Vido Musso LPs with Maynard Ferguson
VIDO MUSSO, THE SWINGIN'ST -- Crown CLP 5007
Tenor sax player Vido Musso played with Maynard throughout Maynard's years with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. In 1956, Musso put together a combo called "The Vido Musso Organization" to record a sort of R&B instrumental album called "The Swingin'st." I've got to tell you, this is one of my favorite records with Maynard. He plays a lot of really cool middle-register stuff on this LP, and it SWINGS! Very "west coast" sounding, with a hip, R&B influence. And this is a very rare recording. The 1956 original is on the Modern label, and it lists for $100.00 in NMINT condition. This 1957 re-issue (it was popular!), which is almost identical, is on the Crown label, and it lists for $50.00 in NMINT condition. Some of the Crown covers have black lettering; others have blue lettering. I'm not sure which came earliest. The covers on both the Modern and the Crown copies are HIGHLY susceptible to seam splits. It's nearly impossible to find a cover without some, or all, the seams split, either fully or partially. Please keep this in mind, as a copy without a split is RARE! The vinyl almost ALWAYS has background noise. It's just the nature of the beast.
COPY #1. Just in, the cover on this copy had five strips of vertically oriented, clear tape holding the split top seam together. I carefully removed them using solvent (although they did leave a bit of discoloration on the back cover), then properly mended the split seam so that it's hardly detectable. There is also a very small (pea-sized) scrape at upper right from removal of a price sticker, but it too barely shows because it's almost the identical color of the album paper itself. So, although it's a bit flawed, it's still a super nice looking cover. I'd rate it as EX, but only because of the damage. It looks NMINT. Be aware that it has black lettering. The vinyl is just VG-, with a lot of light surface scratches and scuffs. It doesn't skip, but like most copies of this LP, it plays with a lot of background noise. Overall, this copy is VG to VG+ -- maybe just a hair better than average, due to the nice looking cover. Just $6.00.
COPY #2. This copy was in my personal collection until last night when I obtained a slightly nicer one. Still, this is a great copy. It's the variety with blue lettering on the cover. The cover paper is super clean and nice, with just the slightest wear visible. The seams have cracked in several places, and someone reglued them in some of the places. Frankly, I've NEVER seen this LP without seam cracks. It's just the nature of the beast. There's a tiny flaw on the back where a price sticker was removed, and a little ring wear visible. Still, this is the second nicest cover I've ever seen on this LP, and certainly rates an EX+. The vinyl has some ultra fine surface scratches. I've listened to this copy a couple of times, and it plays well, with some of the typical backgound noise that's audible on all of these Crown LPs. It's EX to EX+. Overall, this one rates an EX+ -- it's a nice, clean, sound copy. Yours for $18.00.
COPY #3. Just purchased at a record show today, the cover on this copy look super! It's one of the nicest covers I've seen. There is one small abrasion on the front at upper left -- about the size of a couple of grains of rice. I also had to repair the upper seam, but I did so in such a way that it's hardly detectable. There's a little minor wear visible on the back. Overall, I'd rate this cover as EX+ -- one of the nicer I've seen. The vinyl has seen quite a bit of play, and has a number of fine surface scratches. It's an average disc, rating a VG. Let's call this copy VG+ to EX- overall. Yours for just $7.00.
VIDO MUSSO, THE SWINGIN'ST (UK RELEASE) -- Eros ERL 50030
Here's a copy of the great Vido Musso LP with Maynard, only this one is the UK version, pressed in London, and it's got a totally different cover. Unlike the U.S. cover which has a young lady in a sports car, this one had quite a different young lady dancing on the cover. The cover background is red, not white, and you'd never know it was the same LP without reading the title. A very nice addition to any MF collection, and very, very hard to obtain.
COPY #1. Just in, the cover on this copy has a little nick on the right side (the opening slit) and a very small bend at upper left. Otherwise, the front cover looks great. On the back, it's relatively clean and nice, but there is some small right in each upper corner. I'd rate this one ase EX. The disc has clean and nice labels, and the vinyl itself is pretty nice, but does have some surface scratches visible. On playback it's got some surface noise that's typical for these 1950s-era LP. I'd rate the disc as VG+. Overall, this copy is EX-. Much rarer than the U.S. version, it's worth the asking price of $15.00.
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Email: johnwhimes@yahoo.com