six string Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 (edited) I bought a copy of this yesterday and was curious about the label. Did they do other jazz releases? The sound quality is really excellent and the quality of the vinyl is above average in looks and finish. It looks like a labor of love as opposed to someone trying to make a fast buck. I forgot to mention the title. It's called Sir Elf. Btw the performance is really good too. He really seems to have command over the instrument. Edited December 20, 2008 by six string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcello Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 I have CHUCK WAYNE JOE PUMA INTERACTIONS (CHOICE 1004) Nice record! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 I believe Hanna made two records for Choice - both are great! One of my favorite Zoot Sims albums is on Choice - "Zoot Sims' Party." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 So this is not the Choice Records that was owned by Ozzie Cadena - their numbers ran in the 500 series. Whose label is this? And when was it around? MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazztrain Posted December 20, 2008 Report Share Posted December 20, 2008 A listing of releases on the choice label can be found here: http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Labels/choice.htm I bought a copy of this yesterday and was curious about the label. Did they do other jazz releases? The sound quality is really excellent and the quality of the vinyl is above average in looks and finish. It looks like a labor of love as opposed to someone trying to make a fast buck. I forgot to mention the title. It's called Sir Elf. Btw the performance is really good too. He really seems to have command over the instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 I have three on the label---the Jimmy Giuffre, Music for Birds..., Al Haig--Strings Attached, and Lee Konitz, Tenorlee. The Giuffre is an excellent record. I need to refresh my memory on the other two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcello Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Yes, you reminded me that I have the Al Haig / Jimmy Raney: Strings Attached also! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
six string Posted December 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Is the quality of the vinyl in terms of looks and playback high across the boards? I was really impressed with the Hanna lp. The lp has 1973 on the label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Is the quality of the vinyl in terms of looks and playback high across the boards? I was really impressed with the Hanna lp. The lp has 1973 on the label. Thanks - so this label must have started after Ozzie closed down his own label. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 So this is not the Choice Records that was owned by Ozzie Cadena - their numbers ran in the 500 series. Whose label is this? And when was it around? MG Choice was a one man operation owned by Gerry McDonald. Gerry served as his own engineer and was a very nice guy. In the '50s Gerry worked for a tape recorder company (maybe Concord) and had one of the first stereo recorders on the West Coast. Dick Bock let him set up his machine at some PJ sessions to try it out. Years ago he told me he still had the tapes. He was very proud of his version of Hoagy Sings Carmichael and vowed to issue it some day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 Is the quality of the vinyl in terms of looks and playback high across the boards? I was really impressed with the Hanna lp. The lp has 1973 on the label. I re-listened to the Jimmy Giuffre this morning, and indeed the vinyl and the recording quality were first rate. Very nice sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 So this is not the Choice Records that was owned by Ozzie Cadena - their numbers ran in the 500 series. Whose label is this? And when was it around? MG Choice was a one man operation owned by Gerry McDonald. Gerry served as his own engineer and was a very nice guy. In the '50s Gerry worked for a tape recorder company (maybe Concord) and had one of the first stereo recorders on the West Coast. Dick Bock let him set up his machine at some PJ sessions to try it out. Years ago he told me he still had the tapes. He was very proud of his version of Hoagy Sings Carmichael and vowed to issue it some day. Thanks Chuck. How interesting that there is a completely different set of tapes for that session. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyhersom Posted December 23, 2008 Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 Joanne Brackeen had a fine quartet date with Michael Brecker on this label, Tring-A-Ling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted O'Reilly Posted December 23, 2008 Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 The Choice label referred to here was started by Gerry McDonald. He was a saxophonist originally from Montreal, and a life-long friend of Oscar Peterson. He was a member of the Johnny Holmes band when the teenage Peterson was the pianist. McDonald is the man responsible for the November 1955 "Live at Zardi's" recordings of the OP trio with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown. I have the domestic Pablo release (2PACD-2620-118-2) which identifies the Granz-ubiquitous Val Valentine as the engineer, but it was McDonald. I used to have the original German release of it -- Oscar heard me playing in on the air before it came out on this side of the Atlantic, and phoned to ask "Where did you get that material -- it's not supposed to be released!" When I told him it was the German one, he simply said "Oh, okay." Since that version is not in my hand, I don't remember if McDonald is properly credited. The material is identified in Gene Lees' OP biography The Will To Swing, and Lees further identifies him as the man "who later became a recording engineer and founded the Choice record label". I don't recall any other label with that name... