Kenny Cox
Introducing K. C. & the Contemporary Jazz Quintet (Blue Note)
Multidirection (Kenny Cox)

Kenny Cox has to be one of the more obscure musicians to record for Blue Note. The label was past its prime -- the late 1960s after original owner Alfred Lion sold the label -- and Cox has slipped into obscurity, if he ever escaped from it in the first place. I don't know much about Cox -- I couldn't even tell you what instrument he plays -- other than the fact that he hails from Motown, a fertile source of jazz musicians. I think Cox stayed in Detroit and that probably is the reason he remains obscure. A CD of both LPs would made for a great two-fer reissue, but someone would have to license the titles because I don't think the payoff would be enough incentive for Blue Note to bother to reissue the LPs.

Stanley Cowell:
Waiting for the Moment (Galaxy)
Talkin’ Bout Love (Galaxy)
New World (Galaxy)
Equipoise (Galaxy)

Stanley Cowell is an excellent pianist and little, if any, of the work he recorded on the Galaxy label has made it to CD. For whatever reason, the people running the Fantasy/OJC empire, which owns the Galaxy label, neglected titles on Galaxy. Lots of good stuff by people like Red Garland and Johnny Griffin, among others, never saw the light of day on CD. Lets hope Fantasy's new owners, the Concord label opened by Norman Lear of all people, treat the Galaxy label better than their predecessors.

Ted Curson:
Jubilant Power (Inner City)
The Trio (Interplay/1/3/79)
Ted Curson Quintet "Live at La Tete de L'Art" (1962).

The Inner City was long gone by the time I caught the jazz jones, but from what I understand it was primarily a reissue label active in the 1970s that issued titles from Japanese labels -- Eastwind was one of them I think -- and Steeplechase titles.

Interplay, as far as I know, is or was a Japanese label.

I don't know the label of the third title, though I suppose I could check it out on the on-line "All Music Guide."

Albert Dailey:
Textures (Muse)
The Day After the Dawn (Col.) (some elec. Piano/synth.)


Ah. Albert Dailey. Another one of the many jazz musicians whose off-the-bandstand lifestyle wrecked his life and career. I have never read this anywhere, but James Williams, the late jazz pianist, once told me that Coltrane offered Dailey a spot in his legendary quartet before McCoy Tyner joined. Stan Getz was a big fan of Dailey's as well.

The two discs on my want-to-by list are on Muse and Columbia (now CBS/Sony). Muse has been discussed and many titles have never been reissued on CD. Dailey recorded a one-off for Columbia in the 1970s during the decade of fusion, which is why he played electric piano and synthesizer on at least some of the cuts. I think the only way the Columbia title will get reissued is if someone licenses the masters from them.

Dameronia: Look, Stop, Listen (Uptown)

I am kind of surprised this one has remained unissued on CD, but this was band that trumpeter Don Sickler had some sort of involvement with. Philly Joe Jones also may have been involved with this band.

Richard Davis:
Dealin’ (Muse)
With Understanding (Muse)
As One w/ J. McManus (Muse)
Harvest (Muse)
Way Out West (Muse)
Essence (Galaxy)
Fancy Free (Galaxy)

The usual suspects: Muse and Galaxy. Neither label has been well served in the CD era. Davis was a first-call bassist, but opted out of the vicissitudes of the performing life for the safety of academia. He has been teaching for decades at the University of Wisconsin so he hasn't performed or recorded as prolifically as he used to.

I did see him live once a decade or so ago as part of the rhythm section backing Archie Shepp. The gig was part of that jazz fest Michael Dorf used to run that competed with the banal -- and mainstream -- JVC jazz fest. The idea was to put together the Prestige label's rhythm section of Jaki Byard, Davis and drummer Alan Dawson. Unfortunately, Dawson was too ill to perform.

Lou Donaldson: Cole Slaw (Argo)

Tenor saxist Donaldson is mostly associated with the Blue Note label, but he must have left the label at one point to record for the Chicago-based Argo, a subsidiary of Chess Records set up to record jazz.

