Top reissues of 2003

Nate Dorward · June-17th-2003, 03:55 AM

I ask for a somewhat practical reason: I don't get terribly many review copies of reissues, as opposed to brand new discs, & rarely make it down to the Yonge St recordshops to peruse the bins, so would always like news of these things.

I imagine the Atavistic UMS & the Blue Note RVG series will account for a fair number of mentions here, as well as the spate of Hat Art reissues. & Nessa's reissue of Roscoe Mitchell's Snurdy McGurdy too.

Tanager · June-17th-2003, 07:55 AM

Lemme put in a plug for the Miles Davis Blackhawk disks in this category. Certainly my pick thus far.

michaelr · June-17th-2003, 08:24 AM

Certainly worth adding to the list is the reissue of the Social and Science Set on Metalanguage w/ Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, Henry Kaiser, Toshinori Kondo, Greg Goodman, and Rova. Recorded live and in studio in 1980, I am pretty sure that this documents Parker and Bailey's first gigs in the U.S.

bostontricky · June-17th-2003, 08:35 AM

Pakistani Pomade, baby.

walto · June-17th-2003, 06:30 PM

I gots the LPs of Snurdy and Social Science so it's hard for me to get tooooo excited about these.

michaelr · June-17th-2003, 09:48 PM

Yes. I've got "Snurdy McGurdy" and "Social and Science Set" as well. (For that matter, I've got Pakastani Pommade".) It is just great to see these back in circulation.

Also to add to the list would have to be the Tony Oxley/Allan Davie on AII.

lazarus · August-21st-2003, 01:52 AM

Archie Shepp - Attica Blues

Nate Dorward · August-22nd-2003, 12:43 PM

Hm, fitting that this two-month-old thread should be revived by a Lazarus... Any other nominations of reissues, while we're at it?

al j · August-22nd-2003, 12:45 PM

Another Archie Shepp: I KNOW ABOUT THE LIFE, a Sackville recording reissued by Hat. Beautiful playing by Shepp, but especially John Betsch.

Tanager · August-22nd-2003, 01:01 PM

What about all the Owl recordings that were reissued this year? A slew of stuff, most of which I haven't yet heard, but all of which I'd like to.

Alastair · August-22nd-2003, 01:48 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lazarus
[B]Archie Shepp - Attica Blues

I particularly dig the track sung by the nine year old girl. What's the story behind that?

Tanager · August-22nd-2003, 01:55 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Alastair
[B]

Quote:

Originally posted by lazarus
Archie Shepp - Attica Blues

I particularly dig the track sung by the nine year old girl. What's the story behind that?

I have this CD, but I don't have it handy, so I can't check out the liner notes - but AMG claims it's actually a boy, the son of Cal Massey, who played Fluegelhorn (and apparently did some arranging) on the album. I still have no idea why he/she was chosen for that particular role, however.

Derek Taylor · August-22nd-2003, 01:56 PM

Here are a few that lead the 03' pack for me:

Sonny Simmons – BURNING SPIRITS (Contemporary) [long overdue]

Bill Smith Quartet – FOLK JAZZ (Contemporary) [a pleasant surprise & beautiful playing by Jim Hall]

Jimmy Giuffre 3 – THE EASY WAY (Verve) [where's the rest of his Verve output?]

Alexander von Schlippenbach – PAKISTANI POMADE (UMS/Atavistic) [20+ minutes of extra music]

Stuff Smith – TIME AND AGAIN (Proper) [economical & convenient place to nab a sizeable chunk of his early work]

Bobby Timmons – THE PRESTIGE TRIO SESSIONS (Prestige) [moreso for the bass work of Sam Jones & Keter Betts]

Art Blakey - INDESTRUCTIBLE! (Blue Note) [sound significantly improved w/ remaster]

And I'm with Al on the Shepp Hat/Sackville reissue- very nice.

Captain Hate · August-22nd-2003, 06:50 PM

Does The Living Music by Von Schlipp qualify for this year? Of course it does, cause I said so!!!

Tanager · August-22nd-2003, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David Gitin
Enjoying the alts/extras on SOLO MONK, released 2003.

I was glad to see Legacy reissues of this as well as Criss Cross and Underground. I haven't bought any of the reissues yet, but I can't believe it took them this long to get around to these.

Here's wishing they'd go back and reissue the Arthur Blythe and Woody Shaw (other than Rosewood) Columbias...

Chuck Nessa · August-22nd-2003, 09:49 PM

For me, the two Shepp reissues are a joke, and detract from his real achievements. I dumped both on vinyl, tried them again on cd and wondered why.

shrugs · August-22nd-2003, 10:09 PM

I have no idea why Hat reissued I Know About The Life. Sackville GAVE it away for free when you subscribed to their reissue series of the avant recordings. Sucked all the way around.

walto · August-22nd-2003, 10:45 PM

I don't know if it's possible for anybody to get through all of it, but Leo has recently been putting out an almost endless supply of old Ganelin, Ra, and Braxton recordings. I guess this is a good thing, generally, but those guys have all made an awful lot of tapes (of varying quality) over the last 30 or 35 years.

shrugs · August-22nd-2003, 10:59 PM

yeah but Brax has gold mines already. Hell, most haven't heard the Arista lp's.

New York, Fall 1974!!!!!

