GRP "Chessmates" Re-Issues

[dova]

Hello:

Does anyone know how many titles were issued on the GRP label " Chessmates" re-issue series?

Mostly from the Decca, Chess, Argo and Cadet labels, I have several including the following:

George Russell: Jazz in the space age

Kenny Dorham & the Jazz prophets

James Moody: Moodys mood for Love

Lou Donaldson: Fried Buzzard

Most of these are out of print and I'm looking to see what titles I missed out on.

I appreciate your help!

Dova

[Swinging Swede]

Count Basie - Straight Ahead

was another one.

That was an excellent series, but very shortlived since the Polygram/MCA merger came soon after it was started.

[Swinging Swede]

Max Roach - Max!

was in there too, I think.

Edited to add:

Kenny Burrell - Ode to 52nd Street

Al Cohn & Zoot Sims - Al And Zoot

Quincy Jones - Go West, Man!

Edited March 19, 2008 by Swinging Swede

[robviti]

Introducing Roland Kirk

[king ubu]

There was a great thread on the BNBB about the various Chess series (there are also those "almost twofers" where Keepnews omitted two tracks off the second album included, usually). If someone could post that thread, that would be way cool, I don't have any saved old threads, alas.

[dova]

Here is a review of Benny Golson's Free reissued by GRP as a twofer along with several more in that series.

I believe some of the others are Clark Terry, James Moody,Ahmad Jamal and several more for a total of 10 cds.

http://www.bordersstores.com/search/title_...rchType=Keyword

[JohnBlutarski]

There was a great thread on the BNBB about the various Chess series (there are also those "almost twofers" where Keepnews omitted two tracks off the second album included, usually). If someone could post that thread, that would be way cool, I don't have any saved old threads, alas.

those must have been frustrating... for missing those 1 or 2 songs...

JB

[Swinging Swede]

Keepnews frequently omitted one or two tunes from *each* album. Then he explained in the notes that it was becuase a CD couldn't hold everything. But the playing time of the CDs often was just 64 minutes or so, so they could easily have included everything. Stupid.

[king ubu]

Keepnews frequently omitted one or two tunes from *each* album. Then he explained in the notes that it was becuase a CD couldn't hold everything. But the playing time of the CDs often was just 64 minutes or so, so they could easily have included everything. Stupid.

hm, the James Moody (Overbrook) is complete, the Zoot Sims and Art Farmers had two tunes from the second album missing, what other releases were done in that series?

[king ubu]

Chessmates (GRP)

George Russell: Jazz in the Space Age (Decca)

Kenny Dorham & the Jazz Prophets

James Moody: Moody's Mood for Love (Argo)

Lou Donaldson: Fried Buzzard (Argo)

Count Basie - Straight Ahead

Max Roach - Max! (Argo)

Kenny Burrell - Ode to 52nd Street

Al Cohn & Zoot Sims - Al And Zoot

Quincy Jones - Go West, Man!

Introducing Roland Kirk

what else?

[Swinging Swede]

I'm not sure there is more. Two batches with five releases in each may have been all there was before the merger. After that more Deccas and Argos etc. were released in Verve's reissue series.

[king ubu]

Thanks, I almost thought so... I'd love to find the Burrell!

How are the Basie and Donaldsons?

[king ubu]

hm, no wait... the Burrell - the one I'd like to find is the Village Vanguard trio thing (the one that's now reissued again but minus all the bonus material) - wasn't that one also part of this series?

[Swinging Swede]

Keepnews frequently omitted one or two tunes from *each* album. Then he explained in the notes that it was becuase a CD couldn't hold everything. But the playing time of the CDs often was just 64 minutes or so, so they could easily have included everything. Stupid.

hm, the James Moody (Overbrook) is complete, the Zoot Sims and Art Farmers had two tunes from the second album missing, what other releases were done in that series?

No, the Art Farmer had one tune from each album omitted, The Best Thing For You Is Me from Art and Change Partners from Perception, to be more specific. Keepnews writes "One selection from each album has been omitted. The reissue producer has used his own judgement [sic] in programming this CD, rather than following either original recording order or LP sequence.". The only problem with that is that the CD is 64:32 and easily could have included *both* omitted numbers, which are 5 and 4 minutes respectively!!!

It is true that the Zoot Sims has one album complete and two tracks missing from one, but the running time of the CD is only 65:37, so why the omission in the first place???

