As a Blue Note obsessive, I’m really glad to have the expanded edition of Kenny Burrell’s ON VIEW AT THE FIVE SPOT CAFE. It’s advertised as “The Complete Masters” - a sly obfuscation.

Don Was has been an incredible steward, signing new artists and veterans to Blue Note while overseeing vinyl editions and expanded reissues.

And yet: new releases seldom list recording dates and now historical releases show disregard for discographers and fans.

According to the Cuscuna & Ruppli discography, there were five sets recorded on August 25, 1959. Bobby Timmons took over the piano chair from a young Roland Hanna for the 2nd & 5th (Tina Brooks sits in too).

Burrell’s BLUE LIGHTS studio album (recorded 5/14/1958) also featured two pianists (Timmons and Duke Jordan). Brooks was on hand and played with both pianists. Why two pianists? Robert Levin’s liner notes don’t explain.

In the new edition of ON VIEW, Burrell tells Don Was that he appreciated both pianists but does not elaborate on why they were both on the date. Joe Goldberg didn’t address it on the original release, nor does Syd Schwartz (@jazzandcoffee) in his new overview and commentary.

Both the 3xLP and 2xCD editions begin w/ the original LP tracks then three tracks first issued in Japan (1980). Six new tracks follow: three must come from the 5th set, but “Love Walked In” could be from either Timmons set & “The Next Time You See Me…” could be from the 1st or 4th. Which?

It gets worse: Cuscuna & Ruppli list two UNISSUED tracks: set one's “The Next Time…” & set three's “The Take Off” -usually this means Alfred Lion designated the unissued tracks as acceptable MASTERS but didn’t select them for release.

The remaining tracks are REJECTED meaning NOT WORTHY OF RELEASE (in Burrell’s and/or Lion’s assessment).

Presumably then, “The Next Time…” is the unissued master and not the rejected take. But both takes of “Love Walked In” were rejected as were the three tracks from the 5th set. True “alternates” would typically have been listed as UNISSUED, not rejected.

I’m glad to have this music and I’m not criticizing Don Was or compilation producer Joe Harley for releasing it - but the omission of discographical information is unconscionable.

THE COMPLETE MASTERS is a sly subtitle: it acknowledges that it is not a complete SESSION. Two rejected tracks are now designated “alternates.”
“Tricotism,” “Hallelujah,” and “Our Delight” have not been issued.

Record collectors have learned to parse things very carefully: “Classic” means “selected.” “Complete masters” means “we’ve held some tracks back.” There could be many legitimate reasons for this, but we haven’t been given them.