Strata-East: The Legacy begins

[romualdo]

It looks like the previously unreleased bonus tracks (the Tolliver ones have actually been released on the Mosaic Select - Felser has alluded to this) will only be available as digital downloads & not included on the CD versions either - if you look at the Bandcamp SE site, particularly Stanley Cowell & Charles Tolliver - you can just distinguish the CD tracks on the images & they correspond with the LP version, plus the Tolliver CD release is only 1 disc.

https://strata-east.bandcamp.com/music

Edited February 23 by romualdo

[felser]

Nate Chinen has posted the Strata-East online seminar that took place a couple weeks ago, but for paid subscribers to his substack (I have a free subscription, so can't access it, though I saw the original):

https://open.substack.com/pub/thegig/p/video-strata-east-the-return?r=8r0zk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Edited February 24 by felser

[Late]

I'm excited for Capra Black to see a new reissue on compact disc—at least I assume we'll see a CD issue. The 1993 Bellaphon issue is alright, but a little tinny sounding. It's such a great album.

Here's a question—on my compact disc (of Capra Black), it states that the trumpet player is Jimmy Owens. On the Strata East Bandcamp page, it says that the trumpet player on Capra Black is Virgil Jones. Uh?

[felser]

1 hour ago, Late said:

I'm excited for Capra Black to see a new reissue on compact disc—at least I assume we'll see a CD issue. The 1993 Bellaphon issue is alright, but a little tinny sounding. It's such a great album.

Here's a question—on my compact disc (of Capra Black), it states that the trumpet player is Jimmy Owens. On the Strata East Bandcamp page, it says that the trumpet player on Capra Black is Virgil Jones. Uh?

Trumpet is Owens in everything I've ever seen/heard, including the original album cover.  Agreed that the Bellaphon CD doesn't sound great, and obviously I share your affection for the album 😀.   No note of a CD reissue yet in this series, but it would seem like an obvious candidate.  They must have secured the rights since they included the one track in the sampler. 'Capra Black' and Clifford Jordan's 'Glass Bead Games' would seem to me to be the two most obvious obvious titles to feature CD releases on.  The music merits it, and at least some level of demand for the product should be there.

Edited February 27 by felser

[Late]

4 hours ago, felser said:

Trumpet is Owens in everything I've ever seen/heard, including the original album cover.  ... 'Capra Black' and Clifford Jordan's 'Glass Bead Games' would seem to me to be the two most obvious obvious titles to feature CD releases on.  The music merits it, and at least some level of demand for the product should be there.

Good to know and much agreed. I listened to Capra Black just this afternoon. Yeah, the Bellaphon disc is really showing its age. I wonder why the Strata East Bandcamp page lists Virgil Jones though? Weird typo. All I can think is that Virgil Jones was in Harper's band when he made Black Saint.

At any rate, Kevin Gray is doing the digital transfers of the Strata East stuff for Mack Avenue. I'm hopeful a CD will eventually emerge. There's one (upcoming) of Izipho Zam. 

[felser]

7 hours ago, Late said:

There's one (upcoming) of Izipho Zam. 

Also CD's coming of Tolliver's Live at Slugs, Cowell's Musa, and Rouse's Two is One, all April 25.

[T.D.]

16 minutes ago, felser said:

Also CD's coming of Tolliver's Live at Slugs, Cowell's Musa, and Rouse's Two is One, all April 25.

Thanks. I have the Tolliver via Mosaic Select. No interest in Rouse.

I have a Charly CD of Cowell's Musa, and sound quality is not good. I almost never do sonic upgrades (the Black Lion abomination of Cowell's Brilliant Circles is the only case that comes to mind right now), but this is another candidate.

Edited February 27 by T.D.

[sidewinder]

On 2/19/2025 at 5:49 PM, Pim said:

The Tolliver I’ve got mostly on the Mosaic set which is great. I also have quite a lot them Pure Pleasures and I like them a lot. Jordan’s Glass Bead Games truly sounds amazing. So not interested in replacing any of them. I hoped they’d pick titles PP left on the vaults…

Apparently (or at least according to Hoffman Forums) the PP 'Glass Bead Games' was a needle drop. Haven't heard that version but can say that tge audio on the CJ Strata-East Mosaic is really excellent for this session.

[Pim]

36 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

Apparently (or at least according to Hoffman Forums) the PP 'Glass Bead Games' was a needle drop. Haven't heard that version but can say that tge audio on the CJ Strata-East Mosaic is really excellent for this session.

I think the fact that it’s a needle drop is what most people suspect but no one has full certainty I believe. I have the PP and sounds very, very good. It’s among my better sounding records 

[T.D.]

