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Summer 2004 Edition

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Hope everyone has enjoyed their summers. We have experienced a cold and rainy three month here in the Northeast, but the great new packages have added a ray of sunshine. Here are some of the Vault's summer faves:

Attention record labels! Please email me your reissue schedules so I can include them in future lists.

Vault's Record of the Summer (Year?!?!?)

  • Ray Charles Genius Love Company (Concord) It was long overdue to celebrate Brother Ray's career like this and quite sad that he won't be around to enjoy it, but he left us with more great music to enjoy and look back at a career of such magnitude and importance. There will be a multitude of repackages, but this is Brother Ray's real last hurrah. Much like his career, Charles celebrates his diverse musical palette with a wide variety of special guests. Some hit the recordings out of the park like Norah Jones, Dianne Krall, Willie Nelson, Gladys Knight and BB King, while others fall a bit short (James Taylor and Elton John). Through and through, this duets package would make a proud addition to your Ray Charles collection - It contains more than just music, it possesses a spirit of joy and celebration that is both infectious and a welcome addtion - what are you waiting for, get it already!


Boxset of the Summer

  • Bing Crosby Swingin' with Bing: Lost Radio Performances (Shout! Factory) The fine folks at Shout Factory are off to a great start, setting a high standard for reissue and special event packages, reminiscent of the good old (and I stress old) days of Rhino. With this box, America's great crooner is paired with some of the greatest and most distinctive vocalists of his day Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole and the Andrews Sisters. These lost performances are some of Crosby's finest moments and musically compelling. In addition, the set contains great liner notes, song by song accounts, great period photography and detailed credits (the collection even smells of class!) While most may think of Crosby as a pop singer from the early 20th century, these pairing in a live setting are some of modern music's finest performances and Shout Factory makes them sound great and with above board presentation. Bravo!

Reissues for the Top Shelf:

    A Duke Ellington trifecta reissued by Columbia Legacy from 1958-61. During this era Ellington recorded and released a series of 'mood' music entitled Piano in the Background, Piano in the Foreground and Blues in Orbit. This series is a sort of a precursor to the recent flood of "Jazz for a Sunday Morning' type of repacking that has been dominating the market the last few years. Ellington arranged and recorded the appropriate and suitable material to fit the vibe of the album concept.

  • Piano in the Background from 1960 contains a fuller sound than one would imagine from the title (after all Ellington used a ninety-one key piano) thanks to new arrangements of old classics, but not enough to lose Ellington's brilliant performances. In addition to the original tracks and excellent song-by-song liner notes, 'Background' also has bonus recordings with one alternate take of 'Lullaby of Birdland' and a previously unreleased 'Harlem Air Shaft.'

  • Piano in the Foreground from 1961, contains both a trio (piano, bass and drums) and solo piano performances of more newly arranged and written material. This set also includes the original detailed liner notes and seven bonus recordings, four of which are Ellington piano improvisations.

  • Blues in Orbit digs into the roots of jazz and comes out the other side 'modern' (for 1958). The package contains the original liners from Teo Macero and new liners from Patricia Willard. In addition to the eleven original tracks, 'Blues in Orbit' adds eight new tracks, five of which are alternate versions and one previously unissued track.


Summer Latin Sizzler

No one compiles and reissues a Latin jazz reissue better than the fine folks at Concord. "The Colors of Latin Jazz: Latin Jam!" digs into the deep vault and compiles eleven tracks that pulse, pound and jam their way through the one hour of musical ear candy. The CD flows seamlessly from track to track to appeal to fans of Latino music, jazz and modern 'jam band' type music fans. The line-up includes artists that are the top of the marquee quality: Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Palmieri, Cal Tjader, Poncho Sanchez and the all-star Jam Miami, amongst others. This one needs to be turned up to eleven!

