gmonahan Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 IIRC there was a two disc Lp Wilson set released in Canada in the late '60s or early '70s with a few of the Billie sides but most of the cuts instrumentals. "Teddy Wilson and His All-Stars," 2-LP set on Columbia, CG-31617 issued 1973. It was all recorded for Brunswick and has 5 Billie Holiday vocals and 2 by Ella among its 31 tracks. That's the material I'm talking about. I have the Lady Day set, so I don't really want to pick up all the Heps in order to get the instrumentals, but there is some fine material on those instrumentals--lots of stuff by Johnny Hodges, Chu Berry, Roy Eldridge, Buck Clayton, Harry James, and others. Sure seems like there would be enough instrumentals and non-Holiday vocals to fill a Select, but those who have the Heps could answer that better than I can. greg mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bixieland Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 okay.. I just finished listening to the Lionel Hampton set and here's is what I think... I really liked it.. far more than I expected to....I was very pleasantly surprised by Hamp's vocals.. I'm not a big fan of Pre WWIII jazz but this set worked for me... Almost every tune swung... Only one (I think) version of Flying Home... (I was afraid there would be 5 different takes and 3 alternates... <_< ). What's also interesting about this set.... is who is on it...It's got Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, Chu Berry, Ben Webster, Charlie Christian among others.... Another thing that pleasantly surprised me was that most of the sessions are small group sessions not big band... (I prefer small group settings.) Disc 5 was the weakest of the bunch with more poppish tunes and background vocals... The background vocals are IMHO what doomed the Dinah Washington Roulette set... :angry: but in this case... they seem to be only on the fifth disc... Overall I was very impressed... This is causing me to reconsider the Chu Berry... Highly recommended if you like this genre... (Or as in my case.. want to get a better taste of it..) The thing I find confusing... :huh: is that there seems to be NO discussion of this set on this board... Given the interest in the Chu Berry, Goodman, etc... What's up with the lack of love for Hamp??? This is one of the strongest sets I have. The whole set is dynamite; tight, swinging, solid. I love it. I agree with others who've said it's among the most essential sessions in all of jazz. Definitely not to be missed. Even if I had the Bluebirds (I don't) I'd still get the Mosaic to be sure I had good transfers on CD as well as LP. And I highly, highly recommend the Chu. I knew the Hamp set was going to be blazing...but the quality of the Chu was like a sucker-punch to the jaw. In a good way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) I assume the Bluebird is long gone and OOP???? Oh yeah. It was a '70s LP box thing. The Mosaic is the way to go now. Not all hope is lost for worldwide collectors if you prefer to get that music on vinyl. Those Lionel Hampton sessions were reissued on two 3-LP sets ("Historical Recording Sessions") on FRENCH RCA as late as the mid-80s (Vol. 1 is RCA PM 42393, Vol. 2 is RCA PM 42417). I bought these sets new in 1986 or 87 and they should turn up in secondhand bins or the usual internet sources every now and then, at least in Europe. Haven't seen a copy for a while (and did not pay attention as I have - and treasure - mine) but when they come up they should be rather affordable - far below any Mosaic (even secondhand) rates. Edited June 8, 2009 by Big Beat Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tranemonk Posted June 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 My concern about the Chu is sound quality...The clips on the Mosaic set IMHO are not very good.... okay.. I just finished listening to the Lionel Hampton set and here's is what I think... I really liked it.. far more than I expected to....I was very pleasantly surprised by Hamp's vocals.. I'm not a big fan of Pre WWIII jazz but this set worked for me... Almost every tune swung... Only one (I think) version of Flying Home... (I was afraid there would be 5 different takes and 3 alternates... <_< ). What's also interesting about this set.... is who is on it...It's got Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, Chu Berry, Ben Webster, Charlie Christian among others.... Another thing that pleasantly surprised me was that most of the sessions are small group sessions not big band... (I prefer small group settings.) Disc 5 was the weakest of the bunch with more poppish tunes and background vocals... The background vocals are IMHO what doomed the Dinah Washington Roulette set... :angry: but in this case... they seem to be only on the fifth disc... Overall I was very impressed... This is causing me to reconsider the Chu Berry... Highly recommended if you like this genre... (Or as in my case.. want to get a better taste of it..) The thing I find confusing... :huh: is that there seems to be NO discussion of this set on this board... Given the interest in the Chu Berry, Goodman, etc... What's up with the lack of love for Hamp??? This is one of the strongest sets I have. The whole set is dynamite; tight, swinging, solid. I love it. I agree with others who've said it's among the most essential sessions in all of jazz. Definitely not to be missed. Even if I had the Bluebirds (I don't) I'd still get the Mosaic to be sure I had good transfers on CD as well as LP. And I highly, highly recommend the Chu. I knew the Hamp set was going to be blazing...but the quality of the Chu was like a sucker-punch to the jaw. In a good way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bixieland Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 I was a little unsure of it myself, before I got it, by reading some posts on that subject. I was "converted" to Ted Kendall's work via his results on the recent Fats Waller series on JSP. I would describe the sounds as being wonderfully warm. Rich and LP-like...a full mellow sound, rare in the CD domain. Not fatiguing in any way...very consistent. Very well preserving of the dynamics of the music. Easy on the ears. And having a dark, luxurious glow...superb for late night listening. To me, a marvelous quality that's very fitting for music from the 1930s. I wouldn't let the sound quality deter me from getting the Chu Berry box -- it's actually a benefit, and one of its great traits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 Seems like everyone bought the LP box set for $25 or less. (years ago) So to buy the Mosaic set for $80 something, seems alittle steep. Depends on the year when it was bought and the amount spent, but actually the Mosaic may be a bargain. Inflation calculator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 Seems like everyone bought the LP box set for $25 or less. (years ago) So to buy the Mosaic set for $80 something, seems alittle steep. Depends on the year when it was bought and the amount spent, but actually the Mosaic may be a bargain. Inflation calculator True, though I just picked one up on eBay for about $30. For a little while I thought I might get it for less than $15, but apparently someone else was paying attention! