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Fortunately within the EU, the 50 year period of copyright on material issued in and upto the 1st half of the 20th century is expiring, moving this material into the public domain.
In combination with electronic distribution, it is possible to share this culturally valuable material where it would not be commercially viable.
- it is therefore primarily intended to promote the appreciation, the preservation and aid research.

The modest intention of this blog is to allow me to highlight some of this material, to perhaps encourage others to discover and enjoy.
If it creates a valid awareness of our rights to access this material, which has often long out of print or available only in very limited numbers, then all the better.

Background

There is a strong difference in the interpretation and enforcement in different countries, particularly with recent legal cases on each side of the Atlantic highlighting these differences.
Given the aggressive push by organisations and corporations within the United States, to enforce copyright laws (globally, often to their advantage and effectively erode our rights), it is particularly interesting given the attitude of the United States to others copyright during the 18th and early 19th Centuries.

I recommend the article over at wikipedia, to get an overview of the situation, perhaps quite different than you might have thought from impressions given by the Music Industry and their lobbying organs - History of Copyright Law

"In Great Britain's North American colonies, reprinting British copyright works without permission had long happened episodically, but only became a major feature of colonial life after 1760. It became more commonplace to reprint British works in the colonies (mostly in the 13 American colonies). The impetus for this shift came from Irish and Scottish master printers and booksellers who had moved to the North American colonies in the mid 18th century.

They were already familiar with the practice of reprinting and selling British copyright works, and continued the practice in North America, and it became a major part of the North American printing and publishing trade.

Robert Bell was an example. He was originally Scottish, and had spent almost a decade in Dublin before he moved to British North America in 1768. His operations, and those of many other colonial printers and booksellers, ensured that the practice of reprinting was well-established by the time of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776. Weakened American ties to Britain coincided with the increase of reprinting outside British copyright controls.
The Irish also made a flourishing business of shipping reprints to North America in the 18th century. Ireland's ability to reprint freely ended in 1801 when Ireland's Parliament merged with Great Britain, and the Irish became subject to British copyright laws.
The printing of uncopyrighted English works for the English-language market also occurred in other European countries. The British government responded to this problem in two ways: 1) it amended its own copyright statutes in 1842, explicitly forbidding import of any foreign reprint of British copyrighted work into the UK or its colonies, and 2) it began the process of reciprocal agreements with other countries. The first reciprocal agreement was with Prussia in 1846. The US remained outside this arrangement for some decades. This was objected to by such authors as Dickens and Mark Twain."

I don't want to get into a fiery discussion regarding opinion on copyright, I'd like to discuss the actual legalities of copyright law and how they effect material now entering the public domain in some geographical areas and how this effects us, given our present communications inter-connected-ness.

Terms of Use

This space for intended to create a place for encouraging the enjoyment and awareness of older music, often long out of print or available in very limited numbers - it is therefore primarily intended to promote preservation and aid research.
Obviously depending upon your present country of residence, downloading and keeping material, in areas other than the EU may breach your country's laws regarding copyright infringement. As a specific illustration, the United States enforces copyright, some 90 years from the date of publishing, whereas copyright in the EU expires after 50 years of either performance or first publication.
I therefore ask you to exercise discretion, I must presume you are adults and part of that is exercising a little self-rule, where applicable
- do not download material if you know it is illegal to do so in your country.

This blog is based within the EU and is therefore entitled to discuss and publish material in order to further that discussion.

February 22, 2010

BN LP 5043 | Frank Foster - New Faces/New Sounds, "Here Comes Frank Foster"



Benny Powell (tb) Frank Foster (ts) Gildo Mahones (p) Percy Heath (b) Kenny Clarke (d)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, May 5, 1954

from his bio;

Born September 23, 1928 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Frank Benjamin Foster III began his long musical career at age eleven, when he took up the clarinet. Two years later he began playing alto saxophone, advancing technically to the point of performing with local dance bands at age 14. He began to compose and arrange at 15, and led his own 12-piece band while still only a senior in high school. Foster attended Wilberforce University, then left for Detroit in 1949 (with trumpeter Snooky Young) where he played with such local musicians as Wardell Gray.
Upon finishing his military service in 1953, Foster joined Count Basie's big band (replacing Eddie Lockjaw Davis) on the recommendation of Ernie Wilkins.


So after the May 5th date (Wednesday), Frank Foster also appears on BN 5044 (May 9, 1954 - Sunday), he also recorded for Prestige, (Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, May 11, 1954)(Tuesday), then Blue Note again, BN 5045 (May 12, 1954 - Wednesday) - so a busy week. Then again on BN 5053 (August 8, 1954).

On this date you get a good part of Basie's brass, with Foster and Powell - for me this is a pleasant date and perfectly enjoyable, but certainly not electrifying - but Leonard Feather found it a, "delightful set of performances" - you can judge for youeselves.

For specific tracklistings, have a look at the excellent Jazz Discography Project

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February 15, 2010

BN LP 5042 | Tal Farlow Quartet



From Cook's;

"It was an experimental period as a much as one of achievement...., there were (also) dates for guitarists John Collins (eight rejected titles), Sal Salvador and Tal Farlow."
"Van Gelder..recorded guitarist Tal Farlow leading a quartet with another guitar player, Don Arnone."


Slim pickings on the info side, but as the sleeve notes tell us - after having guested on BN 5020 & 5033 (both Gil Melle), and Howard McGhee's BN 5024 - it looks like Alfred Lion was interested enough to offer a leader date.

My favourite is Flamingo, although it is simple and uses his 'harmonies' style - I find something melancholy and poignant in it - see what you think.

For specific tracklistings, have a look at the excellent Jazz Discography Project

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February 08, 2010

BN LP 5041 | The Amazing Bud Powell, Volume 2



Bud Powell (p) George Duvivier (b) Art Taylor (d), WOR Studios, NYC, August 14, 1953

Cook's Blue Note;

After his most recent spell of wretchedness, Powell had come back to the local scene, although under a kind of supervision. He had a regular Birdland gig, and the club put him up in an apartment, in a situation which Lion characterised as 'house arrest'. The Blue Note man had to ask Oscar Goodstein, Birdland's manager, for access to Powell, and one day the pianist played Lion some new pieces;
"One piece really stood out. I asked him what he called it. He looked around the apartment and said, 'Glass Enclosure'. I knew that we had to record that...We rehearsed at Birdland in the afternoon.."
The August 1953 date for Blue Note yielded a remarkable nine titles - a mix of standards, Powell originals and Oscar Pettiford's 'Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas' (sometimes known as 'Blues in the Closet')...Powell does much that is thrilling.


For specific tracklistings, have a look at the excellent Jazz Discography Project

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February 01, 2010

BN LP 5040 | Miles Davis, Volume 3



In this one you get, Miles Davis (tp) Horace Silver (p) Percy Heath (b) Art Blakey (d), recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, March 6, 1954

There are no liner notes to go with this release and scant information from Cook's Blue Note - but as was noted earlier, this is meant to be the best of the three sessions.

For specific tracklistings, have a look at the excellent Jazz Discography Project

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