Tony Scott Avid Twofer

[romualdo]

Avid have just released a Tony Scott double containing the 3 LPs (has this already been mentioned?)

52nd St Scene

Tony Scott In HiFi

The Touch Of Tony Scott

I'm a bit wary of the Avid releases but still have picked up a few of them (Anita O'day, Johnny Hodges, Al Cohn/Zoot Sims, Milt Jackson)

Any comments on these recordings? (mid to late 50's RCA's & Corals)

Don't have much 50's Scott - there isn't much around - that's when I usually go for the Avids - tempted with this one

Wish Mosaic would have attempted a Select of his RCA material.

[J.A.W.]

I'm not sure if you're asking about the music or the sound quality, but Avid is a European public-domain label that has no access to original sources like mastertapes, so their releases are usually sourced from existing CDs and LPs etc. I've never heard the Scott albums you mentioned, so I can't comment on them.

Edited September 2, 2013 by J.A.W.

[JohnS]

52nd St Scene is worth a listen. Two basic groups, one a swing/mainstream group. The other a boppish lineup.

[romualdo]

I'm not sure if you're asking about the music or the sound quality, but Avid is a European public-domain label that has no access to original sources like mastertapes, so their releases are usually sourced from existing CDs and LPs etc. I've never heard the Scott albums you mentioned, so I can't comment on them.

was referring to the musical content rather than the SQ

[colinmce]

All things being what they are, these albums are rare and hard to find, so if you want to hear them, this is it, period.

[Head Man]

All things being what they are, these albums are rare and hard to find, so if you want to hear them, this is it, period.

...and at that price you can't really go wrong.

Thanks for the heads-up BTW, my order's in.

Edited September 2, 2013 by Head Man

[jazztrain]

The 52nd Street Scene album on Coral consists of material from three different groups (not two). It leaves off one tune that was not on the original album but which was included on a Coleman Hawkins cd on GRP. There's a nice version of "Love is Just Around the Corner" that features Scott and Pee Wee Russell. Glad to see this available.

Overall, this seems to be a frustrating mish mash of material. It has some but not all of the material that Scott recorded for Brunswick/Coral. For example:

• It's missing the three issued tunes from July 20, 1953.
• It has some of the material from the Jazz from GI's 10-inch (Dec. 22, 1953), but does not include:
  • It's You Or No One
  • Blues for Frankie and Ava (Parts 1 & 2)
• It's missing "Milt to the Hilt" from Aug. 27, 1953.
• It includes "Bob's Blob" from April 13, 1953 but does not include "Cupcake."
• It doesn't include "Homecoming" from Sept. 1, 1953.

On the other hand, it looks like it includes some live material from the Newport Jazz Festival from 1958 that I haven't seen issued before.

52nd St Scene is worth a listen. Two basic groups, one a swing/mainstream group. The other a boppish lineup.

Edited September 2, 2013 by jazztrain

[JohnS]

The 52nd Street Scene album on Coral consists of material from three different groups (not two). It leaves off one tune that was not on the original album but which was included on a Coleman Hawkins cd on GRP. There's a nice version of "Love is Just Around the Corner" that features Scott and Pee Wee Russell. Glad to see this available.

Overall, this seems to be a frustrating mish mash of material. It has some but not all of the material that Scott recorded for Brunswick/Coral. For example:

• It's missing the three issued tunes from July 20, 1953.
• It has some of the material from the Jazz from GI's 10-inch (Dec. 22, 1953), but does not include:
  • It's You Or No One
  • Blues for Frankie and Ava (Parts 1 & 2)
• It's missing "Milt to the Hilt" from Aug. 27, 1953.
• It includes "Bob's Blob" from April 13, 1953 but does not include "Cupcake."
• It doesn't include "Homecoming" from Sept. 1, 1953.

On the other hand, it looks like it includes some live material from the Newport Jazz Festival from 1958 that I haven't seen issued before.

52nd St Scene is worth a listen. Two basic groups, one a swing/mainstream group. The other a boppish lineup.

Just going from memory on the 52nd St album. There usually seems to be little reason behind Avid's Choices.

Edited September 2, 2013 by JohnS

[jazztrain]

Not bad from memory. I had to look it up!

I agree that it's difficult to discern the logic (if any) behind Avid's releases.

My main point is that it's a lost opportunity to comprehensively reissue Scott's Brunswick recordings, which, to be fair, were never issued in any logical manner to begin with. It's just that much more unlikely now for that to happen. Some of the tunes that were omitted, presumably because they weren't on the 12-inch issue of Tony Scott in Hi-Fi, are really good.

