Gramophone online archive

[Dan Gould]

Stumbled across Gramophone when looking for something for the "My First" thread - no more registering in order to use the search function, and I agree this is a great resource just to see how some recordings were viewed when they (and much of the music) was new, no "received wisdom" being fobbed off.

Two surprising or even aggravating reviews found so far:

The review of The Three Sounds, Blue Genes (Verve):

http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/August%201963/72/824712/The+Three+Sounds+Blue+Genes

This is the first LP The Three Sounds have recorded for a major label. (Their previous albums have been for Blue Note, some of which were released here under the arrangement between Blue Note and Central Record Distributors.) I have never been able to understand why this group has achieved any degree of fame. It lacks individuality and seems to cater for that indeterminate audience which, if the publicity tags are to be believed, inhabits cocktail lounges. Pianist Gene Harris takes the lion's share of the solo work, using his right hand in the manner of Ahmad Jamal or Erroll Garner in lighter mood. His left is reserved for occasional chords, usually on beats one and three, the resultant effect being to produce superficial keyboard jazz which is polite, pretty and about as far removed from the real thing as Marshall Royal is from Phil Woods.

Now, I don't care if this asshat thinks Gene Harris was a cocktail jazz pianist, but what the fuck does that simile mean? Phil Woods plays real jazz and Marshall Royal plays the pretend, polite kind?

Here's another um, interesting review, of Horace Silver's Silver Blue, a great favorite of mine.

Donald Byrd is a trumpet-player who has occasional bursts of lyricism (one occurs in Hank's Tune) but far more often seems incapable of developing his ideas properly. Joe Gordon, an impetuous musician, who replaces him in Shoutin' Out and To Beat Or Not To Beat, strikes more fire in most of his solos. A great deal of Hank Mobley's tenor playing is drab and uneventful, but he too can fashion a thoughtful, shapely solo—as he does in I'll Know, Shoutin' Out, and Night.

http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/December%201957/38/790432/Horace+Silver+Quintet

No doubt a tremendous resource and fascinating to read - even when its complete and total bullshit.

[Dan Gould]

Just realized this is in the Classical forum - since Gramophone reviewed jazz, maybe it should be in the Jazz in Print forum, for people who don't look at the Classical forum?

Otherwise I feel awkward posting another anti-Three Sounds rant, this one from a review of their collaboration with Anita O'Day:

I wish I could be as enthusiastic about The Three Sounds, who not only accompany Anita O'Day (and, to be fair, do it quite adequately) but also occupy four tracks by themselves. When Alun Morgan reviewed an LP by this group in August he described it as lacking individuality. He was dead right. All three musicians are good technicians (especially the bassist, Andrew Simpkins) but the jazz they produce is boring and repetitive. Clichés are stuffed among the bars like raisins in a Christmas pudding. C .F.

At least now I know it was Alun Morgan who was the undiscriminating fuckwad from before.

[Dan Gould]

I can't help it - more crap from this Alun Morgan fellow:

Herbie Hancock "My Point Of View" Blind Man, Blind Man: A Tribute To Someone/ King Cobra: The Pleasure Is Mine: And What If I Don't? Blue Note Q 4126 (12 in., 42s. 6d. incl. PT.).

Herbie Hancock is nowadays the pianist with the Miles Davis group, and this LP—the second to be produced under his own name, although the first to appear in Britain—seems to have been made just before he joined the trumpeter. Similarly, the drummer on this record, Anthony Williams, is also with Miles these days. All five tunes are by Hancock and I would not have considered any of them worthy of the praise lavished on the opening track by Blue Note. The front of the sleeve carries the statement, in red capitals: "includes his new composition Blind Man, Blind Man". With some trepidation I lowered the pickup on to the surface of the record, only to find that Blind Man is another of those stilted, reiterated riffs which try to give a "back-to-the-roots" feeling. Mose Allison has written many better tunes than this without the benefit of a front-cover build-up, and so have several lesser jazz composers. On this showing Herbie Hancock is a man who misses opportunities, for despite the presence of an interesting group of musicians the music is generally uninspired; when one considers that the personnel is completed by Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Grachan Moncur III (trombone), guitarist Grant Green, bass player Chuck Israels and the aforementioned Williams, the writing and the solo opportunities are merely average. The Pleasure Is Mine is an attractive ballad but the group just fails to extract the full beauty from the tune while elsewhere Byrd and Mobley run through their solos in remarkably routine style. Hancock is clearly a talented musician but as yet he has had too little experience to make a major break-through. I hope he will be allowed to develop as composer and pianist at a natural rate of growth and not be pitchforked into early and astronomical success; we must never forget the fall from grace of men such as Chet Baker and Phineas Newborn both of whom were boosted to the skies in their early twenties. A.M.

