Basra is coming on Feb. 15!

bluenoter · February-11th-2005, 05:32 PM

The RVG edition of Basra is scheduled to be released on February 15, along with
a boatload of other CDs, including other RVGs and a couple of Mosaic Selects. After all this anticipation, the album had better be good!

Noj · February-11th-2005, 06:45 PM

I've wanted this one a long time, too. I enjoy Turkish Women At The Bath, so I'm betting Basra WILL be all it's cracked up to be!

John B · February-11th-2005, 09:35 PM

I tracked doen a copy of the JRVG a while back and Basra most definitely is that good. This is a fantastic session.

Ron Thorne · February-11th-2005, 09:41 PM

It's impossible to be hip to everything within a genre, and I wasn't hip to this recording, though dig all of the players. On sale for $8.39 at CD Universe, it's nearing no-brainer status.

Thanks, bluenoter!

Pete C · February-11th-2005, 10:43 PM

Did Rumsfeld write new liner notes?

bluenoter · February-11th-2005, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

Did Rumsfeld write new liner notes?

Yes! He wrote them on an overseas trip in April 2003. The last sentence reads, "When one looks back on this effort, I think and pray that what will be significant is that a large number of human beings, intelligent and energetic, have been liberated."

Ron--

Ron Thorne · February-11th-2005, 11:48 PM

I discovered some fascinating information concerning Pete LaRoca (Sims) on Drummerworld tonight. This is a very informative site, by the way.

Just missed him at the Jazz Workshop in Boston. Damn!

Pete La Roca Sims...

Pete La Roca's decision to leave music in 1968 and become an attorney (under his original name of Pete Sims) cut short a productive career. He started his career playing timbales in Latin bands, changing his name to Pete La Roca at the time.

He played drums with Sonny Rollins (1957-early 1959) and had associations with Jackie McLean, Slide Hampton, the John Coltrane Quartet (where he was the original drummer in 1960) and Marian McPartland.

La Roca led his own group (1961-62), was the house drummer at the Jazz Workshop in Boston (1963-64) and worked with Art Farmer (1964-65), Freddie Hubbard, Mose Allison, Charles Lloyd (1966), Paul Bley and Steve Kuhn among others.

He led two impressive albums: the classic Blue Note record Basra with Joe Henderson and Bliss, a Douglas session (reissued on Muse) featuring Chick Corea and John Gilmore.

La Roca started playing jazz again in 1979 and has performed on an occasional basis up to the present time.

Scott Yanow

bluenoter · February-12th-2005, 12:22 AM

Quote:

He led two impressive albums: the classic Blue Note record Basra with Joe Henderson and Bliss, a Douglas session (reissued on Muse) featuring Chick Corea and John Gilmore.

Bliss is the same album as Turkish Women at the Bath, which Noj mentioned. When issued as a Douglas session, it was called Turkish Women. Then came the Muse reissue, on which it was called Bliss. In its most recent reissue, on 32 Jazz, it was once again called Turkish Women. All this have I learned in the last few minutes--but not from AMG.

Ron Thorne · February-12th-2005, 12:57 AM

Leave it to our resident research guru to unearth details, details ...

Ok, now you've gone and done it, bn. I just placed an order which cost me about $25.00, thanks to this thread.

Basra will be shipped Tuesday, along with Legacy, the new Joey DeFrancesco/Jimmy Smith recording with special guest James Moody.

By the way, preorders are 30% off list at CD Universe.

bluenoter · February-12th-2005, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Leave it to our resident research guru to unearth details, details ...

Ok, now you've gone and done it, bn. I just placed an order which cost me about $25.00, thanks to this thread.

Basra will be shipped Tuesday, along with Legacy, the new Joey DeFrancesco/Jimmy Smith recording with special guest James Moody.

By the way, preorders are 30% off list at CD Universe.

Ron--

Da bottom line--maybe your bottom line, in the future--is that we'll probably never see a copy of Bliss for sale again, but one can still buy the identical album Turkish Women at the Bath (albeit maybe used and maybe at a premium price).

