Big Wheel Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 (edited) This is the Goin' West cover, according to Blue Note: PLEASE tell me the real CD cover doesn't look like this. Edit: For some reason I thought there was already a Reid Miles cover for this session, and that it had been released back in 1962. I have a tendency to confuse this one with "Way Out West." Still, I would have much preferred a Patrick Roques redesign... Edited March 10, 2004 by Big Wheel Quote
Free For All Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 (edited) This is the Goin' West cover, according to Blue Note: PLEASE tell me the real CD cover doesn't look like this. Yes BW, I'm afraid that's it. I'd say it's pretty ugly (it looks more like 70s Blue Note than 1962 BN), but I'm sure there are those here with a sentimental attachment who like it. What is that, some kind of Santa Fe gee-tar? It sure looks like everything on the cover is goin' east.......... Music-wise I've not heard this one and am looking forward to checking it out. It looks to be a little lightweight as far as the "western thematic concept", but how bad can it be w/Higgins, Hancock and Workman on board? If anyone can polish a turd, they certainly can! B) Edited March 10, 2004 by Free For All Quote
Free For All Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 (edited) I'm glad to see Ready For Freddie get some renewed exposure. There are great tunes on this one that should be played/covered more than they are, like (in spite of the unusual key signature of B major) Crisis, Shorter's Marie Antoinette and of course Birdlike (which I've always thought was spelled Byrdlike...........whatever............). Anyway, it's a great F blues (with a little chromatic turnaround) that's fun to call at gigs. You can also do this one to a funky two-feel. Is this one in Organissimo's repertoire? Seems like a good fit. This is IMHO one of Freddie's best BN outings. It's great to hear Freddie in his prime. Edited March 10, 2004 by Free For All Quote
Big Wheel Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 Amen. Ready for Freddie should never have been OOP in the first place. Quote
mgraham333 Posted March 10, 2004 Author Report Posted March 10, 2004 All five just arrived from CDUniverse! Into the changer they go.... Quote
Sundog Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 This is the Goin' West cover, according to Blue Note: PLEASE tell me the real CD cover doesn't look like this. Yes BW, I'm afraid that's it. I'd say it's pretty ugly (it looks more like 70s Blue Note than 1962 BN), but I'm sure there are those here with a sentimental attachment who like it. What is that, some kind of Santa Fe gee-tar? It sure looks like everything on the cover is goin' east.......... Music-wise I've not heard this one and am looking forward to checking it out. It looks to be a little lightweight as far as the "western thematic concept", but how bad can it be w/Higgins, Hancock and Workman on board? If anyone can polish a turd, they certainly can! B) Nothing spectacular. Grant's in good, not great form. A welcome addition to my collection. However, I really glad I waited for a sanely priced domestic version. Quote
Aftab Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 Forget the RVGs...buy Gloria Coleman "Soul Sisters" on Impulse! B) Found this in the little store here in Green Bay (!) SMOKES! diggin' it - go buy it Anyone get the Mel Brown or any other Verve reissues on the 9th? Quote
street singer Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 Forget the RVGs...buy Gloria Coleman "Soul Sisters" on Impulse! B) Found this in the little store here in Green Bay (!) SMOKES! diggin' it - go buy it Anyone get the Mel Brown or any other Verve reissues on the 9th? I ordered the Lateef along w/ the Coleman. Still waiting for both to arrive from CD Universe (maybe today?), looking forward to them very much. Quote
mgraham333 Posted March 10, 2004 Author Report Posted March 10, 2004 (edited) I've been playing the new batch in the background. I've made it through Sweet Honey Bee, Ready For Freddie, Goin' West right and am listening to Free Form now. SHB: If you like the Mosaic Select, this will be sure to please! Granted, I am listeing to this on my office system (basic Sony receiver & CD changer and Boston bookshelf speakers) and at low volume, but the crackling of vinyl wasn't noticable and certainly didn't detract from the listening experience. I did go back and turn the volume up and get next to the speakers and occasionally heard a slight pop, but again, nothing fatal. I'll listen again on the nicer system at home, but am not expecting the sound issue to be an issue at all for this release. RFF: This may be some of my favorite Freddie to date. I agree with Free For All, there are some really good tunes here and Freddie is in great form. GW: I have nothing against the western theme...I have and love Sonny Rollins' Way Out West and I live in Oklahoma where there are more trucks than cars...and people wear cowboy hats....and it's not Halloween... with that said I think the material on GW is just a bit too light. I cringed at On Top of Old Smokey and Red River Valley. Just sounds too much like a children's CD. There are some good moments and Green's playing is good as always. I was just hoping for a little more out of the material. FF: Just getting started here, but the first track has a pretty funky feel to it. Track two is a beautiful ballad and sounds just like you'd expect a Hancock song to sound. A quick reading of the new liners really shows the historical significance of this date: same rhythm section as Royal Flush and Takin' Off, only collaboration of Byrd and Shorter, Shorter's first studio encounter with Hancock. I recently purchased Black Jack and Mustang from a fellow board member and really liked them. FF falls more in line with those than any of the other Byrd titles available in the RVG series. I'll finish up my thoughts on FF and get to RN when I can. Edited March 11, 2004 by mgraham333 Quote
WD45 Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 Forget the RVGs...buy Gloria Coleman "Soul Sisters" on Impulse! B) Found this in the little store here in Green Bay (!) SMOKES! diggin' it - go buy it Anyone get the Mel Brown or any other Verve reissues on the 9th? I have been waiting to hear what anyone thought of the Mel Brown as well. Looks good, and the AMG review was favorable. Mel's lookin' smooth with that hair. Quote
