Herbie Hancock: "V.S.O.P"

[CJ Shearn]

talking about the original 2 LP recorded in 1976, released the following year. Any extra material? just got the 2 CD French reissue, and if Legacy reissues it in the US I know they'd probably add bonus material.

[Chuck Nessa]

I don't think "Legacy" has any employees right now. Certainly not any involved in jazz.

[alocispepraluger102]

talking about the original 2 LP recorded in 1976, released the following year. Any extra material? just got the 2 CD French reissue, and if Legacy reissues it in the US I know they'd probably add bonus material.

bought the original new a few decades ago.

i rarely play it.

its just a tad retro to my ears.

[Claude]

I like the first album, because of the second disc with Mwandishi and Headhunters material.

It was just reissued in Japan as a hybrid SACD, but I couldn't find a a track list. With japan reissues, new bonus tracks a very unlikely though.

http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/4816

Edited October 31, 2007 by Claude

[Bluerein]

Indeed no bonus tracks on any of the Herbie SACD's just reissued in Japan.

[Claude]

Reinier,

Do you have these SACDs? If yes, ave you compared them to the domestic CD versions?

Most of these live recordings don't sound that great, but maybe the mastering has improved.

I'll probably get "Five stars", the japan-only studio album.

Edited October 31, 2007 by Claude

[Tom Storer]

I had the original LPs but never got it on CD. However, I can boast that I was in the audience!

[PHILLYQ]

I had the original LPs but never got it on CD. However, I can boast that I was in the audience!

I got it on CD(maybe from Hans!) and I was also in the audience!

[Bluerein]

Claude: yes I have them I'm afraid. Well it's a mixed bag. Some of them (the later ones) are recorded digitally (16 bit max I guess) so there the improvement is not present. I do feel however the analogue recordings benefit from the DSD mastering (and playback) but I'm a great fan of SACD in general so maybe I'm not qualified to discus the merrits of these!!!!

[Daniel A]

Is there any point at all in releasing a 16 bit recording on SACD?

[Claude]

Thanks Reinier,

I wasn't aware that some of these were digital recordings.

"V.S.O.P" was recorded in 1976, "The Quintet" and "Tempest at the Collosseum" in 1977, so I guess those are analog. How about "Five stars"? This was a direct-to-disc session. Was the backup recording made on analog or digital tape?

@Daniel: no there isn't. But there is always the possibility of a slightly better transfer of early digital recordings. Some of them were made in more exotic PCM formats (such as 16Bit/50kHz) and have to be converted to the standard format.

Concerning these recordings, I'm actually more interested in remastering than in hi-rez benefits, because many first CD reissues by Columbia sound poor. I don't expect much from the live recordings though.

[Tom Storer]

I was also in the audience!

*CLASP*

[Bluerein]

I can't see on the SACD's which are recorded digitally but I guess your guess is right! Some are DSD remastered by Mark Wilder at Sony's studio's in NYC and others (the ones not released as seperates in the US) in Japan by a Japanese engineer. Headhunter is in 5.1 multichannel as well (not that I need that but for those who want to know...)

[DMP]

I was also in the audience, but left half-way through that final group, it was going on to long. (The next year just the"VSOP" group appeared at Lincoln Center, but the opening act - John Klemmer - played way too long, put a damper on it.) (And I like John Klemmer.)

[Kalo]

I don't think "Legacy" has any employees right now. Certainly not any involved in jazz.

Some "legacy."

[Tom Storer]

I was also in the audience, but left half-way through that final group, it was going on to long.

That was his then-current Headhunters group, no? Did you stay long enough to see Tony Williams take the stage at the same time as the Headhunters drummer and drown him right out?

[DMP]

Right, it was his current group, a little larger than the "original" "Headhunters." (Was Wah Wah Watson in there somewhere?) Sorry (now that you bring it up) to say, didn't see Tony Williams come out, I'll have to start working on that time machine... (I do remember Tony Williams saying his right hand was tired from the opening group performance, he wasn't used to playing in that style, it had been awhile!)

[Tom Storer]

Was Wah Wah Watson in there somewhere?

Yes! That was a great concert. I had first heard Herbie on a Columbia compilation LP from the 60's that my father had, which included "Seven Steps to Heaven," and also "Jive Hoot" from "Bob Brookmeyer and Friends." Then Headhunters was a hit and I started chasing down other records. But I had never heard about Mwandishi before and that part really intrigued me. The last group was lots of fun, but I was already nostalgic for the original Headhunters.

[sidewinder]

[i had first heard Herbie on a Columbia compilation LP from the 60's that my father had, which included "Seven Steps to Heaven," and also "Jive Hoot" from "Bob Brookmeyer and Friends."

If it's the LP I think it is (came out on Embassy in the UK and I still have it) this was also the very first time I heard both Herbie - and Miles. If its the same LP there's also Mingus 'Slop' and Brubeck's 'Camptown Races' on there.