British jazz reissues

[T.D.]

8 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

I'll wait and see if Dusty Groove gets copies. I was so turned off by the Ray Russell vinyl fiasco, not to mention a couple of lost CDs another time, that I'd rather just deal stateside. Other Bandcamp experiences have been more than fine, and often with imprints as small or smaller than they are.

I made a couple (or 3? not sure) of CD orders from JIB Bandcamp that went OK.

I prefer to order through DG because in the odd-lot quantities I purchase, that's significantly cheaper when shipping is figured in. [UK-US shipping cost for a coffee-table size book would be daunting.] And no int'l shipping hassles. But I now think preorder is the way to go with Dusty, because when I wait for "in-stock" e-mails the items are often sold out before I can respond.

10 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

...

The book can be ordered via the JiB Bandcamp page under ‘Mechandise’. There’s also a bit of info on it on their Facebook site.

...

With regard to the Ardley book, I think the size/weight pushes up the price of shipping, even here in the UK. Hopefully Dusty will order it in. It looks like a labour of love by Viv Ardley and JiB and comes with 2 CDs of previously unissued music from the Ardley archive, plus a download of the sold-out RFH ‘Kaleidoscopes’.

Thanks, I didn't think to look under "Merchandise". But shipping cost renders it a no-go for me, will hope DG gets some copies.

[sidewinder]

My copy of the Neil Ardley bio has arrived. It looks every bit as good as the pictures, packed with personal photos, correspondence, flyers etc. A real labour of love. Quite a sizeable and weighty volume so the shipping is justified - over 400 pages. Strongly recommended !

The two CDs are very interesting too. CD1 has Neil leading the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra from 1968 with material from ‘Dejeuner..’ plus extras and a prototype early version of ‘Greek Variations’, a real find !

CD2 has 80s material on synth by Neil, some with Pepi Lemer vocals plus recordings from the 2003 St Cyprians concert by ‘Zyklus’, his last live performance. 

Edited March 26, 2023 by sidewinder

[djcavanagh]

On 3/11/2023 at 8:47 PM, sidewinder said:

Good that you mention Jimmy Hastings - his work on this album is a real ear-opener. I recall seeing him play in a much more mainstream style with Humphrey Lyttelton and that was mainly on clarinet but here he is largely featured on saxes and flute on these sessions and in a much more contemporary style. The style sort of reminds me of a British Frank Foster, if you can picture that. His playing here is a real highlight, along with that of the fine trombonist Chris Pyne (ubiquitous on BBC Radio jazz of this vintage).

Yes, as you say, he also crops up on those Caravan albums.

My wife's brother is married to Jimmy Hastings' daughter (and he played percussion with Caravan at one point) and I was able to share your kind words with her yesterday, Bob, and she is going to pass them onto him.

[sidewinder]

10 hours ago, djcavanagh said:

My wife's brother is married to Jimmy Hastings' daughter (and he played percussion with Caravan at one point) and I was able to share your kind words with her yesterday, Bob, and she is going to pass them onto him.

Amazing and good to hear - very best wishes to Jimmy Hastings. That Humph gig was in Taunton Brewhouse Theatre around 2006/7, a really good show and very late in Humph’s career. I bought one of his books from him, got him to sign it and even put in an informal request for him to play some Horace Silver on his BBC radio show. Not surprisingly, he was quite knowledgeable about Horace.

I seem to remember that they did some tune about a black butterfly floating around the stage but that may just be my ageing memory !

Edited April 15, 2023 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

According to Richard Williams, a usually very reliable source, we have a remastered edition of Stan Tracey's 'Under Milk Wood' on the way from Clark at Resteamed. It will be great to get this more widely known beyond those of us mad enough to pay the current prices for the original.

https://thebluemoment.com/2023/05/08/starless-and-bible-black/

Edited May 8, 2023 by mjazzg

[sidewinder]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

According to Richard Williams, a usually very reliable source, we have a remastered edition of Stan Tracey's 'Under Milk Wood' on the way from Clark at Resteamed. It will be great to get tis more widely known beyond those of us mad enough to pay the current prices for the original.

https://thebluemoment.com/2023/05/08/starless-and-bible-black/

Much as I very much like the original Lansdowne mono release, this one will apparently be in stereo, for the first time, from the master tapes. On that basis, I will likely pick up a copy. Limited release of 1000 I think.

[mjazzg]

Just checked the Resteamed website and the new version with Kenny Wheeler certainly piques my interest. 

https://www.resteamed-records.com/product/stan-tracey-in-hamburg/

No mention on the 'Under Milk Wood' page of re mastering or even stereo.  They're using the old Steam Records cover design too by looks of things.

https://www.resteamed-records.com/product/under-milk-wood-2/

[sidewinder]

Not sure where I heard/read the stereo bit, maybe I’m thinking of something else but there’s an article on this recording in the May Jazzwise. It does mention a remastering and sound ‘as good as if not better than the original’. 

That Steam cover design with Dylan T. is based on the one they used in the 1970s in the version recorded with Donald Houston narration, I recall.

Looks like I need to get both of these.

Edited May 8, 2023 by sidewinder

[medjuck]

I just downloaded it from Amazon and it's definitely in stereo (sax is isolated far right). 

[sidewinder]

11 minutes ago, medjuck said:

I just downloaded it from Amazon and it's definitely in stereo (sax is isolated far right). 

Splendid - that will be me ordering the LP then. I assume you mean the original studio version?

[T.D.]

I'm on the fence about this new Kenny Wheeler release. Like what I hear online, but the total playing time is under 30 minutes.

Edited May 8, 2023 by T.D.

[medjuck]

1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

Splendid - that will be me ordering the LP then. I assume you mean the original studio version?