DG now shows Tolliver, Sanders, Rouse and Cowell CD/vinyl available for preorder, ETA 25 April. Sanders vinyl 12 April, part of RSD.

[tranemonk]

Is it me, or is this release deeply confusing? Is it a digital-only analogy that's going to be released eventually on single CDs? Also, how does this overlap with the Mosaic Select?

I've tried reading through the thread and I'm still confused.

[felser]

51 minutes ago, tranemonk said:

Is it me, or is this release deeply confusing? Is it a digital-only analogy that's going to be released eventually on single CDs? Also, how does this overlap with the Mosaic Select?

I've tried reading through the thread and I'm still confused.

It is deeply confusing - I've been following this very closely all along and still get confused. 

- I'd be surprised if the digital anthology was released on CD.  I believe it's meant as a sampler to get you to buy the individual releases.

- The Tolliver Mosaic Select #20 contains the Slug's material (including the digital only bonus cuts) being released by Mack Avenue here, and the Live in Tokyo album plus bonus cuts.  They are mistaken when they deem the Tolliver bonus cuts as previously unreleased.

- In addition to what we knew already (Sanders, Tolliver, Rouse, Cowell on Vinyi, CD, and Download), Bandcamp also shows Harper, Jordan - Glass Bead Games, Farrah - First Watch, McBee, Heath Bros. coming on digital download on April 25.  No idea of future physical releases for those or any other titles.  They may be holding back on planning to see how these sell?

https://bandcamp.com/search?q=strata-east&item_type=a

[T.D.]

Thanks for clearing up the Tolliver, John.

I just looked up the Mack Avenue bandcamp page and compared it to discogs. The Mosaic Select appeared to have all the titles, but the bandcamp page didn't give track timings so I couldn't be absolutely certain the "bonus cuts" were identical.

Agree that the situation is confusing.

[dougcrates]

Mack Avenue added 31 abums to streaming today including the following:

CHARLIE ROUSE - TWO IS ONE

CHARLES TOLLIVER’S MUSIC INC - LIVE AT SLUGS’, VOL. I & II

STANLEY COWELL - MUSA: ANCESTRAL STREAMS

PHAROAH SANDERS - IZIPHO ZAM (MY GIFTS)

THE PIANO CHOIR - HANDSCAPES 2

THE HEATH BROTHERS FEAT. STANLEY COWELL - MARCHIN' ON!

STANLEY COWELL - SUCH GREAT FRIENDS (FEAT. BILLY HARPER, REGGIE WORKMAN, BILLY HART)

CHARLES TOLLIVER - LIVE IN BERLIN AT THE QUASIMODO

CHARLES TOLLIVER - CHARLES TOLLIVER ALL STARS: RIGHT NOW…AND THEN

THE PIANO CHOIR - HANDSCAPES

THE NEW YORK BASS VIOLIN CHOIR - THE NEW YORK BASS VIOLIN CHOIR

THE DESCENDANTS OF MIKE AND PHOEBE - A SPIRIT SPEAKS

THE BRASS COMPANY - COLORS

STANLEY COWELL - REGENERATION

SHAMEK FARRAH & SONELIUS SMITH - THE WORLD OF THE CHILDREN

SHAMEK FARRAH - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

JOHN HICKS - STEADFAST

JOHN HICKS - HELLS BELLS

JOHN GORDON - STEP BY STEP

HAROLD VICK - DON'T LOOK BACK

CLIFFORD JORDAN - GLASS BEAD GAMES

CHARLES TOLLIVER & STANLEY COWELL - MUSIC INC.

CHARLES TOLLIVER - LIVE IN TOKYO

CHARLES TOLLIVER - LIVE AT THE LOOSDRECHT JAZZ FESTIVAL

 CHARLES TOLLIVER - IMPACT

CHARLES TOLLIVER - COMPASSION

CHARLES BRACKEEN - RHYTHM X

CECIL PAYNE - ZODIAC

CECIL MCBEE - MUTIMA

BILLY PARKER'S FOURTH WORLD - FREEDOM OF SPEECH

BILLY HARPER - CAPRA BLACK

[Dub Modal]

Wow - so if I understand correctly these albums weren't streaming at all before this?

[felser]

I'll look to pick some of these over time, but will wait to see if more CD reissues are forthcoming.  Have to think that Capra Black and Glass Bead Games at least would be likely CD candidates.  I have almost all of these in some form, but definitely would welcome better fidelity on several.  And please, get the rights to reissue Reasons in Tonality and Alkebu-Lan!