Previously blogged under title “Bad News Blues” Fantasy records Seventies reissue, now upgraded to the real thing, Roy Haynes Cracklin’ on Prestige New Jazz.
Selection: Scoochie (Booker Ervin)
Artists
Booker Ervin (ts) Ronnie Mathews (p) Larry Ridley (b) Roy Haynes (d) recorded Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, April 6, 1963
Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his “I have a dream” speech; the must-have home accessory the Lava Lamp is launched; The Beatles release their first album Please Please Me; President John F Kennedy is assassinated.
Roy Haynes Discography: We Three (1958); Just Us (1960); Out Of The Afternoon (1962); Cracklin’ (1963); Cymbalism (1963); People (1964)
Booker Ervin Discography:The Book Cooks (1960): Cookin'(1960); That’s It! (1961)Exultation! (1963);The Freedom Book (1963); The Song Book (1963) Gumbo (1963); The Blues Book (1964); The Space Book (1964); Groovin’ High (1965); The Trance (1965); Heavy (1966) Structurally Sound (1966) The In-Between (1968)
Music
After several thumbs down on the Pony Poindexter/ Booker Ervin Gumbo outing, admittedly slim pickings on the Ervin front, a slice of booker Ervin at his best, teamed with Mr snap crackle Roy Haynes at his best, on one of the best modal jazz albums ever made. Sadly, Booker Ervin never saw his fortieth birthday, taken by kidney didease in 1970. Some consider Ervin Coltrane-lite, but he feels just the right weight to me.
Vinyl: NJLP 8286 US original release, VAN GELDER mono, vinyl 127 gm
Surprisingly light vinyl for 1963, at only 127 gm. Blue Notes at this time average 165gm. An element of recycled vinyl, which illustrates the cost-cutting competition among New York pressing plants to secure work from independent labels like those of Bob Weinstock. Or perhaps, like recent scandals over beef adulterated with horse-meat, no-one in charge knew at the time that vinylite was being cut with recycled vinyl to reduce pressing costs, otherwise it would have been a more widespread practice than it was, which it wasn’t as far as jazz 12″ LPs go.
Collectors Corner
Source: Ebay Location: US
Sellers Description
ROY HAYNES cracklin’ LP with BOOKER ERVIN original mono NEW JAZZ 8286 dg RVG NM+
RECORD: NEAR MINT+ (NM+) A nearly perfect record. The record should show no obvious signs of wear. May have minor / light hairlines or signs that it has been taken out of the sleeve. – Vinyl Looks amazing!
JACKET: HAS SOME MINOR CORNER WEAR TO COVER, WITH SOME DISCOLORATION TO SHRINK AT BOTTOM LEFT CORNER THAT HAS GONE THROUGH TO THE COVER ONLY A LITTLE, AND CAN PROBABLY BE CLEANED PRETTY EASLLY, BUT WOULD REQUIRE TAKING THE COVER OUT OF THE SHRINK, AND I DIDN’T WANT TO REMOVE IT FROM THE COVER FILM. COVER REALLY IS IN FANTASTIC CONDITION
What was not mentioned: Like a proportion of New Jazz releases, has an element of recycled vinyl, yielding a low-level background surface noise. On the average record player of its day, never going to be noticeable, on a modern hifi, yes, its there, though feint. Some times it goes with the territory.
I waited a long time for this record to come along – about a year, with one copy sent packing back to America due to being inflated by about two grades, tragically I think it was not a recycled vinyl batch, but came with triple-scratches and bonus needlesticks, vinyl from hell. Then came the iffy Fantasy reissue, and several auctions lost to XXL bidders. At last it has found a good home. The shrink was splitting away so I put it out of its misery: its done its job to protect the cover from fifty years of wear and tear. Now the cover can come out in its full laminated glory. I think this one’s a keeper.
LondonJazzCollector 
Your perseverance has paid off! It is remarkeable that in the end everything can be found and had on EBay. Congratulations with this valuable addition to your collection..
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Very cool my friend. I don’t know this one, only “Out Of the Afternoon” on CD–had it forever–outbid on vinyl copy several times. This is a keeper for sure.
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