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

Not exactly. RVG's recordings have a similarity from one to another. You can hear that style of recording.

Even if you heard a recording by a different engineer, you could still make legitimate comparisons.

Yes, we don't know how good the original recording was on the Dorham. But we can extrapolate the recording for the Sheila Jordan.

We can make informed assertions based on assumptions. They may not be absolute truths, but I'm comfortable with making the comparisons, as there is a quality, an aliveness, a presence, that takes the recordings of RVG to another level.

I mean, I don't know if this analogy works, but it might be like you took two different restaurants, each chef offering up similar creative Mediterranean tapas style food. One is enjoyable, the other making you go "Ahhhhhhhh. That's nice!"

Yes, pressing plants contribute to the sound, for sure, but it's clear that mastering choices make a big difference as well. We CAN listen for those choices among different engineers who lay down to vinyl.

 

I usually just look at the stylus to see how far it moves side to to side. I had a copy of Giants Steps that moved a solid quarter inch on each revolution. Rhino sent me a replacement.

My local store is having a big sale this week so I picked up a sealed copy of Horace Parlan's Us Three that was in the bin. The first track, Us Three, is a especially groovin'. The piano sounds great on this album and overall it's a fun straight ahead, hard-bop listen. I don't think it's as good as Speakin' My Piece and I'm not sure if I'd consider it one of my essentials but it is a great LP.

 

That fist track on "Us Three" was my introduction to Horace Parlan back in the 80s, when I first got that album. Later I realized I also had him playing on some Mingus albums. Great jazz pianist. I always like his work.

 

I'm assuming the distortion on horns, especially trumpet, is the engineer's fault, not an issue with my set-up. Hubbard's trumpet on True Blue, for instance, when he plays loud and hard is not clean.

 

RVG is well known for this.

 

That's what I thought. It can be pretty annoying. Too bad.

 

If you want to hear all the instruments done right, listen to some Roy DuNann recordings. Sonny Rollins' "Way Out West" and "Contemporary Masters" stand out as two great examples.

 

Almost two weeks with no post... Hope we're not all losing hope here guys. I feel the need to fill the silence...

Thought I'd add to my previous post requesting more MM records with good flute playing. I don't think anyone mentioned Hub-Tones. Listening to it right now and it's got a couple songs with nice playing by James Spaulding. I have a 1985 DMM pressing of this record, listed on Discogs as part of the "Cadre Rouge Audiophile Edition" series. I imagine the MM version will be a significant upgrade from this one?

 

Haven't they in the past announced new releases in December for the upcoming year? (I'm just pulling from what I've read here and there, so I could be wrong.) If so, I bet they'll just wait til then for the 2017 LPs and this year was just a big pause (though obviously they've been working behind the scenes!)

 

I imagine so. I've heard that those DMM pressings don't sound very good.

I noticed the other day that I almost have the complete set of 33s. I thought I had fallen way behind but I'm missing Hubtones and McLean's Right Now, and just a couple others that I opted not to buy since I have the XRCD or 45.

 

Two weeks with no posts, and being eight months into this year with no new releases, you figure it out.

 

Welp, I've ordered a bunch more 45s with the Elusive Disc sale.

Art Blakey - Indestructible
Art Blakey - Mosaic
Elvin Jones - Puttin' It Together
Lee Morgan - The Gigolo

 

Does anyone have a list of out of print MM titles? I went through the online catalog but I don't think that would show all their releases to date.....

 

Someone recently posted a list of out of print as well as out of stock titles, each a different being. Out of stock means they still have license to press more.

 

Ok. I will search. I just need the OOPs as I am hopeful they will press the OOSs soomeday....

 

They already have just recently repressed several titles.

 

The 45rpm Soul Station is the only one on their site I found that says Out of Print. If there are others let me know.

 

Poised to make a big purchase soon, 20 LPs. Really excited.

I recently got Solid by Grant Green which is fantastic.

 

Music Matters' site does show all their releases.

 

I have a catalog from 2006/07 and it has Donald Byrd's- Blackjack listed which does not show up on the website now.

It also shows Horace Parlan's- Speakin My Piece as "Out of Print" but currently the website shows the 45s as OOS.

That particular catalog/"release schedule" had 64 titles.

 

Some of those were never made.

 

I figured that might have been the case. Makes sense. Thanks.

 

I'm interested in getting another Art Blakey. What are your opinions on Mosaic vs. Indestructible?

 

I did not find anything else Out of Print either. So, not as bad as I thought it would be!

I counted 14 titles that are Out of Stock at the moment.

 

I see that MM is already jacking up prices on some of the 33s that they recently repressed.