Jay McNeely recomendations?

[Sid]

Big Jay's name has cropped up a few times in recent threads and I have to admit never having heard any of his stuff. Unlike some of the other blues & R&B players I've been looking up lately (Lee Allen, Red Prysock & Sam Taylor) there does appear to be quite a lot of Jay McNeely's recordings available - a quick Amazon search has thrown up:
Big "J" in 3-D (King)
There Is Something on Your Mind (Collectables)
Big Jay Mcneely 1948 / 1950 (Nad)
Classics 1953-1955 (Classics)
Classics 1951-1952 (Classics)
Live at Birdland: 1957 (Collectables)
Recorded Live at Cisco's (Collectables)
Any recomendations as to where to start?

[HonkBopSax]

Ahh, the best is 'Roadhouse Boogie' on the Saxophonograph label ... should be available in the UK actually ... I found my copy at a used CD store in Boston ... it features Big Jay at his most absolutely insane ... do a Google search for 'Roadhouse Boogie' and Big Jay's name ...

[Sid]

Thanks for the heads-up. Can't find the actual LP/CD in the UK, but if this:
Big Jay McNeely : "Roadhouse Boogie" (Saxophonograph 505) - Sixteen cuts from Savoy and Aladdin labels in 1949-51 which include vocals by Clifford Blivens and Ted Shirley. Some of the tunes are "Deacon's Hop", "Deac's Blowout", "Real Crazy Cool", and the title song.

is the record you mean, all the cuts should be on the Classics and Nad CDs.

Cheers.

[Pete Thomas]

I recorded a Big Jay album in 1997, Cherry Pie - featuring singer Dana Gillespie. I think you can probably get it from Bear Family records.

[gary]

I'm interested in some alternatives to what I've got. I heard of his reputation but when I finally heard him I thought it was pretty noisy without much of the additional stuff that takes it a step higher, like Red Prysock or Sil Austin played - disappointing, in other words.

Others may disagree or I just might not have the right recordings, but because of that, you might want to start with just one recording, vs buying several.

[Sid]

...I just might not have the right recordings, but because of that, you might want to start with just one recording, vs buying several.

Gary, Would you mind advising what I should avoid?

[gary]

Gary, Would you mind advising what I should avoid?
Sid, my recordings are in an anthology "The BIg Horn", so my recommendation, rather than what to avoid is just to get one that one of the SOTWers swears by.

For example, if honkbopsax says the best is 'Roadhouse Boogie' on the Saxophonograph label, that's good enough for me.

[Sid]

Thanks. I was looking for The Big Horn last week, if thats the 4 CD compilation on Proper, its been dropped from the catelogue, so if anyone else out there fancies a copy, grab it whilst you can.

[leonard c. Smith]

I heard Big Jay when I was just kid blew me away around the time of Earl Bostic, Big Mama Thortons Hound dog Called Bop. Caught Big Jay live at Monterey Jazz Festival few years back. He walked down the aisle in white suit hat and shoes Blew everybody away. Is he still alive?

[Bill Mecca]

AFAIK He is still alive and living in LA, found a website once with his phone number but still haven't called.

Ihave Cherry Pie, of which Pete spoke, it's good (some bari player too! :lol:) but not really representative of what he is known for. I have the Big Horn collection and it has a couple of his. I also have Live at Birdland, and the Collectables Lp and CD (green cover with him Lying on his back) that one has some good stuff, but some of it is rough because of the original recordings.

check youtube as well, a couple good vids up there of him with Detroit Gary Wiggins.

like this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmiZEZJoxGQ

[chas44]

Big Jay is playing at Safari Sam's on Sunset in LA March 8th. :)