Jazz Classics on Blue Note

[Late]

I thought there was a previous thread on this series, but my search didn't yield any results. At any rate, I know many here have discs from this short-lived 1998/9 Japanese series. They came in jewel cases, and the discs themselves — instead of displaying the usual blue-and-white BN logo — were pink and black (while still using the BN logo). Here is the complete series:

TOCJ-660006 Melancholy Boogie Woogie and Piano Classics / Various Artists

TOCJ-660007 Summertime / Sidney Bechet and The Port of Harlem Jazzmen

TOCJ-660008 St. Louis Blues / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 1

TOCJ-660009 I Found A New Baby / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 2

TOCJ-660010 Profoundly Blue / Memorable Sessions With Edmond Hall

TOCJ-660011 High Society / Jamming In Jazz with Blue Note

TOCJ-660012 Low Down Blues / Art Hodes' Back Room Boys

TOCJ-660013 Shine / Art Hodes' Five and Seven

TOCJ-660014 Victory Stride / Swing Sessions Featuring Ben Webster

TOCJ-660015 Blue Harlem / Ike Quebec Quintets and Swingtet

TOCJ-660016 Topsy / Ike Quebec Swing Seven

TOCJ-660017 Tired / John Hardee Swingtets

Only twelve discs, and then the series ended. Most (all?) of the material from this series can be found on older U.S. reissues, various Mosaic sets, and Chronological Classics, but whenever I've had a chance to compare, I usually prefer the sound of this series. This was Blue Note's start, and it always kind of surprises me that more Blue Note fans don't talk about this part of the label's recorded legacy. (Well, maybe it doesn't surprise me.)

I'm still looking for three titles from this series:

TOCJ 660006

TOCJ 660012

TOCJ 660013

What discs do you have from this series? And what do you think of this era of Blue Note?

Impressions/observations/recommendations please!

Edited May 14, 2012 by Late

[jazzbo]

The two Hodes you are missing are my favorites!

A great series. I love the first fifteen years of Blue Note and wish that it were more talked about and appreciated, but I'm happy just to listen.

I think I'm missing:

TOCJ-660006 Melancholy Boogie Woogie and Piano Classics / Various Artists

TOCJ-660010 Profoundly Blue / Memorable Sessions With Edmond Hall

TOCJ-660011 High Society / Jamming In Jazz with Blue Note

[J.A.W.]

I thought there was a previous thread on this series, but my search didn't yield any results. At any rate, I know many here have discs from this short-lived 1998/9 Japanese series. They came in jewel cases, and the discs themselves — instead of displaying the usual blue-and-white BN logo — were pink and black (while still using the BN logo). Here is the complete series:

TOCJ-660006 Melancholy Boogie Woogie and Piano Classics / Various Artists

TOCJ-660007 Summertime / Sidney Bechet and The Port of Harlem Jazzmen

TOCJ-660008 St. Louis Blues / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 1

TOCJ-660009 I Found A New Baby / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 2

TOCJ-660010 Profoundly Blue / Memorable Sessions With Edmond Hall

TOCJ-660011 High Society / Jamming In Jazz with Blue Note

TOCJ-660012 Low Down Blues / Art Hodes' Back Room Boys

TOCJ-660013 Shine / Art Hodes' Five and Seven

TOCJ-660014 Victory Stride / Swing Sessions Featuring Ben Webster

TOCJ-660015 Blue Harlem / Ike Quebec Quintets and Swingtet

TOCJ-660016 Topsy / Ike Quebec Swing Seven

TOCJ-660017 Tired / John Hardee Swingtets

Only twelve discs, and then the series ended. Most (all?) of the material from this series can be found on older U.S. reissues, various Mosaic sets, and Chronological Classics, but whenever I've had a chance to compare, I usually prefer the sound of this series. This was Blue Note's start, and it always kind of surprises me that more Blue Note fans don't talk about this part of the label's recorded legacy. (Well, maybe it doesn't surprise me.)

I'm still looking for three titles from this series:

TOCJ 660006

TOCJ 660012

TOCJ 660013

What discs do you have from this series? And what do you think of this era of Blue Note?

