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Tone Poet Blue Notes

Graham H said:
His other early BN session, A New Conception, is worth hearing. More ballads and not as exciting as Contours or FSS, but some great playing and still in his post bop phase (with possibly the most unusual BN cover art from this period). I'd also recommend Larry Young's Into Something, as long as you like Hammond organs. It's also worth hearing how Rivers doesn't quite fit with Miles Davis (pre Wayne Shorter) on Live in Tokyo. Some say Miles didn't leave the stage whilst Rivers was soloing not in deference to the Japanese audience, but to keep a disciplined watch on Rivers. The two apparently didn't see eye to eye, evident in the music I think.

After that his later BNs and Impulse titles move into the realms of free jazz, all worth hearing. Conference of the Birds (Dave Holland ECM) with Anthony Braxton on board remains a favourite, not a typical ECM record. Rivers' loft sessions and Studio RivBea in the 70s are documented in Val Wilmer's As Serious As Your Life, recently republished and a recommended read to anyone remotely interested in jazz history. I also like a late 70s album called Waves, which articulates Rivers diversity and arrangement skills.

Here's an interesting obituary/article on Sam:

what-i-learned-from-sam-rivers
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Thanks Graham. I've got a Int Something - bought for Grant Green without realising SR was on it. I've dipped into Conference of the Birds a few times but it's never really grabbed me: might be time for another visit as I really like everyone on it.

I never got round to reading the Wilmer book - now I've semi retired it might be just the moment although I fear it may end up costs far more than the cover price! I'm currently reading Electric Eden which has topped up my current wish list.

Kevin
 
Kevin,
Pretty much what Graham as said above. I have the Elemental pressing of Into Something which I'd OK, but a little flat sounding. There will be a BN80 of this in April 2020 that should be better if you also need something better? The BN75 of Fushia Swing Song is one of the better BN75's and I posted a bit about it somewhere (what are you listening to?) here recently.

If you can find a copy (Some on Discogs, but I'm still looking for one in the U.K.) the two LP 'Involution' has one LP of (at the time) unreleased Sam Rivers recordings and the other LP of Rivers & Hill with unreleased Andrew Hill recordings. Two for the price of one can't be bad even if not the greatest sound quality. The Sam Rivers LP was issued later on CD with a different title.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dimensions-Extensions-Sam-Rivers/dp/B00JNWF27M/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Sam+Rivers+Extensions+&+Dimensions&qid=1568489204&s=music&sr=1-2

https://londonjazzcollector.wordpre...-sextet-andrew-hill-quartet-involution-19667/
 
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kjb said:
On the back of this I've been revisiting Sam Rivers - I picked up a BN 75 copy of Fuchsia Song Song yesterday - what a wonderful record. What else would people recommend as essential Rivers either as leader or sideman?

Kevin
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Contrasts
 
Graham H said:
PS - In this instance the Hoffman forum isn't remotely obscure; the point is Joe Harley and the team really were listening to and engaging with enthusiastic consumers, and now they aren't. Our loss.
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Glad to see that following the 'clean up' of the Tone Poet thread that Joe Harley has now returned even if he is going to limit his input. He is though going to try to clarify any issues with regard to the mastertapes.

One of which is the 'glitch' on Hustlin - Love Letters where it goes to mono that I mention here and has since come up on SH. Seems it is on the original mastertape and first pressings and is probably due to an edit, but for a reason unknown.
 
Thread resurrection. Just cleaned and listened to Andrew Hill’s brilliant Black Fire. This is a great debut for Hill as leader, and to have the likes of Joe Henderson, Richard Davis and Roy Haynes as sidemen really speaks to the stature Hill had already acquired at that time. Impressive. The tunes are excellent, and the solos, brilliant. This is very accessible, but forward looking post bop jazz.
 
Here is a video by Michael Fremer made at the recent "Making Vinyl, Hollywood" event. From about 14 minutes in to 41 minutes is a recording of the talk by Joe Harley accompanied by Kevin Gray on Blue Note and the Tone Poet, Music Matters and the Blue Note 80 reissues.

Joe confirms the sales of the Tone Poets have been excellent at around 10,000 copies of each issue where Music Matters typically sold 2,000 to 2,500 copies. They now intend to continue with the Tone Poet series for the next 5 to 6 years at about the same rate of around 20 - 25 a year. Very good news, except perhaps for my wallet!

 
poco a poco said:
Joe confirms the sales of the Tone Poets have been excellent at around 10,000 copies of each issue where Music Matters typically sold 2,000 to 2,500 copies. They now intend to continue with the Tone Poet series for the next 5 to 6 years at about the same rate of around 20 - 25 a year. Very good news, accept perhaps for my wallet!

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That's great news.

I stumbled across the thread on SH where people are discussing wow/flutter issues with the TP releases. It seems almost every release is affected. Fortunately, having cloth ears, I'm not hearing that.
 
poco a poco said:
Joe confirms the sales of the Tone Poets have been excellent at around 10,000 copies of each issue where Music Matters typically sold 2,000 to 2,500 copies. They now intend to continue with the Tone Poet series for the next 5 to 6 years at about the same rate of around 20 - 25 a year. Very good news, except perhaps for my wallet!
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5 to 6 years is great news, especially if they dig a bit deeper into the catalogue, ignore the Andrew Hill sceptics and release all his remaining titles, and continue to avoid overlapping with other BN series.

Thanks for the video, will watch later.
 
Graham H said:
5 to 6 years is great news, especially if they dig a bit deeper into the catalogue, ignore the Andrew Hill sceptics and release all his remaining titles, and continue to avoid overlapping with other BN series.

Thanks for the video, will watch later.
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Graham, one of the things they said was there was a lot of good music that never got released. Some wasn't up to scratch and some has technical problems, but not always. Apparently when Alfred Lyon was alive he said the pace of recording was so intense at that time that often the musicians said "don't release that, release what we just recorded". So finally it just got overlooked.
 
My two have just been delivered. No mailers inside the box from Amazon again, but look undamaged. Great covers on these two. No time to play these today, but looking forward to both and comparing the Tina Brooks 'Minor Moves' to 'True Blue' and 'Back to the Tracks' that I have on Music Matters 2 x 45's. I have not heard this Tina Brooks before.
 
Caught up and played both these new ones today. Enjoying both, but the real standout for me is the Grant Green Born to be Blue because it seems to be as much an Ike Quebec album as Green's. They both play some very good solos, but Quebec's in most cases are exceptionally good. Another Blue Note where you think why did they wait till the 1980's to release it. I'm intrigued by the liner notes reference to enough Quebec material (that I don't think has been subsequently released?) "remaining in the can". I hope Joe Harley gives this some consideration for release.

I also think this release is towards the top of the pack for sound quality as well. :):)
 
poco a poco said:
...the real standout for me is the Grant Green Born to be Blue because it seems to be as much an Ike Quebec album as Green's.
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I was thinking exactly the same. These are two seriously good releases. I believe they are the last for this year, I'm looking forward to the ones that are released in 2020.
 
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