ghost of miles Posted December 10, 2021 Report Posted December 10, 2021 (edited) I've listened to about 3/4 of this Jazz Night In America episode and it's quite good--interviews with Charles Tolliver, Billy Harper, Cecil McBee, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Greg Tate, plus some Strata-East recordings I hadn't heard before. I've had a Night Lights Strata East show on the drawing board for years, but this one is more wide-reaching than anything I would've been able to put together: Strata-East At 50: How A Revolutionary Record Label Put Control In Artists' Hands Edited December 12, 2021 by ghost of miles Quote
JSngry Posted December 11, 2021 Report Posted December 11, 2021 It's a fair question to ask how much control the artists had once the label went out of business. Some got their masters back, some didn't, and so it goes. And maybe some of the various reissues have been legit. As far as what got recorded, though, yes, a milestone, and cause for a true and deep celebration. All things considered, a major, if not long-lasting, milestone. Quote
felser Posted December 11, 2021 Report Posted December 11, 2021 Agreed with props for the first few years of their existence. They did what were, to me, some pretty marginal releases toward the end of the 70's (though some good ones also). But some of the early releases are just magnificent, even beyond the Tolliver's and "Capra Black". Quote
JSngry Posted December 12, 2021 Report Posted December 12, 2021 1972-74 were the label's years of most activity. Then, as I understand, a combination of various business factors brought a to a decelerating halt. But it was great while it lasted. Quote
GA Russell Posted December 12, 2021 Report Posted December 12, 2021 I saw them in the stores, but never heard one. I remember picking up a political black-power vibe, maybe from the liner notes or maybe from the cover art. Was this my imagination, or was there something to that? Quote
felser Posted December 12, 2021 Report Posted December 12, 2021 On 12/12/2021 at 1:00 AM, GA Russell said: I saw them in the stores, but never heard one. I remember picking up a political black-power vibe, maybe from the liner notes or maybe from the cover art. Was this my imagination, or was there something to that? Expand It was there for some titles: Billy Harper - Capra Black (though that was a very spiritual as opposed to political foundation), Gil Scott-Heron - Winter In America, Mtume - Alkebu-Lan, the two albums by Juju all come immediately to mind. It was not there for other titles such as the Charles Tolliver's, the Clifford Jordan's, Shirley Scott, Harold Vick etc. Again, in many cases, the vibe was more spiritual than political (Descendants of Mike and Phoebe is another example of that). Quote
felser Posted December 12, 2021 Report Posted December 12, 2021 Felser's list of Strata East albums most in need of initial CD issue (many others are in need of newer/better CD reissue): SES 1972-2 Jazz Contemporaries Reasons in Tonality SES 1972-4 Mtume Umoja Ensemble Alkebu-Lan: Land of the Blacks SES 7410 The Cosmic Twins The Waterbearers John Lewis, Ron Burton SES 7416 Keno Duke/Contemporaries Sense of Values SES 7425 Charles Davis Ingia! SES 7431 Harold Vick Don't Look Back SES 19752 The Brass Company Colors SES 19780 John Gordon Erotica Suite Quote
romualdo Posted December 13, 2021 Report Posted December 13, 2021 On 12/10/2021 at 11:15 PM, ghost of miles said: I've listened to about 3/4 of this Jazz Night In America episode and it's quite good--interviews with Charles Tolliver, Billy Harper, Cecil McBee, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Greg Tate, plus some Strata-East recordings I hadn't heard before. I've had a Night Lights Strata East show on the drawing board for years, but this one is more wide-reaching than anything I would've been able to put together: Strata-East At 50: How A Revolutionary Record Label Put Control In Artists' Hands Expand Cheers, just listened - hadn't previously heard the Billy Parker/Dee Dee Bridgewater track very familiar with the Tolliver, Harper, Cowell, Jordan material Quote
riverrat Posted January 24, 2022 Report Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) I searched "Strata East" here and pulled up this thread, after looking at the list of Strata East vinyl reissues being put out by Pure Pleasure in the UK. I have 3 Charles Tolliver titles in this series and am interested in exploring more. Felser's list above is helpful; a few of them are among those being reissued by PP. Anyone here into vinyl should check this series out. They are very nicely done. Edited January 24, 2022 by riverrat Quote
felser Posted January 24, 2022 Report Posted January 24, 2022 On 1/24/2022 at 6:37 AM, riverrat said: I searched "Strata East" here and pulled up this thread, after looking at the list of Strata East vinyl reissues being put out by Pure Pleasure in the UK. I have 3 Charles Tolliver titles in this series and am interested in exploring more. Felser's list above is helpful; a few of them are among those being reissued by PP. Anyone here into vinyl should check this series out. They are very nicely done. Expand Go immediately to get Billy Harper's 'Capra Black' (but then of course, I would recommend that, given my avatar) and to the Clifford Jordan 'Glass Bead Games'. Also, the mandatory Tolliver's are the two LIve at Slug's volumes, the Live at Loosdrecht, and the two Music Inc. big band volumes (1971 and 19757). But there are a lot of wonderful albums on that link. Quote
HutchFan Posted January 24, 2022 Report Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) Totally agree with felser's call on Capra Black, Glass Bead Games, and the Tollivers. I would also put Harold Vick's Don't Look Back in that same "essential" category. (I'd also add Shirley Scott's One for Me -- but that's been reissued by ARC, not Pure Pleasure.) Edited January 24, 2022 by HutchFan Quote
felser Posted January 24, 2022 Report Posted January 24, 2022 On 1/24/2022 at 4:10 PM, HutchFan said: I would also put Harold Vick's Don't Look Back in that same "essential" category. (I'd also add Shirley Scott's One for Me -- but that's been reissued by ARC, not Pure Pleasure.) Expand And that one desperately needs a CD release! Quote
sidewinder Posted January 24, 2022 Report Posted January 24, 2022 Pure Pleasure have been doing a stellar job with those vinyl Strata-East reissues. I’ve just got hold of the Tolliver Slug’s and ‘Loosdrecht’. Quote
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