Source of King Pleasure's "This is Always" on his last recording?

[ladenso1]

This is embarrassing. 

Yesterday I wrote that I had identified the sources of 8 of the 9 tracks on the album by King Pleasure originally issued as "Mr. Jazz."  Turns out that after the very helpful replies to my appeal for help on the source of "Mean to Me", I now have the sources of 8 of the 9 tracks.

I thought Moody's recording of "This is Always" was the source of Pleasure's version.   But that's clearly not the case.  Still looking.

[mikeweil]

The source for this version is by the James Moody Quintet, July 13, 1951 (Vogue LD036 , Roost 544) - at least that is what comments on th Prestige reissues say. But I just listened to the track on YouTube (which wrongly dates it in 1949) and understand your doubts. But there is no other Moody recording of that tune ....

The liner notes of recent CD reissues are very helpful in this respect, as they state the source tracks for most of the King P?leasure recordings, especially the Blue Note CD which includes the UA LP plus one unreleased track:

https://www.discogs.com/release/4578051-King-Pleasure-Moodys-Mood-For-Love

I am working on a King Pleasure discography, to be published online in a few months, stating all the source tracks.

Edited December 21, 2023 by mikeweil

[ladenso1]

Thanks,

I can't believe that Moody recording is the source.  I wonder how carefully the writer of the Blue Note reissue liner listened to the two versions.

Delighted to hear you're working on that discography.  Really look forward to its publication.  Let me throw out something for your consideration.  In what I believe is Pleasure's original composition, "Golden Days", in the bridge I think I hear him quoting from a part of Lester Young's solo on the immortal JATP recording of "Lady Be Good."

It's only around 20 seconds but compare  Pleasure from 2:55 to 3:07 on "Golden Days", to what Lester plays from 5:07 to 5:27 on the JATP "Lady Be Good."

Meanwhile, to my thinking the search continues for the source of Pleasure's "This is Always."

 

[mikeweil]

Thanks for the hint regardarding Golden Days, I will give it a listen. 

There is another King Pleasure original that may quote - I will post about it later.

[ladenso1]

Since starting this thread I learned about a recording of "This Is Always" by Lem Davis, Prestige 915, Oct. 16, 1951 that has never been reissued.  The rhythm section of Teacho Wiltshire, Leonard Gaskin, and Teddy Lee is the same rhythm section that did Pleasure's "Moody's Mood" four months later on Feb. 9, 1952.  Lem Davis is also on that recording.  

None of the members of that rhythm section or Lem Davis are on Pleasure's original recording of "This is Always", September 29, 1953.    However, Teacho Wiltshire was involved in Pleasure's 1962 remake of "This is Always" linked to above by mikeweil--(he copy of the 1953 recording on youtube from the 78 is very noisy; Pleasure's vocalese is the same on the 1962 remake).

Vincent Pelote of the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University-Newark, in a reply to my query, stated that the Institute does have a copy of Prestige 915.  Any member  (1) located close enough to Rutgers-Newark to make feasible a visit to the Institute, and (2) have sufficient interest in this to make the visit to listen to Lem Davis's "This is Always" to determine if it's the source of Pleasure's two recordings?

An appointment is necessary to visit the Institute:  https://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/newark/visit-study/institute-jazz-studies

It would be great if someone could check this out.

(Or maybe a member just happens to have a copy of Prestige 915).

[JSngry]

IN ECHO CHAMBER

[ladenso1]

I now have a digital copy of Lem Davis's recording of "This is Always."  Sorry to say it is not the source of Pleasure's version.  And I repeat that I can't believe that anyone that listens to the latter and also listens to Moody's recording will think that the Moody recording is Pleasure's source.  So...the mystery continues.