gavreid
Pretty Words...
That 7 foot Steinway in the corner looks tiny!
Tone Poet Blue Notes
- Thread starter poco a poco
- Start date
That 7 foot Steinway in the corner looks tiny!
paulfromcamden
Baffled
Interesting interview. Based on the clip I suspect Kevin Gray will make really great sounding records. Though I'm not sure how much they'll sound like RVG recordings. It doesn't sound like quite the same aesthetic at work.
gavreid
Pretty Words...
Looking forward to hearing Kirsten Edkins now.
poco a poco
I'm Jim
Yes it was only when I saw that was just in the corner I realised how big his living room is. I saw a picture of his house and mastering somewhere (not sure if I posted a link here?) sometime. From the front it didn’t look very large, but I assume it stretches back a bit. The Steinway would take up about half my living room floor space and the Hammond C3 the rest.
Well he did say that wasn’t his aim.
“It’s the ‘essence of an era’ we are trying to recapture with today’s musicians, not the sound of specific spaces, engineers or recordings.”
Elephantears
Trunkated Aesthete
I must admit I only finally got around to listening to Side 2 of 'The All Seeing Eye'. I got the record from Amazon at the end of October but only got a taste of it before going away for Christmas. It sounds fantastic, but there are clicks for for far too long on of Side 2. Now it's out of the Amazon return window. This has happened far too many times. I've got at least 3 or 4 Tone Poets with this kind of problem. Quite disgruntled.
poco a poco
I'm Jim
I was looking forward to getting my pre ordered Round Trip Ornette Box Set today or tomorrow as today was supposed to be the release date on Amazon, I just got an email changing the release date to a very vague 12th Feb. To 12th March. I hope they are not messing about and have been taking more preorders than they are able to deliver?
I have not seen it available now elsewhere in the UK. Blue Note store is say 4th Feb. though. People in the US do have copies already.
I have not seen it available now elsewhere in the UK. Blue Note store is say 4th Feb. though. People in the US do have copies already.
Graham H
pfm Member
Suspecting this might happen, I ordered mine from Alan at Jazz House. He was taking orders a few weeks ago and confirmed to me the price would be £210. Having said that I haven't had any news from Alan yet.........fingers crossed he will receive his full quota.
poco a poco
I'm Jim
That’s a pretty lame excuse.My Round Trip box set was just delivered. I have Van Gelder originals of all of these except for Love Call*, and will attempt some comparisons over the weekend.
* I used this oversight as my lame excuse for buying the entire box set.
I still dithered before ordering and I was missing both Love Call and New and Old Gospel and my others are not originals. The box set price in the US seems quite a bit cheaper than in the UK though.I look forward to a report on a comparison. I am hearing reports that they are all first rate for sound quality, especially the Golden Circle pair.
It seems from what I am hearing everyone who preordered from Amazon UK has got the same delay message as me and I haven’t heard of anyone in the UK getting a delivery yet so I a little less concerned now that Amazon UK will not eventually fulfil my order.
kingston12
pfm Member
That’s a pretty lame excuse.
I look forward to a report on a comparison. I am hearing reports that they are all first rate for sound quality, especially the Golden Circle pair.
It seems from what I am hearing everyone who preordered from Amazon UK has got the same delay message as me and I haven’t heard of anyone in the UK getting a delivery yet so I a little less concerned now that Amazon UK will not eventually fulfil my order.
I was thinking about ordering from Amazon just in case the BN store doesn't come through, but they now just say 'Usually dispatched with 1-2 months' for new orders.
The BN UK store are still taking orders as well. My order with them still states the original 28th January release date, but the product page has 4th February. I only got an email confirming the delay a day or so before the original release date, so we'll see what happens this time.
mikechadwick
pfm Member
I'm just going for the Joe Pass
gavreid
Pretty Words...
Yes, me too. Next month also looks good
Hook
Blackbeard's former bo'sun.
Here are some of my thoughts on Round Trip: Ornette Coleman On Blue Note.
First of all, I like that all six albums come with individual jackets. I plan to store away the box itself, and file/access the six records individually.
All the pressings I received are dead flat, and after a once through, I did not hear a single click or pop. Overall, the sound quality is excellent. I will try to make some comments on how I hear the individual albums compared to what I already own.
Just one quick thought on free jazz in general, or as I like to think of it, “brain massage” music. It is one of the few sub-genres that force me to listen with 100% attention, so I do so in a dark room with no distractions. More usually, I like to listen in very low light while reading or surfing the web.
1. At The ‘Golden Circle’ Stockholm (1965) Volume One compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/440...rio-At-The-Golden-Circle-Stockholm-Volume-One
Such a good show! My comparison point is a 1973 reissue (blue label with black logo and silver letters). It’s in good shape with little surface noise, but it falls well short of the new reissue to my ears. The new reissue delivers an especially nice improvement in bass clarity.
2. At The ‘Golden Circle’ Stockholm (1965) Volume Two compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/239...rio-At-The-Golden-Circle-Stockholm-Volume-Two
My original is very good shape with surface noise that’s only rarely audible. Differences perhaps not as night and day as with volume one? The reissue still gets my vote for overall sound quality, but it’s a closer vote here.
3. The Empty Foxhole (1966) compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/3757453-Ornette-Coleman-The-Empty-Foxhole
Love that Coleman recruited his 10-year old son to play drums! My original is very good condition, but has some surface noise. Tried to ignore this when comparing, but it’s not the easiest to do. I found it easier to follow Haden’s bass lines in the reissue. Both records sound similar in the mids and highs to my ears, but the reissue has overall better clarity. Suppose this could be a side effect of the absence of surface noise?
