Thursday, October 7, 2010

A miracle: "Stonebone" available on Ebay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/J-K-Stonebone-A-M-KING-330-J-J-Johnson-Kai-Winding-/280571177769?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item4153586b29

Considered by CTI expert Doug Payne as "the holy grail of CTI albums," it's available on Ebay.
The seller says his copy has no OBI, though. Anyway, a miracle. A very expensive one.

J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding: "Stonebone" (A&M/CTI) 1970

One of the rarest albums in the CTI history. The last LP of Creed Taylor's association with the A&M label. Never released outside Japan. Never reissued on CD not even in Asia.
Also the last collaboration between the genius Pete Turner (my favorite photographer in the world) and Sam Antupit (the album designer during the A&M/CTI era).
Excellent liner notes by the master Ira Gitler, the top jazz historian along with the late Leonard Feather.
Two intriguing J.J.Johnson's tunes - "Musing" and "Mojo" - plus an extended funky version of Rudy Stevenson's "Dontcha Hear Me Callin' To Ya?" and a typical Joe Zawinul fusion theme, "Recollections" (Kai Winding quotes the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" during his inspired solo). Bob James, who plays celeste on the track, arranged "Recollections"; all others were scored by J.J. Johnson.
Featuring: George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Ron Carter, Grady Tate and Ross Tompkins. Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder.

For more infos and pics:
http://jazzstation-oblogdearnaldodesouteiros.blogspot.com/2008/12/vinyl-of-day-j-stonebone.html

3 comments:

Alain Manuel said...

Hello Arnaldo,
It is very expensive indeed. It is a pity the record companies always release the same titles over and over again and never release these very rare albums, which are so difficult to get hold of.

I would like to introduce my new site at "Netvibes" to you. It is dedicated to the ... label

Alain

http://www.netvibes.com/manuelalain#CTI_Fan_on_Netvibes

Arnaldo DeSouteiro said...

The "reissue programs" of the A&M/CTI catalog has always been ridiculous, to say the least. Even in Japan! Gems like "Stonobone" would sell 5,000 copies easily. I'm tired of having suggested Universal K.K. (aka Universal Japan) so many times to reissue it, as well as another J.J. Johnson/Kai Winding' masterpiece, "Betwixt & Between," and other A&M/CTI albums that remain unreleased on CD format such as the ones by Tamiko Jones (who has a BIG Japanese following), Richard Barbary, Artie Butler and Soul Flutes. Not to mention the two Nat Adderley sessions that have been out of print for a long time.
Before A&M was sold to Universal, their catalog was distributed in Japan by Pony Canyon in the 80s and they used to do a better job...

Michel said...

It started as a 'Buy It Now' at 10000$, second time 5000$ then lowered till 2000$.
Now it was offered with a startbid of 555$,there was no real interest except the last hour..... sold for 'only' 555$
I'll hope I will never regret not buying the album.
If you got a stonebone, please contact me ;-)