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

Now at 290! Here's hoping. I wonder if anyone has been in touch with Ron and Joe regarding a possible Kickstarter. I'd love to support a series of "outside" Blue Notes, and think Kickstarter might be the way to go for that sort of project. I can understand why they might not want to do the more outré stuff as part of their regular series.

 

How about doing a a pre-sale?
"Here is the title we want to release, how many will commit to buy before we start pressing them"? It would mitigate a lot of risk.

 

I think I will go ahead and suggest ideas along these lines to Ron.

 

We are in communication with the team. The problem with the kickstarter is two-fold I think...extra effort for Ron and team and longer timeline. Ron is looking to retire soon to Hawaii.

 

Gotcha, thanks!

 

You can't blame someone for wanting to retire. While I signed the petition and hope for more, I think the real issue is that this project was/is only a labor of love. Making money from a limited market endeavor is an absolute grind; I suspect that's why they've taken marketing in house. I hope to see more Blue Notes for MM, but I don't think that will be a reality unfortunately. I know someone internally keeps saying stay tuned and never say never, but it may simple be the end. Jeff

 

I have the whole Music Matters 45 set taking up space on several shelves
Rarely get them out to play

nice to hear the 33 1/3s sound great - picked up Maiden Voyage and Grant Green

perhaps another Impulse set or Prestige

 

If you need the shelf space, I can store them for you.

 

What I am hearing is that Ron may take a break for a few months and then consider another small run. Joe still has some titles in mind so perhaps if we get 500 or so signatures, we will present a pretty compelling business case for another short run. Ron and Joe are first and foremost Blue Note music lovers so I think they are pleasantly surprised by the response the petition is getting.

I think we have a real chance here.

 

I just ordered 5 of the 33 1/3 I didn't have as I realized I better do it now before its too late and the prices get astronomical.

 

I subscribed to the entire final set all in one shot last week when I realized what the "final set" actually meant.

 

Last email exchange I had with Lori hinted that this was an End.

Not the End.

 

Cool. If money is the issue they should collect up front. I'd pay. Then parcel them out over a year. This was the best subscription out there... although I think AP does killer work too. I hope it happens Lee. Jeff

 

I don't think it's that big an issue as long as they feel comfortable with demand.

I hope it happens too Jeff. Thanks for the support. I really enjoy this series.

 

Good news to share! We are now at 400 signatures.

 

We should keep in mind that MM has significant unsold stock and an authorized edition size that needs to be pressed and printed still. MM will be around for some time yet just selling their back catalog.

Whether MM elects to take on further releases is one question.

Universal may allow MM to release further BN records sourced from master tape. And they may not. MM has done a fantastic job with their releases to be sure and has mined deep into the BN catalog. In that process they evaluated master tape for many other prospective titles for potential release, and found them wanting. That is particularly true for early BN bop and hard bop titles, for example Jutta Hipp-Zoot Sims BN 1530. Also, Universal has archived the extant master tapes (some originals are missing). They now make available 96/24 digital files to the reissue houses. Petition or not (and I signed it), whether MM will be allowed access in the future to master tape is another salient question.

MM chose for release titles they like (that is Joe Harley, Ron Rambach), first and foremost, and where a very high quality release can be prepared from master tape in great condition. Not that they don't like them, but MM elected not to release Jimmy Smith or much by The 3 Sounds. Also, MM has not released a lot of titles cut after 1968, a handful only. Further in that regard, the BN catalog after 1970 or so employed frequently multi-tracking, making it much more challenging to master for a new release. Not to mention, most United Artists-era BN releases are available still on eBay or Discogs for under $30, frequently $20 each.

Universal earlier was not willing to adjust their license fee to 'potential' sales. What that means is the same notable or popular titles get released over and over again by one reissue house or another or BN itself, a gripe expressed by a few on these pages. MM has titles now they loved that were never going to be huge sellers sitting in stacks on their office floor. Only so much of that can be done for a commercial enterprise. I don't know, but I believe, MM has not made money hand over fist (i.e., grabbing handfuls of money and pocketing it).

