All Things Hat

[Head Man]

Details of the legal case surrounding The Long March:

http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/775/452/329621/

Who gets anything out of something like this, apart from lawyers? What a shame.

[David Ayers]

Details of the legal case surrounding The Long March:

http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/775/452/329621/

Just in case I can't follow this (or am busy), can you provide a very brief summary - I don't even understand who won or what they won...

Thanks in advance...

[colinmce]

Here's what I gleaned:

Werner Uehlinger paid Max Roach alone for the album with the agreement that he would compensate Archie Shepp at his discretion, and that Hat was not obligated to compensate Archie. Archie demanded half from Max and Max said no way. Archie sued Werner and Werner brought Max into the suit as a third party. Archie argued that since Werner hadn't worked out pay for him he should never have put the record out to begin with. So basically, this was a contractual dispute. A jury found that Werner was in the right and Max appealed. The judge upheld the decision.

[David Ayers]

Here's what I gleaned:

Werner Uehlinger paid Max Roach alone for the album with the agreement that he would compensate Archie Shepp at his discretion, and that Hat was not obligated to compensate Archie. Archie demanded half from Max and Max said no way. Archie sued Werner and Werner brought Max into the suit as a third party. Archie argued that since Werner hadn't worked out pay for him he should never have put the record out to begin with. So basically, this was a contractual dispute. A jury found that Werner was in the right and Max appealed. The judge upheld the decision.

Got it! Thanks!

So - is it OK for me to keep that record now or is it tainted and I should scratch it with a nail on all four sides and throw it in a skip?

[colinmce]

Supposed to be a new batch announced this month, but apparently nothing 'til at least July now

My fears here were not unfounded

http://www.hathut.com/media/HatHut_LimitedShareholderPlan.pdf

[David Ayers]

So the 'ongoing struggle for cultural awareness' is best served by giving patrons 'special-edition releases' that are 'unavailable to the general public'? Hm.

No mention of youtube and streaming services as a means for music to reach people. CDs are for collectors.

[clifford_thornton]

I much prefer the Maya method - funding the label through occasional limited releases that sell for more than your average album.

Details of the legal case surrounding The Long March:

http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/775/452/329621/

Just in case I can't follow this (or am busy), can you provide a very brief summary - I don't even understand who won or what they won...

Thanks in advance...

Whoa...

[Adam]

Dear Friend,

Due to financial restrains resulting from a decline of orders the

CD-factory we have been working with since 1988 is forced to

close down. This unfortunate development puts us in an uncomfortable position

as up till today our stocks have been administered by this company,

packing and shipping the orders according to our dispositions.

We are looking for a replacement. As for this we are looking for a

factory offering top quality at competitive prices, being in a position

and ready to administer our stocks and to make the shipments on

our behalf.

We have the choice of two factories in Switzerland which we

consider offering the best prices and service. As for the digifiles we

can continue working with our current printer who would deliver the

data to the chosen CD-factory.

The situation we are faced with forces us to withhold the launch of

new CDs.

We hope to have the following release ready by mid to end of

November, 2012:

hatOLOGY 718

Samuel Blaser Quartet

As The Sea

with Marc Ducret, Banz Oester and Gerald Cleaver

(New recording from November 2011)

Barcode 7 52156 07182 2

It's that kind of trust that turns lack of rehearsal from disadvantage

to

advantage, lending it an exhilarating edge that comes from being

placed

in a new situation without any kind of safety net. Record

producer/ambient

music progenitor Brian Eno wrote, in his Oblique

Strategies, "Honor thy

error as hidden intention"; clearly a modus

operandi for Samuel Blaser and

his group. That this group can

navigate Samuel Blaser's challenging

composite of form and freedom

with such effortless aplomb speaks to its

growing chemistry, each

member's ability to listen, and a collective musical

background that

extends far beyond the jazz tradition.

– John Kelman, June 2012

[colinmce]

Finally an update: Some new Art series, a Samuel Blaser, and a reissue of the Braxton Warne Marsh album with less tracks than the original. I was waiting for the latter, but I'll certainly skip it now and shell out thrice as much for the first edition ...

[J.A.W.]

Finally an update: Some new Art series, a Samuel Blaser, and a reissue of the Braxton Warne Marsh album with less tracks than the original. I was waiting for the latter, but I'll certainly skip it now and shell out thrice as much for the first edition ...

