Comments on: Not-So-Cool Struttin’

By: Rich (DG Mono)

Rich (DG Mono) — Sat, 03 May 2014 22:05:00 +0000

Still waiting for a study on the extent to which album art influences the collectibility of classic jazz albums…

By: Clifford

Clifford — Thu, 01 May 2014 16:02:36 +0000

It’s not THAT scarce, really. There seem to be several pressings in the pre-Liberty era as well as Liberty issues with leftover labels, and Liberty stereo pressings as well (I have one). I agree with some people here in that it’s good but not great. Cool cover.

By: brian

brian — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 22:46:27 +0000

Perhaps the poor review contributed to the scarcity. If it was hailed as an instant classic many more copies would be in existence as blue note would’ve kept presses running for demand.

By: Shaft

Shaft — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 09:32:16 +0000

BTW just an anecdote regarding Cool Struttin….

I’m from Sweden and was visiting Chicago and the Jazz Record Mart store some years ago. Really Heaven for me! They were playing som great Bop in the store. The song was familiar to me but I could not really place it so I had to ask the somewhat grumpy old guy clerk. He replied “cool Struttin” with a rised eyebrow – and yes of course it really was. Great choice indeed! I later asked another guy who the old guy was and it turned out to be the owner Bob Koester…that was a day to be remembered for me!

By: Shaft

Shaft — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 09:19:53 +0000

This is of course nothing to get excited about. The reviewer is “caught in time” and probably was in a hurry – listened only once or did not care much for “blowing sessions”. Who cares really? The music has stood the test of time and classics are sometimes not discovered at once.

Blue Note did generally not sell so good and as Earl so wisely remarked had it been a smash selling hit, like the sidewinder, we would have so many more copies to fight about in the used market. Would that not have been nice?!

By: alwaysanalog

alwaysanalog — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 03:22:39 +0000

While I disagree with the reviewer that Sonny Clark’s playing is subpar, this is an album I feel is average to a bit above average hard bop. But nothing really more than that. I would seek out an original pressing if it’s something I felt I would be in my heavy rotation listening, but it’s something I don’t listen to more than once every 2 or 3 years.

By: bill

bill — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 02:24:16 +0000

Downbeat reviewed 4 Sonny Clark Blue Notes in 1958. Don Gold (who was editor at the time) also gave Dial S For Sonny 3 ½ stars and said “This is a better than average, but not shockingly exciting, blowing session. “ Martin Williams gave Sonny’s Crib and Trio both 2 ½ stars and spent most of his Crib review on Coltrane. Ralph J Gleason gave Sonny Clark Trio on Time 4 stars in 1960 calling him a “first-rate player”. For the most part, the DB reviewers did not like blowing sessions. They constantly complained about the frequency of these types of releases. They did not realize they were living through a golden age. Downbeat collected all their reviews from 1956 to 1963 in 8 yearly books. You can find them occasionally on Ebay or from specialty book dealers. They make great reading. I started reading Downbeat in 1962/3 (I was very very young). The record reviews were the most important thing to me. Needless to say, I ended up with some Paul Winter but their 5 star ratings were usually good including Steve Lacy Evidence and Dexter Gordon Go. Both of these records led me down interesting paths which I am still on.

By: Joe L

Joe L — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 23:29:17 +0000

Remarkable. Times change, tastes change. I find Cool Struttin’ to be absolutely essential. But, I’m writing with tremendous hindsight and bias as a person who is actively looking for jazz sessions JUST LIKE THAT ONE. Popular music history is chock full of albums which were either panned or ignored upon release, but then, later, became regarded as classics, particularly by a different generation which looked for different things in the music than did critics at the time.

By: Eric

Eric — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 23:06:06 +0000

Wasn’t there was a bias against the so-called “blowing” sessions that Blue Note was putting out in the 50’s?

I seem to remember reading that although many are considered classics now, they were looked down on by certain critics back in the day.

By: Earl

Earl — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 20:07:17 +0000

It should be noted that Down Beat’s reviews did in fact influence buying habits – and the less an album was bought, the rarer it would be today; and therefore (given Blue Note’s present reputation and particularly an album of worth))the higher the present price.