Nominations for future "albums of the week"

[Rooster_Ties]

Herbie Hancock - The Prisoner

Andrew Hill – Black Fire

Don Cherry – Complete Communion

Something by (or at least with) Charles Tolliver (what’s everybody already got??)

Edited April 3, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[J Larsen]

I've tried to select discs that I think everyone will have or can easily get. I've also tried to pick discs that aren't too inside or outside to maximize discussion. However, a couple of these are just discs that I think I might appreciate more given the insights of fellow board members.

Coltrane - Ole (outside and inside enough to interest everyone, I'd think)

Ellington - Money Jungle (partly 'cuz I've never REALLY gotten it)

Roland Kirk - The Inflated Tear

Jackie McLean - Bluesnik

Lee Morgan - Leeway

Duke Pearson - The Right Touch

Sun Ra - Sun Song

Cecil Taylor - Love for Sale or Looking Ahead

McCoy Tyner - Reaching Forth, Trident

John McLaughlin - Extrapolation

Kenny Dorham - Matador

[AfricaBrass]

If I was choosing an album, I'd choose something that was readily available for most. Multiple cd sets might be a stretch for some. Maybe we could do a box set of the week/month instead.

I could imagine if someone chose Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, then comments about the box set would be relevant.

I'm thinking that we might want to select the albums way in advance instead of waiting until we're coming up on the week. This might be prudent because 1) we can have time to find the cd, 2)be alert for used copies, set up trades, etc...

This would be a good thread to do that in. I think we left it with CJ Shearn choosing the album for the week after next.

Question: Are we open to new cds or reissues?

[Rooster_Ties]

I'd vote for only including multiple CD sets, IF the release was first released as a multiple album set (meaning in it's original release), or if it has been expanded with additional material from the same sessions, in it's CD release.

Lee Morgan's "Live at the Lighthouse", a 3-CD set, would be OK from my perspective.

But I would not include any multiple CD sets that were originally released as separate albums.

(Of course, there's an exception to every rule: I would include Miles Davis "The Complete Concert: 1964 (My Funny Valentine & "Four More" (a 2CD set) as being one conceptual album, since all the material comes from one concert - even though it was originally released as two separate albums.

=====

I'm open to other thoughts --- but I think we should keep this to 1, maybe 2, or occasionally 3 CD sets (at most), so we increase the chances of people being able to listen to all the material (even a couple times through), and commenting on it during the same week that everyone else is doing the same.

( I think the odds of everyone getting through their Complete Miles Plugged Nickel set (all of it, all in the same week) - are mighty slim. )

[Rooster_Ties]

An occasional relatively new release would be OK, but for the most part, I think it'd be easier to get more people listening and commenting if we went with classic dates that more people already have.

How about this - before someone picks a 'new' release as their Album of the Week - they could float the idea with the board for feedback. (That way, if relatively few people own the album, then that might be something to consider as to whether it should be an album of the week.)

Edited April 3, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[AfricaBrass]

An occasional relatively new release would be OK, but for the most part, I think it'd be easier to get more people listening and commenting if we went with classic dates that more people already have.

How about this - before someone picks a 'new' release as their Album of the Week - they could float the idea with the board for feedback. (That way, if relatively few people own the album, then that might be something to consider as to whether it should be an album of the week.)

I agree with your opinion on new releases. I was just curious where others stood.

My only concern with floating the idea is that we'll end up in a big debate about it and not get anywhere. I think the person coming up with the title should be aware of the pre-requisites about selecting a title. 1) Easily available 2) Classic date

So that means no Strata East titles.

:rsmile:

[John Tapscott]

I think it'd be easier to get more people listening and commenting if we went with classic dates that more people already have.

FWIW, I think going with the "somewhat" classic recordings (ie. at least 15-20 years old) is best, especially for those of us who still have lots of vinyl. That way, we don't necessarily have to go out an buy the CD reissue (or new release) though I wouldn't mind doing that sometimes. A lot of the recordings mentioned I have in one form or another. For example, I listened to the Shorter album on LP. I don't have the Mingus on CD, but I think I have it on vinyl. I'll check tonight.

