Concord Jazz

[puroagave]

There were a few notable jazz labels during the '70s that put out superb sounding records and captured many jazz greats in the twilight of their careers. India Navigation, Steeplechase, ECM, Pablo, CTI, East wind and a few others always seemed to strike the right balance between accessible music and above average recording quality, Concord Jazz was one of them. CJ was the brainchild of Carl Jefferson a jazz afficionado and car dealer who in 1972 sold his Lincoln Mercury dealership to found "the jazz label I can never find in record stores." with that said I'd like to kick-off this thread with a few favorite CJ titles, please add to my fledgling list. Here are some titles that are spun on my 'table on a regular basis:

LP
Ray Brown & Jimmy Rowles - Tasty
Ray Brown & Gene Harris - Soular Energy*
Herb Ellis & Ray Brown - Soft Shoe
LA4 - Just Friends**
Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel - Great Guitars/Straight Tracks**
Rosemary Clooney - Ballads*
Dave McKenna - No Bass Hit
Dan Barrett - Strickly Instrumental
Bill Berry - Shortcake
The Ruby Braff trio - Me, Myself & I
George Shearing & Mel Torme - An Elegant Evening
Shelly Manne - Perk up
Flip Philips - A Real Swinger
Laurindo Almeida, Charlie Byrd - Brazilian Soul
Laurindo Almeida, Charlie Byrd - Tango
Enestine Anderson - Big City
Pancho Sanchez - Sonando
Pancho Sanchez - Bien Sabroso!

SACD
Ray Brown - Live at the LOA: Summer Wind

* long OOP Japanese King Analog edition mastered on an all-tube cutting system are rare pressings but worth searching for.
**direct-to-disc mastering

 

[DaveyF]

Rob, I haven't heard my Concord Jazz LP's in a while. I will have to take them out again for a spin. I do think they are some great recordings though. I used to spin the LA4 a great deal to show off my system...not sure how I will feel about the music these days.

 

[jadis]

There were a few notable jazz labels during the '70s that put out superb sounding records and captured many jazz greats in the twilight of their careers. India Navigation, Steeplechase, ECM, Pablo, CTI, East wind and a few others always seemed to strike the right balance between accessible music and above average recording quality, Concord Jazz was one of them. CJ was the brainchild of Carl Jefferson a jazz afficionado and car dealer who in 1972 sold his Lincoln Mercury dealership to found "the jazz label I can never find in record stores." with that said I'd like to kick-off this thread with a few favorite CJ titles, please add to my fledgling list. Here are some titles that are spun on my 'table on a regular basis:

LP
Ray Brown & Jimmy Rowles - Tasty
Ray Brown & Gene Harris - Soular Energy*
Herb Ellis & Ray Brown - Soft Shoe
LA4 - Just Friends**
Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel - Great Guitars/Straight Tracks**
Rosemary Clooney - Ballads*
Dave McKenna - No Bass Hit
Dan Barrett - Strickly Instrumental
Bill Berry - Shortcake
The Ruby Braff trio - Me, Myself & I
George Shearing & Mel Torme - An Elegant Evening
Shelly Manne - Perk up
Flip Philips - A Real Swinger
Laurindo Almeida, Charlie Byrd - Brazilian Soul
Laurindo Almeida, Charlie Byrd - Tango
Enestine Anderson - Big City
Pancho Sanchez - Sonando
Pancho Sanchez - Bien Sabroso!

SACD
Ray Brown - Live at the LOA: Summer Wind

* long OOP Japanese King Analog edition mastered on an all-tube cutting system are rare pressings but worth searching for.
**direct-to-disc mastering

I love the CJ label. Just Friends D2D is on top of my list. What a pure recording. When the sax comes in, I get goosebumps all the time. Also love Tango (demo and regular), Soular Energy (have a demo copy and regular autographed cover), Heat Wave by Carmen McRae and Cal Tjader, Gene Harris Trio, and Tasty.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I love the CJ label. Just Friends D2D is on top of my list. What a pure recording. When the sax comes in, I get goosebumps all the time. Also love Tango (demo and regular), Soular Energy (have a demo copy and regular autographed cover), Heat Wave by Carmen McRae and Cal Tjader, Gene Harris Trio, and Tasty.

Funny thing is that after hearing the tapes, Concord didn't do their recordings justice with their their "house sound."

