🎷 AotW: CTI Various Artists: AUDIO MASTER PLUS SERIES SAMPLER: VOL 1 (SP-9-3000)

[Captain Bacardi]

Various Artists
AUDIO MASTER PLUS SERIES SAMPLER: VOL. 1
A&M SP-6-3000

Released 1983

Format: Vinyl/Cassette/CD

Produced by Creed Taylor

Songs & Musicians:

• 1. George Benson - Shape Of Things That Are And Were - 5:45
  2. Antonio Carlos Jobim - Lamento - 2:41
  3. Paul Desmond - Autumn Leaves - 3:00
  4. Wes Montgomery - Wind Song - 2:18
  5. Nat Adderley - New Orleans - 4:19
  6. Quincy Jones - Killer Joe - 5:08
  7. K. & J.J. - Israel - 5:20
  8. George Benson - Jackie, All - 2:15
  9. Wes Montgomery - California Nights - 2:35

Cover Photograph by Pete Turner
Album Design by Mike Fink

Though perhaps not generally perceived by the record-consuming public as a "jazz" label, A&M Records has since its inception pursued a firm commitment to the art form. In the mid 1960s A&M entered into partnership with legendary producer Creed Taylor to launch the CTI label. Then, in 1975, we created Horizon Records, a truly musician-oriented concern committed to making available improvised music of the highest quality, regardless of commercial possibilities. Perusing the roster of these two labels one realizes that many of the most respected artists of the past three decades have recorded for A&M.

Most of these albums have become unavailable in recent years and are now sought after by listeners and collectors alike. With this first release of nine classic albums and one sampler (to be followed closely by another ten), it is our intention to once again make available these recordings as part of the A&M Audio Master Plus Series. Issued with their original gatefold sleeves, these discs have been half-speed remastered, pressed using audiophile quality Dye Compound Vinyl, and encases in high density polyethylene inner sleeves.

On this sampler you'll find one track each from our initial offering of nine CTI LPs. In addition to the leaders of these titles, you'll find such stellar sidemen as Joe Zawinul, Hubert Laws, Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Ron Carter, Rashaan Roland Kirk, Grady Tate, Richard Tee, Joe Henderson, and many others. We hope this will serve the initiated as a reminder of these classic sounds, while providing a tempting introduction to those who missed them the first time around.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I remember when this first came out. I didn't have any of these of these albums, rxcept for the Wes Montgomery and Quincy Jones LPs. It was the first time I'd heard any of the K & JJ A&M sessions, and I was ecstatic about it. I bought Israel soon afterward when it was reissued. If I remember right, wasn't this the first time that Benson's The Shape Of Things... was released? I thought I remembered something about that. The sound of this LP was great as well. I wish they would've appled this system to some of the TJB albums and reissued them.


Capt. Bacardi
NP: Hugh Masekela - Waiting For The Rain

 

[William]

I'm pretty sure the "lost" George Benson album you're thinking of is I Got A Woman And Some Blues (3025).

Shape Of Things To Come (3014), Tell It Like It Is (3020), and The Other Side Of Abbey Road (3028) were all released circa 1969-70.

 

[Rudy]

Yes, it's I've Got A Woman.... If I'd looked it up in our own discography, I would have known.

-= N =-

 

[William]

1. The Shape Of Things That Are And Were George Benson (from 3014) 5:45
2. Lamento Antonio Carlos Jobim (from 3002) 2:41
3. Autumn Leaves Paul Desmond (from 3015) 3:00
4. Wind Song Wes Montgomery (from 3006) 2:18
5. New Orleans Nat Adderley (from 3005) 4:19
6. Killer Joe Quincy Jones (from 3023) 5:08
7. Israel K. & J.J. (from 3008) 5:20
8. Jackie All George Benson (from 3020) 2:15
9. California Nights Wes Montgomery (from 3001) 2:35

Looking at this track listing again, I think it's interesting that whoever compiled this seemed to shy away from the "lush" string sound which is commonly associated with A&M/CTi releases (and which many listeners complain about). The only tracks here with full string sections are "Lamento" and "Wind Song"; the rest feature either brass emsembles, flute choirs, or a few violas. It's also worth noting that "Lamento" is the only vocal--there's nothing here from Tamiko Jones, Richard Barbary, Milton Nascimento, George Benson (as a singer), or the female backup group that appeared on several of the records.

