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

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by MilesSmiles, Jun 13, 2014.

  1. DeRosa

    DeRosa Vinyl Forever

    images on discogs

    Herbie Hancock - Speak Like A Child
     
    UchidaT likes this.
  2. Tim1954

    Tim1954 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    Have to say just as an alternate opinion that I was not really a fan of Gray’s work on One Flight Up.

    Too much treble for me. Maybe the tapes are like that?

    Lots of earlier versions. I need to try one for comparison one day...
     
    NorthNY Mark and Lucca90 like this.
  3. UchidaT

    UchidaT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paris, France
    Who do we have to tag to make Let Freedom Ring happen? I can’t wrap my head around the fact that it hasn’t been reissued AAA in the last, what, 40 years?

    And the only reason I’m not freaking out that Dialogue hasn’t been reissued either is because I have a nice copy of it, but it’s definitely deserving one too! I could easily be overheard claiming it’s Hutcherson’s best after a few beers :p

    Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. You made a fantastic choice. Four of those are among my favorite BNs!
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2020
  4. TheoJ

    TheoJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    minneapolis
    I just ordered SLAC but the other 4 are in my top played. In fact, i just put Judgement! away because i've been listening to it too much. Excellent order that will last a lifetime
     
    NorthNY Mark and beyondmiles like this.
  5. TheoJ

    TheoJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    minneapolis
    You know me too well! Just when I think I'm out....
     
    scotti likes this.
  6. MisterBritt

    MisterBritt Senior Member

    Location:
    Santa Fe, NM, USA
    That record has the most unique (sorry, grammar police; I realize it's either unique or it's not) sound. It's one of only a handful of records I have featuring Mickey Roker on drums. Is it the only MMJ with Mickey Roker? I always home in on Roker's sound. I regret never seeing him live. It's refreshing to hear a unique voice on drums in this series.

    With all the discussion about Speak Like a Child I took a closer look at the instrumentation and players. We note that Peter Philips (I don't even recognize his name) is on the contra-alto clarinet. Is that what that is? Is that what that sounds like? To paraphrase drummer Eddie Blackwell, "What is it?" Answer: "What do it look like?"

    So I googled the contra-alto clarinet. I will say it sounds like it looks. But I hadn't considered a clarinet that looks ... well, quite like that! Very cool! I'm pretty sure we didn't have one of those in the school band.

    Selmer Paris 26S Contra Alto Clarinet

    Between that contra-alto clarinet and Elvin's brother Thad on the flugelhorn this is one unique- (oops, there I go ago, offending the grammar police) sounding albums. Herbie Hancock has pulled another rabbit out of his hat. His orchestration is sublime. This is one of my favorite offerings from Herbie and, indeed, from the entire series.
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2020
  7. UchidaT

    UchidaT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paris, France
    Unless I’m mistaken, that looks a lot like the bass clarinet Eric Dolphy used to play. I love the sound of that thing! I considered trying to learn to play it but a quick google search dissuaded me after I saw the price of one. Still meaning to pick up the saxophone one day, though :winkgrin:
     
    NorthNY Mark and MisterBritt like this.
  8. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    Yep, I like Speak Like A Child just as good or better than Maiden. To me, they aren’t too far off from each other. One is talking to each other in harmony while the other melody. One evoking the various characteristics of open space of the ocean and the other about simplistic joy in hope based upon getting back to the roots of what made us happy in the first place. Both expressing musically concepts of peace. Simply getting there by different, yet connected ways. I see the albums as very much connected.
     
    NorthNY Mark, mikeyt, timzigs and 4 others like this.
  9. StevenTounsand

    StevenTounsand Waxidermy Refugee

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Hey @MisterBritt! I’m a drummer too and with all the praise for Matador around here (it was one of the first MMJs to go OOP in the OG 45 run - I paid $100 for it in 2013!) do you feel like I do re: Elvin’s solo on it? I think it really falls flat - maybe Alfred Lion did too.
    I also was hoping they would have included the Wives and Lovers bonus track. It turns out that was my fave track...
    I also dig Mickey Roker - he’ll be on the TP The Phantom soon, right?
     
    MisterBritt likes this.
  10. Tim1954

    Tim1954 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    Ok, as promised.......

    Broke out my MMJ version of Speak Like A Child.

    I think the MM version is a little better than the OG, but they are not day and night. The original has a midrange warmth that some might find a better fit for their ears. The MM version has wider stereo separation and more clarity; especially up top. Dynamically they are VERY similar. Guess it goes to show you that we can't always reference how Van Gelder was compressing everything for junk turntables. He had a long career. This original has plenty of snap.

    I do like the original cover better because this was a statement and missing that inner g/f is a bit of a drag. I don't like Unipaks but I don't put the LP in the tight fit sleeve inside anyway, I just leave it loose. Anyway, I'm just saying that from an artistic standpoint, yeah, this is a case where the inside photos on the MM version are cool and all but really a pretty big change in the presentation.

    Here are some nice long samples of both......

    Herbie Hancock - 'Speak Like a Child' Orig. US LP - Clyp

    Herbie Hancock - 'Speak Like A Child' Music Matters Reissue... - Clyp
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2020
  11. AmiV

    AmiV Forum Resident

    Location:
    Israel
    Roker is on Duke Pearson's Wahoo which has been issued on MMJ. Also The Phantom is coming soon on Tone Poet, and we just heard that Morgan's at the Lighthouse is in the stars too.
     
    MisterBritt and StevenTounsand like this.
  12. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Hi! Great comments as always. Mickey Roker is also on Duke Pearson’s wahoo. Great session.

    You can really hear the Gil Evans influence in Herbie’s arranging on SLAC. What’s super impressive to me is how big and lush he makes a relatively small ensemble sound. His choice in instrumentation is clearly taking advantage of these lower range instruments, thus allowing some very complex overtones to develop through his creative arranging.