20 Bit K2 Reissues

The Fantasy Record group has helped those of us not yet ready to make a commitment to either SACD or DVD-Audio or those that don't really care by remastering many of their catalogue using the 20 bit K2 Super Coding Converting system. What this means for the listener is a warmer, rounded more analogue sound with the crystal clear sound of a compact disk. All of these releases contain the original liner notes and some have bonus tracks. This technique with the original liners and packaging bring about a feeling of warmth and nostalgia that the Vault feels are important elements for a successful reissue, especially when it is a series. Since we can't pick just one, the Vault would like to share the bounty of the reissue series, as you will be happy which ever one (all if you get all) you add to your collection:

  • John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio Traneing In. Some of Coltrane's best straight ahead recordings with ballads "Slow Dance" and "You Leave Me Breathless" from 1957.
  • Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Himself. This 1957 trio recording features a bonus version of the classic "'Round Midnight" with John Coltrane and Wilbur Ware.
  • The Wes Montgomery Trio Self Titled. This 1959 recording features two bonus sides of "Satin Doll" and "Missile Blues" with Melvin Rhyne and Paul Parker.
  • Flanagan / Coltrane / Burrell - The Cats. This sextet recorded five sides in 1957 that included "Minor Misshap" and "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
  • Milt Jackson Quartet - Self Titled. This quartet featuring milt Jackson recorded six tunes including an excellent version of the standard "My Funny Valentine."
  • Sonny Rollins - Worktime. While not containing any bonus material, this carer landmark recording for Rollins features five stellar takes with a top of the line quartet.
  • Red Garland - The Red Garland Trio. This 1956 release is a smooth and steady approach in the trio format featuring Paul Chambers on bass.
  • Hampton Hawes - Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes. This titles calling card is a perfect entry into this pianists career. The trio works through some great classic material such as "Embraceable You" and "Night in Tunisia" from 1956.
  • Eric Dolphy - At The Five Spot. This 1961 concert in New York City features an alternate take of the album cut "Bee Vamp." A steady, no nonsense performance.

DVD of the Summer

    Ever wonder if the artists today when they sing on television actually have any talent. It seems there is more flash and circumstance, as well as the invariable lip synching, then anything. Well, a standard barer for what a real vocalist and performer should embody is contained on the newly released DVD of Rosemary Clooney's Girl Singer: Songs from Her Classic Television Series. These engaging and entertaining performance were backed by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra and the Hi-Lo's and showcase the late Clooney's rich and beautiful voice and persona.

Some releases on the docket for the Fall that the Vault is excited about:

September releases:

  • Benny Carter / Jimmy Mundy / Gerald Wilson - They All Had Rhythm - 45-46 (live) (Hep)
  • Lester Young - Pres and Teddy Wilson (Super D)
  • Various - WATTSTAX (Warner Home Video)DVD
  • Duke Ellington - The Columbia Years: 1927-1962 (Columbia / Legacy) Boxed Set
  • Oscar Peterson - A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra (Verve)
  • Paquito D'Rivera - Presents 40 Years Of Cuban Jam Session (Pimienta)
  • Thelonious Monk - The Columbia Years (SMD) boxset
  • Blind Willie McTell - The Best of Blind Willie McTell (Yazoo)
  • Herbie Hancock - The Piano (Columbia Legacy)
  • Dave Brubeck - Jazz at College of the Pacific (Fantasy)
  • Miles Davis - Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings of Miles Davis (Columbia / Legacy) - Boxed Set

October Releases:

  • Albert Ayler - Holy Ghost (Revenant) - Boxed Set (The Vault is most excited by this collection from the same folks that brought you the 3 time Grammy award winning boxset examining all things Charley Patton - should be equally in depth and provocative)
  • Esquivel - Merry Christmas from the Space-Age Bachelor Pad (Bar None)
  • Various - Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens: Big Ol' Box of New Orleans (Shout Factory!) Boxed Set
  • Tony Bennett - The Complete Improv Recordings (Concord) - Boxed Set

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