MM has been at this for a long, long run. It has always been a labor of intense personal passion, or so I believe. If anything, dealing with the paying public has more than once been a huge pain in the buttocks. You know the old adage about making a business from your hobby. It ruins it for you. Again in my opinion, what we have seen in the last year or so reflects that kind of fatigue. I bet the MM crew does need a break, as suggested by others here.

Bottom line for me: As someone who cannot afford near mint originals, I will be forever grateful to MM, Ron Rambach in particular, for the amazing work they have done. No one has done it better.

If they elect to tackle parts of another label, wow! Just wow! In our dreams.

 

There are several benefits from MM doing more titles (and according to Joe, they have the licensing ability to do more titles):

1. They make more money. It did take a while for the series to sell at some points but now dealers are selling out of stock and rare titles are going up in price.

2. Any inventory the MM team holds on a personal basis will go up in value.

3. They help Blue Note fans and Ron & Joe do love the performances enough that they want others to find the music and enjoy it.

4. Last but most importantly, customers get satisfaction from more titles.

 

I like the sound of that, a trumpet call and response with a fat sax, back by piano, bass, and a driving drum.

 

Indeed.

 

So some of these albums just showed up on Elusivedisc.com! I find that interesting... (Sorry if anyone had already mentioned this.)

 

They have them at Acoustic Sounds as well.

 

423 signatures and rolling. Please sign if you want more titles. Thanks.

 

What are "some of these albums"?

 

I've quoted LeeS here and added edits for clarification. Okay, so let's do this again (read on). I'll compile a list in a week or so. But what I want to solicit from you MM/BN fans is ONE, ONE only, title that if you could have any outstanding BN record done by MM, this would be the ONE.

Rules, only one selection please, even if you can't resist, just one recording that in your wildest dreams needs MM treatment. If you insist on listing more than one, I will take the first one listed. We don't have to recognize it, but some titles will never be done by MM because 1) superior master tape does not exist, 2) MM does not want for host of reasons to do the title, and 3) MM cannot secure a licensing deal on the title with Universal.

For example, MM is unlikely to take on BN titles released after the late 1960s, particularly the post Liberty period. I think the latest BN recorded title MM released was from 1971 (Elvin Jones - Genesis). And Jimmy Smith is not likely to be released, even if some of us love a select few titles. Jutta Hipp-Zoot Sims BN1530 has already been evaluated by MM and rejected due to poor quality master tape, but that is not the only title in that situation. I asked MM several years about Herbie Nichols and Elmo Hope, another obscure BN pianist, and tape is not good or sales are not likely to cover the costs. So there is that consideration too.

We all acknowledge that Liberty pressings for many titles on our 'want list' are available for less than $40 a title and MM is not the only reissue label, which includes BN itself. The good news is that everyday it seems a new title is available from someone. That acknowledged, we can all dream on for the detail, expensive and high class treatment, tempered by economic and quality considerations that most of us as business-folks understand.

We must appreciate that MM will release (and sometimes lose money on) music they are personally into. They are ardent fans of certain musicians who sometimes are not big sellers. To lose money on something you love is done all the time in the audiophile reissue world, according to a post a year or so back by Steve Hoffman himself. He added, "To lose money on music we don't love is something that we usually don't do." If we are astute, we know what Joe and Ron love; the pattern is just plain obvious.

To sum it all up, MM may release only what they care for themselves, given all of the initial and boundary conditions (i.e., quality tape, personal preference, and expected sales). And that may include re-releasing on 33RPM what has been done by them in 45RPM or has been done by AcoustTech.

See this page and my post from February 5, 2015: Music Matters Definitive Blue Note 45 RPM and 33 & 1/3 RPM vinyl series (pt7) . Here 12 titles were forwarded by this SHF group. Of those 12, I think three were eventually pressed by MM. A few on the list are never going to be given the MM treatment for all the reasons noted before.

No matter, we can dream on...I'm curious about the titles you want Music Matters to consider?

 

I've posted my own list of 20+ inside/outside titles before, but if I were forced to pick just one, it would probably be:

Grachan Moncur III - Some Other Stuff.