Xanadu Master Edition Series - Elemental Music

[felser]

Kwanza was a Muse LP.

[HutchFan]

Kwanza was a Muse LP.

Several of the reissues in this "Xanadu Series" were originally released on Muse -- Kwanza, Brooklyn Brothers, Feelin's. 

The assumption is that Don Schlitten retained ownership of them after his departure from Muse & the dissolution of his partnership with Joe Fields.  That's why these records are being reissued on Schlitten's Xanadu imprint even tho' they were originally Muse LPs.

[bakeostrin]

I brought up the Kwanza/Oops b/c it appears that the latter version has two extra tracks.  Further, I wonder if those two extra trackswere CD only because I didn't in my (very brief) search come up with an "Oops" title on LP from Xanadu.  To the above post of previous Muse issues, add "Inimitable" by Teddy Edwards and "Love and Understanding" by Jimmy Heath (I know that was reissued on CD on the Xanadu label in the US).

I do not recall of the ones that made it to reissues on Xanadu ever having been issued on CD by Muse (at least in the US), I would appreciate additional information.

I am glad to see these reissues, but look forward most to seeing items not reissued previously, although these may be fresh reissues for many.

Edited September 16, 2015 by bakeostrin
additional pont

[felser]

I know that Jimmy Heath's "Love and Understanding" was listed as being released on Xanadu CD, but I never saw it, and would have snapped it up immediately.  Did anyone every actually see it on CD?  And for that matter, does anyone know where I can get a copy of the CD if it exists?  (the Andorran "bonus" version of it on the Gap Sealer CD is a very bad needle drop).

[Kyo]

Looks like the next batch are coming out on October 30th:

Teddy Edwards - Feelin's

Kenny Barron - At the Piano

Joe Farrell - Skateboard Park

I've heard the Farrell disc -- it's very good -- but not the other two.  I'm particularly looking forward to hearing the Teddy Edwards.

 

Really looking forward to the Farrell set, been trying to find an affordable CD copy of that one for years.

[JohnS]

I bought a number of Xanadu albums when they first came out.  There wasn't much straight ahead stuff being relased and they looked very attractive at the time.  I always felt that there was something missing from them and soon tired of them and I didn't keep any of them.  I'm sure I'd feel much the same way now.  The Gold series was another matter - some terrific stuff there.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I brought up the Kwanza/Oops b/c it appears that the latter version has two extra tracks.  Further, I wonder if those two extra trackswere CD only because I didn't in my (very brief) search come up with an "Oops" title on LP from Xanadu.  To the above post of previous Muse issues, add "Inimitable" by Teddy Edwards and "Love and Understanding" by Jimmy Heath (I know that was reissued on CD on the Xanadu label in the US).

I do not recall of the ones that made it to reissues on Xanadu ever having been issued on CD by Muse (at least in the US), I would appreciate additional information.

I am glad to see these reissues, but look forward most to seeing items not reissued previously, although these may be fresh reissues for many.

I have 'Inimitable Teddy Edwards' on Xanadu. I wasn't aware it had ever come out beforehand on Muse. It's not listed in the Muse release list I picked up from somewhere - Mike Fitzgerald it sez on the top of the page - on the web years ago. The only of Teddy's albums in that list are 'Feelin's' and 'Horn to horn' with Houston Person (Muse 5540, 1994). But the latter was a Houston Person production, of course.

MG

[sidewinder]

I bought a number of Xanadu albums when they first came out.  There wasn't much straight ahead stuff being relased and they looked very attractive at the time.  I always felt that there was something missing from them and soon tired of them and I didn't keep any of them.  I'm sure I'd feel much the same way now.  The Gold series was another matter - some terrific stuff there.

I picked a bundle of them up on LP some years ago John - and also some of those 'Gold' series releases - part of a nice old collection. When the Xanadus came out I recall it being a very lean time in general for straight jazz. Other than Jazz Journal doing reviews of them, they pretty much slipped under the radar.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I bought a number of Xanadu albums when they first came out.  There wasn't much straight ahead stuff being relased and they looked very attractive at the time.  I always felt that there was something missing from them and soon tired of them and I didn't keep any of them.  I'm sure I'd feel much the same way now.  The Gold series was another matter - some terrific stuff there.

I picked a bundle of them up on LP some years ago John - and also some of those 'Gold' series releases - part of a nice old collection. When the Xanadus came out I recall it being a very lean time in general for straight jazz. Other than Jazz Journal doing reviews of them, they pretty much slipped under the radar.

Mole Jazz had 'em, of course. I got several, but the only ones I kept were the Teddy Edwards and the first Ronnie Cuber. The rest were too much like jazz for me.

MG

[Ted O'Reilly]

 

From personal experience (in the late '70s) Rudy allowed smoking in the studio, but not in the control. I'm sure that changed later.

Rudy wore those brown jersey gloves when setting up and taking down mikes in the studio. I have a photo of him doing this.

Maybe the gloves were brown so the stain from the nicotine wouldn't show...   

