Tower Records Import Sale

[NoTinEar]

Tower records is having a really decent sale on imports. Especially for jazz and classical. They include some Verve Elites and Some Blue Note connoisseur disks. At any rate just go to the site and seek out the import clearance links. Just as a quick recommendation anyone that loves female singers regardless of genres should try out that Helen Merrill album, she has Clifford Brown backing her up, and its really good stuff.

www.towerrecords.com

[Bobbit]

Notinear, Thanks for the tip! The Helen Merrill LP is won of my favorites so I ordered the cd. What are your impressions of the JPN cd? Alot of the JPN cds are very brite I find. Please let me know. Thanks.

[Blair G.]

What are Tower like to order from On-Line ?

I'm looking at ordering some DCC stuff. Anyone have any expereince with them ?

Blair

[reidc]

Hi,
I ordered from Tower. Ordered the Beach Boys Spirit of America and Venus and Mars.(McCartney). Spirit of America was in stock, and Venus/Mars listed as 2 to 4 weeks I think.

They shipped Beach boys immediately, and backordered Venus Mars. After 30 days- Cancelled!

Shipping took a week to the East Coast.





Chris

[Vivaldinization]

Frankly, if I'm getting Japanese imports, I just do it from Tower Japan...it's intimidating, but can be done, and the exchange rate's pretty good right now.

-D

[NoTinEar]

Sorry I took so long to respond Bobbit. The cd is a little bright, not excessively so however. It is worth it in my opinion, as there is added detail also. Email me your thoughts on it off the list after you receive it and get the time to listen to it.

Tower Japan is a good source, however many of these titles were at least 50% off Tower's price and possibly more depending on what it is. I ordered seven titles and received them in two days. They happen to ship out of California and I happen to live in the state.

Happy listening..

[jligon]

Originally posted by Bobbit
Notinear, Thanks for the tip! The Helen Merrill LP is won of my favorites so I ordered the cd. What are your impressions of the JPN cd? Alot of the JPN cds are very brite I find. Please let me know. Thanks.

I also love the Japanese issue of Helen Merrill's LP with Clifford Brown. Great music and pretty great sound. Of course, most of the Japanese CDs do not sound bright on my system so you might not want to take my word for it simply because it doesn't seem bright to me.

[Djose]

I checked out the sale at tower. They feature the import versions of the older Kottke releases
that I have seen in stores at somewhat outrageous prices. Does anyone
know what the quality of these discs are? I know the orig. recordings were not
audiophile, though some good things were done.

Long live American Flamenco


Djose

[Patrick M]

Originally posted by Djose
I checked out the sale at tower. They feature the import versions of the older Kottke releases that I have seen in stores at somewhat outrageous prices. Does anyone know what the quality of these discs are? I know the orig. recordings were not audiophile, though some good things were done.
Which titles? I've never had a problem finding Kottke in the used CD bins (often, promos) or on LP, very cheap. I even got a copy of "Circle Round the Sun" cheap via ebay.

[Kayaker]

My order:

CD 1 $8.99 73145344352 Helen Merrill (Verve) In Stock
CD 1 $8.99 73145344402 Jam Session (Verve) In Stock
CD 1 $8.99 73145343932 Best Coast Jazz (Verve In Stock
CD 1 $8.99 73145344382 More Study In Brown (V In Stock
CD 1 $8.99 73145343922 Brown & Roach Inc. (Ve In Stock
CD 1 $8.99 73145343912 At Basin Street (Verve In Stock
Too bad they were out of Brown & Roach Inc.

I have two in this series - Study in Brown and Clifford Brown With Strings. I like the sound. This works out cheaper (and better) than buying the EmArcy 10 cd box.

Notinear - As a long time Clifford Brown fan - I thank you!!

