CTI

i got a small haul of kudu vinyl yesterday for like $20 ... all four grover albums in unperson's link + a hank crawford

i really like the self-titled Joe Farrell Quartet album

I knew about Red Clay for years, but didn’t know about CTI as a label with a house sound until recently, when I bought an LP of Freddie Hubbard Sky Dive based on the cheap price and personnel on the front. It kind of blew me away.

I’ve since bought Rite of Spring, First Light, and White Rabbit and like them all. I understand about complaints of smoothness, etc., but they’re fun, jammy jazz that isn’t $20+ per record.

oh hell yeah! there are lots of good (and plenty of dud) CTI records. Basically up til they go disco they're mostly pretty good, and if someone ever released alternate takes sans the Sebesky string arrangements you could have an argument for some truly great sessions by the biggest players in the bop game at the time.

A bunch of CTI albums have been reissued as 2CD sets by the Beat Goes On label in the UK. I have two sets (six albums total) by Stanley Turrentine, one by Freddie Hubbard (Red Clay, Straight Life, and First Light) and one by Milt Jackson (Sunflower and Goodbye). They've also bundled several Hubert Laws albums, and some by Jim Hall and other folks, but I don't have any of those.

Sunflower is one of the ones where the string arrangements really complete the album. Great record with ace playing by Hubbard in particular. I've never heard Goodbye.

Ok, now I am totally obsessed. I’ve gotten Freddie Hubbard - Straight Life, Grover Washington, Jr. - Mr. Magic and have three more on the way.

It’s perfect music to play while cooking on a summer evening. Bouncy and groovy, uplifting in that it makes me feel good.

Thanks again to those upthread for all the recommendations!

Johnny Hammond's 'Higher Ground' on Kudu is doing it for me right now. Killer lineup: Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Jack Dejohnette and more. Super grooves.