Don Joseph "One of a Kind" LP- worth getting?

[sgcim]

I saw this in a used record store today, but I wasn't sure I wanted to pay what they wanted for it.

Does anyone have it? Is it worth getting?

TIA

[brownie]

YES!!

Unless the price is really sky high!

A splendid album that never made it to CD...

[king ubu]

Price shouldn't be high, I guess ... but as brownie said: yes!

[jazztrain]

Absolutely. It's a gem.

[Chuck Nessa]

A cd version should be out this year.

[king ubu]

Do you know if it will contain anything not on the LP?

[Larry Kart]

Do you know if it will contain anything not on the LP?

Yes -- alternate takes.

[jlhoots]

Looking forward to the CD!!

[king ubu]

Do you know if it will contain anything not on the LP?

Yes -- alternate takes.

Thanks, guess I will buy again then!

[sgcim]

Thanks, I'll pick up the CD, if it has alt. takes.

A friend of mine who used to hang out with Don on Staten Island didn't seem that excited about that LP, because he thought Don had done his best playing in the 50s. He had some interesting stories about Don.

I'm having trouble posting on this board.

[Niko]

too bad about those troubles since all over the world people are waiting for those stories...

[sgcim]

Alright Nino- I can take a hint. I'll just spit out what I can remember.

He always said Don reminded him of a tall David Niven. In his Wikipedia entry (which was poorly written by what seemed like a well-meaning friend of Don's), it said that DJ was a full-time teacher at a Catholic HS, but actually, he just helped the band teacher out a little with the trumpet players. he didn't seem capable of holding down a FT job of any kind to my friend, who used to drive him around and help him out. The SI musicians worshipped him, and he'd sit in on their gigs, but his chops were not in the greatest shape. Sadly, one younger SI musician, Drew Francis, who was in that crowd, also picked up on DJ's junk habit, and OD'd at a too young age. Drew played both the piano and tenor equally well, and used to be consulted by Michael Brecker on sax matters. He was also a gifted composer. A terrible, terrible loss...

Don was subject to panic attacks when driving over bridges or tunnels, and couldn't fly. He was supposed to play the trumpet solo for the Jackie Gleason Show theme, but he couldn't take a plane for the session. I think Jimmy Nottingham played it.

One time Don was going to a gig with a friend, and they had to drive through the Holland Tunnel to get to NJ. He got so frightened, he just bolted out of the car before they entered the tunnel, and left his trumpet in the car, never making the gig!

I opined to my friend that maybe DJ's junk habit was self-medicating for his case of Panic Disorder, but my friend started describing DJ's descriptions of the rush that he got from shooting up, and I dropped that line of reasoning pretty quickly.

My friend asked Don how he could achieve success as a musician, and Don's answer was, "YOU GOTTA GIVE IT YOUR ALL!"

He and Don used to listen to an older Italian concert pianist whose name I can't recall, all the time. DJ also worshipped great prizefighters.

DJ had replaced his junk habit with alcoholism, but then replaced alcoholism with a deep religious faith (it was either Mormonism or Jehovah's Witness), and was intensely neurotic about it.

The whole SI crowd he'd play with seemed to be on the Chuck Wayne LP "String Fever", along with Eddie Costa. I wish i could've asked Don about that fellow jazz genius (EC).

This was back in the 80s, when I used to play in a band with said friend, so it's kind of hazy, but the last thing I can remember was his account of Don's funeral (he died of a sudden heart attack). It was very solemn, until an older woman who claimed to be either a former girlfriend or wife of DJ walked in, looking like a reincarnation of Chan Parker(!) and started telling funny stories about DJ that had everybody laughing their heads off, making it into a joyous affair!

I haven't spoken to my friend in about fifteen years, but maybe I'll give him a buzz.

[Niko]

Thank you! have you seen the Don Joseph clips on youtube? sounds like you might know a bunch of people in there...

(also the other uploads by that guy)

[king ubu]

Thanks a lot indeed for sharing these memories!

[sgcim]

Beautiful playing! Yeah, I've seen that before. The only one I know is Mike. We played in some college groups together back in the 90s. Wonderful player and wonderful guy. If I heard Wynton play one solo as musically satisfying as Don's, maybe I could understand what's going on in NY, but I haven't heard it yet. But that goes for the musically bland "jazz revival' crowd, also.

[paul secor]

I love the LP and will buy the CD when it appears.

