Jazz Wax Records

Anyone own any vinyl on this label? I have recently seen new 180 gram reissues of many classic jazz albums by this label, and am wondering if worth checking out (as low priced as $12.99). The labels indicate that they are 180 gram mastered via Neumann direct-metal mastering system.

 

I would like to know a bit about them as well. I recently picked up Ellington's A Drum is a Woman. The sound is quite good and the vinyl is quiet. For $20 or so, it was a good purchase in my books.

 

Knock offs taken from CDs

AVOID any purchase from the following European labels that strike vinyl from CDs since the original recording have fallen into public domain. The sound quality is nothing compared to the vinyl mastered from the original tapes. The sound is limited, no depth, no bass, just plan WEAK.


Jazz Wax, Jazz Tracks, Pan American

 

There are an abundance of these and other European small labels at my local record store as well. I've been looking at a copy of Ella and Louis Again by WaxTime, also DMM Neumann, then just the other day another this time double LP of both Ella and Louis and E & L Again showed up in his shop. Nice package but no indicated manufacturers name, just an address in Holand. I have the AP 45 of Ella and Louis on it's way so I'm giving these a pass. I highly doubt any have access to a good analogue source. It's one thing pressing out of copyright but another getting their hands on a good source. Perhaps someone could enlighten us on DMM?
I'm also getting perturbed at the shop owner who when asked about these labels standard reply is 'Ive sold lots, no complaints'. Well, I'm complaining. Why support my local guy if he can't or won't stand behind his product. Might as well use some of the bigger on line distributors and do my own research. Buyer beware.

 

hi what reissued albums did you compare to the original version soundwise?

 

Wrong, just made a needledrop of Nina Simone – Little Girl Blue (Jazz Wax Records), and they sound beautiful, freq over 40 000Hz Dynamic range = 14.

 

WHY are VINYL stores SELLING the RIPOFF LPs?

I purchased four of the Jazz Track, Jazz Wax LPs (Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown, Art Pepper - Meets Rhythm Section, Cannonball Adderley - Cannonball Sharpshooters and Duke Ellington - Indigos) over two years ago when I first rejoined the vinyl world. At the time I was not informed about the Public Domain ripoffs from Europe. I bought them because of CHEAPER PRICE.

Once you open and drop the needle on these ripoffs you can tell there's something missing. The sound is limited and once you train your ears to know the difference between the digital and analogue sound you can tell. Many times the order of the songs are different than the original LP.

THE REAL TEST is buying the same LPs that have been sourced from the original analogue tapes. Yes, the analogue sources LPs will cost MORE, but the sound difference is unbelievable. Much fuller bass and the mid-range for vocals highs are natural. Once you hear the difference you'll ask WHY any record store would confuse buyers with the second rate LPs to the analogue sourced LPs.

I suggest you ASK your local vinyl store and online stores WHY they sell those ripoff LPs. I guess there's a higher profit margin? They may say the demand requires them to sell them. They could be totally unaware of selling an inferior product.

If I was a vinyl store owner I would NOT SELL THOSE RIPOFF LPs - confusing my customers.

 

Hello

As a collector for original (analogue) records for years I got frustrated by the low quality of the vinyl. Especially American labels. My exceptions would be blue note and atlantic. The problem was to find a near mint copy of some of the albums. To be honest I felt more ripped off what some sellers tried to sell as mint and wasn't even near to vg. My ears got trained to that. Or sometimes buying a sealed lp with a big warp or an off center pressing inside. Wowwwwwwwww what a joy was that.

In the end I kept the japanese reissues and sell my original lp's. I never regret it one day of my life. The reissue labels you talk don't sound that dull to me. For many people it means they get a decent pressing for a decent price. Or would you call paying 100 dollar for a scratched up original pressing a fair deal. In the latter case you buy a worthless piece of vinyl which you cannot even resell for 50 cents. Also I doubt that you listened to all the reissues and were able to compare to the original sound. I did once owning about 15000 original US albums. I can tell you the difference is minimal. With some Japanese lp's you can hear the difference.

Blue note was one of the few exceptions.Although the late 60's and early 70's reissues sound poorer then many of the new pressing from the 2000's. The same goes for prestige or atlantic. Only the early ones had a slightly better sound. Only detectable on a very demanding hifi. If you don't like those reissues that's fine with me. Only don't start telling us all what we should do. Then I can list you a few so called trustworthy analogue record dealers (one notorious called records by mail in Oregon or one in time square new york) who made profits where the shops you just mentioned can only dream off. Did they satisfy their customers. No they drove them away from the vinyl. Thanks we got these european reissue labels and of course Japan. Stick to them i would say and one can enjoy music without wasting a lifetime saving on something that never was there anyway.

