Vinyl Asylum

Posted by Ross (A) on November 17, 2024 at 15:30:54

Lee Morgan / Gigolo and Taru // Tone Poets
Benny Carter / Jazz Giant // Contemporary OJC 167 pre bar code pre Phil Delancie, AAA
Cannonball Adderly / Know What I Mean // CRAFT reissue

The Lee Morgan titles are diametrically opposed to each other. Ironic because they were recorded just a few months apart in 1968.

Gigolo

From the first groove and for the next 35 min, my head was nodding and foot was tappping. This is fun, infectious music. You want to get up and shake. But it is also unchallenging. The players are not phoning it in, but they are not taking any chances- nothing intricate about the arrangements, melodies or solos.

It may sound like damning with faint praise, but this is a party record, not something you put on to judge your system, or revel in Lee's talent. This is a typically expansive Tone Poet remastering. Wide soundstage, lots of instrument detail, extended bass and treble. The wide soundstage is complimentary to the album- you want the music around you rather than tightly focused. I have a first pressing (Liberty RVG) and it is a typically tight and focused RVG recording. You get some sense of interplay, but that really isn't the point of this title. 1st or early pressings are easily found, and not that expensive.

I can imagine how Gigolo came about: "Yeah Lee, jazzers like you just don't pack 'em like ya used to. Sure I paid $1k for 2 nights, but that was 4yrs ago and you had the hit- Side sometin' ? In a commercial and in the World Series ! Now widt da rock n rollers takin' over best I can do is $500 for 3 nights. Listen, ya play great ! But I gotta pay da bills, and like I said- jazzers don't bring em in any more"

In 1968 Lee would have known that rock had supplanted Jazz as popular music, but he wasn't a rocker. Living in and around NYC he would have been immersed in Boogalo, Sal-Soul, Jazz Soul etc. Gigolo is his attempt at co-opting Boogalo and all the other trends. In one sense it is dumbed down- no one will win a grammy for this title. But on the other hand it is fun music !

Go into this one with your mind and ears open.

Taru is one of those titles that makes you wonder why it was unreleased. This is intricate, introspective and challenging in places. Nice solos, well thought out charts and just a great "lost" title that should have been released back in the day.

Tone Poet pressing wiped the floor with the LT pressing. The later sounds opaque and distant. This one is crisp and sharp, with a wide detailed soundstage with pinpoint imaging. You can hear the interplay and reactions within the tunes.

Jazz Giant Nice recording by Contemporary of 2 true Jazz Giants. While Benny is #1 for this title, Ben Webster is 1a. Benny and Ben trade lines and exist on a plane above everyone else. Leroy Vinnegar is his usual self expressing firm lines and keeping everyone on the beat. Shelly Manne had the good sense to create a foundation for Benny and Ben, instead of dominating like he does on some many other titles. The rest of the west coast pick up band nail the date like true professionals. No fluff, no duds, just clean straight ahead playing. This title is somewhat rare as a first or early pressing. Analogue Productions released a 180g remaster about 20yrs ago that is both rare and expensive. CRAFT also released this one. The OJC is easily found- just be sure it does not have a bar code on the back, or have reference to Phil DeLancie.

Know What I Mean. If you did not know much about the LP you would think it was a Bill Evans title. It sounds like his groove from Debby and Vanguard augmented by a larger band. This is NOT Adderly in San Francisco, or "Work Song" ! This is an exquisite piano led small group session. Everyone gets a chance to shine. Cannonball shows notable restraint and recognizes Evans' genius. Put this one on, kick back, listen and enjoy ! CRAFT recording is expansive and detailed. It sounds different than first pressings, and this title benefits from the wide and deep soundstage. You hear the details, the room, the musicians anchored in space. You are enveloped, and that sense of involvement adds the to enjoyment of the title.

First pressings are easily found, and are not expensive. But Riverside was not known for stellar pressing quality. Even NM copies have background noise and distortion. It can take a few LPs to find a clean pressing. Original mono sounds better than stereo for this title, but lacks the sense of immersion that I think adds to the listening experience.