JASS updates
On publication, details of content could only be roughly ascertained for a few of the releases. Decent enough details of all have come to light (and it took until 13 February 2020), including the fact that all came in picture sleeves that included full track and recording details, hence labels being a bit light on detail. It is likely that only the records were manufactured via Saydisc and that JASS' Dick Baaker sourced the sleeves from elsewhere. They don't have the look and feel of contemporary Saydisc sleeves.
Much like with the majority of the Roots records pressed by Saydisc, it is probable that the sleeves were manufactured abroad (Holland in JASS' case) and sent to the UK to be married up with the UK-pressed records. This meant that the records, being UK pressings, could be sold far more cheaply in the UK than if the vinyl component had been imported.
White label test pressings are known to exist on the collectors' market for all bar JASS 601. Of the early batch, JASS 601, 602 and 604 were pressed by Orlake and included the Saydisc matrix number in run-offs. JASS 603 looks to have been delayed because it was pressed by Tranco, which took over from Orlake. Tranco's policy was to only include the number under which the record was to be released as the run-off matrix, which is unhelpful in terms of assigning one of the otherwise unaccounted for Saydisc catalogue numbers. Tranco-pressed records were cut by Pye at Marble Arch, but it also looks as though Transatlantic-era JASS pressings were also cut and pressed via Pye/Tranco (except JASS 606, which looks to have been farmed out to Orlake for pressing - though who did the cutting is anyone's guess because Orlake only did the 'metalling' and pressing from pre-existing masters). Perhaps, what with not being Saydisc's own product, Gef did not have to go via EMI, which otherwise pressed Saydisc's records during the Transatlantic distribution days, and went for the cheapest option with companies with which he already had extensive experience (or which had capacity at the required time)? Gef has said that the only reason for leaving Tranco was that EMI manufacture was part and parcel of the Transatlantic distribution deal.
By the time that JASS 606 was scheduled, Saydisc had ceased assigning "SD" catalogue numbers to contract pressings. The unreleased JASS 605 is the wildcard - if it was scheduled alongside 603 or 604, then a "SD" number would likely have been assigned, though if scheduled alongside 606, then not.
Much like with the majority of the Roots records pressed by Saydisc, it is probable that the sleeves were manufactured abroad (Holland in JASS' case) and sent to the UK to be married up with the UK-pressed records. This meant that the records, being UK pressings, could be sold far more cheaply in the UK than if the vinyl component had been imported.
White label test pressings are known to exist on the collectors' market for all bar JASS 601. Of the early batch, JASS 601, 602 and 604 were pressed by Orlake and included the Saydisc matrix number in run-offs. JASS 603 looks to have been delayed because it was pressed by Tranco, which took over from Orlake. Tranco's policy was to only include the number under which the record was to be released as the run-off matrix, which is unhelpful in terms of assigning one of the otherwise unaccounted for Saydisc catalogue numbers. Tranco-pressed records were cut by Pye at Marble Arch, but it also looks as though Transatlantic-era JASS pressings were also cut and pressed via Pye/Tranco (except JASS 606, which looks to have been farmed out to Orlake for pressing - though who did the cutting is anyone's guess because Orlake only did the 'metalling' and pressing from pre-existing masters). Perhaps, what with not being Saydisc's own product, Gef did not have to go via EMI, which otherwise pressed Saydisc's records during the Transatlantic distribution days, and went for the cheapest option with companies with which he already had extensive experience (or which had capacity at the required time)? Gef has said that the only reason for leaving Tranco was that EMI manufacture was part and parcel of the Transatlantic distribution deal.
By the time that JASS 606 was scheduled, Saydisc had ceased assigning "SD" catalogue numbers to contract pressings. The unreleased JASS 605 is the wildcard - if it was scheduled alongside 603 or 604, then a "SD" number would likely have been assigned, though if scheduled alongside 606, then not.
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There was no label image in the discography, because of space restrictions, so one is added here. There are no design variations other than that the labels for JASS 606 were a different shade of green, so image also added.
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JASS 601 - HENRY "RED" ALLEN: 1929/J.C. HIGGINBOTHAM: 1930
Click or tap to view rear sleeve
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Side 1:
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Side 2:
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Side 1 and track 1, side 2, by Henry Allen Jr And His New York Orchestra; tracks 2 and 3, side 2, by J.C. Higginbotham And His Six Hicks.
The Red Allen titles are alternative masters of the first session. Matrix is 33SD 180. Orlake pressing.
The Red Allen titles are alternative masters of the first session. Matrix is 33SD 180. Orlake pressing.
JASS 602 - JELLY ROLL MORTON: Volume 1 1929-1930
Click or tap to view rear sleeve
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Side 1:
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Side 2:
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All tracks by Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers except track 1, side 1, by Jelly Roll Morton and His Orchestra and track 3, side 2, by Wilton Crawley and His Orchestra.
These six titles were not issued in the RCA Victor's Race Series of EPs. Matrix is 33SD 203. Orlake pressing.
These six titles were not issued in the RCA Victor's Race Series of EPs. Matrix is 33SD 203. Orlake pressing.
