Gene Ammons

[Late]

That must've been quite the gig.

[Joe]

7 hours ago, Late said:

The Jug-a-thon persists! Okay, currently listening to this. You are so RIGHT. These two albums are Jug in top form. This comp is highly recommended, for both newbies and jaded enthusiasts. But the CD cover art is horrible! The typographer should've been fired. Why make something new and sub-par when the original jackets could've been used?

Bam. Two EXCELLENT Jug albums. Light a fire, pour the cognac.

Nice; I'd never seen the original art for these. 

Let us now praise Patti Bown for her contributions to the groove.

[Late]

Yes.

I've never heard this one:

OH — back to Ammons for minute — I just read last night that there are two different OJCs of Boss Tenor: the original 1987 U.S. compact disc edition in mono (manufactured by SANYO), and then a reissue (also 1987) in stereo. What?! Is the stereo edition re-channeled stereo? Or do both a mono and stereo copy of the album exist?

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

"Boss Tenor" was recorded in 1960, so most certainly a stereo master tape. By 1960, Van Gelder's mono masters were fold downs of the stereo masters. I have the later RVG CD of "Boss Tenor", which I kept after doing an A/B to the old OJC. I don't remember which one I had so I can't help you there.

1960 original release LP cover...

[Late]

Yeah, my OJC is in stereo, so now I'm thinking a true mono edition (perhaps) doesn't exist. Either way, this album was one of Rudy's best efforts. Beautiful sound. I've always wanted to hear the XRCD of this title.

[Late]

Listening to the beautiful ballad "A Stranger In Town" from this album when I learned of Wayne Shorter's passing. Fitting somehow—from one tenor to another.

[Late]

Listened to the entirety of this album today:

What a badass album. But I hate the compact disc cover art.

Jug played two weeks at The Plugged Nickel upon his release from prison. This album was made not too long after. Apparently he received a standing ovation at the legendary Chicago club.

Buster Williams is a little too upfront in Rudy's mix, but a person really can't complain when it's Buster Williams who's laying down the bassline. Junior Mance also brought his A-game for the gig.

[jazzbo]

Junior Mance played with Jug near the beginning of his career for a while. He and Gene were a synched machine.

[Late]

35 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

Junior Mance played with Jug near the beginning of his career for a while. He and Gene were a synched machine.

Agreed. I guess they played together as early as 1947, but I don't think I've heard those recordings. I've listened to some of Ammons' 78 recordings, but not closely enough. There's a Prestige disc, which you probably know, that does a good job of compiling a lot of that 78 work. I don't own it, but I've listened to it on YouTube. 👍 These days I'm in the process of replacing a number of CDR's with real copies of Ammons albums. Kind of late in the game it seems, but why not.

What's fun is that I'm going through a Jug Renaissance listening period! I used to not appreciate his soloing when I was younger. These days, I really value the simplicity, depth of sound, and lack of strain in Jug's playing.

[jazzbo]

Prestige and Jug came together a few years later I believe than '47 -- '50 or '51. I have the three Chronogical Classics Ammons discs and can recommend them--they aren't hard to find. They reissue 78s from Mercury, Aristocrat, Chess, then Prestige and a few others. Mance is all over the very first one. Ammons was in all sorts of settings, quartet, quintet, sextet, backing singers, big ensembles. He paid his dues and delivered.

Edited March 4, 2023 by jazzbo

[mikeweil]

12 hours ago, jazzbo said:

Prestige and Jug came together a few years later I believe than '47 -- '50 or '51. 

The first session for Birdland/Prestige was held March 5, 1950.

[jazzbo]

Thanks, I hadn't yet opened up that Classics cd to check.

Edited March 4, 2023 by jazzbo

[sonnymax]

On 2/28/2023 at 9:55 AM, bresna said:

... I have the later RVG CD of "Boss Tenor" ...

One of my favorite tenor titles. I prefer the 2017 Analogue Productions SACD or the 1997 JVC XRCD.

[Late]

2 hours ago, sonnymax said:

I prefer the 2017 Analogue Productions SACD or the 1997 JVC XRCD.

I've heard neither, but would very much like to. 👍

On 2/28/2023 at 7:34 AM, Late said:

Yeah, my OJC is in stereo, so now I'm thinking a true mono edition (perhaps) doesn't exist.

After further internet sleuthing, my conclusion [corrections welcome] is that the first 1987 OJC of Boss Tenor was a mono fold-down of the stereo master. Not sure why that made it out onto the market. It was soon replaced by a stereo edition OJC, which notably states "STEREO" on the CD spine.

In a parallel case, the OJC of Blue Gene has a special note, in caps-lock, on the back of the CD:

"ALL PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THIS ALBUM HAVE BEEN MONAURAL. HOWEVER, NEWLY DISCOVERED TRUE STEREO MASTER TAPES MAKE POSSIBLE THE PREMIER RELEASE OF THESE SESSIONS IN STEREO."

Was Rudy perhaps making mono fold-downs at the time (late 50's/early 60's) for the listening market of the day? I don't know enough about Van Gelder's transition from mono to stereo recording.

[Late]

Dusty Groove currently has this title for under $5. Required listening in a Jug-A-Thon. 

[HutchFan]

3 minutes ago, Late said:

Dusty Groove currently has this title for under $5. Required listening in a Jug-A-Thon. 

Oh yeah.  This listener agrees 100%.