HTF Jazz Club - Page 8

Lee Scoggins · 08-05-2003, 08:37 PM

Fellow jazz fans,

Has anyone heard the new CD series Miles Davis Live In Person at the Nighthawk?

I have been reading some good things and have yet to add to my collection.

Mike Broadman · 08-06-2003, 12:44 AM

Lee, are talking about the recently re-released concerts at the Blackhawk? If so, I had the original CDs and the performances are great. I've sold them in anticipation of the new release but haven't picked it up yet.

Or is this something else entirely?

Lee Scoggins · 08-07-2003, 09:57 AM

Oops! Yes, I meant Blackhawk.

There was a positive review in The Absolute Sound. Here's what that review said:

Quote:

The remixing and 24 bit mastering creates a remarkably well-differentiated soundstage with clean enough definition to place the instruments virtually in the room with you. And with music this masterfully and emphatically played (with a few pitch and tonal warts intact), that's an awesome achievement.

Looks like a winner!

Lee Scoggins · 08-07-2003, 10:07 AM

Mike,

I saw your CD list - very impressive. You really need to pick up some Miles Davis CDs.

Do you like the Sonny Rollins Plus 4 SACD? how are the sonics?

Mike Broadman · 08-07-2003, 11:25 AM

Yeah, the sweet thing about the new Blackhawk set is that it includes the entire concerts, adding a lot more music that wasn't there. Though I always love a good remaster, that's the main reason to get the discs for me- more music!

Unfortunately, I haven't seen it for less than 40+ dollars around here, which is much for 2 CDs. There are a couple of sales around me this weekend, so maybe I'll take advantage of them and finally get this thing.

The Rollins SACD is nice. Back when it was announced, I did do a review of the music in this forum. This session involves my, at the present moment, favorite trumpet player, Clifford Brown. Suffice it to say, it's a winnder.

The sonics sound good to me. It's a Mo-Fi, and they make good stuff.

These kinds of jazz CDs are my favorite thing about SACD.

Lee Scoggins · 08-07-2003, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Unfortunately, I haven't seen it for less than 40+ dollars around here, which is much for 2 CDs. There are a couple of sales around me this weekend, so maybe I'll take advantage of them and finally get this thing.

The Absolute Sound says its actually 4 CDs, so it may be a better deal than thought unless TAS made a mistake.

Quote:

The Rollins SACD is nice. Back when it was announced, I did do a review of the music in this forum. This session involves my, at the present moment, favorite trumpet player, Clifford Brown. Suffice it to say, it's a winnder.

Definitely on my buy list...I have only seen it for $31 at Tower and I am choking a bit on the price for the length of the album. Maybe I will find it at Media Play or Best Buy for less.

I agree that MoFi is really doing well in its incarnation. I have the Kinks album on my list as well.

Mike Broadman · 08-07-2003, 03:20 PM

Lee, my mistake, it is 4 CDs.

I don't remember how much I paid for the Rollins, but it sure as heck was less than $31.

Lee Scoggins · 08-07-2003, 04:04 PM

Yeah, I think they added two discs due to several "not previously released" tracks. Still, $40 is top dollar.

I think our Tower here in Atlanta is definitely doing full retail on these MoFi puppies. I may stop by the other stores later today and see what their price is.

PaulHeroy · 08-07-2003, 05:09 PM

Well, I have to say that I've never been a big fan of the Blackhawk material as it seemed to me like Miles treading water... which is admittedly still pretty good compared to a lot of things, but I recommend a lot of other stuff before this. I was thinking George Coleman on tenor, but just checked and it's Hank Mobley. (I like a lot of Mobley's own recordings, but he didn't fit the more caustic style Miles was looking for as a foil.) Miles went through several good tenor players (Sam Rivers too) before Shorter freed up and came aboard. The first thing that band produced, the Plugged Nickel sets, was a legendary thing for a while so that might shade my opinion. It sounds like some very good work has been done on restoring the Blackhawk sessions though, so maybe I should revisit it.

Mike Broadman · 08-07-2003, 08:43 PM

I'm a huge Hank Mobley fan, myself.

I would say he sounds awkward with Miles, which is part of the fun for me. In fact, most of Miles' work is highly flawed, but for me that's part of the fun.

Albums like Kind of Blue and ESP are fewer than Blackhawk, Seven Steps to Heaven, On the Corner, My Funny Valentine, etc.

PaulHeroy · 08-08-2003, 12:05 PM

Mobley was a terrific composer and, in his own context, a wonderful player. I have many of his Blue Note recordings. Along with Horace Silver and Art Blakey I'd say he epitomizes that hard bop Blue Note sound. Miles was apparently pretty harshly critical to him (not exactly an unusual event), and I think unfairly. Miles is usually touted as a great bandleader, with an ability to get more out of musicians than they knew they had, but he obviously didn't handle everyone equally well. It's just that Hank had his bag, but Miles had about a dozen bags.

JasonK · 08-08-2003, 11:54 PM

Well this week's jazz purchases were Grant Green: Alive and Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage.

That's 2 off my list, plenty more to go.

The Grant Green one is good, Mike I don't know if you're a fan of A Tribe Called Quest - but track 4 on Alive has a guitar part that was sampled for their song "Vibes".
Whether or not this was the album they sampled it from, I have no idea.