Feten: Rare Jazz Recordings from Spain 1961-1974

[Rooster_Ties]

I picked up a brand new, sealed copy of this remarkable 75-minute various-artists CD from Dusty Groove recently, for only $5.99 (and if they get any more in stock, that'll likely be the price again -- right now it says "temporarily out of stock" on their site, so they'll probably get more).  Probably the best on-line description of the the thing is here (and you can sample every track at this first link too).  Very little on this CD has ever been on CD before.

https://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/va-feten-rare-jazz-recordings-from-spain-1961-1974-cd/VAMPI.146CD.html

There is also a 20-minute "promo-mix" (from Javi Bayo, the compiler) with highlights from most of the CD here:  https://www.mixcloud.com/javibayo/feten-rare-jazz-recordings-from-spain-promo-mix/

The Dusty Groove verbiage really doesn't do the release justice, but here 'tis anyway:  https://www.dustygroove.com/item/634774

1. Catalònia Jazz Quartet - "El Cant Dels Ocells" (1966) - 3:24
2. Dusko Goykovich - "Bosna Calling" (1971) - 6:07
3. Modern Jazz Sextet - "Israel" (1974) - 8:05
4. Elia Fleta, Jazztet de Madrid - "Rememberance To Madrid" (1966) - 2:37
5. Tino Contreras - "Marcha De Los Dioses" (1965) - 3:09
6. Mantequilla y Su Conjunto - "Jamboree" (1961) - 3:42
7. Lou Bennett - "Movimiento" (1968) - 6:31
8. Juan Carlos Calderón - "Psique" (1968) - 3:27
9. Jazz Group - "Tema Per Alicia" (1974) - 3:24
10. Nits de Jazz al Jamboree - "Asteriscs" (1968) - 4:13
11. Juan Carlos Calderón - "Sambando" (1968) - 6:25
12. Nits de Jazz al Jamboree - "Solar" (1968, previously unreleased) - 3:02
13. Vlady Bas - "Laberinto - 2ª Parte" (1973) -19:07

Edited December 1, 2021 by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

I especially wanted to highlight the very last track, which is 20 minutes long -- fully half of the album from which it came.  And in this case, the half included here is (imho) much better than the other side not included (in other words, I'm NOT too disappointed not to have the entire thing on CD).

The other half of the album (the one NOT on this various-artists CD) is much, much more 'free' -- perhaps like disc 2 of Chick Corea's "Complete 'IS' Sessions" (the first comparison I can think of).  It's 'good' too, but not something I'd listen to as often.

Anyway, give this a spin and see what you think.  I'll see if I can find some other tracks from the CD and post them down below as separate posts as this topic develops.

Here are the particulars of this track:

• Music Director, Alto Saxophone, Written-By – Vlady Bas
• Piano – Juan Carlos Calderón
• Contrabass – David Thomas
• Drums – Pepe Nieto
• Released in 1973
• https://www.discogs.com/release/14917644-Vlady-Bas-Free-Jazz-Vlady-Bas-En-La-Universidad-

I think this track is really the bee's knees, and is the main reason I started this thread.

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Rooster_Ties

[clifford_thornton]

No Pedro Iturralde? Also, Tino Contreras is Mexican and most of his recordings were made in Mexico.

the Dusko inclusion is a little weird too, with "Bosnia Calling," but at least he was part of the scene in Barcelona at one point.

[Rooster_Ties]

Just now, clifford_thornton said:

...and most of his recordings were made in Mexico.

The liners admit that these are all recordings made in Spain, but not everyone represented is of Spanish blood.  For instance, Track 2 is by Dusko Goykovich (his band, put together in Germany) -- though the track does include Tete Montoliu on piano, and it was recorded in Barcelona.

[Rooster_Ties]

Quick bump to mention that I see this disc available at Dusty Groove again (and still really cheap).  Clocks in at like 79 minutes too, iirc.

https://www.dustygroove.com/item/634774

[EKE BBB]

On 30/11/2021 at 5:47 PM, clifford_thornton said:

the Dusko inclusion is a little weird too, with "Bosnia Calling," but at least he was part of the scene in Barcelona at one point.

Totally agreed on the fact that the Dusko Goykovich inclusion is a little weird. He was never part of the Barcelona scene as such, apart from recording two discs for Ensayo on November 8 and 9, 1971: 'It's About Blues Time' as a quintet with Tete Montoliu on piano and Ferdinand Povel on tenor sax (from which 'Bosna Calling' is extracted), and 'Ten To Two Blues' as a quartet without Povel (this latter disc was subsequently reissued on Enja as 'After Hours').

In fact it was Tete Montoliu who joined Dusko's quintet some months before, touring over Europe, and particularly Germany and Yugoslavia, during the Summer and Autumn of 1971.

On 30/11/2021 at 5:47 PM, clifford_thornton said:

No Pedro Iturralde?

As for Pedro Iturralde, he made his first appearance in Barcelona on April 1968 at the Jamboree, and played several gigs in the Ciudad Condal over the years, but certainly he was part of the Madrid jazz scene (Whisky and Bourbon jazz clubs, mainly), not Barcelona's.

[clifford_thornton]

aha! Madrid, good to know.

[Rooster_Ties]

On 11/30/2021 at 9:19 AM, Rooster_Ties said:

I think this track is really the bee's knees, and is the main reason I started this thread.

 

Again, for my money, this 20-minute track is worth the price of admission alone.  Anybody wanna spin it (from YouTube), and comment?  Half to 3/4ths of the rest of the disc is mighty fine too, but this is the biggest highlight imho.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Rooster_Ties

[EKE BBB]

1 hour ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Again, for my money, this 20-minute track is worth the price of admission alone.  Anybody wanna spin it (from YouTube), and comment?  Half to 3/4ths of the rest of the disc is mighty fine too, but this is the biggest highlight imho.

Paging @FerUrbina on Vlady Bas! 

[T.D.]

I got a scratched copy and had to reorder from DG.

Took a couple of listens to appreciate, but I like the disc very much. The Vlady Bas piece is nice indeed, but overstays its welcome a bit (slightly too long) IMO. The only track to which I'm kind of indifferent is Elia Fleta's vocal piece Remembrance to Madrid, but that's just me (don't listen to much vocals).

This CD and the Ruben Lopez Furst Jazz Argentino en la Universitad, also a $5.99 VampiSoul special from DG, are two of my top recent sleeper purchases.

Edited July 29, 2023 by T.D.

[Rooster_Ties]

Now only $2.00 a disc, brand new and sealed, from Dusty. This is a really tremendous comp, imho.

https://www.dustygroove.com/item/634774/Various:Feten-Rare-Jazz-Recordings-From-Spain-1961-to-1974

Carpe diem!!