[Peter Johnson]

Agree. Let's not have a lot of debate over it. Person picking nominates the next to pick. Period. Of course, threads like this one are great to get ideas...I chose CJ after he said (in another thread) that Lee Morgan L@LH would be a great album of the week. "So do I," I thought, and he got the nod.

Of course, he might surprise us and pick "A New Perspective!"

[Peter Johnson]

John Tapscott said, "I don't have the Mingus on CD, but I think I have it on vinyl. I'll check tonight."

I know what you mean. I've got to listen to Mingus x 5 on my SACD version, rather than the CD reissue.

Damn, it's not April 1 anymore.

[.:.impossible]

Larry Young Unity is a great album for this discussion, but it seems that everyone loves it. Maybe better album of the weeks would be albums that result in a varying degree of opinion.

I thought The All Seeing Eye was a great choice because so many people really don't see eye to eye on this one.

How does everyone feel about throwing some Booker Ervin into the mix?

[J Larsen]

Larry Young Unity is a great album for this discussion, but it seems that everyone loves it.

Not everyone...

[Dan Gould]

I don't know how many noticed my post to the Byrd/Pepper thread but I suggested a way of discussing less available or even downright rare LPs if the owner of that record would be willing to send maybe 5 burns out to the first five declared participants and subsequent participants would receive burns from those five, sort of a "burning tree" as it were.

Given a little more lead time, rare music could be distributed in time for a discussion. Might also be interesting if participants only had a list of personnel and tunes and no liners to help them.

On that basis, I can offer:

Gloria Coleman, Soul Sisters (with Grant Green)

Swingin On The Vibories (Kenny Drew, Sonny Clark, Gerry Wiggins taking turns on a set of vibes that play like a piano)

Mad About Tadd, a Dameron tribute LP featuring Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath and Kenny Barron

The Super Jazz Trio with Art Farmer, Something Tasty (Jim R. can attest to the excellence of this recording)

Philly Joe Jones and Dameronia, Look Stop and Listen and To Tadd With Love

Jon Hendricks, Good Git Together (World Pacific with the Adderleys, the Montgomerys and Pony Poindexter)

And really off the beaten track, Bumble Bee Slim, Back in Town! (Pacific Jazz with Groove Holmes, Les McCann, Curtis Amy, Joe Pass)

I guess if there is a groundswell of support, whoever has an upcoming choice can pick me and then I just might leave it up to a vote for which one I will send out.

I do think this is a good way to expand choices and experiences.

[J Larsen]

I feel a controversy coming on...

[Rooster_Ties]

Something by (or at least with) Charles Tolliver (what’s everybody already got??)

I'm guessing that Jackie McLean's "Jacknife" (from the most recent round of Conns) would be the most common Tolliver CD, from among things that are already in print.

Or, lots of people probably have Booker Ervin's "Structurally Sound" (with Tolliver) - which would kill a couple birds with one stone, since Impossible asked about having a Booker Ervin album as the album of the week. (I think "Structurally Sound" is faily common, and should be in many of our collections already.)

As far as Tolliver-lead sessions, "The Ringer" is fairly common - and might be a good one to do. Anybody think "The Ringer" is too obscure to have as an album of the week?

Another Tolliver-lead session that's also somewhat common is "Grand Max", but I fear fewer people will have "Grand Max" than might have "The Ringer".

[Jazzmoose]

I've got nothing by Tolliver that I know of, but I don't think we have to stay so broadbased that every choice is something everyone has. If the pick is announced early enough, those of us unfamiliar with an artist can, if we choose, run out and grab a copy to try something new. If not, we can skip a week; no biggie.

I agree with the idea that albums that aren't universally loved could lead to more interesting discussion. I certainly hope no one picks Kind of Blue; I mean I'm sure not too many of us would have to run out and buy it, but the damn thing's an icon, not a record...