 

Just received a JWR issue of Miles Davis's soundtrack of the Louis Malle film "Ascnseur," ...etc. I had been waiting a month for this record from Amazon.When I opened it, I noted the unusual label. As soon as I put it on I noticed poor tracking. About thirty seconds in ,my needle began to dance madly for about ten seconds. I stopped playing immediately. I thought there might be dirt in the grooves, but after extensive cleaning nothing changed.

The noise was more of a lateral distortion than a vertical scratch. I checked my tone arm and anti-skate settings--which were fine, than I played an album on the Riverside label in comparison to assure myself that the problem was nit my equipment. . Guess what! From now I'm going to check out unknown labels--especially with such a legend as Miles.

 

--I have the wax time sonny stitt.What I notice is a brighter sound,but other than that ,the sound and pressing is very good.I turned down the treble on my amp and got a more soothing sound.I have more fun playing records and am more engaged in the music,thats why I still buy vinyl.The price of the higher quality pressings is to high and I will rarely buy them as my old ears can not detect that great of a difference.If you like the music and it is what your budget allows buy them and be thankful there are manufacturers out there to fulfill your dreams.

 

I just bought a handful of the European reissues from Half Price Books because I had coupons ranging from 30%-50% off. At that price I was getting the albums for under $10. Some of the albums at one store had been slit open so someone could steal the free digital download card that comes with them. These were marked down even though the albums were in pristine condition. What a deal! Right? I am building my first vinyl collection (if you don't include the one I had in the 70's as a kid) and got REALLY excited about Jazz after buying the a reissue "Time Out" by Dave Brubeck. This had me back to the store for Coltrane, Stan Getz and a few others. The "Virgin Vinyl" heavyweight albums are gorgeous and the sleeves equally enticing. I bought them, listened to them and loved them- totally oblivious to the reality of the reissue dilemma. I then bought Coltrane's "Favorite Things" and "Bags & Trane" in the original albums from Atlantic. These are thin and almost a bit flimsy but they cleaned up beautifully and the sound was so much brighter and more immediate to the ear than the reissues. I had read the forums but hadn't experience the sound for myself until these albums. I still did not have a direct comparison however. I then bought "Dave Brubeck's Greatest Hits" on the '66 compilation. I could then compare "Time Out" on that album to the "Time Out" on the European reissue. The sound from the reissue is muffled. The compilation is SO bright that you can actually hear the sound of the air in the sax. That sounds odd but I played sax for years and the air passing inside the instrument makes a sound as well as the sound coming out of the bell. To make the original compilation match the reissue you would have to take a cotton ball and divide it in 3 pieces, then rip one piece in two and put them in your ears. The reissue is nice ...you can hear the full range and depth of the music but it is ever so slightly muffled. Like previous postings note: the disks are beautiful, the vinyl is dead quiet other than when played, they often can be had at a great price, they are a great way to get started in collecting, the sleeves are beautiful...so they are really attractive and (In ONE SENSE are worth buying if bought at a discount (my opinion). HOWEVER! (IN ANOTHER SENSE) if you really want a pure, bright, gorgeous sound that is RIGHT in your ear you simply have to do the harder work of finding those albums that are closer to the original recording from the tapes. I will keep the reissues and play them as background music but if I want to sit in front of my system and really LISTEN to the music I will have to buy earlier albums.

 

Some of the briteness you're probably hearing is from it being DMM. DMM is notorious for being almost without low end. I have a couple records cut from the same master, one lacquer and one DMM, with a casual listen both sound fine but if you compare the two it's shocking how much low end disappears. I'm shocked how many U.S. retailers stick these as they're not PD here and squat on others rights or compete with people who are actually paying the rights holders. Sad.

