Graham H
pfm Member
I won't be playing the first side of the Donaldson much, but side 2 is excellent. I've received Face to Face and first impressions are favourable, Willette favouring quite a dirty, slightly overdriven, organ sound on this one.
Tone Poet Blue Notes
- Thread starter poco a poco
- Start date
I won't be playing the first side of the Donaldson much, but side 2 is excellent. I've received Face to Face and first impressions are favourable, Willette favouring quite a dirty, slightly overdriven, organ sound on this one.
poco a poco
I'm Jim
I have played Face to Face through three times now and I am liking it more now both sonically and musically. I think side two is better than side one here as well. Still a bit too much 'comping' going on in places, but some decent solos. I think the heat was getting to me a bit on my first listen.
kjb
Proof reading not always a strength
Are you sure the Cassandra Wilson record is the Tone Poet edition? It's been released on vinyl before - that price seems too good to be true...
Cassandra Wilson is one of my guilty pleasures. I've got a few of hers on CD - they are so well recorded. If it is, I'll grab one!
Kevin
mikechadwick
pfm Member
poco a poco
I'm Jim
Mike, They did this a few weeks ago as well when I first heard it was at £14.99. When I looked it had gone up to £60. It seems if they sell what they have in stock, 2 this morning when I brought mine, they then put the price up. I think you have to keep checking as I did. Reports on SH forum say the same.
Kevin, I am pretty certain as the release date at the bottom of the page is correct as 31st May 2019 and I don't know of another 2019 release and the increase in price that Mike refers to would seem to confirm it. There site could be clearer on this point though. The Cornbread for instance is also at £14.99 but is not a Tone Poet.
I got a confirmation email at £14.99 for this one. I'll report back when I receive it.
kjb
Proof reading not always a strength
It was back down to £14.99 so I took a punt. Tbh, as that price, I'd be happy to have a standard edition but it will be massive bonus if it is a Tone Poet edition.
Finger crossed
Kevin
Stunsworth
pfm Member
I’ve just preordered the next two releases from Amazon - Kenny Burrell and Andrew Hill. Then there’s a gap until September.
scotty38
pfm Member
I did the same and have just ordered the cheap Cassandra Wilson. Not massively my cup of tea but at £14.99 it's worth having....
poco a poco
I'm Jim
mikechadwick
pfm Member
Interesting business model. It’s still at £14.99 (not my cup of tea so I won’t be ordering it) but the PPD (published price to dealer) must be around £35. Even if they are bringing them in from outside the Uk I can’t see any territory having a dealer price low enough to realise that selling price especially as all copies originate in the US. Even allowing for discounting they are potentially losing around £12 - £15 per copy sold!
Stunsworth
pfm Member
I think the Eastern European Tone Poet releases are a lot cheaper than the U.K. I wonder if that’s where these originate from?
By the way, I’m a long term Cassandra Wilson fan.
poco a poco
I'm Jim
I'm not sure I would want to swap any of these, but at a push SOTT for NHSNHS or Clubhouse. Just add these, you know you will end up getting them at some point. 'Resistance is Futile.' 
Stunsworth
pfm Member
As I'm fairly new to this is there anything on that list that I "should" swap for something else?
Not really, you're going to get the other eventually anyway <grin>.
Stunsworth
pfm Member
Then again, I'd probably get Clubhouse ahead of Contours - not that there's anything wrong wit Contours, but the ballad on the second track on side one of Clubhouse shows how superbly Blue Note could record a sax.
Elephantears
Trunkated Aesthete
I finally cracked and ordered this a couple of days ago. It arrived yesterday and I played it a few times; I love it, so thanks for persuading me on this. I think I was a little skeptical because the first track seemed fairly conventional, and overall the album is, but everyone is playing with such ease and joy. I like Jackie Mclean but I can sometimes find his tone too much like it's coming from the top of the neck/back of the head, lacking the body and swing of Adderley or the ease and luxury of Lee Konitz. On this album he really swings though, and I think the way it has been mastered really gets his tone perfect. The same for Hank Mobley; sometimes I find him a little too clipped and precise, and he certainly is precise on this album too. But again, there is a real freedom and ease, and the way they all play in unison has a rare grace. I often find that the horn and trumpet in unison sections in jazz composition feel too conventional, but not here.
Lee Morgan himself plays great, and again, I love the way they've got the trumpet sound. On one or two of the Music Matters releases I find the trumpet sound a little spiky and hot (for example, Kenny Dorham on Andrew Hill's 'Point of Departure'). I'm not sure if this is a mastering issue or if my system has problems with some trumpeters; it could be mis-tracking, so this needs investigating. But with this LP the trumpet plays smooth as silk, without sacrificing any attack. All in all a lovely record.
Last edited:
poco a poco
I'm Jim
Andrew, glad I haven't wasted your money. I think this is one of the very best of the current Tone Poets. I think too often Jackie McLean has suffered from poor mastering. I can now hardly wait till Black fire arrives later this month. Thank goodness I don't have to buy any in August so I can let my wallet recover a little.
I think this is one of the very best of the current Tone Poets. I think too often Jackie McLean has suffered from poor mastering. I can now hardly wait till Black fire arrives later this month. Thank goodness I don't have to buy any in August so I can let my wallet recover a little.