I presume so but I don't really know.  https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B09WHS8FT2

[GA Russell]

On 4/14/2023 at 6:34 PM, djcavanagh said:

My wife's brother is married to Jimmy Hastings' daughter (and he played percussion with Caravan at one point) and I was able to share your kind words with her yesterday, Bob, and she is going to pass them onto him.

DJ, I think that's terrific!

In '71, I had Caravan's second and third albums.  They were two of my favorites, and I thought that Jimmy Hastings was the star of them both!

[felser]

48 minutes ago, GA Russell said:

In '71, I had Caravan's second and third albums.  They were two of my favorites, and I thought that Jimmy Hastings was the star of them both!

I thought organist David Sinclair was the star, but Hastings was fabulous in his cameo roles on them.

[adh1907]

Re Stan Tracey’s Jazz Suite, I accompanied my Dad to the local record shop (in Chorley, Lancs, shop still there) when the first reissue of this came out in the mid 70s. The shop owner called a phone number to track down a copy and Stan Tracey answered the phone! He duly sent a copy to the shop. Loved the record since hearing it then. I have a mono original (‘not for sale’ sticker on the label) which sounds great so will pass on the re-reissue. I bought a Cd years back to learn ‘starless and bible black’. 
 

Anthony 

London

[mjazzg]

Reissue now in stock at Honest Jons for anyone interested

[sidewinder]

11 minutes ago, adh1907 said:

Re Stan Tracey’s Jazz Suite, I accompanied my Dad to the local record shop (in Chorley, Lancs, shop still there) when the first reissue of this came out in the mid 70s. The shop owner called a phone number to track down a copy and Stan Tracey answered the phone! He duly sent a copy to the shop. Loved the record since hearing it then. I have a mono original (‘not for sale’ sticker on the label) which sounds great so will pass on the re-reissue. I bought a Cd years back to learn ‘starless and bible black’. 
 

Anthony 

London

I hear you re: the sound on the mono original. Hard to improve on that. Great that Stan answered the phone with that order !

I really miss seeing Stan, Clark and co. at events like the Swanage Festival, especially with his great Octet. One of the last times I caught them, he was featuring those two suites which are included in the release ‘The Later Suites’ (‘Hong Kong Suite’ etc.).

4 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

Reissue now in stock at Honest Jons for anyone interested

Also at the fishy site which shall be nameless.

Edited May 11, 2023 by sidewinder

[adh1907]

1 minute ago, sidewinder said:

I hear you re: the sound on the mono original. Hard to improve on that. Great that Stan answered the phone with that order !

I really miss seeing Stan, Clark and co. at events like the Swanage Festival, especially with his great Octet. One of the last times I caught them, he was featuring those two suites which are included in the release ‘The Later Suites’ (‘Hong Kong Suite’ etc.).

Yes, they were such regular tourers, you expected them to go on forever. My first jazz gig was Stan’s quartet at Southport in the 70s. I think Art Themen was late due to an operation overrunning.  My Dad got into argument with the people behind who were criticising the long hair and jeans worn by Stan and his son! I think they were expecting their jazz musicians to be like the MJQ. 
 

Anthony

 

[sidewinder]

Jeez !  Poor old Stan had to put up with no end of crap over the years. Huge credit for the perseverance - both him and Jackie.

I saw a couple of performances of ‘Under Milk Wood’. One was at Bath Pavilion back in the 90s I think, with the quartet including Wellins and I think followed by the Octet in the second half. I recall that the same quartet did a reprise of some of it in 2005 at the ‘Jazz Britannia’ event in the Barbican. Pretty sure I caught it another time too but I’m not sure where !

Edited May 11, 2023 by sidewinder

[GA Russell]

On 5/8/2023 at 11:17 PM, felser said:

I thought organist David Sinclair was the star, but Hastings was fabulous in his cameo roles on them.

John, I was a big fan of David Sinclair.  I didn't find him on many albums after he left Caravan.

[felser]

23 minutes ago, GA Russell said:

John, I was a big fan of David Sinclair.  I didn't find him on many albums after he left Caravan.

Me neither, just a couple of Camel albums. 

[romualdo]

9 hours ago, adh1907 said:

Yes, they were such regular tourers, you expected them to go on forever. My first jazz gig was Stan’s quartet at Southport in the 70s. I think Art Themen was late due to an operation overrunning.  My Dad got into argument with the people behind who were criticising the long hair and jeans worn by Stan and his son! I think they were expecting their jazz musicians to be like the MJQ. 

I was lucky enough to see Stan & band here in Brisbane, Australia circa 1996 - may have been promoting the ST Octet "Portraits Plus" release (fantastic album IMHO) - I know Art & Clark were present. I even taped the concert - still have it somewhere

[adh1907]

19 hours ago, sidewinder said:

 I recall that the same quartet did a reprise of some of it in 2005 at the ‘Jazz Britannia’ event in the Barbican. Pretty sure I caught it another time too but I’m not sure where !

Yes, I went to that. I can’t believe that was 2005. I think they did a couple of tunes, including ‘Starless and bible black’. Wellins’ solo on that is so memorable I stupidly expected him to repeat it, which of course, he didn’t. 

[sidewinder]

24 minutes ago, adh1907 said:

Yes, I went to that. I can’t believe that was 2005.

Thoroughly memorable. Made even better too by getting to chat with Ian Carr at the Barbican bar, who reprised his humourous ‘jazz is dead’ story which he did on TV a few nights before. Priceless !

Edited May 12, 2023 by sidewinder

[romualdo]

Confront Recordings have just released a 6CD Alan Skidmore retrospective, the vast majority of the material previously unreleased

https://confrontrecordings.bandcamp.com/merch/alan-skidmore-a-supreme-love-6xcd-box-set-twenty-page-booklet