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Strata East vs Black Jazz?

bsuwolfbsuwolf 83 Posts
edited January 2011 in Strut Central
Dusty Groove currently has a Strata East comp http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=2qrh43j3tt&ref=index.php and a Black Jazz comp http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=qnnbk985jj&ref=index.php featured on their homepage. If you could only pick one, which would it be? I heard things from both labels that I loved, but I have also heard things that were just meh...please advise a Strata East / Black Jazz newbie.

  Comments

  • dwyhajlodwyhajlo 420 Posts
    I'd say Strata East.
  • gazgaz 232 Posts
    dwyhajlo said:
    I'd say Strata East.

    seconded, mind you they havn't picked the best tracks on that black jazz comp to be fair
  • marumaru 1,450 Posts
    Strata was a far superior label IMO. Haven't looked at the tracklist of either, but based on just the label I'd go with Strata.
  • InnerSpaceInnerSpace 443 Posts
    I would go with Strata East as well. Although just to be fair in a future comparison for you when you get into buying stand alone albums, there are far more Strata East albums than Black Jazz. Furthermore, while I have found gems on both labels, I tend to have my favorites in the Black Jazz label. i.e. - Roland Haynes- 2nd Wave and Rudolph Johnson- Spring Rain. Strata East is going to have more (quantity wise) of the ethnocentric albums and Black Jazz has a leaning toward spiritual/soul jazz. This is all generally speaking.
  • dammsdamms 704 Posts
    Strata-East's catalog is much bigger
    and the quality ratio is pretty high
    so it should be a no-brainer
  • discos_almadiscos_alma discos_alma 2,164 Posts
    In all honesty this is not really a credible question.

    Strata all day
  • discos_almadiscos_alma discos_alma 2,164 Posts
    InnerSpace said:
    Furthermore, while I have found gems on both labels, I tend to have my favorites in the Black Jazz label. i.e. - Roland Haynes- 2nd Wave and Rudolph Johnson- Spring Rain. Strata East is going to have more (quantity wise) of the ethnocentric albums and Black Jazz has a leaning toward spiritual/soul jazz. This is all generally speaking.

    Disagree on all counts. Black Jazz is mostly shlocky Fonky Jazz / boring soul jazz. There are a few TRACKS that i really love from a couple Black Jazz albums, but for the most part the albums are turds.

    Check this version of "Black Orchid" from Gene Russell's New Direction LP
  • marumaru 1,450 Posts
    Then again, if the comps hand pick the best tracks from their label's output then either should be a safe bet. There are a lot of one tracker albums on Black Jazz, so a comp sounds like the perfect way to enjoy the label without having to sit through tepidness.

    But yeah, in terms of labels, I'd purge all my Black Jazz in a heartbeat before my Strata records.
  • dammsdamms 704 Posts
    some of my favs from
    Black Jazz: anything by Doug & Jean Carn especially "Adam's Apple" & "Spirit Of The New Land", The Awakening's "Mirage", Walter Bishop Jr.'s "Coral Keys" & Rudolph Johnson "The Second Coming"
    Strata-East: Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson "Winter in America", Charlie Rouse "Two Is One", The Ensemble Al-Salaam "The Sojourner", Brother Ahh "Sound Awareness", Pharoah Sanders "Izipho Zam" & Billy Parker's Fourth World "Freedom Of Speech"

    a similar label you might want to explore too is Phil Ranelin's Tribe Records
  • dammsdamms 704 Posts
    musica said:

    Disagree on all counts. Black Jazz is mostly shlocky Fonky Jazz / boring soul jazz. There are a few TRACKS that i really love from a couple Black Jazz albums, but for the most part the albums are turds.

    this seems a little harsh. did you listen those I mentioned above ?

    I agree that most of the Black Jazz catalog isn't great. but there are some killer albums for sure.
  • wyzewayzwyzewayz 303 Posts
    Love Both, highly recommend output from both labels, why not try both?

    though $$$ for $$$ I am usually more prepared to shell out for the strata east jawns
  • upskibooupskiboo 2,396 Posts
    this thread just reminded me i gotta find a way to clean this off !!!!!

