Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Keno Duke Jazz Contemporaries - Sense of Values (24/48 vinyl rip)

As you will see in the comments, there was a request for a re-up and I decided to try a 24/48 re-rip. The last time I re-ripped this to 16/48 there was unquestionably a significant improvement in the depth and clarity - this time the improvement is more subtle - if you listen carefully to the cymbals for example you will hear a little more evidence of the actual note the cymbal is tuned to. I had to listen carefully and frankly I'm not entirely convinced that the degree of improvement is worth doubling the file size, but in the end I do believe it is slightly audibly better.

Keno Duke Jazz Contemporaries - Sense of Values

Strata East, 1974, Vinyl LP rip

A1 Sense Of Values 4:47
Written-By – K. Duke*
A2 Mirage 9:25
Arranged By – F. Strozier* Written-By – L. Slessinger*
A3 Tibiron 5:46
Written-By – F. Strozier*
B1 Too Late, Fall Back Baby 6:55
Written-By – H. Mabern*
B2 D.R.T. 8:15
Written-By – F. Strozier*
B3 Bajan-Bajan 6:05
Written-By – K. Duke*

Drums – Keno Duke, Flute, Alto Saxophone – Frank Strozier, Piano – Harold Mabern, Tenor Saxophone – George Coleman, Bass – Lisle Atkinson, Painting [Cover] – Roland Bloch

I don't think it would be overstatement to call this a post-bop / modal jazz masterpiece. I listen to Big George here and it makes me wish Miles had given him just a little more time, not that I would miss out on even a second of Miles with Wayne mind you.

By this, the second album, this band had clearly become a single organism with 5 voices all driven by a shared mind. This is one serious Jazz Album! All original music played with passion and intelligence and with a fabulous pair of front line voices in Coleman and Strozier but don't sleep on Harold Mabern or Lisle Atkinson because their contributions are huge too. (Lisles' eerie bowed bass line as the album closes is unforgettable) Duke's talents as a drummer and obviously as a band leader leave me wondering how he remained so obscure. This is a no-brainer here folks.

43 comments:

  1. good to see ya back..way to bob and weave thru the bad juju..thanks for keeping it goin

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  2. cheers for the upgrade - superb session

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  3. This is a fantastic find, thanks very much - and good luck with the new set-up of the site!

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  4. Many thanks, KingCake! I agree that this is an excellent album. I prefer it to the first, due to the lack of horn screeching that marred the first album in parts.

    I still wonder what happened to Keno Duke!

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  5. Seems interesting and exciting! Haven't visited your blog for a while...Thanx from Athens, Greece

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  6. What about Cedar Walton? Another sad passing...

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  7. Great share, King Cake. Many thanks.

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  8. Alright KC you talked me into it . . . I too think Miles should have given George more time.

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  9. I would love to hear from someone who had the previous rip and compared it to this one.

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  10. Hi KC, I have just done the comparison it seems that the new rip has less kbps overall and that track lengths are slightly longer, also less noise reduction has taken place allowing better definition of sound especially in the top end. I particularly compared D.R.T. George's phasing is so much clearer as is Harold piano solo. On the last track the flute work again comes across brighter and well defined. In real terms, a casual listener may still find the differences as been quite subtle but overall a richer experience. Well done I look forward to additional quality and treasured rips in the future.

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  11. Good to hear - there is no Click Repair at all - about 5 pops deleted by direct delete - this was the conical stylus - I just put in an elliptical stylus and I'm going to do it again - I think Les left me a shibata and a spherical too - I've always wanted to do a real comparison and see if the difference was perceptible on a normal (as opposed to super audio) system. When I had the 10 grand level stereo system the differences were audible but subtle (except for when I was gifted a top-o-the-line Grado which made it seem like I'd bought new equipment) - the most noticeable differences were related to where the stylus tracked in the groove as opposed to where previous damage existed

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  12. I always suspected the other turntable ran fast too. Track lengths were so consistently less than listed - they are often inaccurate on the LP notes, but there was a pattern, not much but too much. There has also been a significant amplifier upgrade - computer interface is the last thing I think I can Improve within my budget

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  13. Superb record, great idea to upgrade the upload

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  14. Thanks KC think i missed it first time round anyway.

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  15. OK, I'm going for the upgrade - a great album and well worthy of the effort KC, many thanks.

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  16. I remember the first time that you posted this and hope you repost the other albums by him that you initially posted. Fantastic stuff!!! Thanks so much.

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  17. Post-bop / modal jazz doesn't get much better than this. Thanks.

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  18. Downloading now and thanking in advance of listening.........

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  19. Just listened to this again, no distractions volume up! What a terrific quality rip KC, terrific, depth and clarity, the cymbal sound is gorgeous.
    And what a fabulous album really deserves to be far better known!

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  20. Many thanks for this new version of a fine album, KC.

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  21. Keno Duke is new to me.
    What is his story?
    Frank and George and Harold share background, I know, but is KD also from Memphis?

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  22. He was born in Barbados in 1927, but it seems likely given the rest of the band that he spent time in Memphis unless he met them all in New York. There are 3 fine albums that he leads and does much of the writing on, then nothing as far as I know. I've seen reference to him playing on others dates but I've yet to see anything saying WHAT. He seems to disappear after 1980 or so.

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  23. with a recommendation like that, I gotta hear it. Thank you KC.

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  24. Downloading now KC, will come back after listening. Your latest rips are brilliant!

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  25. I've always loved this album with the Memphis group (from which Miles once recruited!).
    Terrific sounding rip, listening now, seems to have more depth than I remeber and greater clarity in the high frequencies, great cymbal sound.

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  26. Just seen that you've re ripped thanks very much KC great album.

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  27. I don't know what kind of magic you used this time KC, but you accomplished HUGE sound improvement in comparison with previous rips.
    As a big admirer of Strata East label I really appreciate this.
    Many thanks for this jewel and for all.

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  28. I managed to miss the previous incarnations of the album, but I am really enjoying this. Good stuff! Thanks KC.

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  29. Looking forward to the upgrade; many thanks!

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  30. Wonderful album so really looking forward to this new rip. Many thanks, KC.

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  31. This is a really good album. I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you for sharing. I too would like to compliment you on the quality of the rip, but the most recent thing I ripped was camera tape.

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  32. The most recent thing I ripped was a pair of shorts, but I'm fat and shouldn't bend over like that, especially when it is hot and everything sticks!


    Great stuff, thanks so much! New to me and digging the hell out of it on a Saturday night on the deck.

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  33. The second part is downloadable from Mediafire, but the first part is nowhere to be found... Can you post a new link? I also have "Reasons In Tonality", with Julius Watkins, George Coleman, Clifford Jordan, Harold Mabern, Larry Ridley (Strata East, 1972), if someone is interested.

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  34. working on a new rip - I'll re-run soon -- as to Reasons... I have an excellent lossless rip already

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  35. Sense Of Values 1974.part1.rar
    http://www.embedupload.com/?d=7NCFCYGFD1

    Sense Of Values 1974.part2.rar
    http://www.embedupload.com/?d=0QVXAFESJT

    Sense Of Values 1974.part3.rar
    http://www.embedupload.com/?d=4YUICVOAV2

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  36. Thanks for the re-up KingCake! Completely new to me.

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  37. Fantastic!!! Many thanks and for the other two!

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  38. Thanks to your perseverance, I'm enjoying your rip's quality ! Great result ! thank you Mr KC !

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  39. Thanks for the new rip; classic album! Beautiful sound!

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  40. MANY THANKS, KC ..... And what a line-up

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