Jazz America Marketing - JAM records

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

JAM was a small company issuing records in the late 70s/early 80s. I've always been interested in their records and have a few more than half of their output. According to trademark sites on the web, it isn't owned by anyone now.

I thought I was the only one interested, until John Tapscott posted that he was playing one a couple of days ago. Well, I know Dan has one or two...

I've listed all the albums I know about, but there are three gaps. Can anyone fill them in?

JazzAmerica label

5001 John Abercrombie Trio - Straight flight (1979 - licensed from Discomate Records, Japan - orig title 'Direct flight')

5002 Blue Mitchell - Last dance (Apr 1977 - licensed from Discomate Records, Japan - by 'Best of the West')

5003 Toshiko Akiyoshi - A tribute to Billy Strayhorn (Apr 1978 - licensed from Discomate Records, Japan)

5004 Michael Urbaniak - Jam at Sandy's (Jun 1981)

5005 Lew Tabackin Trio - Black & tan fantasy (1979 - licensed from Discomate Records, Japan)

JAM label

001 NY5 - Music for violin & jazz quartet (Dec 1980) (CD issue UBX1004)

002 Jimmy McGriff - City lights (Dec 1980 & Feb 1981) (CD issue JAM PSCW1147)

003 Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band - Farewell to Mingus (Jan 1980 - licensed from Victor, Japan)

004 (if this ever came out, it was after 006, as it's not listed in the catalogue)

005 Jimmy McGriff - Movin' upside the blues (Dec 1980 & Jun 1981) (CD issue JAM PSCW1157)

006 Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band - Tanuki's night out (1981 Licensed from Victor Japan))

007 Phil Upchurch - Free & easy (Jun 1981) (CD issue Moe (Japan) PSCW1148)

008 Gene Harris - Hot lips (May 1982) (CD issue JAM PSCW1166)

009 Jimmy McGriff - The groover (Jun 1982) (CD issue JAM PSCW1160)

010 Arnold Sterling - Here's Brother Sterling (Jul 1982) (CD issue JAM PSCW1161)

011 Phil Upchurch - Revelation (1983) (CD issue Moe PSCW1158)

012 Les McCann - The longer you wait (Apr & May 1983) (CD issue JAM PSCW1149)

013

014 Red Holloway - Hittin' the road again (1983)

015 Gene Harris - Nature's way (1984) (CD issue JAM PSCW1169)

016 Jack McDuff - Lift every voice and sing (1984) (CD issue JAM PSCW1167)

017 Herman Riley - Herman (1984) (CD issue JAM PSCW1170)

018 Phil Upchurch - Name of the game (Oct & Nov 1983) (CD issue JAM PSCW1162)

019 Les McCann - Music box (May 1984) (CD issue JAM PSCW1159)

020

021 Phil Upchurch - Companions (Aug & Sep 1984) (CD issue JAM PSCW1168)

All the CD issues appear to be Japanese.

Anyone interested in this company? Anyone know anything more about it?

MG

[John Tapscott]

Well, the only one I have is the TALT "Tanuki's Night Out" LP.

TALT's "Farewell" may have been on JAM later, but I have it on Ascent which appears to be an American label (probably the first issue). Surprised to see that it came from Victor,Japan.

Anyway on the "Tanuki's Night Out" LP cover the details about the recording are sketchy, but inside along with the album there are a couple of typed and photocopied sleeves. One sheet is basically liner notes with soloists listed; the other describes the JAM concept. Seems the pressings were done in Philadelphia and the sales office was in Washington D.C. The basic concept was to issue pressings of higher quality than the usual North American pressings available around that time (pretty crappy as I recall), but not quite as up scale or expensive as the very top end Japanese vinyl pressings. The pressing I have is good and quiet.

[Head Man]

JAM 013 according to one that was sold on ebay. However, I see that you already have it listed as JAM 019...ah, well....

Edited March 19, 2013 by Head Man

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

JAM 013 according to one that was sold on ebay. However, I see that you already have it listed as JAM 019...ah, well....

Strange. All the discographical references I've found are to JAM019, but I don't have that, only the UK issue on PAL3 (Virgin Paladin), so I don't know. Maybe it was issued on 013 first. See, if you were flogging something on e-bay and made a mistake with the number, why would you manage to pick a number that didn't have a release attached? And WOULD someone flogging a record on e-bay make a mistake with the catalogue number anyway?

MG

[ejp626]

Well, the only one I have is the TALT "Tanuki's Night Out" LP.

TALT's "Farewell" may have been on JAM later, but I have it on Ascent which appears to be an American label (probably the first issue). Surprised to see that it came from Victor,Japan.

Anyway on the "Tanuki's Night Out" LP cover the details about the recording are sketchy, but inside along with the album there are a couple of typed and photocopied sleeves. One sheet is basically liner notes with soloists listed; the other describes the JAM concept. Seems the pressings were done in Philadelphia and the sales office was in Washington D.C. The basic concept was to issue pressings of higher quality than the usual North American pressings available around that time (pretty crappy as I recall), but not quite as up scale or expensive as the very top end Japanese vinyl pressings. The pressing I have is good and quiet.