I'm also reminded of the Keepnews-produced RCA CD The Great Ellington Units. There were 24 Ellington small group tracks recorded for Victor in 1940-41. Keepnews omits 2 tracks and writes "The expanded - although not unlimited - capacity of a compact disc makes it possible to assemble here virtually all the 1940-41 Ellington small-band material. (Since not quite everything could be included, the decision was to omit two selections generally recognized as the lesser items on the second Barney Bigard date: June and Noir Bleu.)". What he writes is a direct lie since the CD is 69:41 and easily could have included two more three-minute tracks.

Can anyone explain this behaviour from O.K.? Did he find sadistic joy in driving collectors nuts?

There were more Chess twofers; I'll check them later.

Edited March 20, 2008 by Swinging Swede

[Swinging Swede]

Another one is the Jazztet CD Blues On Down. It omits two tracks each from Big City Sounds and At Birdhouse, but the CD is only 67:22. The four omitted tracks are 15 minutes combined, so 3 of those 4 tracks could have been included, and one of the albums could have been complete.

[Chuck Nessa]

It is true that the Zoot Sims has one album complete and two tracks missing from one, but the running time of the CD is only 65:37, so why the omission in the first place???

I'm also reminded of the Keepnews-produced RCA CD The Great Ellington Units. There were 24 Ellington small group tracks recorded for Victor in 1940-41. Keepnews omits 2 tracks and writes "The expanded - although not unlimited - capacity of a compact disc makes it possible to assemble here virtually all the 1940-41 Ellington small-band material. (Since not quite everything could be included, the decision was to omit two selections generally recognized as the lesser items on the second Barney Bigard date: June and Noir Bleu.)". What he writes is a direct lie since the CD is 69:41 and easily could have included two more three-minute tracks.

Can anyone explain this behaviour from O.K.? Did he find sadistic joy in driving collectors nuts?

There were more Chess twofers; I'll check them later.

The tracks were probably omitted to keep the publishing royalties down. I know RCA/BMG had (at the time of the Ellington reissue you mention) an internal limit on the amount of music per disc. Universal probably had the same.

[Swinging Swede]

Then we have the Ramsey Lewis CD Consider The Source, which includes tracks from Lewis's first three Argo albums. All three are incomplete of course, and the playing time is only 62:15. Argo albums are often short and instead for example the two first albums could have been complete. Keepnews excels again.

[Kyo]

The tracks were probably omitted to keep the publishing royalties down. I know RCA/BMG had (at the time of the Ellington reissue you mention) an internal limit on the amount of music per disc. Universal probably had the same.

And thanks to idiotic decisions like this we are now better off with reissues by

the likes of Fresh Sound Records and Lonehill Jazz (who have actually included

both of the two Zoot Sims albums mentioned before in their entirety on one disc).

The music industry as we knew it really did dig its own grave, no doubt about it.

[Swinging Swede]

The tracks were probably omitted to keep the publishing royalties down. I know RCA/BMG had (at the time of the Ellington reissue you mention) an internal limit on the amount of music per disc. Universal probably had the same.

Do you know if that was a limit on number of tracks or number of minutes? Because the CDs mentioned range from 11 to 22 tracks.

In any case it does not explain why Keepnews falsely keeps referring to the capacity of CDs as the reason for omission. He does it again on the Hal McKusick CD Now's The Time: "this CD is made up of material drawn from two albums. Some selections have been omitted - there simply is not that much room on a single compact disc". The CD is 62:02!!!

[Chuck Nessa]

The tracks were probably omitted to keep the publishing royalties down. I know RCA/BMG had (at the time of the Ellington reissue you mention) an internal limit on the amount of music per disc. Universal probably had the same.

Do you know if that was a limit on number of tracks or number of minutes? Because the CDs mentioned range from 11 to 22 tracks.

In any case it does not explain why Keepnews falsely keeps referring to the capacity of CDs as the reason for omission. He does it again on the Hal McKusick CD Now's The Time: "this CD is made up of material drawn from two albums. Some selections have been omitted - there simply is not that much room on a single compact disc". The CD is 62:02!!!

Publishing royalties are figured on a combination of tracks and duration. Some detail can be figured by visiting the site of the Harry Fox Agency at http://www.harryfox.com/index.jsp . I believe there is a site for "historical rates" to see what the rules are now and in the past.