JASS 603 - KING OLIVER: 1929-1930
Click or tap to view rear sleeve
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Side 1:
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Side 2:
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All tracks by King Oliver and His Orchestra except for tracks 1 and 2, side 1, by Jimmie Johnson and His Orchestra.
Matrix is JASS 603; otherwise unaccounted for numbers in the SD sequence are 200, 201, 202 and 205. All are possibles. What with matrix being the catalogue number followed by pyramid-style triangle and a 'G', this was cut in Pye's Neumann SX68 cutting room suite at Marble Arch with Gordon Vickary as cutting engineer. Tranco, a Pye affiliate, may have pressed the records themselves or organised pressing via Pye (or possibly via CBS if Pye was over capacity).
Sticker on rear (click or tap on the front sleeve to view this) is for Peter Russell's Hot Record Store, a Plymouth-based shop that specialised in mail order for jazz and blues. It is likely that the various specialist shops would have ordered a chunk of each pressing run from Saydisc for mark-up and resale via shop and mail order.
Matrix is JASS 603; otherwise unaccounted for numbers in the SD sequence are 200, 201, 202 and 205. All are possibles. What with matrix being the catalogue number followed by pyramid-style triangle and a 'G', this was cut in Pye's Neumann SX68 cutting room suite at Marble Arch with Gordon Vickary as cutting engineer. Tranco, a Pye affiliate, may have pressed the records themselves or organised pressing via Pye (or possibly via CBS if Pye was over capacity).
Sticker on rear (click or tap on the front sleeve to view this) is for Peter Russell's Hot Record Store, a Plymouth-based shop that specialised in mail order for jazz and blues. It is likely that the various specialist shops would have ordered a chunk of each pressing run from Saydisc for mark-up and resale via shop and mail order.
JASS 604 - DUKE ELLINGTON: 1928 - 1929
Click or tap to view rear sleeve
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Side 1:
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Side 2:
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Matrix is 33SD 204. Orlake pressing. On side 1, track 1 is by The Harlem Footwarmers, track 2 is by Duke Ellington And His Memphis Men and track 3 is by Sonny Greer And His Memphis Men. All tracks on side 2 by Joe Turner And His Memphis Men. All tracks include Duke Ellington. These OK and Columbia titles were not available on the current Columbia, CBS or Parlophone releases.
JASS 605 - NOT ISSUED
Not issued - see the rear sleeves of JASS 607 and JASS 608 below for a lack of details. Perhaps this was intended to be volume 2 of the Jelly Roll Morton series? However, a Saydisc catalogue number may still have been assigned for in-house purposes prior to the release being cancelled if scheduled in 1970.
JASS 606 - ARMAND PIRON'S NEW ORLEANS ORCHESTRA: 1923 - 1925
Click or tap to view rear sleeve
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Side 1:
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Side 2:
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Matrix is JASS 606. Orlake pressing, farmed out by either Tranco or Transatlantic. 250 copies were delivered in May 1971 and 275 in March 1972, both batches from Orlake
JASS 607 - MOUND CITY BLUE BLOWERS: 1931/EDDIE CONDON: 1933
Click or tap to view rear sleeve
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Side 1:
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Side 2:
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All tracks by the Mound City Blue Blowers except for tracks 2 and 3, side 2, which are by Eddie Condon And His Orchestra.
Matrix is JASS 607. Handwritten matrix at 6 o'clock with '1' at 3 o'clock and 'A' at 9 o'clock (which looks suspiciously like Pye mastered the record, despite the current Transatlantic/EMI deal). 236 copies delivered 2 May 1972 and 255 on 2 April 1973, both from Tranco (which would explain Pye doing the mastering).
Matrix is JASS 607. Handwritten matrix at 6 o'clock with '1' at 3 o'clock and 'A' at 9 o'clock (which looks suspiciously like Pye mastered the record, despite the current Transatlantic/EMI deal). 236 copies delivered 2 May 1972 and 255 on 2 April 1973, both from Tranco (which would explain Pye doing the mastering).
JASS 608 - BENNIE MOTEN: 1926/JIMMIE LUNCEFORD: 1930
Click or tap to view rear sleeve
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Side 1:
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Side 2:
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All tracks by Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra except for tracks 2 and 3, side 2, which are by Jimmie Lunceford And His Chickasaw Syncopators.
Matrix is JASS 608. Handwritten matrix at 6 o'clock with '1' at 3 o'clock and 'A' at 9 o'clock (which, as per JASS 607, looks suspiciously like Pye mastering the record). 253 copies delivered 2 May 1972 and 166 on 2 April 1973, both from Tranco.
Matrix is JASS 608. Handwritten matrix at 6 o'clock with '1' at 3 o'clock and 'A' at 9 o'clock (which, as per JASS 607, looks suspiciously like Pye mastering the record). 253 copies delivered 2 May 1972 and 166 on 2 April 1973, both from Tranco.
© 2009 - 2023, M. C. Jones, trading as Bristol Folk Publications. The Record Press, Diogenes Academic Press and Burnham Priory are imprints of Bristol Folk Publications.