[bakeostrin]

I brought up the Kwanza/Oops b/c it appears that the latter version has two extra tracks.  Further, I wonder if those two extra trackswere CD only because I didn't in my (very brief) search come up with an "Oops" title on LP from Xanadu.  To the above post of previous Muse issues, add "Inimitable" by Teddy Edwards and "Love and Understanding" by Jimmy Heath (I know that was reissued on CD on the Xanadu label in the US).

I do not recall of the ones that made it to reissues on Xanadu ever having been issued on CD by Muse (at least in the US), I would appreciate additional information.

I am glad to see these reissues, but look forward most to seeing items not reissued previously, although these may be fresh reissues for many.

I have 'Inimitable Teddy Edwards' on Xanadu. I wasn't aware it had ever come out beforehand on Muse. It's not listed in the Muse release list I picked up from somewhere - Mike Fitzgerald it sez on the top of the page - on the web years ago. The only of Teddy's albums in that list are 'Feelin's' and 'Horn to horn' with Houston Person (Muse 5540, 1994). But the latter was a Houston Person production, of course.

MG

I am wrong on that one, Xanadu only based on date (1976), after Xanadu started (1975 w/David Allyn album); appears on the French 2-fer, w/the Payne/Jordan date originally for Muse; my confusion and mistake.

I know that Jimmy Heath's "Love and Understanding" was listed as being released on Xanadu CD, but I never saw it, and would have snapped it up immediately.  Did anyone every actually see it on CD?  And for that matter, does anyone know where I can get a copy of the CD if it exists?  (the Andorran "bonus" version of it on the Gap Sealer CD is a very bad needle drop).

Came out in 1995 XCD 1231, US issue from Artistic Music Distribution Millburn NJ; has been offered for sale on this forum before, I picked up on Amazon or ebay.

I brought up the Kwanza/Oops b/c it appears that the latter version has two extra tracks.  Further, I wonder if those two extra trackswere CD only because I didn't in my (very brief) search come up with an "Oops" title on LP from Xanadu.  To the above post of previous Muse issues, add "Inimitable" by Teddy Edwards and "Love and Understanding" by Jimmy Heath (I know that was reissued on CD on the Xanadu label in the US).

I do not recall of the ones that made it to reissues on Xanadu ever having been issued on CD by Muse (at least in the US), I would appreciate additional information.

I am glad to see these reissues, but look forward most to seeing items not reissued previously, although these may be fresh reissues for many.

I have 'Inimitable Teddy Edwards' on Xanadu. I wasn't aware it had ever come out beforehand on Muse. It's not listed in the Muse release list I picked up from somewhere - Mike Fitzgerald it sez on the top of the page - on the web years ago. The only of Teddy's albums in that list are 'Feelin's' and 'Horn to horn' with Houston Person (Muse 5540, 1994). But the latter was a Houston Person production, of course.

MG

I am wrong on that one, Xanadu only based on date, after Xanadu started; appears on the French 2-fer, w/the Payne/Jordan date originally for Muse.  I am unaware of "Inimitable" ever appearing on CD previously, but then again, I'm unaware of a lot of things.

[sidewinder]

I bought a number of Xanadu albums when they first came out.  There wasn't much straight ahead stuff being relased and they looked very attractive at the time.  I always felt that there was something missing from them and soon tired of them and I didn't keep any of them.  I'm sure I'd feel much the same way now.  The Gold series was another matter - some terrific stuff there.

I picked a bundle of them up on LP some years ago John - and also some of those 'Gold' series releases - part of a nice old collection. When the Xanadus came out I recall it being a very lean time in general for straight jazz. Other than Jazz Journal doing reviews of them, they pretty much slipped under the radar.

Mole Jazz had 'em, of course. I got several, but the only ones I kept were the Teddy Edwards and the first Ronnie Cuber. The rest were too much like jazz for me.

MG

Yes - I remember seeing them in the racks at Mole. Not cheap either at the time I recall - £5 or £6 a shot.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I bought a number of Xanadu albums when they first came out.  There wasn't much straight ahead stuff being relased and they looked very attractive at the time.  I always felt that there was something missing from them and soon tired of them and I didn't keep any of them.  I'm sure I'd feel much the same way now.  The Gold series was another matter - some terrific stuff there.

I picked a bundle of them up on LP some years ago John - and also some of those 'Gold' series releases - part of a nice old collection. When the Xanadus came out I recall it being a very lean time in general for straight jazz. Other than Jazz Journal doing reviews of them, they pretty much slipped under the radar.

Mole Jazz had 'em, of course. I got several, but the only ones I kept were the Teddy Edwards and the first Ronnie Cuber. The rest were too much like jazz for me.

MG

Yes - I remember seeing them in the racks at Mole. Not cheap either at the time I recall - £5 or £6 a shot.

I don't recall the price but, at the time I bought them - Feb and Apr 1978 - I was not terribly well off. I see I got them by mail order from Mole Jazz, the Cuber in a batch of 6, the Edwards in a batch of 4. Seems unlikely I'd have been able to have afforded to have paid that much. But this WAS 2 years after issue, so maybe Mole was already trying to ditch stuff by then?