Impressions/observations/recommendations please!

You put in a zero too many. These are the correct catalogue numbers:

TOCJ-66006 Melancholy Boogie Woogie and Piano Classics / Various Artists

TOCJ-66007 Summertime / Sidney Bechet and The Port of Harlem Jazzmen

TOCJ-66008 St. Louis Blues / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 1

TOCJ-66009 I Found A New Baby / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 2

TOCJ-66010 Profoundly Blue / Memorable Sessions With Edmond Hall

TOCJ-66011 High Society / Jamming In Jazz with Blue Note

TOCJ-66012 Low Down Blues / Art Hodes' Back Room Boys

TOCJ-66013 Shine / Art Hodes' Five and Seven

TOCJ-66014 Victory Stride / Swing Sessions Featuring Ben Webster

TOCJ-66015 Blue Harlem / Ike Quebec Quintets and Swingtet

TOCJ-66016 Topsy / Ike Quebec Swing Seven

TOCJ-66017 Tired / John Hardee Swingtets

[J.A.W.]

I noticed that one of the discs I don't have, TOCJ-66014: the Ben Webster collection, has 19 tracks. I have 2 tracks with Benny Morton and 5 tracks with James P. Johnson. What are the other tracks and have they ever been issued on domestic (U.S.) CDs?

[Late]

I copied the list from this site, and, you're right, there's an extra zero in each entry. Whoops!

Here is the track list for TOCJ 66014:

 

Victory Stride / Swing Sessions featuring Ben Webster

James P. Johnson's Blue Note Jazzmen featuring Ben Webster • rec. March 4, 1944
1. Blue Mizz 3:52
2. Blue Mizz (alt.) 3:47
3. Victory Stride (alt.) 3:59
4. Victory Stride 4:01
5. Joy Mentin' (sic) 4:27
6. After You've Gone 4:26

Benny Morton's All Stars featuring Ben Webster • rec. January 31, 1945
7. My Old Flame 4:18
8. Conversing In Blue 4:41
9. The Sheik of Araby 4:37
10. The Sheik of Araby (alt.) 4:52
11. Limehouse Blues 4:12

Jimmy Hamilton And The Duke's Men • rec. November 21, 1945
12. Old Uncle Bud 2:59
13. Blues For Clarinets 4:25
14. Slapstick 4:11
15. Blues In My Music Room 3:11

Sammy Benskin Trio • rec. July 27, 1945
16. Cherry 3:00
17. Rosetta 2:42
18. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise 3:11
19. Williphant Winnie 2:53

(Note: Ben Webster is only on tracks 1-11. CD tracks also don't align with their vinyl counterpart.)

I'm listening to the Benskin tracks right now—an interesting amalgam of styles. I'm hearing some J.P. Johnson, some Hines, some Garner (sans block chords), and even some Monk-like flourishes. Kind of a "missing link" player? I'm really not familiar with Benskin, but the playing is nice, particularly the last track.

Edited November 22, 2022 by Late
because the grammar.

[Late]

TOCJ 66011 was the first disc I purchased from this series. Here are the contents:

High Society/ Jamming In Jazz With Blue Note Jazzmen

Edmond Hall's Blue Note Jazzmen
1. High Society 4:00
2. Blues At Blue Note 4:11
3. Night Shift Blues 4:07
4. Royal Garden Blues 4:06
5. Blue Note Boogie 3:54

Sidney de Paris' Blue Note Jazzmen
6. Everybody Loves My Baby 3:31
7. Ballin' The Jack 4:44
8. Who's Sorry Now 4:14
9. The Call of The Blues 4:18

James P. Johnson's Blue Note Jazzmen
10. Tishomingo Blues 4:32
11. Walkin' The Dog 4:30
12. Easy River 4:33
13. At The Ball 4:08

The sound is excellent on this disc. These tracks were my first exposure to the playing of Edmond Hall—great stuff.

Edited November 22, 2022 by Late

[J.A.W.]

