Kohji Matsubayashi (松林弘治)

Max Roach a la carte

Last night I picked up two LP albums by Max Roach and put ’em on my turntable to pray R.I.P.

昨晩はマックス・ローチへの追悼の意味で 2枚の LP を聴きました。

 

Both albums recorded in the 1970s, both released only in Japan, both not so popular as Roach’s other masterpieces, and both not his best albums ever. But they have given me very interesting insights of the percussion artistry of how Max Roach can “sing” with the drums.

ともに 1970年代録音で、ともに日本のみのリリースだったものです。どちらの盤もマックス・ローチの幾多の名盤群に比べると有名な盤ではなく、最高傑作というわけでもありません。けれども私には、どちらのアルバムも初めて聴いた時から非常に興味深く感じられたものです。偉大なるパーカッショニスト、マックス・ローチのドラミングが文字通り「歌っている」、そのことがシンプルなフォーマットでここまで現れている盤は他にないようにすら思えます。

 
[Max Roach on Drums]
Max Roach in 1954
(taken from the back cover of EmArcy MG-36036 “Clifford Brown and Max Roach”)
 
[Max Roach on Drums]
Max Roach in 2002
(taken from the back cover of Eighty-Eights VRJL-7005 “Friendship”)
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Kohji Matsubayashi (松林弘治)

METROLITE? MERCO PLASTIC? SAV-O-FLEX?

ABSTRACT: does anyone know what “Metrolite” (on MGM label), “Merco Plastic” (on Mercury label) or “SAV-O-FLEX” (on Savoy label) actually mean? What are these “non-breakable under normal use” 78rpms actually made of? Do you know other phrases for such non-breakable 78rpms on other labels? If you know such information, let me know.

ひとつ前のエントリへのコメント で話題になったもの。SP 末期の 1940年代末から1950年代前半にプレスされた盤でたまに見かけることのある、従来のシェラック盤よりは割れにくいとされる盤の表記についてです。

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Kohji Matsubayashi (松林弘治)

After the ball, after the fascination…

[Fourteen 78rpms arrived yesterday]

この前の日曜日までの二週間は、毎晩 全仏オープン のテレビ観戦に大忙し (おかげで贔屓にしている ラファは無事三連覇達成。めでたしめでたし)。次の ウィンブルドン が始まるまでの二週間、やっと音楽を聴く時間がとれそうです。

Until last Sunday for two weeks, I was very busy watching Roland Garros matches on TV every night – and one of my favourite players Rafael Nadal has won three straight crowns against the best tennis player in the history Roger Federer which was a great news for me. The next big tournament, The Championships (Wimbledon) will start on 25th of June, and until then I think I can have time to enjoy listening vinyls, CDs and 78rpms after many days of absence.

それにあわせるかの様に、海外から SP が到着。今回も一部を除いて 1枚あたり 5ドル程度で購入。玉石混合ですが、しばらくはいろいろ楽しめそうです。

And it’s a good timing that I received a large parcel yesterday night, containing as many as fourteen 78rpms from the US. Each costed only five bucks with a few exceptions. They might be a mixture of the wheat and the chaff, but anyway I think I will enjoy listening to every 78rpm for a while.

Kohji Matsubayashi (松林弘治)

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes / Carl Perkins

自らの不注意で SP盤を割ってしまい かなり凹んでおりますが、こちらは無事に残った1枚。同じ Savoy レーベルですが、 LP でもお馴染みの音符があしらわれたデザインのものです。 やはり 前回のレーベルデザイン の方が圧倒的にいいですね。

Just four hours after I published the previous article, the 78rpm was broken into pieces due to my carelessness – I was totally depressed. Anyway this is what could avoid the accident. It’s also on Savoy label, but the label design is different. I prefer the early design rather than this simple “note logo” design (which is also familiar on LP issues).

[Savoy 730 Side-A]      [Savoy 730 Side-B]

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes c/w I’ll Never Smile Again / Carl Perkins
(Savoy [US] 730)
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Kohji Matsubayashi (松林弘治)

Rampage / Allan Eager

本盤の内容に関わらず (もちろん内容も素晴らしいのですが)、このステキなレーベルデザインだけでグッときてしまいます。

So what a fastinating and swinging label design this is (of course the musical content is also superb).

[Savoy 611 Side-A]      [Savoy 611 Side-B]

Rampage c/w Booby Hatch / Allan Eager
(Savoy [US] 611)
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