LF Stanley Cowell CDs

[LWayne]

Sadly I have no recordings of Stanley Cowell as a leader. I am looking to trade for some of his CDs to become more acquainted with his work. My only real exposure so far is his work with Charles Tolliver and a few other dates as a side man (most notably with Bobby Hutcherson). Any interest?

Thanks,

LWayne

[Rooster_Ties]

Lot's of good Cowell to try and get your hands on. My favorite is Illusion Suite (ECM 1972), but I've only ever seen a pricy Japanese issue of it (but it was well worth it).

Wish I had some to offer.

[Ted O'Reilly]

I produced a solo piano LP by Stanley Cowell, which has never been on CD (though I burned a CDR for listening)...

"Live at Cafe des Copains" (Unisson DDA 1004)

Recorded June 26,1985

Side One:

1. Waltz For Debbie

2. Evidence

3. Please Send Me Someone To Love

4. Joy Spring

Side Two:

1. Love For Sale

2. My One And Only Love

3. Equipoise (SC original)

4. You Took Advantage Of Me

I think Stanley's a hugely-talented, and hugely under-recognized pianist. I'm glad you're seeking him out.

[BFrank]

Get this album. You won't be disappointed (except by its relatively short length).

[Michael Weiss]

This would be my pick:

[felser]

'Musa - Ancestral Streams' and the previously mentioned 'Illusion Suite' would be my picks. He became a very different musician (very accomplished, but much less adventurous) to my ears after signing with Galaxy in the late 70's.

[Rooster_Ties]

Brilliant Circles is brilliant, but I've never heard a copy that didn't sound like the worst recorded studio recording in the history of mankind. (In all fairness, I've only ever heard the Black Lion CD issue of it.)

Great session -- hell, it's got both Tyrone and Woody!! -- but that sound, that sound!!

[mikeweil]

Stanley' debut as a leader, recorded during a stint of the Charles Tolliver Quartet in London (there is a quartet album, too). It already shows all the energy and talent Cowell displayed during his entire career.

[marcoliv]

I can vouch for Sienna & Games, both released by Steeplechase

MCO

[A Lark Ascending]

Lot's of good Cowell to try and get your hands on. My favorite is Illusion Suite (ECM 1972), but I've only ever seen a pricy Japanese issue of it (but it was well worth it).

Wish I had some to offer.

Illusion Suite is on e-music for those prepared to sup with the devil download.

[sidewinder]

Lot's of good Cowell to try and get your hands on. My favorite is Illusion Suite (ECM 1972), but I've only ever seen a pricy Japanese issue of it (but it was well worth it).

Wish I had some to offer.

Illusion Suite is on e-music for those prepared to sup with the devil download.

One of the great things about Charles Fox's 'Jazz Today' programme of way gone by was that you could hear cuts from LPs like this one ('Cal Massey' being the track in question) and then promptly snap up the LP when it appeared in the racks.

[A Lark Ascending]

Lot's of good Cowell to try and get your hands on. My favorite is Illusion Suite (ECM 1972), but I've only ever seen a pricy Japanese issue of it (but it was well worth it).

Wish I had some to offer.

Illusion Suite is on e-music for those prepared to sup with the devil download.

One of the great things about Charles Fox's 'Jazz Today' programme of way gone by was that you could hear cuts from LPs like this one ('Cal Massey' being the track in question) and then promptly snap up the LP when it appeared in the racks.

I remember rushing home from my first year teaching in order to catch that at 5.00 or 5.15. All sorts of strange things to be heard.

[sidewinder]

Yeah - 5.15 sounds about right. In my case it was a mad dash rush home from school !

[A Lark Ascending]

Nice comment about Charles Fox from John Surman:

Alexis Korner was my introduction to the history of blues. Charles Fox lived upstairs. It was fantastic to go there. You could listen to blues downstairs with Alexis and then go up to Charles who had floor to ceiling the entire history of jazz music on record. Rather than being a jazz critic he looked for the good things and brought them forward. You could trust him; if he said it was good you'd just go out and get the record and 99 times out of 100 you'd see why he had suggested it.

