Here is a bit of trivia. My neighbor Ron Nagle wrote “Don’t Touch Me There “.
Regarding drumming sound, I made a change to my phono playback and there’s an extra tiny bit of clarity and richness. I’ve been listening to some Miles Davis and Santana recorded on Columbia in the 'seventies and late 'sixties and their engineers really captured a full drum sound in general that helps anchor and yet propel the music. Engineering is an art!
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No, what you did was to turn my kidding into something worth something. Not many people can do that (or care to).
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I guess I need to screw up my courage and go. Maybe lead off with, “Even though there’s probably no way in hell I’m going to spend any real money here, I would love to take advantage of your investment and time so I can buy somewhere else.” Something like that. OK, you should know I’m kidding, but it’s a bit the way I’d feel.
Regrading the Santana and Miles I agree. Caravanserai immediately comes to mind for its sonics. In general ECM recordings from the 70’s stand-out for me as to how they capture drums/percussion. An example is John Abercrombie Gateway featuring Jack DeJohnette at the drums. In a slightly different direction is Keith Jarrett The Survivor’s Suite, also an ECM release, with Paul Motian at the drums.
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Start with an open mind and know that everything they are selling is negotiable and people trade in gear to be sold 2nd hand for often much less than ‘retail’.
If you don’t have the means then yes you may feel you’re taking advantage of them. I was addressing the issue from the other perspective. Those will $$$ that look like maybe they need a change of clothes and a shower 
Hi David. I’m with tuladct that this is a remarkable recording. I’m not sure I have heard anything like this approach to jazz tunes. At first, I had to get out of the mode of thinking “this is just sound effects,” to asking myself, “what is he doing to support the guitarist and the tune?” From a sonics standpoint, the mic-ing is phenomenal - maybe a bit too “stereo-demo-record”-ish for me, but I still loved being able to distinguish between instruments. I wonder if there was any overdubbing or multi-tracking involved? I’m pretty sure there must have at least been some very active “fader-riding” going on in the studio.
I see in its Wikipedia article that this was the second album Manne did with Jack Marshall (who also wrote the theme song for The Munsters TV show - now THAT’S a feather in one’s cap). The first from 1962 was called “Sounds Unheard Of!”, and in keeping with its title, I couldn’t find it on streaming services. I would love to hear the difference between the two, given the developments in recording technology in the four years (I’ll keep searching - I found a few in vinyl, but it appears to be one of those that was never ported over to digital). The '62 recording was officially designed as a stereo demo record.
Back to Sounds: I do agree with the Allmusic review in the article linked above that this is not just a demo record, but an unique type of creativity. Yes the percussion is a bit heavy at times, but it’s beautifully captured and well ahead of its time. Thanks for the recommendation.
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That’s hilarious - the guy who recommended that album said that was his favorite track.
More music coincidental trivia: my brother lives in Ojai California near where David Seville worked. Seville wrote and produced the Alvin and the Chipmunks group and for “The Chipmunk Song” won the first (1959 - my birth year) Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album Non-Classical.
I dated a girl in college who lived next door to Milton Drake, one of the co-writers (presumably the lyricist) of the immortal song “Mairzy Doats”, which hit no. 1 in 1944.
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It’s the best track in a mediocre record. The Tubes were far better live because of their campy ways.
Yeah, I know. And that’s good to bring up the idea of used equipment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not flat broke, but my major reason for going there would be to evaluate the difference between stuff I can afford and stuff I probably can’t. As you said earlier, if they’re good business people, they should be fine with demonstrating stuff, even if I do need a change of clothes and a shower.
I listened to Dr. (gotta make sure that’s in there) Lonnie Smith’s Evolution album last night. Musically, I love the funk of it - I’ve always had a big place in this white boy’s heart for funk. And I was fascinated with the use of 2 drummers on several tracks - almost one being a lead drummer and one the rhythm. The one on the left channel seemed to be more present to my ears, maybe a touch louder in the mix. But I was almost more fascinated by how the Hammond B3 sound was engineered. What I didn’t think I got so well was anything approaching a “Blue Note Sound.” I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a sound quite like this. It has a rawness and a dynamic range to beat the band (as my grandfather would have said it). I guess I haven’t listened to very much Blue Note outside RVG and other mainstream jazz - can’t recall hearing any soul. But you are right that the way the snare and clave cut through without being overbearing is great. The snare seemed to also have a bit longer sound than others - maybe tuned a little looser. I’ll definitely listen to this again - fascinating recording.