TOCJ 66011 was the first disc I purchased from this series. Here are the contents:

High Society/ Jamming In Jazz With Blue Note Jazzmen

Edmond Hall's Blue Note Jazzmen

1. High Society 4:00

2. Blues At Blue Note 4:11

3. Night Shift Blues 4:07

4. Royal Garden Blues 4:06

5. Blue Note Boogie 3:54

Sidney de Paris' Blue Note Jazzmen

6. Everybody Loves My Baby 3:31

7. Ballin' The Jack 4:44

8. Who's Sorry Now 4:14

9. The Call of The Blues 4:18

James P. Johnson's Blue Note Jazzmen

10. Tishomingo Blues 4:32

11. Walkin' The Dog 4:30

12. Easy River 4:33

13. At The Ball 4:08

The sound is excellent on this disc. These tracks were my first exposure to the playing of Edmond Hall — great stuff.

The entire contents of TOCJ-66011 plus the 6 James P. Johnson tracks on TOCJ-66014 were issued on the The Blue Note Jazzmen 2CD-set in 1998.

Edited May 14, 2012 by J.A.W.

[Late]

On 5/14/2012 at 1:50 PM, J.A.W. said:

The entire content of TOCJ-66011 plus the 6 James P. Johnson tracks on TOCJ-66014 were issued on the The Blue Note Jazzmen 2CD-set in 1998.

Yes. I never got around to purchasing any of the U.S. Blue Note discs representing this era for some reason. I'm sure they're great, including the Quebec/Hardee stuff.

While I'm at it, I'll type up two more disc contents for those that are interested in what the Japanese versions included:

TOCJ 6607

Summertime / Sidney Bechet & The Port of Harlem Jazzmen

Port of Harlem Seven
1. Blues For Tommy 4:24

Sidney Bechet Quintet
2. Summertime 4:09

Port of Harlem Seven
3. Pounding Heart Blues 4:01

Frank Newton Quintet
4. After Hours Blues 4:08

J.C. Higginbotham Quintet
5. Basin Street Blues 3:43

Frank Newton Quintet
6. Daybreak Blues 2:40

J.C. Higginbotham Quintet
7. Weary Land Blues 2:51

Port of Harlem Jazzmen
8. Port of Harlem Blues 4:31
9. Mighty Blues 4:34
10. Rocking The Blues 4:25

Sidney Bechet Blue Note Quartet
11. Lonesome Blues 4:05
12. Dear Old Southland 4:01
13. Bechet's Steady Rider 2:54
14. Saturday Night Blues 2:56

Josh White Trio
15. Careless Love 3:42
16. Milk Cow Blues 4:07

TOCJ 66010

Profoundly Blue / Memorable Sessions With Edmond Hall

Edmond Hall Celeste Quartet
1. Jammin' In Four 4:21
2. Edmond Hall Blues 4:17
3. Profoundly Blue 4:08
4. Profoundly Blue (alt.) 4:18
5. Celestial Express 3:54

Emdond Hall's All Star Quintet
6. Rompin' In' 44 (alt.) 3:58
7. Rompin' In' 44 3:57
8. Blue Interval 4:15
9. Smooth Sailing (alt.) 3:32
10. Smooth Sailing 3:46
11. Seein' Red 4:14

Edmond Hall Swingtet
12. It's Been So Long (alt.) 2:31
13. It's Been So Long 3:08
14. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (alt.) 3:41
15. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me 3:02
16. Big City Blues 4:12
17. Steamin' And Beamin' 3:50

Edited November 22, 2022 by Late

[J.A.W.]

I have the John Hardee and 2 Ike Quebec CDs in this series. They're great and cover the long OOP and insanely expensive (if you can find it) Mosaic set.

Blue Note released TOCJ-66010 in the United States as Edmond Hall's Profoundly Blue in 1998 and TOCJ-66007 without the Josh White tracks as The Port of Harlem Jazzmen in 1994, with 19 tracks. The latter was also released as a Mosaic LP, of course.

I am posting the U.S. releases for those who are interested in the music and can't find the Japanese CDs or prefer the American ones.

Edited May 14, 2012 by J.A.W.

