If you’re looking for the best way to hear the music Duke Ellington
recorded on RCA 1927-32 and 1940-45, including the famous sides by the ‘Blanton
Webster’ edition of the band, outside of the original 78 rpm issues, look out for six volumes of double LPs on the
‘Black and White Jazz Tribune’ label out of France (and that’s the original
vinyl issues, not the compact disc versions).
Why are they the best? Because they’re the only ones issued from extant
original metal parts and shellac master pressings. Representatives from RCA
France went in and rescued these originals days before RCA USA had the building
razed to the ground! Here’s a part of an article by writer Bill Holland.
"The most spectacular case of wholesale
vault trashing is the decision by RCA in the early '60s to demolish its
warehouse in Camden, N.J. The warehouse, according to collectors and industry
veterans, held four floors of catalogue product, pre-tape-era material ranging
from metal parts, acetates, shellac disc masters and alternate takes to test
pressings, master matrix books and session rehearsal recordings.
"Several days before the demolition,
officials from French RCA gained permission to go through the building and
withdraw whatever material they could carry for their vinyl "Black and
White" jazz reissue series. A few American collectors were also allowed in
the building to salvage any items they could carry out.
"A few days later. as dozens of RCA officials and
collectors stood on a nearby Delaware Bridge, demolition
experts ignited the dynamite charges. Eyewitnesses said
they saw "clouds of debris, black and metal chunks
flying out the windows" of the collapsing building.
The building wreckage was then bulldozed
into the Delaware River. A pier was built on top of the detritus."
To read the whole essay, go here.
No comments:
Post a Comment