Bethlehem Records reissue program relaunch by Verve on CD and LP and iTunes*

I got a Chris Connor EP and the Dexter Gordon shown above. The Connor sounds especially good. The Dexter Gordon LP doesn't quite have the same presence, and the ballad that closes side 1 sounds like the tape is dragging a bit. Very good pressings on both, and I think Rainbo did them.

 

I agree that the Connor sounds really good (I have all of them only on cd). And the Booker Ervin as well. Haven't heard the others yet.

 

So it is possible that the pressing facility responsible for the Beatles fiasco presses for another and smaller label and Verse gets better quality control? How does this work? Is the action instigated by the label ordering these or by the company manufacturing these?

 

No, Rainbo has pressed a lot of other bad discs beside the Beatles stuff.

 

All (or most?) were pressed at United. They've actually got photos of some of them on press on their Facebook page. I've got the Mingus and Dexter Gordon, both sound stellar. They were cut by Welcome to 1979 who do the Upstairs at United recordings and are fairly new to cutting. Judging by these cuts I'm pretty excited to hear more, it's nice to (hopefully) have another good cutter in the vinyl world. Will definitely get more of these Bethlehem titles.

 

EMI Japan has been releasing (or more properly perhaps re-releasing) Bethlehem titles at quite reasonable prices. I've ordered a few to hear how these sound (I like the sound of the Japanese cds released years ago of Bethlehem titles).

 

Any more comments on how the Verse Cds sound?

Here's hoping they are not brickwalled and sound nice and breath.....I'm in if they are...

 

They're not real quiet, but they certainly aren't brickwalled. Try one.

 

I had to look for it but apparently they use now mastering engineer Tommy Wiggins and they (Chris Mara and his team) are devoted to analog.

 

thanks for the info....

 

I am the cutting engineer for Welcome To 1979, and we did the cuts for a few of these Bethlehem releases. The Dexter Gordon & Charles Mingus that ThePluralofVinyl alluded to were done by me.

 

Cool! May have to pick up those on vinyl (have them on cd).

 

Thanks CJH79, I am Robert, what's your name then?
I am a big fan of Mel Tormé w/ Marty Paich on Bethlehem so I will wait for that one, hopefully with the very beautiful Burt Goldblatt sleeve in great quality.

 

Cameron

 

Thanks Cameron.

 

I've got Chris Connor's Chris via a previous Bethlehem reissue program. It's a little schizophrenic in its mix of big- and small-band tracks, but I like it. How does it compare with other material she recorded for the label?

 

New to the forums, just bought a copy of The Jazz Experiments Of Charles Mingus. Good sounding record. I can't believe such a stellar recording can come from that time period.

 

I just got this one too, and I completely agree. The music is amazing as always from Mingus, and the recording and reissue quality is top notch. This is one of those recordings where you get a real sense of the space the musicians were in. Looking forward to more of these Bethlehem reissues.

 

Indeed. I did not recognize the deadwax name (cjh79) on mine. It doesn't match the name of the mastering credits. Maybe the master vinyl was done somewhere else. Either way, amazing sounding record. I'll definately be picking up more of these.

 

The first Nina Simone record has been in print continuously on Bethlehem since the late 50's- great record.

 

Looks like they have a few more up in Amazon for preorder including Bobby Troup!

 

I'm interested in a handful including the Roland Kirk album which I've never heard/ owned. I'm missing one of the Nina Simone albums too. All in all good news if the SQ holds up.

 

I've bought about 3 dozen of the Japanese and they all sound very good to me.

 

Absolutely! I found her first two 10" Bethlehem LPs, along with a 10" of June Christy's "Something Cool," in a thrift store in the '90s. I was unfamiliar with both singers at the time, but loved those records from the start.

 

Any improvement over the '90s CD? I have no issue with the earlier CD (mastered by Tom Moulton IIRC), so I'm curious how the new one compares.