Gene Shaw - Carnival Sketches [original stereo+mono vinyls]

Gene Shaw - Carnival Sketches - Argo LP 743 - Argo original pressing, Stereo, Blue Label

Side A - 'Carnival Sketches Suite' -

Gene Shaw - Trumpet
Charles Stepnay - Vibes
Roland Faulkner - Guitar
Richard Evans - Bass
Marshall Thompson - Drums
Benny Cooke - Conga Drum

Side B -

Gene Shaw - Trumpet
Kenny Soderblom - Flute & Bass Flute
Ed Higgins - Piano
Richard Evans - Bass
Vernell Fournier - Drums
Marshall Thompson - Drums

Composed and Arranged by Richard Evans

Recorded - May 11 & July 17, 1964, Ter Mar Recording Studio, Chicago

Supervision - Esmond Edwards
Engineer - Ron Malo
Cover - Don Bronstein

Released - February 15, 1965

UPDATE 22/05/10 - Just recently acquired a near mint tan promotional mono copy of this side - provided it here as well if you're interested in comparing the stereo and mono mixes.

I hope I'm not stepping on anybody's toes here, but I figure any credible Argo/Cadet Classic series really has to include this beautiful and seminal side by Argo legend Gene Shaw! First posted and circulated by one of this blog's true inspirations and blogfather OIR, I became quite attached to this side and long sought to acquire the original vinyl as I really wanted to hear the side as it was first intended to be heard when it was first released in 1965 Now I finally have that opportunity with the original deep groove stereo vinyl... beautiful!

This side is historically important and crucially representative of the 'Argo Sound' for a number of reasons. First it's Shaw's third and final side on the label and and incidentally his very last recording before his early death in 1973. Shaw's technical proficiency, deep melodic sensibilities and soulful tone is rather unique and he deserves to be celebrated and remembered as a great jazzman par excellence. But Shaw is only partly responsible for this album's historical importance as this side is a true collaboration with Producer Esmond Edwards and Composer/Arranger Richard Evans. The original genesis of the project lay with Edwards, Chess' Jazz A&R man from 1962-1967 who essentially ran Argo/Cadet on his own with little interference from the Chess Brothers. Edwards commissioned Evans, his successor as Chess Jazz A&R man in 1967, who then did a wonderful job with the conceptualization of the project - writing all but one of the album's sides and arranging everything as well.

This is of course is an Argo/Cadet rarity,as it never received a subsequent domestic Cadet repressing, only ever appeared briefly as a Japan only CD which bacoso of OIR did yeoman's work in circulating a copy in blogland for all these years. But a nice rip from the original booming stereo vinyl is nice to have as well... the CD to my ears sounded thin. To replicate closely as possible the original listening experience from 1965, I decided to keep all of side A intact as the 'The Carnival Sketches Suite' as side A on the vinyl essentially plays continuously , as it was originally intended to be heard as one uninterrupted suite composition. The liner notes by Don Demicheal are also quite wonderful and worth a read.

Get it in Stereo or Mono