like most bop tracks.