[AllenLowe]

that Joseph solo is a masterpiece, so quick and careless, which I love - reminds me, strangely enough, of Ira Sullivan in his later years - the sense that he has nothing to prove or emulate, so let the youngsters re-create. For guys like Joseph and Sullivan this was still new music. They never look back, which I love.

Edited February 7, 2013 by AllenLowe

[AllenLowe]

btw, is Joseph still alive?

[Stereojack]

btw, is Joseph still alive?

I believe I heard some time ago that he had passed, but can't find any evidence. Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Joseph

[AllenLowe]

that's the one I saw. I also thought he had died.

[Trumpet Guy]

Alright Nino- I can take a hint. I'll just spit out what I can remember.

He always said Don reminded him of a tall David Niven. In his Wikipedia entry (which was poorly written by what seemed like a well-meaning friend of Don's), it said that DJ was a full-time teacher at a Catholic HS, but actually, he just helped the band teacher out a little with the trumpet players. he didn't seem capable of holding down a FT job of any kind to my friend, who used to drive him around and help him out. The SI musicians worshipped him, and he'd sit in on their gigs, but his chops were not in the greatest shape. Sadly, one younger SI musician, Drew Francis, who was in that crowd, also picked up on DJ's junk habit, and OD'd at a too young age. Drew played both the piano and tenor equally well, and used to be consulted by Michael Brecker on sax matters. He was also a gifted composer. A terrible, terrible loss...

Don was subject to panic attacks when driving over bridges or tunnels, and couldn't fly. He was supposed to play the trumpet solo for the Jackie Gleason Show theme, but he couldn't take a plane for the session. I think Jimmy Nottingham played it.

One time Don was going to a gig with a friend, and they had to drive through the Holland Tunnel to get to NJ. He got so frightened, he just bolted out of the car before they entered the tunnel, and left his trumpet in the car, never making the gig!

I opined to my friend that maybe DJ's junk habit was self-medicating for his case of Panic Disorder, but my friend started describing DJ's descriptions of the rush that he got from shooting up, and I dropped that line of reasoning pretty quickly.

My friend asked Don how he could achieve success as a musician, and Don's answer was, "YOU GOTTA GIVE IT YOUR ALL!"

He and Don used to listen to an older Italian concert pianist whose name I can't recall, all the time. DJ also worshipped great prizefighters.

DJ had replaced his junk habit with alcoholism, but then replaced alcoholism with a deep religious faith (it was either Mormonism or Jehovah's Witness), and was intensely neurotic about it.

The whole SI crowd he'd play with seemed to be on the Chuck Wayne LP "String Fever", along with Eddie Costa. I wish i could've asked Don about that fellow jazz genius (EC).

This was back in the 80s, when I used to play in a band with said friend, so it's kind of hazy, but the last thing I can remember was his account of Don's funeral (he died of a sudden heart attack). It was very solemn, until an older woman who claimed to be either a former girlfriend or wife of DJ walked in, looking like a reincarnation of Chan Parker(!) and started telling funny stories about DJ that had everybody laughing their heads off, making it into a joyous affair!

I haven't spoken to my friend in about fifteen years, but maybe I'll give him a buzz.

Thank you SO much for all this interesting info!!!

As this person says above, Don Joseph died of a heart attack quite a few years back now

I know there are more recordings from Staten Island sessions of Don Joseph & I want to hear them

[sgcim]

I just remembered another tiny story. That friend of Don's and I were talking about Bill Evans on a gig once, and I asked him what Don thought of Bill, and he said that Bill invited Don over to his place one day and they played together as a duo for a few hours.

Let's hope that's all they did...

Must have been an extraordinary musical experience.

[Tom 1960]

I'm assuming this was never released on cd as expected? Anything new to report?

[jazztrain]

It doesn't show up on the Uptown website.

I found this there on a discussion list:

 

>>>

Re:Don Joseph - "One Of A Kind"
Sorry for late reply. Hopefully, the Don Joseph will be issued as a Cd early next year. Thanks for your interest. Bob Sunenblick >>>   Unfortunately, that was 5 years and 5 months ago.

[soulpope]

On ‎21‎.‎11‎.‎2015 at 4:38 AM, jazztrain said:

It doesn't show up on the Uptown website.

I found this there on a discussion list:

 

>>>

Re:Don Joseph - "One Of A Kind"
Sorry for late reply. Hopefully, the Don Joseph will be issued as a Cd early next year. Thanks for your interest. Bob Sunenblick >>>   Unfortunately, that was 5 years and 5 months ago.

Any news on this one .... ?