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tranemonk Posted June 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 I trust your call on that one... My prob is that the clips on the Mosaic set are REALLY bad... like I can barely hear the music with my sound levels turned all the way up... I don't have that experience with any other set except the Chu.... I was a little unsure of it myself, before I got it, by reading some posts on that subject. I was "converted" to Ted Kendall's work via his results on the recent Fats Waller series on JSP. I would describe the sounds as being wonderfully warm. Rich and LP-like...a full mellow sound, rare in the CD domain. Not fatiguing in any way...very consistent. Very well preserving of the dynamics of the music. Easy on the ears. And having a dark, luxurious glow...superb for late night listening. To me, a marvelous quality that's very fitting for music from the 1930s. I wouldn't let the sound quality deter me from getting the Chu Berry box -- it's actually a benefit, and one of its great traits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted June 8, 2009 Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 I trust your call on that one... My prob is that the clips on the Mosaic set are REALLY bad... like I can barely hear the music with my sound levels turned all the way up... I don't have that experience with any other set except the Chu.... Let it go then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I've got the Chu set, and I find that the volume level is too low. The sound is very good - rich and warm, with plenty of detail, but I have to turn the volume up significantly to match the usual level at which I listen. I mentioned this to Scott Wenzel of Mosaic and he said that nobody else had mentioned this, which kind of surprises me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bixieland Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I wouldn't say that it's that low. It's the same as with the Fats Waller's that Kendall did. They're a little bit lower...but not as extreme as the clips on the Mosaic site make it seem. I kind of like the softer approach. I'd say there's increased dynamic range. When the band kicks in, or an accent is made -- you hear it. The sound has a very classy touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 There was a discussion of this great set before and after it came out. Despite what the liner notes say I consider this date one of best in jazz history: Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Benny Carter (as, arr), Coleman Hawkins, Chu Berry, Ben Webster (ts), Lionel Hampton (vib), Clyde Hart (p), Charlie Christian (g), Milt Hinton (b), Cozy Cole (d). Supervised by Leonard Joy NYC, September 11, 1939 041406-2 When Lights Are Low RCA (F) PM 42406 (LP) 041406-1 When Lights Are Low Vic 26371 041407-1 One Sweet Letter From You (LH-vcl) Vic 26393 041408-1 Hot Mallets Vic 26371 041409-1 Early Session Hop Vic 26393 _______________________________________________________ Is there any single disc with that complete all-star session? - that's the one session I'd really love to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 Well, of course all five tracks are on the second of those two French RCA 3-LP sets featuring Hamp's complete RCA sessions (Historical Recording Sessions Vol. 2, RCA PM 42417) but admittedly that's no SINGLE disc. though you might be able to find a secondhand copy somewhere at a price not beyond the average price of a SINGLE new disc. The four "key" tracks (i.e. the master take of When lights Are Low only) were on "Hot Mallets No. 1" (RCA ND 86458). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 Thanks - sounds like a reasonable option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 Mike - a reasonable option is to get the Mosaic box. I love it! MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 Oh well .... if it's still there by October, I might go for it. But then there's the Woody Herman, which is slightly higher on my wish list. I need to get an idea of Hamp's vocals at the time - I'm afraid it might be too much of a good thing for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigshot Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 I don't know if it's complete, but I got the French LPs that look like a newspaper on this stuff. They did Fats Waller that way too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 I like Hamp's singing. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 I don't know if it's complete, but I got the French LPs that look like a newspaper on this stuff. They did Fats Waller that way too. That must be the 2-LP "The Indispensable" series on RCA Black & White. I dont have the track listings for these, but they're probably not quite complete (hence "indispensable" only) but quite representative and well-compiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Into disc 2 now ... had to dig this up after the discussion here and the fact that I had no memory of any vocals. No wonder: they match the music perfectly well in their relaxed manner! It's pure delight, and the singing, to my ears, does not change that a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 I agree entirely, Ubu. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Yeah, it was wonderful playing tihs all the way through yesterday! Really, no need to have any reservations about the vocals, Hamp sings it as he plays it - and whatever he does, he swings it! What I noticed were the many excellent rhythm "motors": Allan Reuss, Jess Stacy, Clyde Hart ... some underrated folks! Even when the drumming gets goofy (Hamp) or flashy (Hamp and a number of others), they hold it together in a powerful, swinging and yet relaxed manner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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