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted December 23, 2008 Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 I don't recall any other label with that name... The other Choice was based in Newark and run by Ozzie Cadena in the sixties. I think there were some twenty or so releases, the first 16 of which were mainly Gospel, with a few Blues, and mostly 1960-1962 vintage. He did some Jazz stuff (and a bit more Gospel) in the late sixties. Cadena was a record producer at Savoy and Prestige. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted O'Reilly Posted December 23, 2008 Report Share Posted December 23, 2008 Cadena was a record producer at Savoy and Prestige. MG I know Cadena well enough, just not a label named "Choice" that he had... Thanks. (In the Lord Jazz Discography, the only "Choice" referred to is the McDonald one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcello Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 Joanne Brackeen had a fine quartet date with Michael Brecker on this label, Tring-A-Ling. Geez, I have that one too! (Choice/CRS 1016) Nice session. My memory must be not as sharp as it used to be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 It seems I also have forgotten that I have Eddie Daniels, A Flower for All Seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 Cadena was a record producer at Savoy and Prestige. MG I know Cadena well enough, just not a label named "Choice" that he had... Thanks. (In the Lord Jazz Discography, the only "Choice" referred to is the McDonald one). Apart fron the two Charles Earland LPs, which are the only jazz issues I know about, the rest of the catalogue has no business in a jazz discography. Quite a bit is in the Hayes & Laughton Gospel discography for 1943-1969. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Dryden Posted December 24, 2008 Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 (edited) Here are the Choice issues I have: CDs: Bud Shank: Live at the Haig Choice 71030 LPs: Joanne Brackeen with Eddie Gomez: Prism Choice 1024 Sir Roland Hanna: Sir Elf Choice 1003 Sir Roland Hanna & George Mraz: Sir Elf Plus 1 Choice 1018 Roger Kellaway: Ain't Misbehavin' Choice 6833 Adam Makowicz: From My Window Choice 1028 Lenny Popkin: Falling Free Choice 1027 Zoot Sims: Zoot Sims' Party Choice 1006 Chuck Wayne/Joe Puma: Interactions Choice 1004 Edited December 24, 2008 by Ken Dryden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
six string Posted December 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2008 Here are the Choice issues I have: CDs: Bud Shank: Live at the Haig Choice 71030 LPs: Joanne Brackeen with Eddie Gomez: Prism Choice 1024 Sir Roland Hanna: Sir Elf Choice 1003 Sir Roland Hanna & George Mraz: Sir Elf Plus 1 Choice 1018 Roger Kellaway: Ain't Misbehavin' Choice 6833 Adam Makowicz: From My Window Choice 1028 Lenny Popkin: Falling Free Choice 1027 Zoot Sims: Zoot Sims' Party Choice 1006 Chuck Wayne/Joe Puma: Interactions Choice 1004 Ladies and Gentelmen, I think we have a winner in the "who has the most Choice lps." Speaking of which I saw another version of the Sir Elf album today. It had a different cover and it appeared to be reissued or distributed by Innercity Records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Dryden Posted December 25, 2008 Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 I'm sure someone who uses this forum a better collection of Choice LPs than I do. I was just sharing the info I had. Merry Christmas, everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted December 25, 2008 Report Share Posted December 25, 2008 These are the ones I have, all on LP: 1003 Hanna, Roland - Sir Elf 1004 Wayne, Chuck & Joe Puma - Interactions 1005 Feldman, Victor - Your Smile 1006 Sims, Zoot - Zoot Sims' Party 1008 DeFranco, Buddy - Free Sail 1009 Brackeen, Joanne - Snooze 1010 Haig, Al - Strings Attached 1013 Phillips, Flip - Phillips' Head 1014 Rowles, Jimmy - Grandpaws 1016 Brackeen, Joanne - Tring-A-Ling 1017 DeFranco, Buddy - Waterbed 1018 Hanna, Roland - Sir Elf+1 1019 Konitz, Lee - Tenorlee 1022 Mosca, Sal - For You 1023 Rowles, Jimmy - Paws That Refresh 1024 Brackeen, Joanne - Prism 6830 Shank, Bud - Live at the Haig The Shank was issued in 1985 - years after the others. It was distributed through Bainbridge. Hence the different numbering series. The 1000 series was also issued through Inner City in the 1980's. These had different cover art & design than the originals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjzee Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 Just noticed that the Joanne Brackeen album "Snooze" is available on eMusic under the title "Six Ate": Six Ate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 I remember liking Snooze when I had it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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