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Glad you enjoyed it. There are a number of Blue Note recordings from late last and this century that to my ears and on this system have a variant, varied sound–not your grandfather’s Blue Note, that’s certain, an update and wecome one.
Smith’s B3 sound has always been . . . his own? a bit unique. That’s what makes the great players, and part of what leads one to be my favorite–I really love Smith and Young and McDuff for that sort of reason.
Yeah, so much to listen to, and for. I really did find myself asking, “What does he DO to get that kind of sound?” I guess it’s the same as asking, “What does Thelonious Monk do to make a piano sound like that?”
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Organs are fascinating instruments. My maternal grandfather had a small Hammond and my maternal grandmother had an even older small Hammond. As a lad and teen I managed to steal as many hours as I could on them, playing with the stops and all the different ways to produce and alter the sounds. My maternal great great great great great grandfather, David Tannenberg, was among the very first pipe organ builders in the Colonial America, and I have managed to pump the bellow for and play a tiny bit on a few of his surviving organs (those in the “Moravian” towns of Pennsylvania), When Keith Jarrett’s double LP “Hymns/Spheres” came out I was floored at the amazing sounds, synthesizer like in scope and imagination, that he was able to produce on a European church pipe organ and I have often, so often, thought “would my ancestor know that this was a capability of the organs he designed and built?” I don’t have the answer to that but I bet he would find those sounds as fascinating as I do.
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I used to buy from Berkshire all the time, but they kind of fell off my radar. As I recall, their website wasn’t the friendliest browsing experience around. I may have to give them another shot. I got some incredible bargains from them.
Great stories. My paternal grandfather was a professional dance band pianist and also played the organ - had a good Hammond in his parlor. Unfortunately he was quite a bit better at drinking (runs in the family), so was a messy person and never got too far. My grandmother on the other side had an organ in her living room and was actually pretty good at playing it. When I was in college, several of my friends worked for a pipe organ builder who specialized in tracker organs (mechanical as opposed to electrical opening of the valves), so I got to learn vicariously about “real” organ building. It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to Hymns/Spheres - need to check that out again.
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Quite true, their website is very old school and requires patience. I just browse their new inventory every so often to see what looks interesting. I’ve discovered a great deal of interesting music that way. Lots of obscure labels, composers, and artists to discover.
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My grandfather was pretty disciplined, but his main “axe” was a banjo, and his main period of playing was in the 'twenties and early 'thirties, sort of “hot jazz.” My grandmother also had a piano (a piano and an organ, each on an opposite wall of the dining room!) and her main focus was on the piano and sheet music.
So have you listened to much Bela Fleck in your disciplined grandfather’s honor? You might not care much for his “newgrass” or “alternative” stuff, but he recently released an album in honor of the centennial of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” called (wait for it) “Rhapsody in Blue” (Qobuz / Apple Music). It features Fleck with the Virginia Symphony playing the standard version, using Banjo instead of piano(and it’s pretty good I think) and a version called “Rhapsody in Bluegrass” which is done in which style would you guess?
Another gifted banjoist is Alison Brown. I saw her live last year in Annapolis.
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To be honest. . . I am no fan of Bela Fleck. For some reason his music just does not resonate with me at all, and I really don’t like the sound he gets from a banjo.
I don’t listen to too much banjo playing in general . . . other than the earliest jazz and the straw hat Dixieland stuff, it’s not really a featured instrument in jazz and I don’t listen to much other than jazz. I didn’t get to hear my grandfather play banjo much. . . he had moved on from playing for the most part by the time I was old enough for him to pay much attention to me (he didn’t like little kids around, he was a grouch and a bit of a hard person to be around) and when he did play he fooled around on the organ.
The banjo player who impresses me the most these days is Rhiannon Giddens. She is an amazing musician and musical scholar AND she gets a unique imo and beautiful imo sound from the instrument. In part that may be the instrument, but I know a part of it is her style of playing.
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