I just made the connection that Rudy only worked with Blue Note. + Grant never played an L-5.
I found the photo, here's what it says about it:
"L to R: Ira Gitler, unidentified, Red Rodney, Robert Levin, Ira Sullivan.
From a Red Rodney recording session for the Signal label at Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack, NJ studio. The photo is by Don Schlitten."
Those Hackensack photos are always cool because you can see the domestic set-up of what was basically Rudy's Parent's front room. There's shots where you can spy a lamp or the arm of a sofa behind some hot-wired hard-bopper. The Englewood Cliffs room in the Wes and Creed shot was built to spec. Basically a jazz 'church' that Rudy built in the back garden. What a room!
Last edited by Sidewinder (2016-09-16 03:12:45)
Yeah, there is one picture where you can see MIles Davis and Rudys parents TV in the background, must find that one.
Last edited by Sidewinder (2016-09-16 03:33:25)
Glimpse of lace...
Anyone interested in Rudy should check out the Blue Note biography by Richard Cook and the RVG interview by Ben Sidran from the 80s... The best-sounding RVG dates besides Blue Note are definitely the Impulse! recordings from the 60s... he built his studio in Englewood around that time... his "studio" prior to that was his parents' living room (although it did have a glass booth built in!)... As far as the Prestige vs. BN sound, RVG has said that it was mainly the producers, not so much rehearsals or anything like that... Alfred Lion was always in the studio and had very specific ideas about what he wanted the sound to be, and RVG found ways to get that sound... Prestige didn't care at all, they just wanted to make money...
A common thought, and one I agree with, is that RVG's piano sound, at least for BN, is sh*t... always sounds so dead... I love Riverside for a piano sound... but damn could the man mic drums!
RIP RVG
Last edited by Berkeley_Breathes (2016-09-16 07:39:36)
Last edited by Yuca (2016-09-16 07:52:04)
Last edited by Yuca (2016-09-16 10:57:10)
I agree about the RVG remasters... And imo you don't notice the RVG piano unless it's up against something more vibrant... but even the guys recording with him commented on it...
Interestingly, a recent interview with George Coleman includes him saying there wasn't much rehearsal for the "Maiden Voyage" sessions, which meant the band couldn't really absorb the Hancock compositions as much as GC would have liked... But then GC has some old beef with that rhythm section, so who knows if that's the whole truth...
Last edited by Tomiskinky (2016-09-21 06:09:52)
It reminds me of a particular photo of Paul in a blue button-down lounging around. Really captured the magic of it all.
Last edited by Berkeley_Breathes (2016-09-21 21:24:22)
Thats one of the most swinging collars ive seen..look where the second button is!!! INSANITY
Spot on, Berk.