[Eric]

never heard of this series, but did a search and came up with this

Edited May 14, 2012 by Eric

[Late]

Never heard of this series, but did a search and came up with this:

I don't have that disc, but here are its contents:

1. SUMMERTIME/ SIDNEY BECHET QUINTET

2. DEAR OLD SOUTHLAND/ SIDNEY BECHET BLUE NOTE QUARTET

3. BOOGIE WOOGIE STOMP/ ALBERT AMMONS

4. MELANCHOLY/ MEADE LUX LEWIS

5. REMINISCING AT BLUE NOTE/ EARL HINES

6. BACKWATER BLUES/ JAMES P. JOHNSON

7. PROFOUNDLY BLUE/ EDMOND HALL CELESTE QUARTET

8. BLUE INTERVAL/ EDMOND HALL'S ALL STAR QUINTET

9. VICTORY STRIDE/ JAMES P.JOHNSON'S BLUE NOTE JAZZMEN

10. EVEYBODY LOVES MY BABY/ SIDNEY DE PARIS BLUE NOTE JAZZMEN

11. BACK ROOM BLUES/ ART HODES' BACK ROOM BOYS

12. FEELIN' AT EASE/ BABY DODDS' JAZZ FOUR

13. BLUE HARLEM/ IKE QUEBEC QUINTET

14. BLUE SKIES/ JOHN HARDEE'S SWINGTET

15. BAB'S DREAM/ BABS' THREE BIPS AND A BOP

16. OUR DELIGHT/ TADD DAMERON SEXTET

17. THELONIOUS/ THELONIOUS MONK SEXTET

18. 'ROUND MIDNIGHT/ THELONIOUS MONK QUINTET

19. BOP ALLEY/ ARTBLAKEY'S MESSENGERS

20. JAHBERO/ TADD DAMERON SEPTET

21. TIN TIN DEO/ JAMES MOODY AND HIS BOP MEN

22. 52nd STREET THEME/ BUD POWELL'S MODERNISTS

23. UN POCO LOCO/ BUD POWELL TRIO

24. HOT SAUCE/ ELMO HOPE TRIO

25. THE GIG/ HERBIE NICHOLS TRIO

26. BAGS GROOVE/ MILT JACKSON QUINTET

27. TEMPUS FUGIT/ MILES DAVIS ALL STARS

28. A NIGHT IN TUNISIA/ ART BLAKEY QUINTET

29. THE PREACHER/ HORACE SILVER QUINTET

30. AFRODISIA/ KENNY DORHAM OCTET

31. MINOR'S HOLIDAY/ THE JAZZ MESSENGERS

32. THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT/ JIMMY SMITH

33. I REMEMBER CLIFFORD/ LEE MORGAN

34. ASIATIC RAES/ SONNY ROLLINS

35. BLUE TRAIN/ JOHN COLTRANE

That's a pretty good comp!

[brownie]

I thought there was a previous thread on this series, but my search didn't yield any results. At any rate, I know many here have discs from this short-lived 1998/9 Japanese series. They came in jewel cases, and the discs themselves — instead of displaying the usual blue-and-white BN logo — were pink and black (while still using the BN logo). Here is the complete series:

TOCJ-660006 Melancholy Boogie Woogie and Piano Classics / Various Artists

TOCJ-660007 Summertime / Sidney Bechet and The Port of Harlem Jazzmen

TOCJ-660008 St. Louis Blues / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 1

TOCJ-660009 I Found A New Baby / Sidney Bechet and The Blue Note Jazzmen, Volume 2

TOCJ-660010 Profoundly Blue / Memorable Sessions With Edmond Hall

TOCJ-660011 High Society / Jamming In Jazz with Blue Note

TOCJ-660012 Low Down Blues / Art Hodes' Back Room Boys

TOCJ-660013 Shine / Art Hodes' Five and Seven

TOCJ-660014 Victory Stride / Swing Sessions Featuring Ben Webster

TOCJ-660015 Blue Harlem / Ike Quebec Quintets and Swingtet

TOCJ-660016 Topsy / Ike Quebec Swing Seven

TOCJ-660017 Tired / John Hardee Swingtets

Only twelve discs, and then the series ended. Most (all?) of the material from this series can be found on older U.S. reissues, various Mosaic sets, and Chronological Classics, but whenever I've had a chance to compare, I usually prefer the sound of this series. This was Blue Note's start, and it always kind of surprises me that more Blue Note fans don't talk about this part of the label's recorded legacy. (Well, maybe it doesn't surprise me.)