Derek Taylor · August-23rd-2003, 01:49 AM

Man, I think some of y’all are being too hard on the Shepps. ATTICA BLUES is admittedly a different bag (took me a few listens to settle into what he was trying to say), but I KNOW ABOUT THE LIFE is a nice date IMHO, not earth-shattering by any means, but an enjoyable listen just the same & Shepp serves up some interesting solos & John Betsch sounds great.

lazarus · August-23rd-2003, 03:29 AM

Attica Blues have been a favorite of mine for many years. Wonderful compositions, arangements and I like the vocals very much. A great album from start to finish! A classic!

I am a bit surprised that people like Chuck Nessa have so negative opinions about it.
To call the album a joke sounds in itself like a very bad joke!

I have never heard the sackville-album.

I agree about Schlippenbach´s" Pakistani Pomade" and Giuffre´s "The Easy Way". Great music!
I also want ad Gary Bartz Ntu Troop´s wonderful "I´ve Known Rivers and Other Bodies".

shrugs · August-24th-2003, 09:30 PM

laz, the Sackville date is just another jazz quartet. hat needs to be ressiung some of the real deal stuff in the vaults and lay off this inferior schlock. Hell, it's already been on cd!! so much on the Hat label hasn't.

Derek Taylor · August-25th-2003, 09:32 AM

Shrugs, let’s petition Werner & see if we can get you on the Hat Release & Circulation Board to ensure that no more ‘schlock’ makes it down the pipeline.

Lazarus, I had forgotten about that Bartz- great concert double album!

Dan G · August-25th-2003, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by walto
I don't know if it's possible for anybody to get through all of it, but Leo has recently been putting out an almost endless supply of old Ganelin, Ra, and Braxton recordings. I guess this is a good thing, generally, but those guys have all made an awful lot of tapes (of varying quality) over the last 30 or 35 years.

And even more this month, according to the newest press release. But they aren't all reissues - there's a Braxton solo from 1979 that is previously unavailable, and I don't think the Sun Ra solo has been available either.

The 4th volume of Soviet New Jazz is also out, with an all-Ganelin Trio (and offshoots) lineup. But it doesn't say how much of the material is previously issued. There are Ganelin/Tarasov and Ganelin/Cheksain duos - has anyone got this set yet and can tell me if this is the same material from the Ganelin Duos (2+2=3) LP? THe release also mentions a Chekasin quartet, which I'm guessing is the Anti-Show LP. Then there's one disc of the trio, with "two major works", most of which I though were already out. Any tips as to what they are?

shrugs · August-25th-2003, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Derek Taylor
Shrugs, let’s petition Werner & see if we can get you on the Hat Release & Circulation Board to ensure that no more ‘schlock’ makes it down the pipeline.

Not sure if that is sarcasm or not but you have to admit that the Shepp hardly deserves to be reissued on Hat when sessions such as Joe Mc Phee's Graphics or Steve Lacy's Ballets haven't seen cdification. Not to mention the OOP Gerry Hemingway titles or Braxton Willisau (1991).
I would really like to know the story of why they even reissued the Shepp.

Derek Taylor · August-25th-2003, 02:09 PM

Guilty as charged, sorry to come on with the sarcasm. I’m pretty sure I’d be pleased as punch with your selections if you were on such a committee. I’ve only heard some of the titles you mentioned, but rather than lament Werner’s decisions, I’m just happy the Hat release schedule keeps on chooglin’.

For instance, some folks rolled their eyes at the signing of Dave Liebman. But from what I’ve heard so far (LUNAR & BOOKENDS) it was a wise move.

shrugs · August-25th-2003, 07:19 PM

well, maybe this was seen as a $$ maker. who knows? The choice really baffles me.

Chuck Nessa · August-25th-2003, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lazarus
I am a bit surprised that people like Chuck Nessa have so negative opinions about it.
To call the album a joke sounds in itself like a very bad joke!

Can't speak for "people like" me but that's the way I feel. I hope you don't expect me, or anyone else to temper their posts to your tastes. I think Attica Blues is a sadly dated artifact of a bad time. I find it to be a bad mixture of politics and commercialism. I do not think it worked on either level and debased the "cause". I expect more from our best musicians.

Archie made some great records but this is not one of them.

lazarus · August-26th-2003, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Can't speak for "people like" me but that's the way I feel. I hope you don't expect me, or anyone else to temper their posts to your tastes. I think Attica Blues is a sadly dated artifact of a bad time. I find it to be a bad mixture of politics and commercialism. I do not think it worked on either level and debased the "cause". I expect more from our best musicians.

Sorry if you feel offended by the phrase "people like C.N.". I didn´t meant anything negative by that. I´m from Sweden and I´m not so very good in the english language.

Of course I don´t want other people to temper their posts to my tastes. Everybody can´t have the same tastes in music but it´s a big difference to saying that you don´t like an album and call it a joke. It sounds very exaggerated and disrespectful to me.

To my ears the music don´t sound dated or commercial at all but I can understand that the political message is not everybody´s taste.

Chuck Nessa · August-26th-2003, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lazarus
To my ears the music don´t sound dated or commercial at all but I can understand that the political message is not everybody´s taste.

The political message IS to my taste. That is part of the problem I have with this. The political/commercial aspirations of the recording fail for me. I wound up being embarrassed by the record as politics and as music. It is an interesting artifact from the era.

Your english if fine, don't be intimidated by that.