Wear your new purchases in good health! I plan to break down and buy Basra at a bricks-and-mortar store on the 15th, if I can find it anywhere on the 15th.

Steve Reynolds · February-12th-2005, 05:56 AM

Turkish Women is OK - bad sound - great band - some nice tunes

but Basra is one the great blue notes - and one of the great Joe Henderson appearances on record

bluenoter · February-12th-2005, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

Turkish Women is OK - bad sound - great band - some nice tunes

Do you think that the 32 Jazz CD also has bad sound?

Steve, so far I'm finding you to be batting 1.000. You said that Marion Brown's Porto Novo had bad sound. Yep, it sure does! In praising Steve Lacy's Revenue, you called it "sparkling." Yep!

Steve Reynolds · February-12th-2005, 07:29 AM

awful sound, Rita

havn't heard it in years - but that is one apsect of the CD I had that I do remember vividly

Kevin Bresnahan · February-12th-2005, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenoter

Do you think that the 32 Jazz CD also has bad sound?

Steve, so far I'm finding you to be batting 1.000. You said that Marion Brown's Porto Novo had bad sound. Yep, it sure does! In praising Steve Lacy's Revenue, you called it "sparkling." Yep!

Well, unless you like your music to sound like it was recorded in a toilet bowl, you would likely find the sound "odd" in the least and "bad" if you don't like the sound of music recorded in a toilet bowl.

FWIW, Ron, I have a copy of the 32Jazz reissue of "Turkish Women at the Bath" in my trade pile (because I fall into the camp of not liking the sound). Let me know if you're interested.

As for "Basra", my true hope is that Michael Cuscuna was able to pull off what I asked him to do: use the same digital that they used for the Japanese RVG version of this CD. This Japanese RVG CD is one of my reference recordings when I audition speakers. I absolutely love the ballad "Lazy Afternoon" and Van Gelder captured Joe Henderson's sound so perfectly it almost brings a tear. Steve Kuhn's playing reminds me a bit of Tyner, especially on the opening tune, a reading of "Malagueña".

I think I'm going to go play this now.

Later,
Kevin

Steve Reynolds · February-12th-2005, 07:49 AM

agree with Kevin about "Lazy Afternoon"

stunning reading of the tune

SEJ · February-12th-2005, 11:46 AM

A lot of you write as if this hadn't been released at all on CD. I've got the 1995 Connoisseur Series reissue. Magnificent album...I'll "me too" earlier appreciations of "Lazy Afternoon": one of my favorite ballad readings ever, stark, simple, and beautiful. This is one of my favorite 60's sessions, definitely a "must have!"

AntManBee · February-12th-2005, 12:43 PM

Call me weird but I kinda like the "bad" sound on Turkish Women, those distant sounding drums and all.

BFrank · February-12th-2005, 02:12 PM

What I know of Basra comes from the 2 tunes in the Joe Henderson BN box - "Lazy Afternoon" & "Malaguena". Sounds like they are the highlights of the disk, as well.

Dan G · February-12th-2005, 09:10 PM

I've got an old Muse vinyl copy of Bliss, which put Corea as leader, and don't remember it being awful sound. Not great, but I've heard worse. But Porto Novo? What's wrong there? Again, mine's on vinyl so maybe there's a dud cd issue I don't know about.

Back on topic, Basra is a gem. Got mine in the first cd batch about a decade ago, and wouldn't part with it for anything. Everyone who doesn't have it should pre-order right now.

bluenoter · February-14th-2005, 09:46 PM

Bad News (Is It True?)

I've been told that the release of the Basra RVG has been postponed from Feb. 15 "until an indefinite date." Here's the story:

--Last week I preordered the Basra RVG from my "local," Melody Records here in DC. The jazz buyer there told me that eight copies were due in the store today, Feb. 14, and would be put on sale on Feb. 15. One of them was to be saved for me.

--Today, however, the jazz buyer told me that according to "the distributor," the release of the Basra RVG has been postponed "until an indefinite date."

--Further, of a whole batch of RVGs due out on Feb. 15, Basra, he said, is the only one that won't be released then.