The Braxton Marsh reissue does indeed have fewer tracks (10) than the original hat release (12). Does anyone have any idea why?

By the way, the piano still sounds out-of-place to me.

Edited December 9, 2012 by J.A.W.

[colinmce]

Looks like the two excised tracks, "How Deep is the Ocean" and "Time on My Hands", are the ones not penned by Tristano or Marsh, so I guess it's for cohesion? This is a dumb reason. This has been done before with hatOLOGY when multiple albums were condensed into one (Bennik/Doran/Anderson) or masters were damaged (Steve Lacy's Cliches).

[colinmce]

The update scheduled for May has been pushed back to at least September. What a shame :/

[colinmce]

After a year without new releases and several setbacks, a new batch is ready:

http://www.hathut.com

Several ART titles, a reissue of Ayler - Lorrach, and new ones from Powelchsel, Joe Morris, and Wintsch/Weber/Wolfarth.

[Blue Train]

Sorry, that's a major yawn considering what he has been promising for who knows how long. The Ayler isn't even that old in comparison to what he keeps saying they're going to reissue. The others are really not that interesting.

If he really thinks those are going to help things in the future....not holding my breath on any of what people want will ever be reissued.

Anyone know why Live At Dreher Paris 1981 is now being listed as two recordings called Mostly Monk and Originals? For awhile, I was excited there was some unreleased music by Lacy and Waldron. Of course, I expect they will be reissued in 2045.

Edited November 15, 2013 by Blue Train

[CraigP]

After a year without new releases and several setbacks, a new batch is ready:

http://www.hathut.com

Several ART titles, a reissue of Ayler - Lorrach, and new ones from Powelchsel, Joe Morris, and Wintsch/Weber/Wolfarth.

I'll probably spring for the Morris or Wintsch et al, just to support the label if nothing else. I was hoping he would issue Ran Blake's tribute to George Russell and Michael Adkin's second for the label. Now I understand the Blake is going to be released on a different label.

[colinmce]

Yes, apparently (re: Blake). Looks like something close to a self-release/local label thing, so I hope that happens.

I agree with the prickly mr. Blue Train, though ... not too interesting. I hope they follow up with more before long.

FWIW I'm simply assuming that Garden, Santa Cruz 1993, and Willisau 1991 ain't ever comin'. Best to stop holding your breath there.

[romualdo]

After a year without new releases and several setbacks, a new batch is ready:

http://www.hathut.com

Several ART titles, a reissue of Ayler - Lorrach, and new ones from Powelchsel, Joe Morris, and Wintsch/Weber/Wolfarth.

Not that impressive !! - always have a pang of disappointment when the latest reissue batch is listed

This is the second Hatology release of Lorrach (last in 2002 plus a Hat Art version in 1995) i.e. 3CD releases - nice to see Ayler in print but what about previously unreleased (CD) material from other deserving artists

eg Jimmy Lyons - "Riffs", "Push Pull", "What To Do About" - these are all great sessions that haven't seen the digital medium AFAIK

Also hanging out for "gardens"

[Blue Train]

Now I am Mr. Blue Train. Makes me feel so much older.

With the Ran Blake there have/will be now several hat releases by other labels (the fact that another label is/will be releasing any McPhee hat's tells anyone what anyone needs to know).....my guess is that is how he is now paying for this snoozefest announcement.

He has to own the masters....just the Braxton alone.....Braxton could have just released them on his Braxton House label and make a killing if he owned the rights to them. If Braxton and all the others don't own them....only one person does.

The mind-boggling thing is he's sitting on stuff he could make two pressings of the usual 3,000 reissues...., but keeps releasing things very few are interested in....which explains the financial problems.

[David Ayers]

I agree with you guys about the Braxton situation, as the listed-as-upcoming-but-missing titles are two of his best by a long way. But.

You can't criticize the guy for releasing three new titles - that's up to him, more power to him, not things that excite me either but I don't have to buy them. It is great that he is funding a reissue, obviously one he knows will sell.

Hat have brought back some classic titles in recent times - Lyons, McPhee, Braxton - and among the new stuff the Blaser was very well received.

i just think really he has done well now that he seems to have lost his funding. And yeah, labels tend to hang on to what they have paid for and own - and we know that can be something that plays out over a long cycle.

