Ahmad Jamal and Carter/Bradford Mosaics can be pre-ordered

[Dan Gould]

At the risk of sidetracking this thread (and offending Blue Note lovers everywhere), Ahmad Jamal was doing things with space and time that Gene Harris could only dream of doing.

Or, if you really didn't want to be offensive, you could simply say the obvious, that they are different players with different conceptions. Stating that Gene Harris "could only dream" of playing like Jamal implies that he wanted to or tried to and failed at it. I could just as easily say that Jamal could only dream of playing like Gene Harris or driving an audience into a frenzy like Gene did.

Crosby and Fournier were an exceptional, telepathic rhythm team. Dowdy and Simpkins, while being solid, were not nearly at their level.

Uh, no. Crosby and Fournier were something special, and so were Bill and Andy. Different doesn't in anyway mean better.

[JETman]

At the risk of sidetracking this thread (and offending Blue Note lovers everywhere), Ahmad Jamal was doing things with space and time that Gene Harris could only dream of doing.

Or, if you really didn't want to be offensive, you could simply say the obvious, that they are different players with different conceptions. Stating that Gene Harris "could only dream" of playing like Jamal implies that he wanted to or tried to and failed at it. I could just as easily say that Jamal could only dream of playing like Gene Harris or driving an audience into a frenzy like Gene did.

Crosby and Fournier were an exceptional, telepathic rhythm team. Dowdy and Simpkins, while being solid, were not nearly at their level.

Uh, no. Crosby and Fournier were something special, and so were Bill and Andy. Different doesn't in anyway mean better.

I think you've listened to one too many Eric Alexander Venus lp's.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

I'm happier than a Chilean map maker who now gets to rework (then resell) all of his maps due to the 8.8 quake shifting the entire city of Concepción a whopping 10 feet to the west!!

that set's OOP.

[Dan Gould]

At the risk of sidetracking this thread (and offending Blue Note lovers everywhere), Ahmad Jamal was doing things with space and time that Gene Harris could only dream of doing.

Or, if you really didn't want to be offensive, you could simply say the obvious, that they are different players with different conceptions. Stating that Gene Harris "could only dream" of playing like Jamal implies that he wanted to or tried to and failed at it. I could just as easily say that Jamal could only dream of playing like Gene Harris or driving an audience into a frenzy like Gene did.

Crosby and Fournier were an exceptional, telepathic rhythm team. Dowdy and Simpkins, while being solid, were not nearly at their level.

Uh, no. Crosby and Fournier were something special, and so were Bill and Andy. Different doesn't in anyway mean better.

I think you've listened to one too many Eric Alexander Venus lp's.

Excellent non sequitur. Thanks for playing.

Dumb ass.

[JETman]

Very nice.

[J.A.W.]

At the risk of sidetracking this thread (and offending Blue Note lovers everywhere), Ahmad Jamal was doing things with space and time that Gene Harris could only dream of doing.

Or, if you really didn't want to be offensive, you could simply say the obvious, that they are different players with different conceptions. Stating that Gene Harris "could only dream" of playing like Jamal implies that he wanted to or tried to and failed at it. I could just as easily say that Jamal could only dream of playing like Gene Harris or driving an audience into a frenzy like Gene did.

Crosby and Fournier were an exceptional, telepathic rhythm team. Dowdy and Simpkins, while being solid, were not nearly at their level.

Uh, no. Crosby and Fournier were something special, and so were Bill and Andy. Different doesn't in anyway mean better.

I think you've listened to one too many Eric Alexander Venus lp's.

Excellent non sequitur. Thanks for playing.

Dumb ass.

Insulting other members who don't agree with you doesn't make your arguments stronger, on the contrary.

[Dan Gould]

I think you've listened to one too many Eric Alexander Venus lp's.

doesn't constitute an argument, it is an asininity. Hence, "dumb ass" is a fairly reasonable description of someone who writes such a thing.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

At the risk of sidetracking this thread (and offending Blue Note lovers everywhere), Ahmad Jamal was doing things with space and time that Gene Harris could only dream of doing.