  • marumaru 1,450 Posts
    wyzewayz said:
    Love Both, highly recommend output from both labels, why not try both?

    though $$$ for $$$ I am usually more prepared to shell out for the strata east jawns

    I can't even think of any Black Jazz records that consistently go for over $100, while there are plenty on Strata for $200+
  • dammsdamms 704 Posts
    upskiboo said:
    this thread just reminded me i gotta find a way to clean this off !!!!!

    lol who drew that Debian logo on it

    Shamek Farrah First Impressions. that's the first Strata-East album I listened 3 years ago. When I was starting my exploration of the endless world of Jazz
  • upskibooupskiboo 2,396 Posts
    damms said:
    upskiboo said:
    this thread just reminded me i gotta find a way to clean this off !!!!!

    lol who drew that Debian logo on it

    Shamek Farrah First Impressions. that's the first Strata-East album I listened 3 years ago. When I was starting my exploration of the endless world of Jazz

    looks like someone smoked a joint while listning to the record and drew a green vortex right across the front, haha... daamn ;)
  • upskibooupskiboo 2,396 Posts
    thats why ----> DO NOT SMOKE BLUNTS WHILE LISTNING TO RAERS!!!!!!
  • InnerSpaceInnerSpace 443 Posts
    musica said:
    InnerSpace said:
    Furthermore, while I have found gems on both labels, I tend to have my favorites in the Black Jazz label. i.e. - Roland Haynes- 2nd Wave and Rudolph Johnson- Spring Rain. Strata East is going to have more (quantity wise) of the ethnocentric albums and Black Jazz has a leaning toward spiritual/soul jazz. This is all generally speaking.

    Disagree on all counts. Black Jazz is mostly shlocky Fonky Jazz / boring soul jazz. There are a few TRACKS that i really love from a couple Black Jazz albums, but for the most part the albums are turds.

    Check this version of "Black Orchid" from Gene Russell's New Direction LP

    A little bit overstated. I own all but about 3 of the strata albums and all but one of the black jazz albums and there are great albums and not as great albums on both labels. But both Awakening albums, Henry Franklin- the skipper, Rudolph johnson's albums are not one trackers. I would say that more than half of the Black Jazz label is really good jazz. Personal taste is going to dictate a lot of this but there are great albums in both camps. as far as which label has the most quality output, Strata is the winner. I just happen to have my favorites in Black jazz.

    Also you might want to check out the Strata label (not the same as Strata East) there are good ones on that label too ironically, especially Lyman Woodard and Larry Nozero.
  • the_dLthe_dL 1,531 Posts
    strata east has the heavier pieces, black jazz is more consistant though imo
  • motown67motown67 4,513 Posts
    musica said:
    Disagree on all counts. Black Jazz is mostly shlocky Fonky Jazz / boring soul jazz. There are a few TRACKS that i really love from a couple Black Jazz albums, but for the most part the albums are turds.

    I would say the complete opposite. I own every Black Jazz release and think that the vast majority of the tracks are spiritual jazz. Only a couple are soul jazz.
  • tabiratabira 856 Posts
    the_dL said:
    strata east has the heavier pieces, black jazz is more consistant though imo

    That just about sums it up. There's nothing as bad as "The warm voice of Billy C" on black jazz, but neither is there anything as good as "First Impressions"
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    Both labels are essential listening and comps are the way to start... those old Soul Jazz comps are good.
  • DustedDonDustedDon 830 Posts
    upskiboo said:
    thats why ----> ONLY SMOKE BLUNTS WHILE LISTNING TO RAERS!!!!!!
  • froz1froz1 154 Posts
    Grab the Strata East comp...

    Then listen to my black jazz mix and save yourself some $$$ !

    http://www.soulstrut.com/index.php/mixes/indepth/end_is_near_the_black_jazz_mix/
  • upskibooupskiboo 2,396 Posts
    DustedDon said:
    upskiboo said:
    thats why ----> ONLY SMOKE BLUNTS WHILE LISTNING TO REISSUES, OR EVEN BETTER, MP3'S!!!!!!

    ;)
  • scwihascwiha 2 Posts
    Yep, thought so
  • InnerSpaceInnerSpace 443 Posts
    I was new once too... but people contribute some cash to post things they are selling on here.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    scwiha said:
    I'd have to go with Strata East. It's not just the music (although that does have a lot to do with it) - the whole feel of the label is right. I just put up a super fresh copy of Sound Awareness on ebay, if anyone has a gap to fill. For me, it's exactly the kind of Strata East album that Black Jazz just couldn't compete with.

    http://shop.ebay.co.uk/scwiha/m.html

    TERD

    But then pretty much everything on Black Jazz is a terd
  • scwihascwiha 2 Posts
    .
  • InnerSpaceInnerSpace 443 Posts
    Thanks for introducing yourself.
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