From:

http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/89/

(Fox was originally from Newquay in Cornwall according to Wiki - hardly a thriving jazz centre when I lived there! Though with Surman, Westbrook in Devon, the south-west clearly had something! I suspect Stanley Cowell came from Taunton.).

Edited April 28, 2011 by A Lark Ascending

[Late]

Rather than being a jazz critic, he looked for the good things and brought them forward.

This is what all music forums should be about.

Seconded on Brilliant Circles. The Japanese CD sounds better. Member "Zoltan" sells it from time to time on eBay.

[sidewinder]

(Fox was originally from Newquay in Cornwall according to Wiki - hardly a thriving jazz centre when I lived there! Though with Surman, Westbrook in Devon, the south-west clearly had something! I suspect Stanley Cowell came from Taunton.).

I know that Charles Fox eventually retired to Weymouth and spent his final years there.

And no, Stanley Cowell came from Yeovil.

Sorry for the thread de-railing..

Edited April 28, 2011 by sidewinder

[A Lark Ascending]

Rather than being a jazz critic, he looked for the good things and brought them forward.

This is what all music forums should be about.

Could not agree more.

[Clunky]

Brilliant Circles is brilliant, but I've never heard a copy that didn't sound like the worst recorded studio recording in the history of mankind. (In all fairness, I've only ever heard the Black Lion CD issue of it.)

Great session -- hell, it's got both Tyrone and Woody!! -- but that sound, that sound!!

dug out my copy of this , the sound is poor indeed but I found it quite listenable. Tyrone is particularly badly served. It sounds to me as if the right hand channel or mikes were mixed way to low as he sounds so distant. Is the Japanese issue that much better.

[Rooster_Ties]

Is the Japanese issue that much better.

I'm mighty curious about the Japanese issue too. If ever there was a date that needed a sonic upgrade, it's the domestic Black Lion issue of this one.

[LWayne]

Get this album. You won't be disappointed (except by its relatively short length).

Unfortunately it appears to be OOP when I tried ordering through my local "brick and mortar". Shame as the sound clips sounded promising.

LWayne

[J.A.W.]

Is the Japanese issue that much better.

I'm mighty curious about the Japanese issue too. If ever there was a date that needed a sonic upgrade, it's the domestic Black Lion issue of this one.

If the recording itself is bad, there's not much that can be done about it.

[Rooster_Ties]

Unfortunately it appears to be OOP when I tried ordering through my local "brick and mortar". Shame as the sound clips sounded promising.

LWayne

Several used copies on Amazon, and I believe also on half.com. Really an outstanding date, highly recommended.

[felser]

Unfortunately it appears to be OOP when I tried ordering through my local "brick and mortar". Shame as the sound clips sounded promising.

LWayne

Several used copies on Amazon, and I believe also on half.com. Really an outstanding date, highly recommended.

Agreed. "Effi" is particularly spectacular, the cut I use to try to teach the uninitiated about listening to jazz. And the whole first side plays like a suite (although it isn't). What a lineup of then-young lions: Charles Tolliver, Gary Bartz, Stanley Cowell, along with Jymie Merritt.

[Rooster_Ties]

Yeah, Members is such a great album, and I'd forgotten fully half of it was tunes by Cowell.

I just ordered Max Roach's "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (from half.com) -- and had to go with the cheap "Collectables" version which is paired with "Members..." on the same disc.

So, depending on how the sound quality and packaging/notes are, I could maybe have an extra copy of "Members..." if the OP is still looking for one.

[felser]

Yeah, Members is such a great album, and I'd forgotten fully half of it was tunes by Cowell.

I just ordered Max Roach's "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (from half.com) -- and had to go with the cheap "Collectables" version which is paired with "Members..." on the same disc.

So, depending on how the sound quality and packaging/notes are, I could maybe have an extra copy of "Members..." if the OP is still looking for one.

I've thought the sound on the Collectables Atlantic stuff has seemed pretty good overall. Collectables came a long way from their early needle-drop beginnings, though they will never be an audiophile label. Of course, with the warehouse fire, there won't be audiophile vintage Atlantic stuff anyways.