Pretty sure I have Tanuki's Night Out as well but not sure I ever transferred it (my turntable is dismantled at the moment ).

Anyone have any insights into or a review of Farewell to Mingus? Did it ever make it to CD*? This is something that I might try to track down (even if I can't listen to it for a while in its LP format).

* Looks like it is available as a fairly pricey CD import. Might still want to stick to the LP which costs about half as much. (But actually even more important is to double check and make sure I didn't get Farewell to Mingus before ordering a copy!)

Edited March 19, 2013 by ejp626

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Here's a link to a pretty good Les McCann discog in which it's stated as JAM019.

http://users.rcn.com/bobfreed/www/lesdisco/a47.html

Here's a link to a Japanese discog site which gives a US release date of 1 Aug 1984, only 9 weeks after it was recorded.

http://sudo.3.pro.tok2.com/Quest/cards/L/LesMcCann/index.html

It came out here, though, the following spring. So maybe JAM013 was issued as a promo but not really issued because it was too soon after 'The longer you wait'.

Could you send me or post a link to the e-bay site where it was sold, please?

MG

[John Tapscott]

Well, the only one I have is the TALT "Tanuki's Night Out" LP.

TALT's "Farewell" may have been on JAM later, but I have it on Ascent which appears to be an American label (probably the first issue). Surprised to see that it came from Victor,Japan.

Anyway on the "Tanuki's Night Out" LP cover the details about the recording are sketchy, but inside along with the album there are a couple of typed and photocopied sleeves. One sheet is basically liner notes with soloists listed; the other describes the JAM concept. Seems the pressings were done in Philadelphia and the sales office was in Washington D.C. The basic concept was to issue pressings of higher quality than the usual North American pressings available around that time (pretty crappy as I recall), but not quite as up scale or expensive as the very top end Japanese vinyl pressings. The pressing I have is good and quiet.

Pretty sure I have Tanuki's Night Out as well but not sure I ever transferred it (my turntable is dismantled at the moment ).

Anyone have any insights into or a review of Farewell to Mingus? Did it ever make it to CD*? This is something that I might try to track down (even if I can't listen to it for a while in its LP format).

* Looks like it is available as a fairly pricey import. Might still want to stick to the LP which costs about half as much.

Farewell to Mingus is a terrific album, one of the very best in their whole discography IMHO (and I have every TALT album in one form or another, with the exception of two, I think.). It's a little better than "Tanuki's Time Out."

Actually F to M is in the same class as anything you hear on the Mosaic Select. The period from about 1974-1981 was Toshiko's most productive, I think. I have never found the albums the band made after T & L relocated to NYC in the early 80's to be quite as good. There was something really

special about that L.A. Band and that period in her career.

[Head Man]

Here's the link to ebay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LES-McCANN-Music-Box-1984-VG-JAM013-JAZZ-FUNKY-JAZZ-VOCAL-US-Vinyl-/271120997569?nma=true&si=UNg7upT6WFDuUNksLcBFU0D8eeA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

BTW my Bruyninckx disography has it as JAM019. Looks like the ebay seller needs a pair of glasses.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Head Man

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Thanks - pursuing...

MG

[JSngry]

I've got a copy of the Herman Riley record. Much better than I was expecting. Much better.

I seem to recall word back in the day that Toshiko was an actual business partner in the lable...not sure if that;'s a fact, but that was "the word" "back in the day".

[ejp626]

Farewell to Mingus is a terrific album, one of the very best in their whole discography IMHO (and I have every TALT album in one form or another, with the exception of two, I think.). It's a little better than "Tanuki's Time Out."

Actually F to M is in the same class as anything you hear on the Mosaic Select. The period from about 1974-1981 was Toshiko's most productive, I think. I have never found the albums the band made after T & L relocated to NYC in the early 80's to be quite as good. There was something really

special about that L.A. Band and that period in her career.

Thanks! If I don't have the LP (might have snagged it in an eBay lot sale), then I'll track it down soon. I really do like the Select and this period in her discography, though I also enjoy her later work, including the really hard-to-find Monopoly Game.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I've got a copy of the Herman Riley record. Much better than I was expecting. Much better.

Yes - I actually bought that BECAUSE it was on JAM.

I seem to recall word back in the day that Toshiko was an actual business partner in the lable...not sure if that;'s a fact, but that was "the word" "back in the day".

Well, that Sudo discographical site I linked to earlier says this:

LES McCANN: LES McCANN'S MUSIC BOX

JAM, JAM 019(LP)

UNDER LICENSED BY OFFICE CUBIC

(P)1984 M.O.E. RECORDS

RECORDED: MAY 25 thru 27, 1984

RELEASED: AUGUST 1, 1984, USA

J-ISSUED: POLYSTAR CO., LTD., PSCW-1159(CD)

RELEASED: NOVEMBER 26, 1992, JAPAN

Does MOE Records mean anything in connection with Toshiko?

MG

[Jim R]

All the CD issues appear to be Japanese.

Blue Mitchell's "Last Dance" was issued on CD under the title "Stablemates" by Candid Productions, Inc. (London) in 2006.

[JSngry]

Does MOE Records mean anything in connection with Toshiko?

No idea....maybe she was the facilitator for JAM regarding access to some Japanese labels?