British jazz reissues

[sidewinder]

Looking at some old Jazz In Britain Facebook posts from late last year, there is a preview pic of the forthcoming Neil Ardley bio by Viv Ardley. Says that it will be released ‘sometime in 2022’ - hopefully in the not too distant future. Nice picture laminate cover, in the style of ‘Splinters’ by the looks of it.

[T.D.]

I just noticed on Bandcamp  ( https://deathisnot.bandcamp.com/ ) a 3-part series

I Had the Craziest Dream: Modern Jazz and Hard-Bop in Post War London, Vol. 1, 2, 3.

Time frame late 1940s through early 1960s. Looks really interesting but a little earlier than my main period of interest.

[sidewinder]

3 hours ago, T.D. said:

I just noticed on Bandcamp  ( https://deathisnot.bandcamp.com/ ) a 3-part series

I Had the Craziest Dream: Modern Jazz and Hard-Bop in Post War London, Vol. 1, 2, 3.

Time frame late 1940s through early 1960s. Looks really interesting but a little earlier than my main period of interest.

Looks like a selection of public domain stuff originally put out by Tempo, Esquire etc. and readily available elsewhere. A bit of a ‘cash in’ IMO.

[mjazzg]

7 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Looks like a selection of public domain stuff originally put out by Tempo, Esquire etc. and readily available elsewhere. A bit of a ‘cash in’ IMO.

But it's finally available on cassette...

[T.D.]

7 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Looks like a selection of public domain stuff originally put out by Tempo, Esquire etc. and readily available elsewhere. A bit of a ‘cash in’ IMO.

Thanks. Won't be getting any of my cash.

[Bluesnik]

On 4/9/2022 at 6:48 AM, T.D. said:

Time frame late 1940s through early 1960s. Looks really interesting but a little earlier than my main period of interest.

I have an interesting collection I got recently of the period after this. From the mid 60s to the early 70s. It´s called Journeys in Modern Jazz: Britain. On Decca. Universal, I think.

[T.D.]

These 2 are new on bandcamp, I'm listening now:

[sidewinder]

The Henry Lowther 2CD set is particularly good, guitarist Phil Lee is prominent. This was a group that I don’t think recorded commercially but it did appear on radio.

I saw Trevor Watts about a month ago (excellent) so the CD under his name should be an interesting listen and comparison.

The Neil Ardley bio should be out ‘before the end of the year’, apparently. Too bad that vinyl releases are still in quagmire.

Edited August 11, 2022 by sidewinder

[T.D.]

Thanks. I listened to the whole Lowther release on bandcamp and it's indeed good.

I like Amalgam and have almost all their recordings, so am likely to pick up the Watts, but only one of the three tracks was available for audition on bandcamp.

Edited August 11, 2022 by T.D.

[romualdo]

6 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Too bad that vinyl releases are still in quagmire.

Yes, I've got a number of releases piled up for me  & just waiting on the latest Harriott vinyl release (delayed) to add to the haul

Also the Rhythm & Blues label is releasing a Harriott at the BBC (3 sessions) CD - maybe this has already been mentioned

https://rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk/?product=joe-harriott-quintet-the-rakes-progress-at-the-bbc

29 minutes ago, T.D. said:

I like Amalgam and have almost all their recordings, so am likely to pick up the Watts, but only one of the three tracks was on bandcamp.

The Amalgam release "Prayer For Peace" is a stunner.

Have you heard of the UK label "Hi4Head" - I bought a couple Watts/Amalgam CDs from them - rereleases from the Ogun catalogue (Closer to You & Cynosure) with unreleased material from the same sessions 

Edited August 11, 2022 by romualdo

[T.D.]

I agree Prayer for Peace is outstanding. Thanks for the tip, the Ogun releases are the main Amalgam recordings I'm lacking.

[Added] Wow, I even found Closer to You & Cynosure in stock at a reputable US dealer (Downtown Music Gallery). Ordered.

Edited August 12, 2022 by T.D.

[T.D.]

Have been listening on bandcamp: this is excellent, I'm about to purchase it despite short playing time.

[Harbour]

Just got the CD, The Second Movement is fantastic.

