Favourite sequences of alternate takes

[Nate Dorward]

Currently, it'd be Lennie Tristano's determined assault on "Interlude"/"Night in Tunisia", which takes up almost half of the Keynote Sessions CD (6 takes!)--after all which, they ended up issuing the 1st take!

Any other favourites?

[Jim Dye]

The 3 takes of Bud Powell's Un Poco Loco. It's great to hear Max Roach change the rhythm until he finds the perfect groove for the final take.

[JazzJunkie]

Originally Posted by Jim Dye

The 3 takes of Bud Powell's Un Poco Loco. It's great to hear Max Roach change the rhythm until he finds the perfect groove for the final take.

On what recording? Like to check that out.

[Jim Dye]

The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1



The older CD version of this has a different sequence with the 3 takes together, one after the other. This RVG edition sounds much better though.

[stonemonkts]

I really dig the alternate takes of Masqualero and Hand Jive contained in the Miles - Columbia Studio Sessions box (1965-1968).

[moneyp]

I like all the takes of "Koko" and "Jack the Bear" on THE CHARLIE PARKER STORY.

Monk's Round Midnight workout on the solo disc. Not truly alt takes, but close enough in my book.

[JazzJunkie]

Originally Posted by Jim Dye

The older CD version of this has a different sequence with the 3 takes together, one after the other. This RVG edition sounds much better though.

Thanks Jim. I noticed that iTunes has three versions of "Un Poco Loco" from the "Autumn Broadcasts 1953" recordings, but no liner notes. Are the versions on that recording the ones on the Bluenote reissue? They also have the older BN, but I think it's only partial.

[Jason Bivins]

I love the four versions of "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" from the Sam Rivers Mosaix box. Jaki Byard, baby.

[Jim Dye]

Re: Bud Powell

No, those are live recordings from one of the ESP-Disk releases.

Originally Posted by Jason Bivins

I love the four versions of "Downstairs Blues Upstairs" from the Sam Rivers Mosaix box. Jaki Byard, baby.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........

Yeah, I should have thought of that one.

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah "Un Poco Loco" is great though that out-of-sync cowbell lick does get to me after three takes.... but I guess that fits the title! The two "Night in Tunisia" versions from the same session are fascinating too, not least because on the 1st take Powell totally loses his place in the tune (try following along & counting A & B sections)--but it's the better take nonetheless & was the one first issued!

I do like alt. take sequences that tell a story, rather than just meaninglessly beef up the playing time. For instance the alt. takes on the Art Pepper + 11 disc where you can hear him try different instruments out on particular tunes (there's one take for instance where he tries clarinet, rather than the alto sax of the released version). Or the "I Got Rhythm" sequence where Lester Young tries one version in minor.

[SilentKnowledge]

I prefer the second take of "Responsible" from The Peter Brotzmann Octet's Machine Gun.

[John L]

My favorite has to be "Bird of Paradise." Not only does Parker play brilliantly on all three takes, but you get to hear him compose the piece in a completely spontaneous manner. The first take is "All the Things You Are" with improvised solos. By the third take, a new jazz standard is born.

In general, the extent of Bird's true genius is perhaps most audible in sequences of takes of the same tune.

[John L]

Originally Posted by mone peterson

I like all the takes of "Koko" and "Jack the Bear" on THE CHARLIE PARKER STORY.

You mean THE DUKE ELLINGTON STORY. Right?

[moneyp]

Originally Posted by John L

You mean THE DUKE ELLINGTON STORY. Right?

Jesus, my mind must have been elsewhere.

The alternate takes on THE CHARLIE PARKER STORY are "Billie's Bounce" (five of 'em), "Now's the Time" (four), "Thriving on a Riff" (three) and "Koko" (two, the second of which is definitive, in my book).

Anyway, I think they're all great. Probably my favorite Parker listening experience, even if it does contain four songs played fourteen times.

Moné

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by JazzJunkie

Thanks Jim. I noticed that iTunes has three versions of "Un Poco Loco" from the "Autumn Broadcasts 1953" recordings, but no liner notes. Are the versions on that recording the ones on the Bluenote reissue? They also have the older BN, but I think it's only partial.

Bud is OK, but not at his best on most of that 1953 broadcast material.

[Nate Dorward]

(digress: Inner Fires on Elektra is from about the same time (same trio if I'm not mistaken)--it's pretty great music despite the so-so sound (which more or less buries Mingus). But it's got none of Powell's original material--it's bop standards mostly.)

[Scott Yanow]

I like the three takes of Charlie Parker playing "Parker's Mood." He actually can be heard laughing at the end of the first take when it breaks down.

And I love cornetist Wild Bill Davison's 3 or 4 versions of "Bugle Call Rag" from a Jazzology date in the mid-1950s. The band keeps on forgetting where to switch themes and Davison's screaming high notes show that he is disgusted by how it's all going. It's quite funny.

[Nate Dorward]

Yes "Parker's Mood" is great! I remember that someone once asked the engineer why he allowed Parker to keep making multiple takes even though the first one was perfectly acceptable: he just shrugged: "Who am I to argue with Charlie Parker?"

Perhaps one good question would be: what sequence of contemporary alt takes do people like? There are of course usually a lot added to resisues of old albums to boost the CD running time, but it's less common to get alt. takes of recent albums. Unless it's a CIMP or Philology release, that is.