 

I was in one of the last traditional record stores in my area today. They supposedly had a strong jazz section but carried nothing of the albums listed in the Jazzwax catalogue. I found 2 actually...so "nothing" is hyperbole on my part. They had NO Coltrane(NO JOHN COLTRANE AT ALL) and a few Miles Davis behind the counter... in what can only be described as the manager's "secret stash". I didn't even ask about them since I have asked twice about other "choice" albums and nearly fell on the floor with sticker shock. At that moment I became solidified in my, until then fluid, attitudes toward the reissue albums. The sound difference for most of the nicer looking, more involved packaging, heavy vinyl is minimal. Yes the originals are, as I previously commented, slightly brighter and fuller...more immediate to the ear....but it is by degrees. You really have to play them back to back and sit right in front of the system to hear a difference. The vinyl condition, price, and availability difference is HUGE. On a good week (coupon in hand) I can spend $50 on 6 reissued pristine albums that have 98%-99% of the same sound quality as the originals or go to a traditional old school record store and spend $50 on one album- When I can get it!- and that will most likely be scratched. I know where I will spend my money. I will focus on the two reissue companies I have found offer the best sounding and best looking albums and snatch originals when I am lucky enough to have them fall into my lap.

 

thepluralofvinyl
By what you wrote.. "Squat on other's rights or complete etc. etc. ..." are you saying (and I actually am asking politely) that the reissue companies are not paying royalties or copyright to the U.S. labels and/or artists and you are shocked retailers are selling them as choice items? I assume so but if I got it wrong please correct me. To that statement.... if I buy a reissue I am then partaking in that system...I am not paying the artist/label what is due them. But how is that different than if I get an original album in a thrift store or even traditional record store. Some of those albums may have changed hands 3 or 4 times and the artist/label only got paid 1 time out of that all. Noe that copyright has expired in Europe it is legally not an issue. In the loophole U.S. companies can call them imports can't they? Couldn't the Label/Artist renew those copyrights and protect them like in publishing. If they could have and let them go then isn't it an open and shut case of a product being legally and morally free to be used in a public domain way? Is this a morally grey area or is it black and white. I assume, for you, it is b/w but I am not sure. I appreciate your time and opinion on the subject in responding if you feel like it. I ask all of this with sincerity.

 

In a FINAL reply to my previous posts and my wavering flip flopping on this issue I can say the following. I have finally come to a sincere and unshakable place on the matter. The issue concerning Euro reissues IS black and white(see my last commentary). Less than excellent sound quality and a system that may be depriving Labels and Artists of rights and monies due them will not enough to make me by Euro reissues again regardless of the few dollars saved. I was just surfing online and found the Sony reissue of Brubeck's "Time Out". Man I wish I had seen that before buying the European reissue two weeks ago. Now that I can see that a correct album was available I feel awful. I will not be buying Euro reissues after all, as previously stated, and will stick to the quality reissued albums from the artists and labels. Any reader of this forum has, unfortunately perhaps, been whiteness to my flip flopping on the issue. Mea Culpa. Perhaps my example is demonstrative of what other newbie vinyl collectors experience and perhaps they too will follow good taste and conscience to the same conclusion I have...or at least a conclusion that is on the side of ethics and decency. On that I will say - thanks to any of you that take time to read my comments or ponder this issue, and the Steve Hoffman Music Forum for allowing newbies like me to voice our naive opinions while working out what the right thing to do is. On that I will now allow my voice to go silent.

 

The problem with many, a friends label is dealing with this currently, is that they are PD in the country they are manufactured in and they are instructed (buy law) not to sell it here because they don't have the rights. My buddy shelled out a bunch of money to license a couple titles and they're now competing with a PD on that is being boldly distributed in the U.S. The difference between PD and used is that the used product had proper rights paid for at initial production/purchase. My buddy is trying to sell product of which half the cost were paying the rights holders and getting is competing with someone who only paid to manufacture. So they'll win the price war, they've got less at stake and the only people making money of it is the label. Some imports are fine but now what they call parallel imports, which is my buddy's situation.

 

same here gr8 sound on Sinatra wee small hours .

 

Thanks "thepluralofvinyl" I completely understand and agree. This was a very fast but very indepth learning experience for me. Now I have to scrutinize every new album I purchase and especially in the used books store I bought the originals in. Lesson learned.

 

So most are poor, but some have good sound?

I've been looking at a Coltrane Village Vanguard reissue under the Jazz Wax Records label at my local record store...Anyone heard this one?

 

Time Out I was surprised how decent it sounded.

 

Time Out I was surprised how decent it sounded.

 

EU public domain garbage - CD rips pressed to vinyl, avoid like the plague.

 

Few sound awful but a few sound decent. I think they mostly attract people whom are new to jazz and wanna test the waters.

I bought one to test against my Coloumbia Records copy of Time Out.