New World Records

[Guy Berger]

Hey all - the recent Julius Hemphill box set made me poke around at the New World Recordings catalogue and... it looks pretty intriguing!

I have two albums from the label, both under Muhal Richard Abrams's name (the big band album and the duets with Marty Ehrlich).

Any other treasures you'd recommend?

[Chuck Nessa]

You might enjoy this 4 disc anthology -

 

They have an interesting Bern Nix date and two absolutely amazing Cecil Taylors.

They have also reissued some great MJR records by Jay McShann, Roy Eldridge, Buddy Tate and bunches of great Earl Hines.

Edited February 20, 2021 by Chuck Nessa

[T.D.]

38 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

You might enjoy this 4 disc anthology -

 

 

Strange coincidence, I've recently been considering that set.

In the classical area (New World is big on modern American composers), I really enjoy the 3-CD series of Ben Johnston string quartets performed by Kepler Quartet.

[Face of the Bass]

The Cecil Taylor albums on New World Records, Cecil Taylor Unit and 3 Phasis, were absolutely instrumental in helping me fall in love with jazz when I first started listening back in 2003 and 2004. 

[JSngry]

[Chuck Nessa]

The Lake is Music & Arts.

1 hour ago, Face of the Bass said:

The Cecil Taylor albums on New World Records, Cecil Taylor Unit and 3 Phasis, were absolutely instrumental in helping me fall in love with jazz when I first started listening back in 2003 and 2004. 

When we recorded Roscoe Mitchell's "The Maze" in Columbia's 30th St Studio a couple of the engineers wanted to talk to me about the Cecil Taylor sessions that produced those records a few weeks earlier. The whole experience had impressed the crew and they wanted to talk.

[felser]

By far my favorite Ricky Ford album (the only one I have kept by him):

[Д.Д.]

I like this one quite a bit:

https://www.newworldrecords.org/products/aequalis-brody-davidovsky-gideon-steiger-ung 

[Chuck Nessa]

2 hours ago, T.D. said:

Strange coincidence, I've recently been considering that set.

In the classical area (New World is big on modern American composers), I really enjoy the 3-CD series of Ben Johnston string quartets performed by Kepler Quartet.

Yes, and they have the CRI recordings.

[T.D.]

Slightly OT, but has anyone heard any of the Butch Morris Testament collection of "conductions"? 

Originally a 10-disc box, now sold individually, definitely got my attention.

[JSngry]

Yes. Worthy.

[ejp626]

15 hours ago, felser said:

By far my favorite Ricky Ford album (the only one I have kept by him):

The LP cover (with Romare Bearden collage) is amazing.  The CD reissue cover is truly horrible.  Not even going to link to it.

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by ejp626

[JSngry]

Some might enjoy this:

https://www.newworldrecords.org/products/great-circle-saxophone-quartet-child-king-dictator-fool

[david weiss]

The Cecil Taylor Unit album on New World is probably my favorite Cecil Taylor album and very important to my early development. 

[JSngry]

Those Cecil albums, weren't they (and the label, originally) affiliated with the Smithsonian? Or was that just the archival collections?

If not, they should be now, they are national landmarks/treasures.

 

[Jason Bivins]

The Ehrlich dates are extremely good, as is Rothenberg's "Powerlines," Robert Dick's "Third Stone from the Sun," ROVA's "No Favorites," Varner's "The Window Up Above," and Malaby's "Paloma Recio." Really strong catalog, and that's just jazz stuff.

[sonnymax]

20 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Those Cecil albums, weren't they (and the label, originally) affiliated with the Smithsonian? Or was that just the archival collections?

If not, they should be now, they are national landmarks/treasures.

 

You are correct, sir. My brother was a librarian at the time of their initial release. I remember buying Ricky Ford's debut (mentioned above) and a few compilations. 

Edited February 20, 2021 by sonnymax

[mjzee]

IIRC, the compilations were only available to libraries.  I tried buying some of them but couldn't.  I think the situation persists today:

https://www.newworldrecords.org/collections/the-original-100-lps/products/nicos-dream-small-jazz-groups-of-the-50s-and-early-60s

Album/track(s) not available for download, but you may listen to clips below.

 

[JSngry]

I definitely saw the compilation LPs out in the wild and ended up with a few. Never(?) in stores, though, They had a limited distribution, I mean, the Smithsonian was not/is not a Retail conglomerate, but they do sell stuff (and put out a GREAT monthly magazine too!). Mail-order only, maybe? Hell, that was so long ago...

The annotation was always excellent, and very much appreciated.

Ah here we go, the Rockefeller Foundation got this up and running for the Bicentennial: https://nwr-site-archives.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/historical-docs-and-news/rockefeller%201976%20article.pdf

In sets of ten records, ten times between now and the fall of 1978, the anthology will be sent free of charge to all the country’s major music schools, music libraries, educational FM and public broadcasting stations, and to USIS centers throughout the world. The ‘recipients have been chosen because they will provide the widest possible access to those for whom the records will be significantly useful. Raeburn went on to explain that no one around New York was opposed to the further marketing of the set, or sections of it, through the big book and record clubs, and that sales at regular record stores are foreseeable too. But the young company has not moved decisively in that direction yet. “Each forty or fifty minute record is a coherent entertainment,” Raeburn said and then stopped to look slightly apprehensive about producing ‘entertainments.’ “But if the set is educational by definition, 90 percent of the people who should be listening closely to it will want to avoid it. So this is not going to be your Basic History of American Music.”

 

I think the Book-Of-The-Month Club offered them at one point?

Hell, that was so long ago...

But only 5 years to go until 2026, let's go 'round again with it!!!!!!!

[david weiss]

1 hour ago, mjzee said:

IIRC, the compilations were only available to libraries.  I tried buying some of them but couldn't.  I think the situation persists today:

https://www.newworldrecords.org/collections/the-original-100-lps/products/nicos-dream-small-jazz-groups-of-the-50s-and-early-60s

Album/track(s) not available for download, but you may listen to clips below.

 

I've seen them plenty of times in used records stores over the years...

[JSngry]

if the set is educational by definition, 90 percent of the people who should be listening closely to it will want to avoid it.

That's my ROTFLMFAO of the still-young decade!

[Joe]

Get this.

https://www.newworldrecords.org/products/music-from-the-once-festival-1961-1966-box-set

And this:

https://www.newworldrecords.org/collections/jazz/products/jerome-harris-hidden-in-plain-view

[mjazzg]

That Harris looks great, what a line-up to take on that music. Thanks for bringing it to my attention

[Jim Duckworth]

On 2/20/2021 at 0:57 PM, sonnymax said:

You are correct, sir. My brother was a librarian at the time of their initial release. I remember buying Ricky Ford's debut (mentioned above) and a few compilations. 

These very compilations were not only eye-opening, but easily available at my local library.  

 

[OliverM]

The Earl Hines and the Julius Eastman come to mind.

 

Edited February 25, 2021 by OliverM