[sidewinder]

On 8/11/2022 at 2:26 PM, romualdo said:

Yes, I've got a number of releases piled up for me  & just waiting on the latest Harriott vinyl release (delayed) to add to the haul

Also the Rhythm & Blues label is releasing a Harriott at the BBC (3 sessions) CD - maybe this has already been mentioned

https://rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk/?product=joe-harriott-quintet-the-rakes-progress-at-the-bbc

Ordered this Harriott release by R&B, along with their new 2CD set of BBC broadcasts by Bill Le Sage’s ‘Directions In Jazz Unit’.

It would appear that the first session on the Harriott CD duplicates the music on the (forthcoming) Jazz In Britain Harriott EP on vinyl - the one which has had lengthy delays. The CD will suffice for me for that one.

Some good stuff is being quietly put out by R&B Records. Some of their older releases are now available as just CD-R though.

Note: edited to say that the EP doesn’t in fact duplicate the music on the CD. They are two separate broadcasts from 1961 with Les Condon on trumpet. So both will be required then !

Edited November 7, 2022 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

I received my very much delayed Harriott and Russell LPs from Jazz in Britain this week. Easily the most delayed order I have ever placed, 20 months! 

Not sure how JiB are doing generally but that sort of delay really isn't acceptable. They had all the excuses that other labels have experienced but none others have been delayed any more than 3 months. Makes me think they don't know what they're doing.

[sidewinder]

Wow - I know that they have been dealing with the big HQ move from Woking to West Yorkshire and that Matt Parker left to set up his own thing but 20 months is ridiculous !

On the plus side, some of their recent CD releases such as the Henry Lowther and John Taylor have been real finds. I am also very much looking forward to their Neil Ardley bio (also a bit delayed).

Edited November 5, 2022 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

Just listening to this one and I can recommend it. Sound is very acceptable for broadcasts of this vintage and there is fine playing from Ronnie Ross in particular. A great supplement to the Philips LPs.

 

[mjazzg]

I don't think I knew about that and I'm a big fan of the Phillips.

Edit to add: now ordered!

Edited November 7, 2022 by mjazzg

[sidewinder]

23 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

I don't think I knew about that and I'm a big fan of the Phillips.

Edit to add: now ordered!

CD1 and some of CD2 were recorded in Germany for an NDR broadcast and are in good sound. A real find.

This was a very under-rated group. Most of the musicians are no longer with us but I remember seeing Bill Le Sage in the early 80s with the ‘Bebop Preservation Society’. Johnny Scott is still living in the LA area I believe, having left for the film world many years before. Drummer Tony Carr, originally from Malta, is now in his early 90s and I remember seeing him in the late 2000s, can’t recall whose group it was but he was still playing great.

Edited November 7, 2022 by sidewinder

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

Just listening to this one and I can recommend it. Sound is very acceptable for broadcasts of this vintage and there is fine playing from Ronnie Ross in particular. A great supplement to the Philips LPs.

 

What is the Philips one?

[sidewinder]

Just now, Rabshakeh said:

What is the Philips one?

Their two LP releases of 1964/5 - ‘Directions In Jazz’ and ‘Road To Ellingtonia’. Never reissued or released on CD.

[Rabshakeh]

Just now, sidewinder said:

Their two LP releases of 1964/5 - ‘Directions In Jazz’ and ‘Road To Ellingtonia’. Never reissued or released on CD.

Thank you 

[mjazzg]

Every one a winner too. Very much looking forward to the CD set, thanks for posting it

[sidewinder]

As Duncan Heining points out in the sleeve notes, the two Philips albums really deserve a reissue. This would have been a shoe-in for Dutton-Vocalion but they seem to have lost interest in jazz. Decca perhaps?

[romualdo]

I'm surprised Tony Oxley's first Incus LP (#8, 1971 & 75) "Tony Oxley" has never been reissued - what a lineup - Rutherford/Parker/Bailey/Oxley - I'd say Tony Oxley owns the master tapes - maybe he isn't happy with the recording?

I asked Martin Archer who had recently released (CD) on his label (Discus) the later Oxley Incus LP "February Papers" (#18). He claimed that someone will be releasing this in the near future but no details (what about Corbett vs Dempsey?) were forthcoming

Also the RCA album "Ichnos" from the same period & with a stellar lineup has never made it to CD either

Edited November 8, 2022 by romualdo