Plenty of trumpets, trombones and bass flutes, though...

 

[Rudy]

It's also worth noting that "Lamento" is the only vocal--there's nothing here from Tamiko Jones, Richard Barbary, Milton Nascimento, George Benson (as a singer), or the female backup group that appeared on several of the records.

Partial redemption: the Vol. 2 edition of the sampler has Milton Nascimento.

Plenty of trumpets, trombones and bass flutes, though...

We know who to thank for rescuing the bass flute from obscurity.

-= N =-

 

[Dave]

Does what you would expect a "sampler" to do and that's to make you hunger, perhaps even more for the original albums by these artists as well as the others on the short-lived A&M/CTi imprint, though by the time this came out, a number of their works had gone out-of-print...

Jobim's "Lamento" is just as unusual as a "second track" as The Soul Flutes' "Buckaroo" on ...Volume 2 will be...! The album gets off to a good start with the George Benson track and Desmond's "Autumn Leaves" mellows things out while Montgomery and Adderley keep things cooking with "Wind Song" and "New Orleans", respectively... Somehow with Quincy Jones' "Killer Joe" getting the over-exposure on his compilations is here over-represented to the point of it being too wearing while there are so many other worthy tracks Jones recorded which should have been included instead... J.J. & K.'s gruff blowing of "Israel", though at least is pretty much right on the mark... Another Benson track, "Jackie, All" lends a little bit of sentimentality to the proceedings, while Montgomery's "California Nights" finishes this off on a good, though somewhat unfinished sounding note...

A good collection, but seek out the original albums to really get a much more in-depth look and listen of what these guys are really capable of doing...



Dave

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Considering the type of jazz that Creed Taylor had done in the 60's, with all of the strings that tended to water things down a bit, this is a pretty good representative album. There are some very strong tracks here, such as "Shape Of Things That Are And Were", "Killer Joe" and "Israel", as well as a couple that weren't all that great ("Wind Song" and "New Orleans"). The sound on these Audio Master Series Plus albums is terrific. The compilation itself is a little on the short side, but it's a neat little comp. 3 & 1/2 stars.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Rudy]

This was the first AM+ LP I bought; wish I'd bought more in this reissue series when they were released. They're very true to the original tapes; in fact, they sound even better than the early CD versions of these albums that use the same tapes. Agreed about the music--I can take or leave most of these albums, but they certainly have a sonic signature to them. Still, with all the fuss about Rudy Van Gelder's studios, I find the sound on these rather muddy in a M.O.R. sort of way (made to sound good on your dad's stereo console, IOW).

 

[Rudy]

I wish they had kept going on this series on vinyl. The pressings are for the most part dead quiet (unless you get a used one that was not cared for), pressed on audiophile vinyl. Musically I am no fan of some of the CTi stuff, but there are some I feel are indispensible (Jobim's Wave, Tamba 4's We And The Sea). Fortunately a good handful did make it out in this series. I keep looking for these in the stores when I go vinyl shopping.

 

[junglero]

I first heard Jobim's Wave as part of this reissue series. (I was lucky to check it out at the library soon after they got it, so it was in excellent conditon). A&M did do a nice job with the packaging as stated above, and I, too, wish they had done more.

 

[Rudy]

The only goof they made was reissuing Wave in the wrong colors.

Part of my hesitance was that CDs were just starting to be released, and it seemed like this might have been a precursor to a similar release schedule for CD versions of these albums. Some would get released eventually but in some cases it would take years, if ever. So I held off on buying many of these titles. Now that I've shifted back to vinyl for these types of albums, I regret not having picked them up.

 

[Mr Bill]

There's definitely something special holding that 12x12(24) gatefold covewr in your hands, the smell of new vinyl as you read the notes and the disc spins on your turntable. And it's something a 5x5.5 disc package (even if it IS digipak) can't replicate. Like reading a book printed in ink on paper vice a flat electronic panel. Whoa -- is there some thread cross-polination going on here?

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I noticed that a CD copy of Herbie Mann's Glory Of Love was selling for $73, which is much too rich for a so-so album. But I did buy a few of these AM+ LPs.

 

[Rudy]

Definitely not worth $73 to me. $5 in a used bin is about all I'd ever pay.