“Ella and Louis again” the original Verve double LP and the Mobile Fidelity reissue

Maybe someone can tell me.
One of my favourite records is "Ella and Louis Again". In fact, I think it was the first jazz CD I ever consciously purchased knowing what I was buying.

These days, I have the original 1957 Verve double LP in very good shape, which to me sounds wonderful.

In 1996 Mo-Fi reissued the 1957 double LP. Which I found mint. Unopened in the original wrapping.

Is it just my imagination or are the sibilants on Louis’s voice quite pronounced? More so than the original.
It sounds like he’s breathing right next to the microphone. Very quiet vinyl though.

 

I don't have either of your versions but can add that Louis' sibilants are very noticeable on the Speaker's Corner reissue of Ella and Louis. Ella sounds good though.

I have changed my cartridge since I last listened to this album. I expect Louis (especially) and Ella to sound somewhat better with my Sumiko Blackbird, though I don't expect this to cure entirely the extreme sibilance from Louis.

 

Certainly not your imagination. I listened to the MoFi two weeks ago and the sibilance seemed worse than I remember since last playing the album. I have a Benz L2, (what else, right??) and had a Grado Sonata when I last played it a couple of years ago. Could be the difference between moving iron and moving coil. I'm not sure or it could be I wasn't paying strict attention during earlier listening sessions and just didn't notice. Maybe I'm just getting more critical in my old age.

Bill

 

it's certainly more pronounced than on the original Verve. But as I understand it, a lot of the old Verves were intentionally restricted in the frequency response, one of the reasons they had that warm feel to them. I have a Lyra Skala, so I get all the news when playing something, good and bad.

I can confirm also Louis's sibilants are quite pronounced also on the speakers corner reissue of Ella and Louis. I have the original Verve, but I haven't cleaned it yet... so I haven't been able to compare the two. I'm expecting something similar, the original Verve to be warmer and rounder, but not so extended in the highs and lows.

 

I heard it was something about not using a de-esser during the cutting process. I have found that summing the two channels to mono helps a lot. There seems to be a vertical distortion component to the sibilance that cancels out.

 

Yes it is a good idea to properly sum true mono LPs, such as all these mentioned, to mono or use a mono cart. You'll cut the grunge.

The Verve cuts might've took the sibilance into account while the reissues just "let 'er rip" but I have no problem with any of them. They sound great. The MFSL gold CDs sound quite nice too.

As for Louis and sibilance, well this really wasn't intended as "easy listening" back when, just darn nice music. (Not that anyone's complaining, I'm just sayin'). Mono it and enjoy.

 

I just tried the summing to mono thing today and it made all the difference. I have been unable to get much enjoyment from the record until now, the sibilance breaking up was too distracting. Even my Argo-I cant track it without some breakup and it's an amazing tracker. You can see how close Lewis is to the mike on the photos inside the gatefold and no screen in sight. A wonderful album though.

 

Of course, you shouldn't use a mono cart on a modern pressing unless you are absolutely sure it was cut on with a true mono cutting head (that's the right term, right?). Almost all modern cuts of mono albums assume you use a stereo cart and you can damage the record and your mono needle if you try to use a mono needle on them.

 

Right, needle/stylus being the key there. Original mono records - all records prior to the invention of the stereo record in '58 - having U shaped grooves. Many mono records up to the late '60s could be the U-type. Mono records since have been cut with stereo lathes which have V shaped grooves. A U shaped needle/stylus (aka conical) designed for those U groove mono records can wreck a V shaped groove. Most newish mono carts though have needles/stylus designed for the V-grooves with the cart "wired" to mono, basically the same thing as if you had a stereo cart and you were using double-Y wires between the 'table and preamp / reciever.

Because our lives weren't complicated enough, there's a catch to this. Some mono records cut on stereo lathes don't have perfectly equal signals in both channels. For example if they went and played a mono tape on a convenient stereo deck (which is industry standard practice...) and don't properly sum it to mono before the cutter. If you sum a stereo cut record that isn't done right to mono to clear up the sound, you could end up with phase issues (usually most noticed as a swishy sort of effect in treble or loss of highs). Even worse, I've heard some mono recordings on vinyl and CD that they played on stereo decks and did sum on their end despite there being phase issues. The occasional mono recording won't sound right for that reason and there's nothing we can do to undo their mess-up.

None of these Ella & Louis cuts I've heard, original mono or quality reissues, have any such problems. Mono records by MFSL, Pure Pleasure and other quality products by people like Kevin Gray or Steve who know what they're doing won't have any problems, do the sum with confidence. Just be aware of that if you should sum a record (or CD or tape for that matter) of a mono recording to mono and hear anything amiss, you'll be forced to play 'em stereo and live with whatever artifacts there may be.

 

I have two copies of the MOFI vinyl, wonderful sonics. You need to be able to play this in MONO.