What's this shot at Phineas?

[sidewinder]

Well, I'd agree re: the Phineas comment but have to say that Alun Morgan is a guy who really knows his stuff so I'm happy to cut considerable slack (with the benefit of 50 years of hindsight ) and enjoy his contributions.

Now when are they going to put that Melody Maker archive online?

Edited June 29, 2010 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

There was often something of the imperious High Church Anglican vicar in earlier British jazz writing. Lots of that in 'The Essential Jazz Records'.

Actually one of them WAS a vicar!

[colinmce]

Here's another um, interesting review, of Horace Silver's Silver Blue, a great favorite of mine.

Donald Byrd is a trumpet-player who has occasional bursts of lyricism (one occurs in Hank's Tune) but far more often seems incapable of developing his ideas properly. Joe Gordon, an impetuous musician, who replaces him in Shoutin' Out and To Beat Or Not To Beat, strikes more fire in most of his solos. A great deal of Hank Mobley's tenor playing is drab and uneventful, but he too can fashion a thoughtful, shapely soloas he does in I'll Know, Shoutin' Out, and Night.

Frankly I can't say I disagree!

Edited June 29, 2010 by colinmce

[sidewinder]

There was often something of the imperious High Church Anglican vicar in earlier British jazz writing. Lots of that in 'The Essential Jazz Records'.

Actually one of them WAS a vicar!

Eric Thacker? He did the later Vol 2 of the 'Essential Jazz Records' I think.

There was also a Ralph Laing who used to do discographies in Jazz Journal. Was that the RD Laing of alternative psychiatric medicine fame and hippy guru in a low-key pipe and slippers alternative sideline?

[A Lark Ascending]

There was often something of the imperious High Church Anglican vicar in earlier British jazz writing. Lots of that in 'The Essential Jazz Records'.

Actually one of them WAS a vicar!

Eric Thacker? He did the later Vol 2 of the 'Essential Jazz Records' I think.

There was also a Ralph Laing who used to do discographies in Jazz Journal. Was that the RD Laing of alternative psychiatric medicine fame and hippy guru in a low-key pipe and slippers alternative sideline?

My copies have him on both. Stuart Nicholson replaced Charles Fox on Vol 2. Says Fox died in 1991, Thacker in 97.

Edited July 1, 2010 by Bev Stapleton

[sidewinder]

My copies have him on both.

Hmm - not on my Vol 1 paperback. Bought back in 1976 (or was it 77?) when it first came out. Price label £2.90 - which seemed a small fortune at the time.

It was my favourite review book for many years and helped to put together the 'core' of a collection.

Edited July 2, 2010 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

My copies have him on both.

Hmm - not on my Vol 1 paperback. Bought back in 1976 (or was it 77?) when it first came out. Price label £2.90 - which seemed a small fortune at the time.

It was my favourite review book for many years and helped to put together the 'core' of a collection.

Mine is an unabridged reprint of the 1984 version. Maybe they changed it between 1976 and 84 adding Thacker's sections.

I like the essay like discussions of several recordings at once. Though the verdicts can be somewhat high-handed. But as with Penguin, you learn to steer around the writers' prejudices.

[sidewinder]

Mine is an unabridged reprint of the 1984 version.

I recall that when it came out in '76 I had quite a job getting hold of it and had to order it through an independent bookshop. Never realised they did a 1984 reprint. The more recent Vols 1 and 2 has Vol 2 with the main content of the old paperback plus some more recent selections from Stuart Nicholson and the others, to 'bring it up to date'. Vol 1 covers 'early jazz'.

The '76 book was right on the ball with some of its selections (e.g. 'Africa Brass', JR Monterose 'The Message', Al Haig 'Jazz Will 'O' The Wisp') and it was pretty well guaranteed that anything in there would be an excellent listening purchase. The only problem at the time was tracking down some of the music (e.g. Monterose on Jaro International vinyl sourced in 70s UK = more chance of winning the pools).

Edited July 3, 2010 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

Only just noticed that access to the online archive went behind their subscription paywall back in 2013. Wish they would at least put a CD out with the PDFs on there for those of us who don't want to buy the mag. No doubt some beancounter with an MBA has been put in charge.