As I’ve mentioned in the past, my parents (and others) helped to paint a rich musical tapestry for me in my youth, giving me exposure to a wide range of musical genres. Musical taste that was already quite diverse, has grown even broader throughout the years that I spent growing up working in various record stores, and later, working in radio.
With access to SO much music (and often, for free,) I can honestly say that I’m a fan of a little bit of everything, including a healthy amount of jazz.
My dad introduced me to Dave Brubeck, and further musical travels later introduced me to folks like Stanley Clarke, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk.
Recently, I was very happy to read about the debut of “The Collector’s Corner,” a new division of Concord Music Group, devoted to making prized albums in their diverse catalog holdings available on vinyl. “Collector’s Corner” satisfies at long last the vinyl junkies who have been hunting for the many classic releases from Fantasy, Specialty, Prestige, and Stax that have been long out of print.
The press release is a fun one that takes creative wordplay to the max with puns-a-plenty…
With labels such as Fantasy, Specialty, Prestige and Stax, the scope of the Concord Music Group catalog is as deep and eclectic as your beloved public radio station left of the dial and as vast as the greatest neighborhood indie store. The quandary now is where to go to find a collection of Jerry Garcia’s oeuvre with Merle Saunders or to find Soultrane on vinyl without having to take out a second mortgage. Well, record collecting has just turned a corner.
Concord Music Group welcomes you to The Collector’s Corner.
Break out those lists of the obscure, out of print and the monophonic. At The Collector’s Corner section of ConcordMusicGroup.com, you can peruse aisles of Miles, freights’ of ’Trane, and the deeper treasures that await with each click.
I got my hands on a few of the releases, and was sucked in immediately by the historic recordings of Coltrane and Monk captured on Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane. This particular Monk lineup lasted a mere six months playing gigs that already felt legendary for those that were in attendance.
Although the group remained together for only a half-year, those of us who heard it will never forget the experience. There were some weeks where I was at the Five Spot two and three times, staying most of the night even when I intended just to catch a set or two.
Excerpted text above taken from the Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane liner notes by Ira Gitler
Those feelings turned to regret when the lineup dissolved, and the regret later was replaced by joy when it was discovered that the moment had been captured with a series of recordings that with additional rare material added, were released as Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane.
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane – Ruby My Dear
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane gives you a open seat in the recording studio more than 50 years later, to hear the rare recorded meeting between two musical giants, whose now legendary styles defined, and subsequently inspired many in jazz, and beyond.
The album also spotlights one of the final recorded performances from drummer Shadow Wilson (Count Basie, Woody Herman) who passed away only a couple of years after these recordings. It’s interesting to note that the three Monk/Coltrane performances on the album, are all Monk compositions that Monk originally recorded in a trio setting, prior to recording these versions with Coltrane.
Three alternate masters from previous Monk sessions fill out the rest of the album, and truly define the term “alternate version.”
“Functional,” heard in its original form on Thelonious Himself takes on new life in the alternate version heard here, to the point that Gitler suggests in the liner notes that it nearly earns a new title in the process. Gitler also notes that playing the two versions at the same time on two different turntables “might make a wild duet for four Monk hands.”
The idea of it all makes you want to hunt down an extra turntable to hear it for yourself!
The alternate versions are anything but a throwaway, and ultimately serve as icing on the cake after listening to the Monk/Coltrane sessions.
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane is one of the many vinyl treasures now available via “The Collector’s Corner.”
Some of the other initial releases include Coltrane’s Soultrane release, Sonny Rollins’ Saxophone Colossus, a pair of classic releases from The Bill Evans Trio including the landmark Waltz for Debby release, and the Eastern Sounds release from Yusef Lateef.
After writing about vanishing liner notes in the digital age, the Concord Jazz stuff really took me further back, to the age when the liner notes were printed right on the back album cover, paragraph after paragraph of enlightening insight into the music that you were listening to on the turntable. There was less guess work required, because the writer in charge of sleeve notes for a particular release, often laid the entire story out on that back album cover for your education and enjoyment.
Streaming audio links:
Quicktime:
Yusef Lateef – The Plum Blossom
John Coltrane – Theme For Ernie
Rock fans will appreciate the classic Creedence Clearwater Revival Chronicle compilation, freshly reissued as part of the series. Creedence fans can also grab the limited pressing of former CCR leader John Fogerty’s Revival album.
Check out the complete slate of vinyl releases currently available from Concord, by clicking here.
I’ll suggest that you’ll enjoy perusing the rest of “The Collector’s Corner” to take a look at some of Concord’s non-vinyl offerings as well. One particular item that caught my eye was The Complete Debut Recordings by Charles Mingus.
The lavish 12 CD box set chronicles the period that Mingus spent recording for Fantasy between 1951 and 1958 and lays out 58 previously unreleased cuts for your enjoyment. I’m guessing that with nearly 170 tracks total, this Mingus set will keep you out of trouble for a while!
I’m curious to check that set out, and it’s going onto my shopping list for future acquisition!
Check out some of the sound samples above, and stay tuned for your chance to win a prize package of several of the above mentioned vinyl titles from Concord Music Group!
I’ll post details here in a few days!
Relevant Links:
Concord Music Group official site
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane – Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane (purchase)
John Coltrane Soultrane (purchase)
The Bill Evans Trio – Waltz For Debby (purchase)
Sonny Rollins – Saxophone Colossus (purchase)
Yusef Lateef – Eastern Sounds (purchase)
Superb blog post, I have book marked this internet site so ideally I’ll see
much more on this subject in that the foreseeable future!
Just desire to say your article is because astounding.
That the clarity in your post is just first-class and i could assume you have been
an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow
me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post.
Thanks a million and please carry on the enjoyable work.
Interesting column , I am going to spend more time reading about this topic
Very interesting points you have noted , regards for putting up.
i like to search the internet for new kitchen gadgets to add to my kitchen;;
Hello! I ran into your site utterly by mistake, and am really glad I did!
This is very interesting, and I can tell you have spent some
time studying this. Thanks!