I'm still looking for three titles from this series:

TOCJ 660006

TOCJ 660012

TOCJ 660013

What discs do you have from this series? And what do you think of this era of Blue Note?

Impressions/observations/recommendations please!

A superb series. I was lucky to purchase most of those CDS - at €10 each - a couple of years ago.

I remember posting about those BN Classics at the time but can't find the actual thread. I hesitated grabbing those CDs because I already had all the material on Mosaic boxes.

I am glad to have them now, they are much easier to enjoy them - in excellent sound - than those Mosaic vinyls!

[king ubu]

Wow, I'd love to find these! Never even heard/read of this series!

[Brad]

Like Eric, never heard of this series until now. May have some of it in other packaging but would have been nice to buy 'em this way.

[Chuck Nessa]

TOCJ 66011 was the first disc I purchased from this series. Here are the contents:

High Society/ Jamming In Jazz With Blue Note Jazzmen

Edmond Hall's Blue Note Jazzmen

1. High Society 4:00

2. Blues At Blue Note 4:11

3. Night Shift Blues 4:07

4. Royal Garden Blues 4:06

5. Blue Note Boogie 3:54

Sidney de Paris' Blue Note Jazzmen

6. Everybody Loves My Baby 3:31

7. Ballin' The Jack 4:44

8. Who's Sorry Now 4:14

9. The Call of The Blues 4:18

James P. Johnson's Blue Note Jazzmen

10. Tishomingo Blues 4:32

11. Walkin' The Dog 4:30

12. Easy River 4:33

13. At The Ball 4:08

The sound is excellent on this disc. These tracks were my first exposure to the playing of Edmond Hall — great stuff.

The entire contents of TOCJ-66011 plus the 6 James P. Johnson tracks on TOCJ-66014 were issued on the The Blue Note Jazzmen 2CD-set in 1998.

The US double includes a number of alternates (10?) not on the Jamming In Jazz disc as well as the Johnson tracks.

The US Port of Harlem disc substitutes 5 wonderful Teddy Bunn tracks for the 2 Josh White titles.

I copied the list from this site, and, you're right, there's an extra zero in each entry. Whoops!

Here is the track list for TOCJ 66014:

Victory Stride / Swing Sessions featuring Ben Webster

James P. Johnson's Blue Note Jazzmen featuring Ben Webster - rec. March 4, 1944

1. Blue Mizz 3:52

2. Blue Mizz (alt.) 3:47

3. Victory Stride (alt.) 3:59

4. Victory Stride 4:01

5. Joy Mentin' (sic) 4:27

6. After You've Gone 4:26

Benny Morton's All Stars featuring Ben Webster - rec. January 31, 1945

7. My Old Flame 4:18

8. Conversing In Blue 4:41

9. The Sheik of Araby 4:37

10. The Sheik of Araby (alt.) 4:52

11. Limehouse Blues 4:12

Jimmy Hamilton And The Duke's Men - rec. November 21, 1945

12. Old Uncle Bud 2:59

13. Blues For Clarinets 4:25

14. Slapstick 4:11

15. Blues In My Music Room 3:11

Sammy Benskin Trio - rec. July 27, 1945

16. Cherry 3:00

17. Rosetta 2:42

18. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise 3:11

19. Williphant Winnie 2:53

(Note: Ben Webster is only on tracks 1-11. CD tracks also don't align with their vinyl counterpart.)

I'm listening to the Benskin tracks right now — an interesting amalgation of a number of styles. I'm hearing some J.P. Johnson, some Hines, some Garner (sans block chords), and even some Monk-like flourishes. Kind of a "missing link" player? I'm really not familiar with Benskin, but the playing is nice, particularly the last track.

This cd is a reissue of Mosaic 115 with the addition of the James P. Johnson session.

[king ubu]

Wow, I'd love to find these! Never even heard/read of this series!

