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Curtis Counce

Tom 1960

By Tom 1960
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Tom 1960 Contributor

Tom 1960

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I've managed to purchase a couple of his releases recently. You Get More Bounce and Landslide. Terrific stuff. I'm probably going to purchase Carl's Blues as well. Any other fans here who just LOVE this stuff?

T.D. Mentor

T.D.

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Yeah, great stuff! Outstanding band, with Land, Perkins (little-recorded, one of my favorites), Butler and Sheldon. I rcommend Carl's Blues. I also have Sonority, which isn't as memorable but has three tunes with Gerald Wilson and Elmo Hope (another favorite).

six string Newbie

six string

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I acquired a promo copy of You Get More Bounce... from my father-in-law a year ago and really like it. I've been aware of the album for years due to the eye catching cover, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover the music was very good as well.

BruceH Newbie

BruceH

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I've managed to purchase a couple of his releases recently. You Get More Bounce and Landslide. Terrific stuff. I'm probably going to purchase Carl's Blues as well. Any other fans here who just LOVE this stuff?

Count me in. I've been into Counce since reading about him in, I think, Gioia's book West Coast Jazz some years ago. There's also an album called Exploring the Future on Boplicity with Rolf Ericson on trumpet instead of Jack Sheldon and Elmo Hope replacing Carl Perkins on piano. Then there's a fine album by Harold Land called Harold In the Land of Jazz that's basically the Curtis Counce Group without Curtis Counce (Leroy Vinnegar is on bass instead.)

Big Beat Steve Proficient

Big Beat Steve

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Count me in. I've been into Counce since reading about him in, I think, Gioia's book West Coast Jazz some years ago. There's also an album called Exploring the Future on Boplicity with Rolf Ericson on trumpet instead of Jack Sheldon and Elmo Hope replacing Carl Perkins on piano.

Actually the "Exploring the Future" album originally was a DOOTONE label release.

Otherwise, thumbs up for Curtis Counce here too. I, too, got curious about exploring him further after reading Ted Gioia's book and haven't regretted it.

mikeweil Mentor

mikeweil

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That said, count me in as another fan of the CCQ.

I have to admit that I prefer listening to them in session order. I burned my own 3 CD set from the 4 CDs on Contemporary - if anbody here wants to buy all four of them at once (3 OJC CDs and 1 Contemporary CD), send me a PM with an offer.

Edited by mikeweil
Big Beat Steve Proficient

Big Beat Steve

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...I agree with Ted Gioia's poor opinion of Exploring the Future.

Who cares what the record sounds like with that great cover art!

It ain't THAT bad anyhow. Certianly not on the level of his Contemporary LP's but still listenable enough, no matter what Down Beat and Gioia said. Looking at the Down Beat review (2 stars) I've got a hunch that beyond recording quality issues they picked this record as one of those where they failed all the participants summarily for being "derivative" (one of their favorite derogatory terms of those years, it seems ;)), not creating something substantially new, etc. - i.e. their pet peeve they seem to have nourished at that time, proving you can downgrade anything if you feel like it.

Just my 2c - and yes, at times I do take the liberty of disagreeing with certain review "authorities"

Big Beat Steve Proficient

Big Beat Steve

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The noticeable distortion in the recording quality (if I go by the Downbeat review it's aparently not a fault of my Fresh Sound reissue pressing) is annoying and I can understand the reviewers failing the record for this (maybe even to the point of rating it only 2 stars) but if you manage to "listen through" this (maybe I manage better than others as a LOT of my collection is made up of music from the 78 rpm era where fidelity varies widely) it's an O.K. enough blowing date IMHO.

BruceH Newbie

BruceH

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...I agree with Ted Gioia's poor opinion of Exploring the Future.

Who cares what the record sounds like with that great cover art!

It ain't THAT bad anyhow. Certianly not on the level of his Contemporary LP's but still listenable enough, no matter what Down Beat and Gioia said. Looking at the Down Beat review (2 stars) I've got a hunch that beyond recording quality issues they picked this record as one of those where they failed all the participants summarily for being "derivative" (one of their favorite derogatory terms of those years, it seems ;)), not creating something substantially new, etc. - i.e. their pet peeve they seem to have nourished at that time, proving you can downgrade anything if you feel like it.

Just my 2c - and yes, at times I do take the liberty of disagreeing with certain review "authorities"

Sure, it's not the best Counce album, but I'm glad I have it and think any fan would be.

My copy says "Boplicity" AND "Dootone" and I just chose the first one.

Don't overlook that Harold Land album, Tom!

Niko Rising Star

Niko

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Then there's a fine album by Harold Land called Harold In the Land of Jazz that's basically the Curtis Counce Group without Curtis Counce (Leroy Vinnegar is on bass instead.)

there are also the final three tracks of the Elmo Hope Connoisseur CD with Hope, Land, Butler, Vinnegar and Stu Williamson on trumpet (and finally Harold Land's the Fox with Hope, Land, Butler plus Dupree Bolton on trumpet and Herbie Lewis on bass...)

RDK Newbie

RDK

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...I agree with Ted Gioia's poor opinion of Exploring the Future.

Who cares what the record sounds like with that great cover art!

You mean this groovy cover? :lol:

246075.jpg

The colors were more vivid on the original.

Heh. My LP copy has a b&w cover. :lol:

Tom 1960 Contributor

Tom 1960

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Don't overlook that Harold Land album, Tom!

Bruce, I'll have the Land album "Harold In The Land Of Jazz" as part of another Concord shipment planned soon. Great to hear you think highly of this release. Also great to read the many positive thoughts here on the Counce sessions. Looks like I'm in good company. Shame that another fine musician died way too young. Same can be said for Carl Perkins.

Edited by Tom 1960
Morganized Newbie

Morganized

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"Harold in the Land of Jazz" is a special record. And don't miss its first-cousin, Elmo Hope's "The Fox."

Glad to see so much respect for Harold in the Land of Jazz. IMHO it is slightly better than the Fox which is the one most people cite when referencing Harold Land. He is such a great player.

mikeweil Mentor

mikeweil

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There's a discography of Elmo Hope, too, on Noal Cohen's site I linked above - you will find the "Future" LP listed and several sessions with Land.

If you check the "Future" sessions there, you will see that neither the Boplicity nor the Fresh Sound CD reissues have the complete session!

Edited by mikeweil

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