4. New York Is Now! (1968) compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/3388275-Ornette-Coleman-New-York-Is-Now
Fun session with Coleman splitting time between sax and trumpet. My original is in excellent shape with little surface noise. But the reissue sounds, to my ears, better in every way. Better clarity. Better tonality. Better separation and depth. Just better!
5. Love Call (1968).
Have no original to compare to, but suspect my comments about New York is Now! apply equally here because I read that this record came from the same recording session.
6. New And Old Gospel (1967) compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/2344617-Jackie-McLean-New-And-Old-Gospel
This one is a bit more “straight ahead” than the albums with Coleman as leader. Folks who are new to free jazz may wish to start here. My original is in excellent condition with no surface noise, so made for a good side by side comparison. The original sounds a bit hotter in the treble than the reissue. Both are excellent overall, but the reissue sounds a little more balanced to my ears. Close call.
Overall, I think this is a fine box set. Good overall improvements in sound quality. Glad I made the purchase!
First of all, I like that all six albums come with individual jackets. I plan to store away the box itself, and file/access the six records individually.
All the pressings I received are dead flat, and after a once through, I did not hear a single click or pop. Overall, the sound quality is excellent. I will try to make some comments on how I hear the individual albums compared to what I already own.
Just one quick thought on free jazz in general, or as I like to think of it, “brain massage” music. It is one of the few sub-genres that force me to listen with 100% attention, so I do so in a dark room with no distractions. More usually, I like to listen in very low light while reading or surfing the web.
1. At The ‘Golden Circle’ Stockholm (1965) Volume One compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/440...rio-At-The-Golden-Circle-Stockholm-Volume-One
Such a good show! My comparison point is a 1973 reissue (blue label with black logo and silver letters). It’s in good shape with little surface noise, but it falls well short of the new reissue to my ears. The new reissue delivers an especially nice improvement in bass clarity.
2. At The ‘Golden Circle’ Stockholm (1965) Volume Two compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/239...rio-At-The-Golden-Circle-Stockholm-Volume-Two
My original is very good shape with surface noise that’s only rarely audible. Differences perhaps not as night and day as with volume one? The reissue still gets my vote for overall sound quality, but it’s a closer vote here.
3. The Empty Foxhole (1966) compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/3757453-Ornette-Coleman-The-Empty-Foxhole
Love that Coleman recruited his 10-year old son to play drums! My original is very good condition, but has some surface noise. Tried to ignore this when comparing, but it’s not the easiest to do. I found it easier to follow Haden’s bass lines in the reissue. Both records sound similar in the mids and highs to my ears, but the reissue has overall better clarity. Suppose this could be a side effect of the absence of surface noise?
4. New York Is Now! (1968) compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/3388275-Ornette-Coleman-New-York-Is-Now
Fun session with Coleman splitting time between sax and trumpet. My original is in excellent shape with little surface noise. But the reissue sounds, to my ears, better in every way. Better clarity. Better tonality. Better separation and depth. Just better!
5. Love Call (1968).
Have no original to compare to, but suspect my comments about New York is Now! apply equally here because I read that this record came from the same recording session.
6. New And Old Gospel (1967) compared to:
https://www.discogs.com/release/2344617-Jackie-McLean-New-And-Old-Gospel
This one is a bit more “straight ahead” than the albums with Coleman as leader. Folks who are new to free jazz may wish to start here. My original is in excellent condition with no surface noise, so made for a good side by side comparison. The original sounds a bit hotter in the treble than the reissue. Both are excellent overall, but the reissue sounds a little more balanced to my ears. Close call.
Overall, I think this is a fine box set. Good overall improvements in sound quality. Glad I made the purchase!
poco a poco
I'm Jim
Hook thanks for an excellent comparative review. I hope I get my copy eventually and it is as free from problems as yours.
Interesting that you “love that he recruited Denardo” on Empty Foxhole as quite a few people were complaining about his ‘amateurish’ playing on the SH forum, but I think, as usual, Ornette knew what he was doing and wanted here. I have a first UK pressing of Ornette at 12 when he is a couple of years older and I like that as well.
Hook
Blackbeard's former bo'sun.
Calling his drumming “amateurish” is just silly. Obviously, at age 10, he’s not going to contribute like an adult. And as you said, if Coleman wanted a professional session drummer, he could have had his pick. I think what he wanted was something that many 10 year olds can deliver: spontaneity and humor.
Was thinking about this while watching the Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back. Am really enjoying this fly on the wall view of their creative process. We can see that when they would get stuck, they’d do one of two things. Either they’d have a moan, or they reverted to singing, dancing and acting like ten year olds! The latter was obviously so much better for moving forward, and avoiding analysis paralysis.
I’ve read that Coleman took a very regimented approach to recording. My guess is that by bringing in his kid, he was, among other things, trying to loosen things up.
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poco a poco
I'm Jim
I think this stepping back and loosening thinks up is what Don Cherry took from his time with Coleman and what you can hear in his 1970’s output after he explored Morocco, South Africa, India and then settled in Sweden for 10 years with his wife Moki to form the Organic Music Society and teaching amateur musicians in an abandoned school house. Bringing with him some of the instruments like Indian & bamboo flutes, gourds and African percussion. You hear some of the first real results in Mu parts 1 & 2 (cover art by Moki) where it is just him and Ed Blackwell and they strip away all that is not necessary. At first the result can also seem very basic, primitive and amateurish until realise how much of the emotion core of the music is retained and how this can result in moving the music forward.
Tony L
Administrator
Yes, I think so. I just watched the latest In Groove new arrivals video and Mike had the Turrentine (which doesn’t seem especially interesting) but he hadn’t see For Django.
gavreid
Pretty Words...
No, I passed on the Turrentine.