Just going from memory on the 52nd St album. There usually seems to be little reason behind Avid's Choices.

[Big Beat Steve]

My main point is that it's a lost opportunity to comprehensively reissue Scott's Brunswick recordings, which, to be fair, were never issued in any logical manner to begin with. It's just that much more unlikely now for that to happen. Some of the tunes that were omitted, presumably because they weren't on the 12-inch issue of Tony Scott in Hi-Fi, are really good.

Could this indeed be the reason why Avid omits certain tracks (as indicated above)? They stuck with the orignal LP programming?

I haven't checked the discographies in detail but the Goldmine Price Guide to Collectible Jazz Albums 1949-1969 states that Tony Scott In Hi-Fi is made up of two 10-inchers: Music After Midnight (BL-58040) and Tony Scott Quartet (BL-58056). (No mention that the third 10-incher, Jazz for GI's (BL-58057) is included too.) So this statement seems to be wrong and "Tony Scott in Hi-Fi" is a mixture of all three? At least it sems to include PART of "Jazz for GI's".

[king ubu]

To my best knowledge, Avid do their own LP tranfers, yes - and I guess sticking to LP contents is a rather logical consequence of that (sure, they could have hounded for the three ten-inchers as well, but then the 2CD set wold need to be called what? "2 LPs and 3 not-quite-but-still-LPs on 2CDs?" ).

I'd really wish for some good Tony Scott packages of all that material. There's not much more than a few Fresh Sound reissues (and those RCA thingies also from Spain and marketed by Fresh Sound/Blue Moon .... never quite understood if those are more legitimate than Fresh Sound or what).

[J.A.W.]

(and those RCA thingies also from Spain and marketed by Fresh Sound/Blue Moon .... never quite understood if those are more legitimate than Fresh Sound or what).

As far as I know Fresh Sound was an RCA licensee at one time, and those releases were (are?) legit. No idea what the current situation in Spain is, with Sony now owning RCA.

Edited September 2, 2013 by J.A.W.

[king ubu]

(and those RCA thingies also from Spain and marketed by Fresh Sound/Blue Moon .... never quite understood if those are more legitimate than Fresh Sound or what).

As far as I know Fresh Sound was an RCA licensee at one time, and those releases were (are?) legit. No idea what the current situation in Spain is, with Sony now owning RCA.

Okay, good - so Pujol did get some tapes there

[Chuck Nessa]

Thank "god" the artist is dead and there are few to complain.

[Chuck Nessa]

Really happy for that.I feel better.

[jazztrain]

I put a table together to sort out the Brunswick releases, but it doesn't paste correctly from Word, so I'll try something less elegant.

Katz Meow D F I K

After After Hours D F I K

I Never Knew D F I K

Away We Go D F I K

Cupcake C

Bob's Blob E G H

Milt to the Hilt B

Time to Go J

The Blues Have Got Me J

Homecoming B

I Cover The Waterfront A F I K

It's You Or No One A F I K

Blues for Ava Part 1 A I

Blues for Ava Part 2 A I

Yesterdays A F I K

Goodbye A F K

Swootie Patootie A F K

Sweet Lorraine A F K

A = BL58056 = Tony Scott Quartet (10”)

B = BL58057 = Jazz for GI’s Volume 1 (10”)

C = BL58058 = Hi-Fi Jazz Vol. 2 (10”)

D = BL58050 = Music After Midnight (10”)

E = BL54001 = Jazztime U.S.A. - Vol. 2 (12”)

F = BL54021 = Tony Scott In Hi-Fi (12”)

G = BL54027 = Concert Jazz

H = MCA2-4113 = Jazztime U.S.A. (12” double album)

I = MCA(J) VIM-5507 = Tony Scott Quartet (12”, Japanese)

J = Br 80237 (78 rpm)

K = Avid set

[sgcim]

I grew up with the TS in HIFI LP. One side was a live recording where they play their asses off, but the sound was bad.

Still, there's primo blowing by TS, Dick Katz, Milt Hinton and Osie Johnson.Katz plays a very swinging chorus on "Yesterdays" using as few notes as possible.

The other side was an excellent studio session, with Scott doing his Ben Webster thing on ballads ("Waterfront", "Goodbye")., and that 'liquid' sound he got on legato passages.

He and Katz were a perfect match. TS was at his peak back then. It was all downhill after that...