[Blue Train]

I agree with you guys about the Braxton situation, as the listed-as-upcoming-but-missing titles are two of his best by a long way. But.

You can't criticize the guy for releasing three new titles - that's up to him, more power to him, not things that excite me either but I don't have to buy them. It is great that he is funding a reissue, obviously one he knows will sell.

Hat have brought back some classic titles in recent times - Lyons, McPhee, Braxton - and among the new stuff the Blaser was very well received.

i just think really he has done well now that he seems to have lost his funding. And yeah, labels tend to hang on to what they have paid for and own - and we know that can be something that plays out over a long cycle.

The problem is he's releasing 3 really snoozefests....and I actually like two of those groups involved....and he's literally sitting on a gold mine of stuff people will jump all over (and not just the Braxton)....believe me...anytime anyone of them (especially the stuff only on vinyl) get uploaded they're swarmed over....and he and the musicians don't make a single penny from it.

It makes no sense @ all from a business/financial point of view....it's really like he has been going out of his way to go bankrupt in the last decade.

Just the continuing of listing things as upcoming for 5-10+ who know how long years...when he knows it's not upcoming.

The only reason I am buying the McPhee Nation Time release from C&D is because of the one hat release in it. All I have is a copy from Pops vinyl. Everything else in it musically has been reissued. The rest I could care less about.

Once again....he's now outsourcing to other labels things that people would have bought before any of the new stuff that get less interesting with each year.

Edited November 15, 2013 by Blue Train

[David Ayers]

I hear you. But we know from Chuck Nessa among others how tricky the economy of these things is - and CD is a declining market whether we like it or not.

But yeah, I won't buy that new stuff, and it is easy for me to be relaxed about the oop CD titles as I already have them. I don't take a harsh view though - it is just one of those things in life, and in fairness there are quite a few great hat titles that *are* in print...

[7/4]

Now I am Mr. Blue Train. Makes me feel so much older.

People start calling you sir and next you're forgetting which glasses you're wearing.

[king ubu]

Sorry, that's a major yawn considering what he has been promising for who knows how long. The Ayler isn't even that old in comparison to what he keeps saying they're going to reissue. The others are really not that interesting.

If he really thinks those are going to help things in the future....not holding my breath on any of what people want will ever be reissued.

Anyone know why Live At Dreher Paris 1981 is now being listed as two recordings called Mostly Monk and Originals? For awhile, I was excited there was some unreleased music by Lacy and Waldron. Of course, I expect they will be reissued in 2045.

Oh well, send him some money and he'll surely be glad to do more reissues ... and no, by 2045, he'll be gone and the label with him, as it seems.

[Blue Train]

Sorry, that's a major yawn considering what he has been promising for who knows how long. The Ayler isn't even that old in comparison to what he keeps saying they're going to reissue. The others are really not that interesting.

If he really thinks those are going to help things in the future....not holding my breath on any of what people want will ever be reissued.

Anyone know why Live At Dreher Paris 1981 is now being listed as two recordings called Mostly Monk and Originals? For awhile, I was excited there was some unreleased music by Lacy and Waldron. Of course, I expect they will be reissued in 2045.

Oh well, send him some money and he'll surely be glad to do more reissues ... and no, by 2045, he'll be gone and the label with him, as it seems.

Sent him all kinds of money for things he's released. I either have, or have access to every hat worth having through Pops. It's the reissues that pay the bills for the new stuff (a bought a good deal of those in the past as well)....and now he's outsourcing them to pay the bills....it would be nice to upgrade from a needle drop/or rip of CD. Without Pops, I would be like the others and downloading whenever one gets uploaded.

If he really was interested in making money and keeping the place going he wouldn't be releasing a batch like that after not releasing for so long.

And pretty sure my point about 2045 was they were not going to happen.

Edited November 15, 2013 by Blue Train

[Blue Train]

I hear you. But we know from Chuck Nessa among others how tricky the economy of these things is - and CD is a declining market whether we like it or not.

But yeah, I won't buy that new stuff, and it is easy for me to be relaxed about the oop CD titles as I already have them. I don't take a harsh view though - it is just one of those things in life, and in fairness there are quite a few great hat titles that *are* in print...

True, it's a tricky economy, which is why what he's doing really makes even less sense.

Okay, I am beating a dead horse.