[CJ Shearn]

Lee Morgan Live at the Lighthouse

[paul secor]

I don't mean this in a negative way, but why does the album of the week seem to be so Blue Note oriented? I don't like to focus on record labels - the artists are the ones who created the music - but there are a lot of other record companies other than Blue Note - OJC (Riverside, Prestige, Contemporary, Pablo), Black Saint/Soul Note, Columbia, Nessa, the Verve labels, ESP, Steeplechase, Delmark, CIMP, Okkadisk, DIW, HighNote, Black Lion, etc.

I was glad to see The Mingus Impulse recording chosen for future discussion, but most of the mentions as suggestions for the future seem to be Blue Note recordings.

Also, how about considering more recent recordings?

On a positive note, I found the posts on Donald Byrd's Byrd in Hand to be enlightening and entertaining, and I'm looking forward to writing and reading comments on future records.

I'm only one person and very probably in the minority, but I just wanted to make my voice heard.

[Rooster_Ties]

(This isn't a specific response to the prior post - but rather a general observation...)

I think the way in which the "album of the week" is chosen is really, REALLY great. The person who chose last week's album picks the next person to pick the next week's album.

Wow!! No voting. No 'process'. No lobbying for what the next album should be (well, maybe some - but the real decision comes down to just one person).

One person... -- one person picks a really interesting album, and they just pick whatever album suits their fancy. And then they pick the next person...

What a GREAT, and **SIMPLE** process.

Way back on March 21st, AfricaBrass said...

The person who picks the cd for this week will nominate the person who will pick the cd for next week.

Thanks AfricaBrass, for keeping this so simple!!! B) B) B)

Edited April 4, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[J Larsen]

I just looked over the thread, and actually less than half of the suggested cds are BNs. Whatever, it really doesn't matter. I agree with Rooster that it's best to keep the selection process semi-democratic.

[Rooster_Ties]

Much as I'd love to discuss Tyrone Washington's "Natural Essence" as an 'album of the week' -- I do realize that most people don't own this title (since it was only released on CD as a TOCJ, and is now somewhat difficult to track down).

So, if I wanna discuss Tyrone Washington (as an 'album of the week'), then I'm thinking the most common source of his playing has got to be on...

Horace Silver - "The Jody Grind"

Plus, it's got Woody Shaw, who I'd love to include in an 'album of the week discussion too...

(Just more 'thinking out loud' about what I might untimately pick, if I ever get picked.)

[JohnS]

Let's talk about Tina Brooks' Minor Move.

[J Larsen]

We can't forget about Sheena Easton's "Morning Train (9 to 5)".

(Sorry to those who missed the reference.)

[Simon Weil]

An awful lot of stuff here from the 1950s and 60s and not a whole lot from before 1305....Errr, Weil, that's because Jazz didn't exist then....

Well, OK, what about Jazz from the 1920s? Say Louis Armstrong's Hot 5s and Hot 7s (JSP or whatever edition)...

Or from the 30s, The Spirituals to Swing concert

Simon Weil

[AfricaBrass]

Rooster, I'm glad you like the nominating system. I just figured it would be the easiest way. I agree with Paul and would also like to see other labels represented. It's cool that's next week's Mingus cd will be an Impulse title.

So it looks like CJ Shearn chose the album of the week for April 13-19 and that is:

Lee Morgan - Live at the Lighthouse.

So, CJ, who do you want to nominate for the week of April 20-26?

:rsmile:

Edited April 4, 2003 by AfricaBrass

[AfricaBrass]

As far as Tolliver-lead sessions, "The Ringer" is fairly common - and might be a good one to do. Anybody think "The Ringer" is too obscure to have as an album of the week?

Another Tolliver-lead session that's also somewhat common is "Grand Max", but I fear fewer people will have "Grand Max" than might have "The Ringer".

I think Berkshire Record Outlet still has Tolliver's Grand Max for $2.98. I picked up my copy a while ago. I really like Tolliver. I have a couple of his Strata East titles on cd and enjoy them.

Berkshire Record Outlet

I think the Tolliver is item #24

I also wanted to say that I really like Dan's idea of a cd tree. I do a lot of trading of live music and this is a very common practice.

:rsmile: