Waldron/Peacock and Frank Foster Catalyst albums reissued on CD

[felser]

The label is Good Time, and their past CD reissues I've picked up have been absolutely bare bones, no liner notes but sound has been OK.  And some of it, like the Tootie Heath Kawaida album  and the Bunker/Burton Live at Shelley's Manne-Hole Vol. 2, is great stuff.  Frank Foster - Here and Now is a pretty good 70's album.  Mal Waldron/Gary Peacock - First Encounter is one of the best albums I've ever heard, my favorite Waldron album.  Prices are all over the place on different sites.  The Foster is $9.20 on DeepDiscount, $13.98 on Amazon, etc.  DustyGroove does not show them.

[T.D.]

Whoa. Thanks for the tip on the Waldron. Anything he or Gary Peacock recorded in Japan is practically an automatic "buy".

The Deep Discount listing says "Manufactured on Demand", so I suspect CD-R. Will have to research. That's not necessarily a DQ for me, but I won't pay too much for CD-R.

Edited March 14 by T.D.

[JSngry]

DQ?

[T.D.]

DQ = disqualify or disqualifier

But a CD-R from an Andorran label I'd pass on.

[JSngry]

Ah, well maybe save your money for a Blizzard then, because that album was originally recorded and released by JVC (Japanese Victor).

Catalyst was an interesting label. Pat Britt was the founder and he had previously worked with VeeJay Internation of Japan. My guess is that the Japanese masters on Catalyst came through that connection. Although the involvement of Springboard makes anything possible...

Pat Britt seems to be somebody with a story: https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/14499-pat-britt-albums#:~:text=Patt Britt was born January,scene until%2C at age 16.

[T.D.]

Damn, the plot thickens. I've seen (and even bought) buttloads of legit Japanese reissues of Japanese Victors.

Something "interesting" indeed must have been going on. 😁

[JSngry]

It's on YouTube. And Discogs shows no CD issue of it yet.

This is the kind of thing I don't mind getting, but do mind paying for if you know what I mean. Likely to be a needle drop no matter what.

The Foster thing, I have no idea about. Good lineup and produced by Billy Mitchell!

[mjzee]

3 hours ago, felser said:

Bunker/Burton Live at Shelley's Manne-Hole Vol. 2

What is volume 2?  I only know of one volume.

[T.D.]

Japanese Interplay LP

https://www.discogs.com/release/14593271-Larry-Bunker-Quartette-Featuring-Gary-Burton-Live-At-Shellys-Manne-Hole-Vol2

3 hours ago, felser said:

The label is Good Time, and their past CD reissues I've picked up have been absolutely bare bones, no liner notes but sound has been OK.  And some of it, like the Tootie Heath Kawaida album  and the Bunker/Burton Live at Shelley's Manne-Hole Vol. 2, is great stuff.  Frank Foster - Here and Now is a pretty good 70's album.  Mal Waldron/Gary Peacock - First Encounter is one of the best albums I've ever heard, my favorite Waldron album.  Prices are all over the place on different sites.  The Foster is $9.20 on DeepDiscount, $13.98 on Amazon, etc.  DustyGroove does not show them.

DG has the Waldron/Peacock on LP: https://www.dustygroove.com/item/173264/Mal-Waldron-Gary-Peacock:First-Encounter

[felser]

IIRC on the Foster (haven't heard it in decades), the whole was pleasant but well less than the sum of the parts, like some of those 70's Mainstream albums which had such amazing personnel. It's cheap enough that I'll pick it up.  And the Waldron/Peacock is a must buy for me even if it is a needle drop.

 

Edited March 15 by felser

[felser]

Received and listened to the Foster and the Waldron/Peacock.  Surprisingly, both have liner notes, artwork, etc.  Shockingly, the sound quality on the Waldron is spectacular, sounds like low-generation master tapes to me.   Waldron sounds great, and Peacock is spectacular.  Given that the Strata-East reissues coming on Mack Avenue have been out on CD before, this Waldron set is my early favorite for jazz reissue of the year.  If you like Mal or Peacock (IMO, this is his finest moment), you'll love this.  Quite a wonderful surprise.  The Foster sounds like a (clean) needle drop to me, and the music is hit or miss (soulful female vocals on the first cut, but the time they get to the last cut, Foster, Mabern & Co. are burning.  31 minute runtime).

Edited Tuesday at 12:46 AM by felser

[T.D.]

John, is your Waldron/Peacock a CD?

The Deep Discount listing says "manufactured on demand", which suggests CD-R and scared me off.

[felser]

12 minutes ago, T.D. said:

John, is your Waldron/Peacock a CD?

The Deep Discount listing says "manufactured on demand", which suggests CD-R and scared me off.

Looks to be a CD-R (greenish tint), but sounds great (granted, I don't have pricey equipment, but I do my listening on Sennheiser headphones).  Just glad to have it for what it is, and it was not expensive.

[T.D.]

Thanks. I don't mind CD-R if the price is right. Not concerned with audio quality (I doubt it differs much from CDs, and if so I likely couldn't perceive it). But in my experience CD-Rs have a nonzero probability (noticeably greater than CDs) of eventually failing to play.

[felser]

4 minutes ago, T.D. said:

Thanks. I don't mind CD-R if the price is right. Not concerned with audio quality (I doubt it differs much from CDs, and if so I likely couldn't perceive it). But in my experience CD-Rs have a nonzero probability (noticeably greater than CDs) of eventually failing to play.

Yes, agreed on eventual issues (also on sound quality basic equivalence), but I doubt my descendants are going to much care about Mal Waldron albums (wish they would).  I have several Euro reissue sets which are CD-R, and so far, so good,, plus the price was right. 

[Pim]

Could not comment on the quality of the reissue but only affirm Felsers statements about First Encounter. Essential and unmissable for every fan of both Waldron and Peacock. 

[clifford_thornton]

yeah, I've had the Japanese pressing of First Encounter for many years and it is indeed excellent. The Foster I'm unfamiliar with.