How are the CDs from the Original Jazz Classics Remasters series?

Anyone picked up any CDs from the Original Jazz Classics Remasters series that Concord launched earlier this year? Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous that they're reissuing the same old titles yet again (after the original OJC series, 20-Bit K2 series, RVG series, Keepnews Collection, etc.), but I'm interested in any thoughts anyone here may have on how they sound. And if you've compared them to previous editions, all the better. So far, here are the 10 titles that have been released in the OJC Remasters series this year:

Art Pepper - Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
Bill Evans Trio - Waltz for Debby
Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz at Oberlin
Joe Pass - Virtuoso
Miles Davis feat. Sonny Rollins - Dig
Sonny Rollins - Way Out West
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane
Vince Guaraldi Trio - Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus
Wes Montgomery - Boss Guitar

I saw a few while browsing Cactus Music here in Houston the other day and I believe they all say "24-Bit Remastering by Joe Tarantino" on the back. I don't think I'm familiar with Mr. Tarantino's work. If any of you have picked up any of these and wanna share your thoughts, I'm all ears.

 

I picked up "Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section" and have been fairly impressed with it. Tarantino can usually be counted on to do a respectable job. The remastering is somewhat louder than the original OJC, but to my ears does not sound excessively compressed. After doing an A/B comparison with the original, I decided that the remaster was a keeper.

 

I don't have of those titles in that series but I do have other titles recently mastered by Joe Tarantino and he has an excellent track record. If I see his name on a CD I don't hesitate to buy.
For what it's worth, Trevor.

 

I agree with the previous posts. Tarantino is a reliable mastering engineer. I bought Sonny Rollin's 'Way Out West' and it easily trumped the original OJC.

 

I bought Waltz for Debbie and Art Pepper Meets the Rythm Section and I must say these things sound spectacular! I am very impressed. I'm going to try and get the whole collection now.

 

oops almost forgot, they're only like $10.98 a piece. Sssshhh...run get em before the price goes up... seriously...they're that good.
I went back to my favorite indy store and got all they had:

Wes Montgomery Boss Guitar
Chet Baker Chet Baker Sings
Vince Guaraldi Trio Jazz Impressions...
Thelonius Monk with John Coltrane
Sonny Rollins Way out West
Miles Davis featuring Sonny Rollins Dig

 

I guess Sonny Rollins "Reel Life" also belong in this series, although that one never appeared on CD before. I like the sound very much.

 

I agree he is a great mastering engineer, his "Way Out West" remaster was actually the first digital version I got of that album, and I am not disappointed. I enjoy the OJC remaster of Art Pepper MTRS too, have the Grundman AP gold disc of that, a cursory assessment had me thinking Grundman's draws attention to the bass and has a slightly more rounded sax sound. Joe's is more even across the spectrum- Verdict, I like both versions.

 

I just bought the Chet Baker "It Could Happen To You" 2010 Joe Tarantino CD remaster and I prefer the more flat-transfer sounding 20-bit Phil De Lancie mastered CD that I already had....warts and all (some tape ticks/clicks). The Tarantino version is warm but somehow less intimate as far as the vocals, IMO. Maybe some noise reduction is present. It's also a little louder. It does have 2 extra alternate takes and better cover art reproduction, but that's not enough for me to keep this new version, unfortunately.

 

The title of Bill Evans' album is Waltz for Debby.

 

Has anyone compared any of these new 24-bit remasters with their counterparts in the Japanese Victor VDJ series from the 1980s? Opinions?

 

I would be curious to know how these remasters compare against other versions. As the original poster said, these titles have been remastered many times.

Also, does anyone have a complete list of titles in the current 24-bit remaster series?

 

Anybody? Don't be shy.

 

A search on concordmusicgroup.com using "original jazz classics remasters" turned up 20 titles:

Released 6/14/11

Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass--Easy Living
Bill Evans Trio--Explorations
Chet Baker--In New York
Cannonball Adderley & Bill Evans--Know What I Mean?
Ornette Coleman--Something Else!!!!
Thelonious Monk--Thelonious Alone In San Francisco

Released 3/15/11

Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar Peterson--Ella And Oscar
Thelonious Monk--Monk's Music
Stan Getz & Cal Tjader--Stan Getz/Cal Tjader Sextet
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers--Ugetsu

Released 9/28/10

Wes Montgomery--Boss Guitar
Chet Baker--Chet Baker Sings:It Could Happen To You
Miles Davis Featuring Sonny Rollins--Dig
Vince Guaraldi Trio--Jazz Impressions Of Black Orpheus
Bill Evans Trio--Waltz For Debby

Released 3/30/10

Art Pepper--Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section
Dave Brubeck Quartet--Jazz At Oberlin
Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane--Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane
Joe Pass--Virtuoso
Sonny Rollins--Way Out West

I am also hesitant about these remasters: most of the old OJC editions have pleasing sound, and there are alternatives upmarket like the VDJs, DCCs, and AP SACDs. I suppose a Contemporary Records title from this series like Way Out West or Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section would be a good comparison disc to other versions...

 

Hey guys,

I saw something interesting today regarding this series, apparently, for christmas Concord made a box set with all those 20 CDs.

I saw the box set in a fnac and in a Mediamarkt here in Belgium, the weird thing is that the existence of such a box set is mentioned nowhere, not on concord website, not even on the web in fact. I guess it will soon appear.

The good thing is that it was sold for around 79 € which is a good bargain. In term of built I did not open the box but, from the size of the box and the few words on it, it's seems that the albums are presented in the same sleeves and with the same liner notes than the ones sold separately, which is really good considering the thin bad cardboard sleeve that are coming with most box set nowadays (Miles Davis Complete Columbia Albums for instance).

 

Well there you go:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Classics-Remastered-Various-Artists/dp/B005UTX6V6

Edit:

It's a lot cheaper on amazon's french website:

http://www.amazon.fr/Original-Jazz-...V6/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1322951263&sr=8-13

 

Amazon France are very good sometimes with their box set prices

 

Judging by the rendering on Amazon websites, it seems that the box is coming with jewel case and not cardboard + plastic like on the album sold separately, yet it's a rendering, someone will have to buy for us to be sure ^^.

 

I guess so, I think Miles Complete Columbia Albums was cheaper on the french website, I only paid 119 euros for it, yet this particular box set was made by Universal France so...

Yet, for The Complete in a Silent Way amazon.co.uk is cheaper, but it's made by Universal Uk.

So I guess we should always comparing the two site before buying.

 

Thanks for that. It looks like a great set!

 

Hi guys,

I did some research - which involved loving the Jazz Classics Page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OriginalJazzClassics) - and i asked them how are housed the CDs, they are in jewel cases. I would have preferred cardboard sleeve with plastic inserts but still it is a great set with great value .

 

Oh and by the way, I should not say this, but let's by nice : they organised a competition on their FB page to win the box set, they already have a winner but apparently they will organise another round in the next few days, so stay tuned .

 

Thought I'd give this thread a bump, as I'm interested in a few of the discs in this series. If anyone has done any comparisons, are the new discs an improvement over the original OJCs?

 

Also interested to know, are these available as jewel cases or digi-paks if you buy them individually ? Are they the same in the US and EU ?

 

The handful I've examined in person (in the US) were in jewel cases.