Some nine years after Miles Davis’ untimely death, Columbia Records is still repackaging his recorded legacy. The most recent efforts in this area have been made available both on compact disc and in 180-gram vinyl versions by way of Mosaic Records. It is the latter edition that this review is based on, though it should be noted that basically the only difference between the two sets, besides the presentation medium, is that Mosaic’s package is a 12 x 12 box with an album-sized booklet accompanying the records.
Trumpeter Maynard Ferguson led his greatest big band during the years that he was signed to Roulette and all of the music from his 13 Roulette LPs (plus 11 previously unissued selections) are included on this deluxe limited-edition ten-CD box set. Although three of the LPs were originally recorded as dance records (and stick close to the melodies), this box as a whole finds Maynard at his peak and with an orchestra that includes such talented soloists as trombonists Slide Hampton and Don Sebesky (both of whom contributed arrangements), altoist Lanny Morgan, the tenors of Carmen Leggio, Willie Maiden, Joe Farrell, and Don Menza, pianists Jaki Byard and Joe Zawinul, and drummer Rufus Jones in addition to the leader. The music is very jazz-oriented and contains more than its share of classic moments, particularly the sessions that resulted in A Message From Newport and Newport Suite. It's highly recommended.
Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy is a highly respected and experienced musical selector and curator, founder of the album listening event and content hub Classic Album Sundays and an authority on music, sound and the vinyl renaissance. She was mentored by David Mancuso at his seminal Loft parties in New York City. Together they co-produced the compilation series David Mancuso Presents The Loft and worked together on David’s record label The Loft Audiophile Library of Music. In 2000, David told Time Out New York City “ She is very devoted and very pure about the music. She’s one of the only people I would trust, both with the music and with the equipment, to fill in for me.” She is one of the musical hosts at The Loft, the co-founder of the Lucky Cloud Loft parties in London and DJs internationally on the world’s best sound systems and dance floors.
Were I a professor of rock and roll music and one to grade albums, this record would stand as the finest record I've heard in my 50+ years of listening to this stuff. It's not my emotional favorite album (that being The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle) but it's a record I listen to often, still. Each song stands on its merits and the lyrics are just brilliant; Lou was the smartest man who ever played rock and roll. It's not an easy listening album; like most of Lou's records there are some cuts that are painful to listen to, but some of the rock cuts are ear worms, most notably Dirty Boulevard which replaced Sweet Jane as Lou's signature live song. This album is like reading a really good book; the trip is a great one, and when it is done, you'll be thinking about it for a very long time.
Again we are indebted to NM Classics for another volume (the second) in their Anthology of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra series. This one covers the period 1950-1960 and contains many unusual treasures as well as a number of performances that have already been issued: the fine Daphnis and Chloe with Monteux which currently is available on both Audiophile Classics and Music & Arts, Bruno Walter's Mozart, Mahler and Strauss all of which are available on Music & Arts, and the Brahms concerto with Monteux/Milstein, available on Audiophile Classics and Arioso (as well as a discontinued Tahra set). However, there are many fascinating items here including a number of major additions to Eduard van Beinum's discography. We have Beinum conducting music of Dutch composers Hans Henkemans (1913-1995), Anthony van der Horst (1899-1965), and Matthijs Vermeulen (1888-1967).
Offered at auction with no reserve, serial number 0940 from Classic Records limited edition Deluxe 1S Edition set of audiophile grade re-issues of 10 RCA Living Stereo LPs. The sound quality of these Classic Records re-issues is legendary. All 10 LPs are brand new, still in the original sealed outer sleeves. Each bears a serial number label as on the box, showing the number 0940.