[NoTinEar]

Good for you Kayaker,

As a fellow Clifford fan I was missing just one title in that group you purchased. I agree that that particular set, the "PRISM series with their 24bit/96khz" transfers sound excellent on the Clifford Brown series. They really capture the sound of his trumpet in attack and excitement. As someone who paid closer to $18 ea I can tell you they are an absolute bargain and sound much better then the Emercy 10 disk set, which I have also. Also sense your a Clifford fan like myself, you should get that Dianah Washington-Dinah Jams that they have as part of there sale. It sounds really nice and as a bonus has clifford on horn on many of the songs.

[Kayaker]

You know - I have the Dinah Washington - What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! and I really can't get into her voice. I love a lot of female artists to death from that period - Vaughn, Christy, Holiday, Abby Lincoln etc. - but not Dinah.
I passed on "Caravan" and "Jam Session 2" - not knowing these CD's - What do you think of them Notinear?
Good to hear of another Clifford Brown fan. He was the first Jazz artist I got into 25 years ago when I was given the Brownie Eyes LP. I just had dinner with the person who gave me that album tonight and told him about the sale.
Thanks again

[Djose]

Patrick M-

Oh, I don't ave any trouble finding his older albums. I'm curious as to whether
the higher price of the Japanese (?) imports is reflected (no pun intended) in the quality.

Djose

[NoTinEar]

Kayker, Just to make sure I give you an accurate opinion, I dug out both the Dinah albums and both the Clifford's. Listened to them and now can give you your answers.

Let me address the Dinah albums first as I really think you should get the Dinah album. Let me try to express some of the reasons why you should. The "Dinah Jams" album is a live album recorded on 1954. It has a great live stereo sound to it, unlike the "What A Difference" album. Which is very studio produced sounding and mixed hard left and right stereo. She had an amazing band behind her that night, the other musicians on the album are as follows: Clifford Brown, Manyard Ferguson, Clark Terry, Max Roach, Keeter Betts, George Morrow, Ritchie Powell, Junior Mance, Harold Land, and Herb Geller. They are all working very very well together on the album. All the players are feeding off the energy of the live audience and setting and each other. As a matter of fact, a lot of the album features these straight musicians jamming and not Dinah necessarily singing. The version of summertime on this album makes it alone worth owning; especially if you're a lover of the trumpet, trust me. As for her voice, it's much more articulated in this session verses the very produced and forgive me for using the word, "popish" album, "What A Difference A Day Makes". This is totally different singer as she is working off the energy of her other players here and showing real emotion and using her voice to be part of the session. She gives a SMOKIN version of "Come Rain or Come Shine". For the money please take a chance on the album.

Let's address your Clifford inquiries on the specific albums. The "Caravan" album, which they title as "Clifford Brown All Stars" is interesting. It has only three cuts and they are studio. Two of them are very long versions of "Caravan" and "Autumn in New York". I thoroughly enjoy hearing the band work with each other and make for some interesting sounds. It's not this group's best stuff, but even the group's okay stuff is great in my opinion. But you can hear them fumbling around a little on these two cuts. However the 3rd cut on the album which is a bonus cut is a great version of "Caravan (The Boss Man)" an Ellington tune, has a great solo by Brown and turns the album into a must have.

The "Jams 2" album is a good one. You have four cuts, one a studio cut, one introduction to a live jam session and two from the jam session. The players on the Jam session are basically everyone who appears on the Dinah jams album as they are taken from that performance, but don't appear on her album. Again, there is a spontaneity and energy that makes these cuts shine. The studio cut of "Coronado", but it is a different take then the one used on the best coast jazz album. It sound very good and is decidedly different then the one that is on the best coast album, again worth having.

For the normal price both album are worth owning of you're a Clifford fan or fan of jazz in general for that matter. At these reduced prices, they are an outright bargain. Of course your mileage may vary, but if you do get them, please email me off the list with your opinion. Hope this helps you out.

[Kayaker]

Thanks Notinear - that was great! I will order all three in the next couple of days. Yeah the Dinah "What a Difff..." CD has the worst stereo hard left/right. I Will follow up when I get them.