Music Matters Definitive Blue Note 45 RPM and 33 & 1/3 RPM vinyl series (pt7)

What's your take on these? Anyone else feel free to chime in as well.

Chet is Back ORG LP
Sonny Rollins Bridge ORG LP
Mingus Dynasty ORG LP
Sonny Rollins What's New ORG LP
Ornette Science Fiction ORG LP

 

Agreed about ORG.
I got Straight Life on PP and sent it back but I just got Oscar Pettiford on PP and I think it's stunning. I got Red Clay on ORG at the same time and that too is excellent. MM and AP seem to be the most consistent. Not had a bad one of either.

 

Agreed that Music Matters is clearly the most consistently high quality. I can't say that I've ever been disappointed with any of their reissues. Sure they are expensive, but it's nice knowing in advance that you'll get a great sounding album with the highest quality artwork.

 

Long time lurker here. First time poster. Jazz novice extraordinaire. After reading pages and pages and pages (so many pages) of this thread and reviews from other sources, I want to jump into this series. Went to MMs site, and it looks like Christmas come early. The artwork and photos is what really sells it for me. I think I've narrowed it down a bit. On the 33rpm releases Somethin' Else (Miles Davis), Midnight Blue (love Burrell's sound), Soul Station (so smooth), and Out to Lunch (so different) look like the most likely for me. Any objections? Good choices? Recommendations without me giving any context on my jazz preferences?

 

Nothing wrong with anything on that list. Nothing at all.

Art Blakey - 'Moanin' is the one I would encourage almost everyone to buy.

 

That's a GREAT list. Prepare to be floored by the sound and the packaging!

 

It's THAT aspect you're talking about which makes the 45s sonically superior. That sense of air and ease can make edge presentation sound more whole, more natural.

 

Great choices. I'd add Grant Green's Matador and, if you end up liking Out to Lunch, then also Point of Departure. It's really hard to go wrong with anything in the 33 series--the titles are all very well loved, and mostly within the mainstream of jazz.

 

Grant Green's Idle Moments and Tina Brooks' True Blue are my two favorites.

 

My life would be a little less full without Idle Moments.

 

Youre going to eventually get every MM title listed named .

Which, I cant argue, many many are so very good. But, this is my advice since tastes run all over the place concerning what a
listener thinks is great:

If youre a complete novice maybe break things up into either artist or instrument. For example: Say you find you enjoy a Wayne Shorter album. Maybe then start by finding a way to listen and live with the album for awhile so that youre certain its for you. Instead of just buying a Grant Green album because someone says its great, why not go on youtube and listen for a couple of times to see if Grant is really your man.

I decided awhile back to start going down the line and listening to each album before Id even consider purchasing. Took me about 2.5 yrs to narrow my list down. Dont have to do it that way, but point is: Whatever youre method of deciding is, listen and live with the albums you are thinking about or are being suggested. Then after youre certain, then itll be worth plunking down 40-50 bucks for.

Because honestly I love Wayne Shorters stuff..but I have no idea what you may like.

 

Ever so slightly off topic but........

I LOVE vinyl
I LOVE jazz
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Surely there is nothing out there that combines all three?

But wait.........

The Vinyl Detective - A Brilliant New Crime Thriller »

 

Thanks S. I went and got it. One just has to doesn't one

 

I just listened to my Smiles on SC for the first time in ages. I'd forgotten how much I like this album. I can't agree either, I think the SC cut is superb. Tony Williams is playing in the corner of my room

 

Re: Miles Smiles, for me a clean mono first pressing won out over the Speakers Corner stereo reissue. The SC sounded great on its own, but just didn't have the "wow factor" of the mono LP. Whether that's due to the differences between the mono & stereo mixes or the decades that had passed between the pressings or something else, I can't say. My verdict is that if all you have is the SC you'll be fine. If you have the chance to pick up the mono LP, go for it.

 

I can speak to ORG's reissue of Ornette's Science Fiction. I find the ORG reissue to be more dynamic, detailed and to have "more air" than the original Columbia release. The added clarity and separation between instruments without losing any of the connectivity among the musicians is especially beneficial for music that has so many things going on. In short, the ORG reissue added to my appreciation of this work.

 

Agreed, it's a great reissue that really makes the music shine

 

A few of my ORGs are winners. Jaco Pastorius self-titled is a major improvement over my original. I find Mingus "Ah Um" superb. Nothing "tipped-up", just a nice, extended top end.
That written, all of the ORG CTI re-issues have been worse than the originals. They sound nice upon initial play, but the differences become apparent on a critical A/B session. My original CTI pressing of
Freddie Hubbard "Red Clay" is one of my best sounding records, bar-none.

 

This evening I compared parts of the SC pressing of Miles Smiles to the Scorpio pressing mastered by Kevin Gray. Sorry to say, the Scorpio pressing is much better sounding than the Speakers Corner version. It's a lot more open and dynamic. The SC LP sounds more boxed in. The vinyl quality of the SC pressing is better.

 

Maybe I'm lucky in having nothing to compare the SC Smiles to so I just accept it as it is

 

Tom Is this Scorpio label different to the much maligned Scorpio reissue label. Have they gone all upscale on us by hiring KG ? Are there other lps KG did for them?
Thanks Stu

 

Moanin' is currently Out of Stock. While I'm sure I can find a sealed or M copy on Ebay or where ever, historically has this meant that the record is out of print?

I have been doing exactly this. Obviously, haven't worked my way through the entire catalogue. The ones I picked are based on spending weeks with them. I need to dig deeper into Shorter and Green for sure. Thanks all for the recommendations.

 

Out of stock seems to mean more copies may be printed later but there is no official word on this from music matters...

 

You need to re-read the Tao of the Audiophile…..

 

I was really impressed by The Bridge. It sounded amazing to me, but I've never another vinyl copy to compare it do.