Most Concords, to my ears anyway, have this plasticy, flat and washed out sound. That's not how the tapes sound.

 

[Greg Beron / UHA]

Funny thing is that after hearing the tapes, Concord didn't do their recordings justice with their their "house sound."

Most Concords, to my ears anyway, have this plasticy, flat and washed out sound. That's not how the tapes sound.

I second that Myles, I have been fortunate enough to hear the tapes on countless occasions and I can find little to complain about, with some tracks being just awesome.

 

[puroagave]

Funny thing is that after hearing the tapes, Concord didn't do their recordings justice with their their "house sound."

Most Concords, to my ears anyway, have this plasticy, flat and washed out sound. That's not how the tapes sound.

the "plasticy" coloration are your speakers, everyone knows ML have that sound

kidding aside, who's ring do you have to kiss to hear the "tapes" and how did that come about? I have a least 4 different pressings of Soular Energy including the orig press and none of them are flat or washed out. some of the non-D2D CJ titles have that live in-studio, 1st take type of spontaneity you associate with minimally mic'd/processed recordings.

All in all I think many CJ tiles stand up with some of the best with respect to SQ. Ying Tan has reissued a few, as did classic records among others so one can assume the license isn't too hard to acquire. It would be cool to see more CJ titles reissued with the care they deserve.

 

[MylesBAstor]

the "plasticy" coloration are your speakers, everyone knows ML have that sound

kidding aside, who's ring do you have to kiss to hear the "tapes" and how did that come about? I have a least 4 different pressings of Soular Energy including the orig press and none of them are flat or washed out. some of the non-D2D CJ titles have that live in-studio, 1st take type of spontaneity you associate with minimally mic'd/processed recordings.

All in all I think many CJ tiles stand up with some of the best with respect to SQ. Ying Tan has reissued a few, as did classic records among others so one can assume the license isn't too hard to acquire. It would be cool to see more CJ titles reissued with the care they deserve.

Hardly Rob, if I've heard Concords on a dozen speakers, I've heard them on one.Then again, how do you explain Greg's comment?

Hey I like a lot of the music. The SQ, however, is a notch below the best out there in jazz.

 

[jadis]

Funny thing is that after hearing the tapes, Concord didn't do their recordings justice with their their "house sound."

Most Concords, to my ears anyway, have this plasticy, flat and washed out sound. That's not how the tapes sound.

Maybe we can say that about most LPs vs tapes. I have only heard tapes twice in my latter audio life and was astounding by the sound but never did any A/B of the same album title. So, 'hear no evil' for this guy. I doubt if I could hear tapes of say, Pigs Eye Jass Vol.2 and Mallets Melody and Mayhem by Saul Goodman, which for me stands among the very best recorded LPs in my books, and I would prepare to be bowled over if I do. Btw, some Concords were pressed on see thru translucent virgin vinyl, and some were not. Maybe the latter were 'plasticky'.

 

[Joe Whip]

I don't have the LPs but have a few Cds and my favorites are the Mel Torme and George Shearing discs. My particular favorite is An Evening at Charlie's. While the soundstage isn't particularly wide, the sound is very good, capturing Mel's voice beautifully. I can't comment on the tapes as I have never heard them. Perhaps some day, perfect copies will be made available, somehow, someway.

 

[jazdoc]

It's funny, I've never been a big fan of "Soular Energy"...another hit to my audiophile cred.

My favorites are:
Flip Phillips "A Real Swinger". Flip was a highly underrated player. Concord help revive his career late in life. I love the sound of his bass clarinet.

Jimmy Rowles & Ray Brown "Tasty". Brown's bass is very well recorded and the music is more interesting to me than on "Soular Energy"

Gene Harris "Live at St. Chapelle Winery" is a much listened to CD. I don't think it was ever release on vinyl

I'd love to hear the tapes someday.

 

[jap]

Probably have over 100 CJ LPS & CDs.

Here's a few of my favorites:

Ernestine Anderson- Live Concord to London
Stephane Grappelli – At the Winery
Emily Remler- East to West
Monty Alexander – Overseas Special
The Ed Bickert 5 – At Toronto’s Bourbon Street
Ray Brown Trio – Live at Concord Jazz Festival -1979
Great Guitars – At the Winery
Great Guitars – At Charlie’s Georgetown (saw them perform there with Emily Remler)