    LOVE that herbie is the only solo instrument as well!
     
  13. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    great to hear your impressions and also see they align with mine pretty consistently. I’m sure the MM simply didn’t have the licensing or access to the original unipak photos, otherwise I can imagine given the MM treatment they would be awesome.
     
    NorthNY Mark and Tim1954 like this.
  14. mpayan

    mpayan A Tad Rolled Off

    I think I like them both, for different reasons.
     
    Tim1954 likes this.
  15. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    feel free to read the previous posts if you’re so inclined. I tagged @Tim1954 as well as his impressions mirror mine.
     
  16. StevenTounsand

    StevenTounsand Waxidermy Refugee

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    The 75th of “Speak” was well pressed for me after so many duds. That unipak cover is kinda crucial - so I’m really satisfied, but I can Imagine the MMJ takes to the next sonic level.
     
  17. MisterBritt

    MisterBritt Senior Member

    Location:
    Santa Fe, NM, USA
    It's timely you mention Eric Dolphy. My previous post referenced Eddie Blackwell. Just the other night I was listening to the fantastic Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot album, which features both players together, along with MMJ thread favorite Richard Davis on bass. Oh man, that is a great live album!

    At present, it is one of the few albums of which I have allowed myself to harbor two copies. One is the AP Prestige Stereo reissue (now, out of print); the other, a superb Japanese first press. I could absolutely live with either of these. The problem is, both are so fantastic sonically that I cannot bear to let one go. Whichever one I listen to, I conclude that's the only vinyl I need. Then at some point, I'll put the other one on and wonder, what was I thinking? This cannot be topped. It's a toss-up. I'll call it a draw.

    [​IMG]

    If I were to release from my firm grasp the AP Prestige Stereo series vinyl, well, I would lose an important album from that basically sold-out series. On the other hand, I have the matching Vol. 2 from the Japanese series. Those two are a pair. This album rests at the nexus of my internal consternation: Am I a listener who needs only the single best copy? Or am I a collector? Ha.
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2020
  18. Tim1954

    Tim1954 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    Same here. The original sounds like it has a little of that tube magic that I'm sucker for. When Carter hits that low E note it has that kind of sound to my ears. Really cool.

    The MM has a more open and airy soundstage. The cymbals sound better.
     
  19. MisterBritt

    MisterBritt Senior Member

    Location:
    Santa Fe, NM, USA
    Re: Elvin Jones' solo on the tune "Bedouin" from the Grant Green Matador album:

    It looks to me like that tune might have been problematic. The May 20, 1964, finished output went down like this:

    Tk. 2) Matador
    Tk. 4) Green Jeans
    Tk. 17) My Favorite Things
    Tk. 29) Bedouin

    It looks like they might have made several runs at Bedouin. Maybe Elvin was just worn out. He sounds worn out. But I like the ideas he's working with.

    Maybe @Gabe Walters has more complete information on this recording session. Information that might reveal whether Wives and Lovers was recorded between Green Jeans and My Favorite Things, or between My Favorite Things and Bedouin. Any way you slice it, 29 (or more) tracks in one day is a mess! That said, if a guy is exhausted, he's pissed off, whatever -- those are emotional experiences, too. I'm happy to hear all of it, not an overly polished finished product.

    To paraphrase (and take only slightly out of context) Miles Davis in the studio: "Leave it on there. That's part of it."
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2020
    scotti, StevenTounsand and musictoad like this.
  20. mcrichley

    mcrichley Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    Finally playing The Sidewinder SRX

    Damn...
     
    AtlTrav, RyeB, scotti and 2 others like this.
  21. UchidaT

    UchidaT Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paris, France
    And thank you for bringing up that set of records of which, if that picture is to be trusted, you own beautiful copies! I recently went on a deep Dolphy binge (I think I’m still there since I played Screamin’ The Blues and Straight Ahead this morning back to back) and just couldn’t live with the fact that I had missed out on the AP Stereo pressing of Vol. 1, so I bought it on discogs for twice the original retail price! If I had known that JP pressing was so good I might’ve saved a few bucks. I do own a nice JP pressing of Vol. 3 (Memorial), but Vol. 2 is still missing from my collection...

    It’s great that AP did Vol. 1, but all three volumes contain gems. A nicely packaged reissue of the complete set pressed from the master tapes is long overdue. Maybe we should start our own record company!
     
  22. Gabe Walters

    Gabe Walters Forum Resident

    I wish I could help! I believe the Blue Note sessionography has been published, probably more than once, but I don’t have a copy handy.
     
    MisterBritt likes this.
  23. TheIncredibleHoke

    TheIncredibleHoke Dachshund Dog Dad

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Well, everyone on here is familiar with the USPS Media Mail blues when it comes to MMJ shipping. My latest order has always said "Delivery on Saturday, May 23rd," but we know how that goes. My shipment has been in NJ for a few days, so I knew it wasn't coming on time, but still. Then this afternoon, I got the dreaded "Your package is moving through the USPS system, but will be arriving late" notice.

    And Monday is a holiday. Bummer, but I have a ton of other albums I can be listening to as my wife reminds me. :D

    Listening to the new Moses Sumney that did arrive today now. God, this man's music is a revelation.
     
    mikemoon likes this.
  24. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Its not just an MM issue, which I’m sure you’re aware, the USPS system in certain parts is coming to a crawl. The jersey city, NJ media mail distribution center is delaying media mail at least 2-3 weeks, but there’s been reports of more.
     
  25. StevenTounsand

    StevenTounsand Waxidermy Refugee

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Wow-thanks for the context! Even God must get tired sometimes...:magoo:
     
    recstar24 and MisterBritt like this.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine