At last the legendary Vee Jay recordings are being released on CD with the best possible sound. During recent years these classic jazz albums have appeared on CD in different countries, in compilations that mixed mono and stereo masters, with errors in the titles and a variable sound. Now, this present edition has been carefully chosen from the best sources, and each track has been digitally remastered in 24-Bit high resolution. These CDs represent a real treasure for jazz fans all over the world, and we feel certain that they will enjoy them.
Tracklist
Total time: 66:00 min.
01. Blues a La Carte (Wayne Shorter) 5:35
02. Harry's Last Stand (Wayne Shorter) 4:40
03. Down in the Depths (Wayne Shorter) 9:42
04. Pug Nose (Wayne Shorter) 6:50
05. Black Diamond (Wayne Shorter) 6:00
06. Mack the Knife (Blitzstein-Weill) 4:28
07. Blues a La Carte (Wayne Shorter) 5:43 *
08. Harry's Last Stand (Wayne Shorter) 4:59 *
09. Down in the Depths (Wayne Shorter) 10:19 *
10. Black Diamond (Wayne Shorter) 7:43 *
Album details
Tracks #1-6 originally issued as Vee Jay album SR 3006
Tracks #7-10 are alternate takes (*)
Personnel:
Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums).
Recorded at Bell Sound Studios, New York City, November 10, 1959
Liner notes by Barbara J. Gardner
Original recordings supervised by Sid McCoy
This release compiled & reissued by Jordi Pujol
Stereo · 24-Bit High Resolution Remastering
Blue Moon Producciones Discograficas, S.L.
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Note: For the first time on CD, these Vee Jay recordings appears as they were originally recorded and the master takes released in Stereo. Japanese previous CD (Fun House) contains the following mistakes:
* "Blues a la Carte" is actually the alternate take of "Harry's Last Stand"
* "Harry's Last Stand" is actually the master take of "Blues a la Carte"
* "Down in the Depths" is the alternate take of the same tune
* "Black Diamond" is the alternate take of the same tune
Press reviews
"Also known as Blues A La Carte, this Vee Jay disc has tenor-saxophonist Wayne Shorter's first session as a leader and it shows that, even at this early stage, Shorter was far along toward developing his own sound. Teamed up with trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb, the six selections (five of which are Shorter originals) capture the young tenor shortly after he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. The music is essentially hard bop and, although none of these Shorter tunes caught on, the music is quite enjoyable. A special treat is the one standard of the date, a swinging version of "Mack The Knife."
—Scott Yanow (All Music Guide)