Somehow, Chess and its Argo (and Cadet) subsidiary ended up in the holdings of Vivendi/Universal, which also includes the Impulse & Verve catalogs. No matter who has owned Argo, it hasn't been well-served in the CD era. There have been a number of different reissue programs, but they all kind of peter out.

Kenny Drew: For Sure! (Xanadu)

Lots of Xanadu LPs did get released on CD in various reissue programs. However, as far as I know, this one slipped through the cracks.

Paquito D’Rivera:
Blowin’ (CBS/’81)
Mariel (CBS/’82)
Live at Keystone Korner (CBS/’83)

When D'Rivera fled Cuba Columbia signed the former Irakere saxist to a record deal and he recorded prolifically for them in the 1980s. Several of his titles never did make to to compact disc.

Keno Duke:
Crest of the Wave (Trident/’74)
Sense of Values (Strata East/‘75)

Ah, a real obscurity here. I don't know much about Duke at all. I don't know if I've ever heard him play, but I think he may have been a drummer. I know Harold Mabern, one of my favorite pianists, gigged with him back in the day, which was well before my time. Trident is a label I don't know much about, but not much has been issued on CD.

Strata East was a real interesting label because it was musician owned, specifically by pianist Stanley Cowell and trumpeter Charles Tolliver. Many Strata East titles have been reissued on CD, but to my knowledge the Keno Duke title has not.

Eastern Rebellion 4: (Timeless/SJP 184) 1983

As far as I know this hard bop outfit led by pianist Cedar Walton never made it to CD. I'm not even sure if this LP even exists.

Mark Elf: The Trio Vol. 1 (Half Note/’86)

Elf is a finger poppin'guitarist who has been releasing CDs on his own Jen Bay label. I don't know if the Half Note LP ever made it to CD, but do know it is out of print. This label is different from the current Half Note label owned by the people who run the Blue Note jazz clubs.

Bobby Enriquez:
Wildman (GNP Crescento/’80)
Espana (GNP/’82) (w/ Japanese singer)
Live at Concerts by the Sea Vol. 1 (GNP/’83)
Live at Concerts by the Sea Vol. 2 (GNP/’83)
Wildman Meets the Madman (GNP/’81) (w/ Richie Cole)
A Touch of Genius (RJ1990) (listed in AMG)
The Incredible Jazz Piano (GNP 1990)
Bobby Enriquez Plays Bossa Nova (GNP 1990)

The late Bobby Enriquez has fallen into complete obscurity. I don't know much about the pianist called "The Wildman of Mindanao," but I did get a chance to see him perform once at the late, lamented Fat Tuesday's jazz club when he was gigging with alto player Richie Cole.

Very little of Enriquez' output has made it to CD and he passed away in the 1990s, leaving a big family behind. An oddity is that Enriquez was a Phillipino jazz musician.

It seemed he recorded for GNP prolifically back in the day, but little of his output was reissued on CD.

Check out "Wild Piano" CBS RK 44160 Recorded and released in 1987 on CD. The Players:
Bobby Enriquez - Piano;
Eddie Gomez - Bass;
Al Foster - Drums

The Tunes:
All Blues
September Song
Classical Gas
Gee Baby Ain't I Good For You
'Round Midnight
Four In One
Panannica
Cherokee.

Its a great album. I bought it right after hearing Bobby with Richie Cole in a small club in LA. The fool anouncer called Bobby the "Jap Piano Player" This set off one of the hottest sets I have ever heard!

I think I own that Enriquez CD, though I haven't played it in years. I've gotta give it another spin.

Meanwhile I'd like to see this one reissued on CD:

Richard Evans: Richard’s Almanac (Argo) (Jack Wilson as sideman)

I have no idea who Richard Evans is, though it is another one from Argo that didn't make it to compact disc. Jack wilson, an underrated and relatively unknown jazz pianist who recorded as a leader for Blue Note and Atlantic, makes a guest appearance on the LP.

Art Farmer: The Many Faces of Art Farmer (Scepter 521) (’64 w/ Charles McPherson)

I don't know anything about this LP nor about th Scepter label. I don't even know where I heard of this LP, but may have seen in when I was looking through jazz LPs in Paris. Farmer used McPherson on this one when McPherson was in the inchoate stage of his jazz career.