MG

[robertoart]

If any of the recordings were done by Richard Alderson (I think that's his name -- I've been trying to forget it) the piano will sound lousy.

Very much agreed. IMO, Alderson spoiled a  bunch of otherwise excellent Prestige albums. I've never understood why Schlitten employed him so often.

Maybe his studio time came cheap.

Bob Porter told me Don used Alderson because Rudy wouldn't let him smoke Mary Jane in his studio

 

That explains a lot...perhaps Alderson had Mary Jane tune the piano, place the microphones and do the e.q. for him.

A musician friend told me that (in the Englewood Cliffs studio) RvG banned smoking anything.  He remarked that Van Gelder wore white cotton gloves when touching any of the equipment...  Apocryphal, or  can anyone confirm that?

From personal experience (in the late '70s) Rudy allowed smoking in the studio, but not in the control. I'm sure that changed later.

Rudy wore those brown jersey gloves when setting up and taking down mikes in the studio. I have a photo of him doing this.

He must have allowed a lot more than smoking in the studio. Because Bob Cranshaw in recollections about recording sessions with Grant Green said the one thing he remembers is VanGelder freaking out that his piano was going to get burn marks. The implication being that the musicians were fitting up during the sessions.

[Chuck Nessa]

No he was worried about players leaving a cig on the piano.

[robertoart]

Didn't rvg have ashtrays?

[HutchFan]

The next set of Elemental's Xanadu reissues are due for release on December 11:

Ronnie Cuber - Cuber Libre

Dolo Coker - California Hard

Al Cohn/Dexter Gordon - True Blue/Silver Blue

I'm definitely getting the Cuber. Not sure about the others.

[AllenLowe]

I would be interested in the Coker if Pepper wasn't into his Fake-Trane thing. I don't remember, however, what he sounds like on this.

[felser]

I own or owned earlier reissues of the Coker and True Blue.  Neither is particularly memorable to me.

[Late]

8 hours ago, HutchFan said:

The next set of Elemental's Xanadu reissues are due for release on December 11:

Ronnie Cuber - Cuber Libre

Dolo Coker - California Hard

Al Cohn/Dexter Gordon - True Blue/Silver Blue

I'm definitely getting the Cuber. Not sure about the others.

The Cuber is an excellent hardbop session, the Coker will not be for everyone, and the Cohn/Dex I think is an above average jam session — it's also a Blue Mitchell/Sam Noto record. Barry Harris gets some fine blues playing in there too. But the main attraction of course is the tenors; both are in top form if not necessarily pushing their limits.

[John Tapscott]

On 11/14/2015 at 0:24 AM, Late said:

The Cuber is an excellent hardbop session, the Coker will not be for everyone, and the Cohn/Dex I think is an above average jam session — it's also a Blue Mitchell/Sam Noto record. Barry Harris gets some fine blues playing in there too. But the main attraction of course is the tenors; both are in top form if not necessarily pushing their limits.

Just checking out these new reissues, but can't find samples anywhere. Not yet on itunes or spotify.  Definitely have my eye on the Cohn/Dex set, but I'm curious about your comments on the Coker session. Why do you say it's not for everyone? 

Thanks

 

 

[T.D.]

10 hours ago, John Tapscott said:

Just checking out these new reissues, but can't find samples anywhere. Not yet on itunes or spotify.  Definitely have my eye on the Cohn/Dex set, but I'm curious about your comments on the Coker session. Why do you say it's not for everyone? 

Thanks

 

 

John, I've owned the Xanadu CDs of True Blue and California Hard for a long time. Agree with the above on True Blue, which I often play, but haven't heard Silver Blue.

My vague recollection of the Coker (which I seldom listen to) is that it's less inspired than the personnel leads one to expect, and the recorded piano sound is not pleasant (as if engineered by Richard Alderson, if that makes sense ). Will give it another spin when I get home from work.

[Added] I listened to California Hard again, and it's a loose hard-bop session, OK but still doesn't grab me. I'd go for the Cohn/LTD instead. BTW, I just noticed the Kenny Barron solo reissue (yeah, I should have read the above more carefully); that looks like a must-buy!

Edited December 23, 2015 by T.D.
addition

[mjzee]

I didn't love True Blue/Silver Blue, which I downloaded many years ago from eMusic.  I thought the jams were rather unfocused and went on too long, and there was little chemistry between Cohn and Dex.  YMMV, of course, but you may want to listen before you buy.

[Dan Gould]

8 minutes ago, mjzee said:

I didn't love True Blue/Silver Blue, which I downloaded many years ago from eMusic.  I thought the jams were rather unfocused and went on too long, and there was little chemistry between Cohn and Dex.  YMMV, of course, but you may want to listen before you buy.

Indeed, completely different opinion from me.  Both albums are great and I'm not sure what is meant by chemistry between Dex and Al. The contrast works perfectly, imho.  I'd probably give a slight nod to Silver Blue for "On The Trail" but I would never want to be without either one.

[StarThrower]

I stumbled onto the Coker CD at a local store, and decided to buy it. After the first spin, I'm not too enthused. It's an ok session, but nothing outstanding.