Every music collector — whether they want to admit it or not ("Never! It's just the music!") — loves the challenge of the hunt. (I readily include myself in this compulsive bunch.) And finding these discs ain't easy. But, if you like this period of music, the reward is worth it. Great music, great sound. Here's the Wiki site on this series (with the extra zero in the catalog numbers) once again.

Guy — 10 Euros is roughly 13 bucks (these days, I think). You got a good deal!

Obviously... but then I've got some of the music in other form (US BN CDs, Mosaics) and that's good enough for me, after all. Still, with the great covers, I'd pick them up in a whim if I got a chance!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I was just able to pick up a used copy of TOCJ-66015 Ike Quebec Quintets and Swingtet - "Blue Harlem", for $25. One of the best prices I've ever seen for it.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

The used copy of TOCJ-66015 Ike Quebec Quintets and Swingtet - "Blue Harlem" that I thought I had for $25 fell through shortly after I posted this. I still haven't been able to find a decently priced copy.

Kevin

[Bluesnik]

and it always kind of surprises me that more Blue Note fans don't talk about this part of the label's recorded legacy.

You exactly mirror my thoughts about this series. I've always been intrigued why there wasn't more interest in this first part of the BN history, with the (for me) fantastic 7000 series. Maybe because it was about Dixieland revival and boogie woogie and not the stuff BN got famous for, like the latter series 1500.

I have some of them. I don't remember how I got them. I only remember it was hard. I have numbers 7, 11, 13, 15, 16. And some of this material came out in a US series (no reissues of albums, just comps), celebrating BN's 60 anniversary, with some Bechets and the great Blue Note Swingtets in 98. So I thought for the 70th there was going to be another great special collection from BN. But nope. Maybe by that time times were so troubled for them they didn't even consider it.

[Late]

On 5/14/2012 at 2:20 PM, Late said:

TOCJ 6607:

Port of Harlem Seven
1. Blues For Tommy 4:24

Sidney Bechet Quintet
2. Summertime 4:09

Port of Harlem Seven
3. Pounding Heart Blues 4:01

Frank Newton Quintet
4. After Hours Blues 4:08

J.C. Higginbotham Quintet
5. Basin Street Blues 3:43

Frank Newton Quintet
6. Daybreak Blues 2:40

J.C. Higginbotham Quintet
7. Weary Land Blues 2:51

Port of Harlem Jazzmen
8. Port of Harlem Blues 4:31
9. Mighty Blues 4:34
10. Rocking The Blues 4:25

Sidney Bechet Blue Note Quartet
11. Lonesome Blues 4:05
12. Dear Old Southland 4:01
13. Bechet's Steady Rider 2:54
14. Saturday Night Blues 2:56

Josh White Trio
15. Careless Love 3:42
16. Milk Cow Blues 4:07

Some days I do something wise—like get out this disc again and spin it. Amazing music. (But I wish it included the Teddy Bunn Blue Note tracks!)

[danasgoodstuff]

I'd love to see BN do more with this era in the Tone Poet or Classics vinyl reissues series, but making it fit well can be awkward.  Typical 4 song 78rpm era make a nice LP side if they were done for 12" 78s at 4+ minutes each, but not otherwise.

[Late]

3 hours ago, danasgoodstuff said:

I'd love to see BN do more with this era ...

Me too, but it seems that "Blue Note" is, when reissued these days, only about hardbop.

[danasgoodstuff]

2 hours ago, Late said:

Me too, but it seems that "Blue Note" is, when reissued these days, only about hardbop.

Can't say I agree with that, they have reissued avant leaning dates, pre-hard bop, post-hard bop, lots of different things.  And lots of hard bop (however defined), but given how much of their rep rests on hard bop, I'm almost surprised they haven't done more.

[Late]

I was thinking specifically about the Tone Poets series. When they reissue the Don Cherry Blue Notes, I might bite. 🍒

[jazzbo]

I wish they would revisit the first decade or so of the label which I think could sound so much better with the improvements in sound restoration and playback since the label last compiled some. But I have no interest in LP reissues, and no hope there would be cd reissues. Sigh.