Even a blind man could hear

[danasgoodstuff]

Somebody else suggested this, so hear goes, I think the alternate of Herbie Hancock's "Blind Man" is way better than the master (and I don't even own it!) It's that 'extra note' Herbie talked about in the bass line, makes it way funkier.

Now it's your turn...

Edited June 5, 2010 by J.A.W.
Edited to include Herbie Hancock's full name

[jeffcrom]

The Complete Ben Webster on EmArcy includes a fabulous 1951 session with the Johnny Otis Orchestra. Webster was featured on three takes of "Stardust," the third of which was released as the master. But they're all fabulous. On take one, Ben doesn't even touch the melody; he's improvising from the get-go. The brief vibes interlude is pretty chaotic, though - the rhythm section doesn't all agree on the chords.

On the second take, Ben is closer to the melody, but it's pretty intense saxophone playing, and the interlude is more together. This might be my favorite take. On the master, Ben is much more conservative until after the short vibes solo; then he wails - and the cadenza at the end is longer than on the other takes.

I'm really glad we have all three takes of this.

[nmorin]

I forget which take it is, but I find one of the two alternate takes of Miles' Hand Jive to be much better than the master take. It has much more energy, but perhaps it was too ragged to be chosen as the master. I like the alternate of Miles' Tout de Suite better, too (most of the time), but it is considerably more ragged, so I can see why the other take was originally released.

Maybe it is because the local radio station played the alternate take of Count Basie's April in Paris all the time when the remastered CD came out, but I hear Thad Jones' solo from the alternate take in my head now rather than solo from the original take; I think I prefer the alternate's solo, too.