--It's not a distribution problem or a local problem, he said; the release of the CD has been postponed, and it won't be available anywhere.

--The Jazzmatazz and CD Universe websites still indicate that nothing is amiss and that the Basra RVG will be released on Feb. 15. I've e-mailed Jazzmatazz.

Does anyone know what's up?

If anyone manages to score the Basra RVG, please let us know! (Maybe what I was told isn't true.)

Pete C · February-14th-2005, 09:52 PM

Current Amazon info:

Basra [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
Pete La Roca

List Price: $11.98

Availability: We're sorry, no release date has yet been provided for this title. You may order it now, and we will ship it to you when it arrives.

bluenoter · February-14th-2005, 09:57 PM

Thanks, Pete. As I mentioned, CD Universe continues to show a release date of Feb. 15 (as does Jazzmatazz):

Basra

La Roca, Pete Regular Price: $9.85

Sale Price: $8.39

Availability: Pre-Order Now! Available: Tuesday, February 15, 2005

. . . Engineer Rudy Van Gelder
Additional Info Remastered

Ron Thorne · February-14th-2005, 09:58 PM

Well, I hope your brick & mortar guy is full of it, for lots of reasons. Didn't he offer any explanation? If he's so well-informed, you'd think he'd be hip to why it was "postponed indefinitely".

My copy is supposed to be shipped tomorrow from CD Universe. Nothing new in the status on my order, which I just checked.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pete C · February-14th-2005, 10:02 PM

My guess is you'll be disappointed, Ron.

Amazon:

Hi Voltage [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
Hank Mobley

List Price: $11.98
Price: $11.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details.

Availability: This item will be released on February 15, 2005. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives.

bluenoter · February-14th-2005, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Well, I hope your brick & mortar guy is full of it, for lots of reasons. Didn't he offer any explanation? If he's so well-informed, you'd think he'd be hip to why it was "postponed indefinitely".

Ron--

Can you imagine how I grilled the poor guy? Maybe you can't, but grill him I did! I asked him for an explanation or a theory; his only thought was that maybe Blue Note had decided that it wasn't satisfied with the remastering. I also asked him whether he thought that, in essence, we could forget about a Basra RVG seeing the light of day. He said, "No, not necessarily."

I hope he was wrong about the postponement!

Happy Valentine's Day!

bluenoter · February-14th-2005, 11:10 PM

I just heard back from JC member alankin of Jazzmatazz. He is going to see whether he can find out anything through channels that are available to him.

crawjo · February-14th-2005, 11:15 PM

Basra is no longer listed on Blue Note's web site, though the other RVGs that are supposed to come out tomorrow are listed.

Ron Thorne · February-14th-2005, 11:29 PM

I'm bummed, especially after reading all of the glowing remarks and anticipating its arrival.

Rita, I can imagine how you may have "grilled the poor guy". Apparently, he didn't cough up any nuggets, however.

I really hate this kind of (seemingly) inexplicable crap for jazz consumers, an already rare breed.

bluenoter · February-14th-2005, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crawjo

Basra is no longer listed on Blue Note's web site, though the other RVGs that are supposed to come out tomorrow are listed.

Thanks, David. It doesn't look good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SEJ

A lot of you write as if this hadn't been released at all on CD. I've got the 1995 Connoisseur Series reissue. Magnificent album...

Some of us heard of Basra much too late to have snagged a new copy of a Conn. To this day, I have no idea where to order a new JRVG or TOCJ of any album or whether it's still possible to do so. Copies of such CDs (generally used copies) appear on eBay every once in a while, but the prices are usually too steep for me.

Ron Thorne · February-14th-2005, 11:57 PM

My order with CD Universe reflects that Basra is in backorder status. I'm pissed and bitterly disappointed.

Ordered Items
Config	Ord	Ship	Artist / Title	Price	Detail Status
CD	1	0	Defrancesco, Joey Legacy	$13.29	Usually ships in 1-2 days
CD	1	0	La Roca, Pete Basra	$8.39	Backordered