Or, if you really didn't want to be offensive, you could simply say the obvious, that they are different players with different conceptions. Stating that Gene Harris "could only dream" of playing like Jamal implies that he wanted to or tried to and failed at it. I could just as easily say that Jamal could only dream of playing like Gene Harris or driving an audience into a frenzy like Gene did.

Crosby and Fournier were an exceptional, telepathic rhythm team. Dowdy and Simpkins, while being solid, were not nearly at their level.

Uh, no. Crosby and Fournier were something special, and so were Bill and Andy. Different doesn't in anyway mean better.

I think you've listened to one too many Eric Alexander Venus lp's.

Excellent non sequitur. Thanks for playing.

Dumb ass.

Insulting other members who don't agree with you doesn't make your arguments stronger, on the contrary.

True - but the remark about Eric Alexander wasn't exactly polite, either.

As it happens, though I'm not (perhaps merely not yet) much of a Gene Harris fan, play Jamal's stuff more, and will be getting this set, I agree 100% with Dan's point. I also agree that a Mosaic box may not be the best way to appreciate Jamal, because there's too much and a lot sounds similar.

Lots of people thought Jamal was a cocktail pianist. Well, of course, he's not, but he sure as hell sounds like it if you're just listening to him. But if you LISTEN to him, it's very rewarding. The hundreds of thousands of people who bought "But not for me; live at the Pershing" and kept it on the pop charts for over two years, making it the first monster jazz hit album, certainly weren't LISTENING; there probably aren't that many LISTENERS (to any kind of music) in the world.

None of which means that Jamal is better than Harris. Mosaic wouldn't release a Gene Harris set (or a Les McCann set) because MC don't like that kind of stuff. OK, it's his company, he's entitled. But don't get hung up on the idea that, if Mosaic doesn't issue something, it's poor quality. Mosiac stands for quality only as far as authorised masters is concerned. For unauthorised masters, use your own judgement, not Mr Cuscuna's.

MG

[JETman]

Oh joy.....yet another blow by blow analysis of a disagreement. I think everyone's familiar with Dan's reputation for dealing with those who don't agree with him. I'll take the higher road here, and let it rest.

[Bill B]

Oddly enough,the biggest holdup in getting the Jamal Box out was Jamal himself. He placed very low value on his work from this period. He was finally convinced after many years. His playing now is not to be missed,if two-fisted hard driving piano is to your liking.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Many more sets are planned including an LP-set, but, since they don't have clearance yet from the owners of the rights, I can't post anything about them at this stage.

Okay, so we've sent you in for an eye exam. Which 2 letters first caught your attention and filled you with a sense of joy?

[mikeweil]

You mean "which 3 letters"?

Edited March 11, 2010 by mikeweil

[DrJ]

Great news on the Jamal set! Can't wait to hear what else is in store...

[gullickd]

Hello! This is very hopeful news. The 'All Of You' set still sounds as fresh as anything today. The Pershing Vol 2 I liked even better than the first one when it finally came out--always a fun set. (I fondly remember going into the listening booth at my local music store on afternoons to play these things.) The first Jamal trio I saw live was the later 'Naked City' group. Whenever a new LP came out one could always spot Jamal after only a couple of notes no matter what the setting. Anyway this earlier material definitely will make a nice set. Even the 'All Of You' collection was very difficult to find on CD and probably is not around anymore till now. Don't miss it.

[jazzbo]

Welcome Devo!

[Dave James]

Welcome, Devo. Hopefully you will get satisfaction around here.

[tranemonk]

For those of you as fanatical as I am... I called HQ and was able to place a pre-order for the Jamal set... :blush2: :blush2: :blush2: :rolleyes:

9CDs.. expected to be out in July...

I am NOW officially done buying CD for 2010!!!!!! and I mean it this time.... :crazy: :crazy:

Edited April 21, 2010 by tranemonk

[colinmce]

Exciting.

Any word on a release for the upcoming Selects?

[JETman]

Exciting.

Any word on a release for the upcoming Selects?

I preodered the Jamal, and was able to preorder the Carter/Bradford Select as well. According to Fred at Mosaic, they are being released at about the same time, with the Threadgill to follow about 2 months after those.

[David Ayers]

Uh, Carter/Bradford? I missed something...