WD45 Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 Oops. I must have read the review elsewhere, as it is not in AMG. Just listened to some samples at CD Universe, and it is cooking. Some of it reminds me of Earl Hooker, with that wah pedal. Quote
Big Al Posted March 10, 2004 Report Posted March 10, 2004 I'm glad you guys dig RFF and are happy to see it's release! I have a burn of the Conn, and it's done nothing for me the times I've listened to it. I'll give it some more spins, though; eventually I'll probably end up diggin' it! Quote
BruceH Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 Amen. Ready for Freddie should never have been OOP in the first place. Agreed! Same goes for Here To Stay. Quote
mgraham333 Posted March 11, 2004 Author Report Posted March 11, 2004 (edited) Well I finished up my initial run-through of this batch. Picking up where I left off: FF: the remaining tracks are great. Nai Nai is a happy tune that is a great pick-me-up that follows the ballad in track 2. French Spice is really sticking with me. I was hearing that one in my head on the way out the door as I was leaving work. Free Form, as the name might suggest is a bit out there, has some modal influences. It was interesting to hear Byrd go in that direction. I really liked Hancock's playing in Three Wishes, maybe because it's his tune . RN: Jackie McLean has one foot in the bebop world and the other in the Avant Garde. Poor Eric is simply beautiful. I never would have expected that coming from McLean. In fact, if was on a tenor instead of an alto, I would have sworn I was listening to Wayne Shorter. The title track is the McLean that everyone around here knows and loves. It reminded me of some of the stuff on the Moncur III select. After Jackie's Bag this is probably my favorite of his work. Final notes of my first impressions: Quality control seems to be stepping back up to the level that we all deserve. I haven't gone through all of the liners yet, but haven't noticed any glaring errors and the audio seems to be in the upper percentile of the overall RVG series. I'm about to put them all in my main system to give them their real shake down. I am a bit curious as to why there hasn't been more buzz about this batch. I'm not usually the one to post the most when it comes to reviews. How many are still waiting by their mailboxes ? How many are waiting for others to stick their necks out first ? Overall this was a pretty good batch. GW just didn't grab me right off the bat, but I'm putting that one in the main system first to give it another chance. Edited March 11, 2004 by mgraham333 Quote
Big Al Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 I am a bit curious as to why there hasn't been more buzz about this batch. I'm not usually the one to post the most when it comes to reviews. How many are still waiting by their mailboxes ? How many are waiting for others to stick their necks out first ? This weekend, my friend!!! This weekend! Gonna get Goin' West, Sweet Honey Bee, and ESPECIALLY Right Now! Been waitin' a long time for that one! Quote
scottb Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 I preordered from deepdiscount and got an email today stating GOIN WEST had shipped but there was no mention of SWEET HONEY BEE which I also ordered! I guess I need to get on board with CD universe for these new releases. Quote
Gary Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 I am a bit curious as to why there hasn't been more buzz about this batch. I'm not usually the one to post the most when it comes to reviews. How many are still waiting by their mailboxes ? How many are waiting for others to stick their necks out first ? I'm still waiting for my order from Amazon UK , I did order them with the other batch thats released at the end of the month , so I've got a feeling I'm not going to have an opinion on these for another couple of weeks. Quote
Stefan Wood Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 I think the reason for the late feedback is many of us have these sessions already -- except for Goin West. I got that and the Duke Pearson, the latter mainly in hope that the sound would be much improved. All of these are excellent sessions. Quote
ghost of miles Posted March 11, 2004 Report Posted March 11, 2004 Ah, you guys are killin' me! My CDUniverse order still hasn't arrived--hoping it will be there when I get home tonight. I've got the Gloria Coleman & Yusef Lateef Impulses and SWH + GW on tap. I have the McLean Mosaic, but the RVG of RIGHT NOW sounds mighty tempting. Quote
mgraham333 Posted March 11, 2004 Author Report Posted March 11, 2004 useless trivia: Goin' West and Ready For Freedie were recorded on the same day. Quote
Swinging Swede Posted March 13, 2004 Report Posted March 13, 2004 Ready for Freddie was recorded on August 21, 1961, and Goin’ West on November 30, 1962. If the RVGs say otherwise, it’s Blue Note Quality Control at work again. The same thing happened with the RVGs of Midnight Blue and The Real McCoy, which got the same 1967 recording date, although the former was recorded over 4 years earlier. Quote
sjarrell Posted March 13, 2004 Report Posted March 13, 2004 I have the McLean Mosaic, but the RVG of RIGHT NOW sounds mighty tempting. I have the McLean McMaster but no RVG yet. Anyone compared? Quote
BFrank Posted March 13, 2004 Report Posted March 13, 2004 Anyone compare the sound of "Free Form" to the earlier CD release? Is it worth getting the "upgrade"? They both have the same tunes, BTW. Quote
mgraham333 Posted March 13, 2004 Author Report Posted March 13, 2004 Ready for Freddie was recorded on August 21, 1961, and Goin’ West on November 30, 1962. If the RVGs say otherwise, it’s Blue Note Quality Control at work again. ok, so we've had our glitch for this batch...not too bad... Quote
Morganized Posted March 13, 2004 Report Posted March 13, 2004 Anyone compare the sound of "Free Form" to the earlier CD release? Is it worth getting the "upgrade"? They both have the same tunes, BTW. I have the McLean McMaster but no RVG yet. Anyone compared? OK Guys(m/f), Enquiring minds want to know. What is the scoop? Has the RVG really improved the sound or is the recording level just set higher? Quote
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