Gerry Mulligan And The Concert Jazz Band At The Village Vanguard (Half-speed Mastering)
Gerry Mulligan - baritone saxophone (all tracks), piano (B3) [click here to see more vinyl featuring Gerry Mulligan]
Don Ferrara, Clark Terry, Nick Travis - trumpet
Willie Dennis - trombone
Alan Raph - bass trombone
Bob Brookmeyer - valve trombone
Bob Donovan - alto saxophone
Gene Quill - alto saxophone, clarinet
Jim Reider - tenor saxophone
Gene Allen - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
Bill Crow - bass
Mel Lewis – drums
Art Farmer (A1), Johnny Green (A2), Frank Eyton (A2), Edward Heyman (A2), Robert Sour (A2)
Written by Johnny Mandel (A3), Harold Arlen (B1), Johnny Mercer (B1), Al Cohn (B2), Gerry Mulligan (B3)
1 LP, standard sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Half-speed Mastering
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Live
Record Press : Victor Company Of Japan
Label : MOFI
Original Label : Verve
Recorded December 11, 1960 at the Village Vanguard, NYC
Liner notes by Nat Hentoff
Originally released in 1961
Reissued in 1981
Tracks:
Side A:
- Blueport
- Body And Soul
- Black Nightgown
Side B:
- Come Rain Or Come Shine
- Lady Chatterly's Mother
- Let My People Be
Reviews :
“Of all the recordings made by Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band in the 1960s, this is the definitive one. There are many high points, including "Body and Soul" (which has fine solos from the baritone/leader and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer), "Come Rain or Come Shine," and the swinging "Let My People Be," but "Blueport" takes honors. On the latter, after hot solos by Mulligan, trombonist Willie Dennis, and Jim Reider on tenor, Mulligan and trumpeter Clark Terry have a lengthy trade-off that is quite hilarious with a countless number of quotes from different songs; at one point they trade off cities. This music is essential.” AllMusic by Review by Scott Yanow
“Anyone who's ever complained that so-called "cool jazz" artists don't know how to swing should check out this one from Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band. The 13-piece group was sure swinging hard one Sunday afternoon at the Village Vanguard in December 1960.
What sets this ensemble apart isn't so much the compositions (though they're a fine mix of standards and originals) or even the star quality of the soloists (though Mulligan, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer and others provide some memorable solo moments). The key is the cohesiveness of the band as a unit and the crisp, tight arrangements and orchestrations by Mulligan, Brookmeyer and Al Cohn. The bouncy, vibrant tone and sheer big band power on up-tempo numbers like Johnny Mandel's "Black Nightgown" and Cohn's "Lady Chatterly's Mother" evoke, perhaps oddly, the great Basie bands. Mulligan even takes an impressive turn at the piano to lead the group through the Basie-esque "Let My People Be". And familar ballads, like "Body and Soul" and "Come Rain or Come Shine", are given fresh treatments that evoke moods of tenderness and romance without being syrupy. Mulligan was no avant gardist, but he knew how to push the limits while working within a straight-ahead context, and he knew how to make a band swing.” Joel Roberts, All About Jazz, November 2002
Half-speed mastering
In half-speed mastering, the whole mastering process is slowed down to half of the original speed. A typical 33 1/3 rpm record is cut at 16 2/3 rpm. The source material is also slowed down (reducing the pitch in the process) meaning the final record will still sound normal when played back. Slowing the whole process down allows more time, which means the end result sounds better and is more efficient — allowing engineering to minimize the effects of inherent limitations within the vinyl format. The result is a more accurate and more open high-frequency response in the half speed vinyl when compared with a normal speed recording.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 5 / 5 , Discogs : 4,85 / 5