[JETman]

Uh, Carter/Bradford? I missed something...

See this thread:

[David Ayers]

Uh, Carter/Bradford? I missed something...

See this thread:

Thanks!

[J.A.W.]

I just got this e-mail from Mosaic - the info is now on their site too:

These 2 releases are expected in June/July. In a few weeks when we have a firmer date we will post on the website for preordering.

THE COMPLETE AHMAD JAMAL TRIO ARGO SESSIONS 1956-62

The mid fifties was a fertile time for jazz; fresh, original ensembles were taking shape all over the country. The Modern Jazz Quartet, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, The Jazz Messengers and the Ahmad Jamal Trio immediately come to mind. Among musicians, each group had its imitators and its creative disciples who took its innovations one step further.

But no group in this era was as pervasive in the 1957 incarnation of Jamal's trio with bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernel Fournier. Like the Nat King Cole Trio of the previous decade, its influence penetrated so many different aspects of music. Jamal is first and foremost a pianist with a natural gift for the instrument. His technique, dynamics and control are something to behold, but the mind that manipulates what comes out of the piano is extraordinary. Like only the greatest of improvising artists, Jamal is a master architect, realizing what his mind conceives with seeming ease.

He certainly exercised a profound influence on pianists and his trio set a new standard for what the piano trio in jazz would aim for and achieve. His knack for finding obscure but viable material which lent itself to a jazz treatment was equal to that of Sonny Rollins and Jimmy Rowles. But when Ahmad put an overlooked tune into circulation, it often stayed in the jazz repertoire forever thereafter. And with songs like "Poinciana" and "Billy Boy," it was Jamal's unique and imaginative re-arrangement of the tune which would become the standard form with which to play the piece.

Much like Miles Davis (who incidentally was greatly influenced by him), his influence is felt in music that attempts to replicate his and in great music that sounds nothing like his. But unlike musicians of similar or even lesser impact, the music of the 1957-62 Ahmad Jamal Trio has been mysteriously and distressingly hard to come by, even in the "reissue everything" era of the Compact Disc.

Literally years in the making, this set introduces 23 previously unreleased gems approved by the artist himself. It was delayed by a fire on the Universal Studios lot in California which took much of the original Jamal trio LP masters with it and our search to reconstruct the music on the set from a variety on analog and digital sources sitting in vaults around the world. It's been a hell of a long time coming and we hope you enjoy The Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions.

MD9 - 246 (9 CDs - $149)

MOSAIC SELECT: JOHN CARTER & BOBBY BRADFORD

Saxophonist/clarinetist John Carter was associated with Ornette Coleman in the '40s in their shared hometown of Fort Worth. Coleman moved to Los Angeles in the early '50s as did Dallas trumpeter Bobby Bradford who would work with Ornette sporadically for the next 20 years. Carter moved to LA in 1961 and eventually found in Bobby Bradford an ideal collaborator.

Initially calling their quartet The New Art Jazz Ensemble, they made their debut album Seeking in 1969 for the small Revelation Records. Their music was very much in the same orbit as Ornette's with darting linear compositions and freedom from chordal structures blended into a marvelous fresh sense of swing and blues roots.

Carter's virtuosity on clarinet, flute and saxophone sets the benchmark for the music that this group strives for and achieves. Distinctive for their rich vibrant tones and articulation, Carter and Bradford bring a variety of colors, moods and rhythms to their vibrant brand of modern jazz.. They manage to achieve an air of precision with a music that thrives on interplay and looseness. Every performance resonates with beauty and adventure.

This set includes both Carter/Bradford albums on Revelation (the other is Secrets) as well as two unissued sessions from 1971 and a 1979 duet studio session which label co-founder Jonathan Horwich taped at Westlake Studios in LA. These new discoveries (almost two hours of unissued music) greatly expand the Carter/Bradford output, which was heretofore known to be only two albums each on Revelation and Flying Dutchman.

MS-036 (3 CDs $44)

[Head Man]

This is excellent news........BUT.......the Henry Threadgill set has gone back, again

[blajay]

Nice! They should follow up the Carter/Bradford set with a John Carter Roots and Folklore series set, as Matthew proposed in another thread.