Blue Note 80th Anniversary reissues...any news?

Question for those that have the BN 80 Alligator Boogaloo (or an original)
On the track "One Cylinder" it seems like the high frequencies drop at certain points. Cymbals particularly lose their sparkle at odd times throughout the track. Is that a stylistic thing or a problem with the tape?

 

a couple people noticed it too. Do a search for alligator Boogaloo in this thread. It was a year ago or so.

 

It's a problem with the tape.

 

Will Blue Note be repressing any of these titles with the Classic series in print and the Tone Poet series as the focus? Now that the 80th anniversary is over will BN85 be a thing?

I am asking because I have 31 of 38 titles and the only album I am ISO is Reuben Wilson Blue Mode. If I can lock that one down my 80th collection will be closed.

 

Probably at some point. They have said the TP and Classics will be at least.

 

Okay that's great, thank you. I knew they were repressed before, but I wasn't sure if they moved on at this point seeing how it was done already. Now we're somewhat removed from the 80th anniversary date approaching the 85th.

 

Did the 75s get repressed? I can't imagine they have a lot of incentive to keep something like Reuben Wilson Blue Mode in print...

Personally I think your best bet is to scour every independent record store website in the country, I'm sure it's in stock somewhere.

 

I don't believe they were repressed? Not sure if that's an exceptional circumstance since the series was panned and considered a failure. Unfortunately, I was thinking the same thing about Blue Mode, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

You're right, I am going to do exactly that. It would suck to keep waiting on something that's never going to happen only becoming more difficult to find as time goes on.

 

Eu

Blue Mode is an 80th title

 

Yup, the question was whether the BN80 series would be repressed.

 

Aha very good question. I have no inside information, but my guess is they will not. Instead they will cherry pick their favorites and make them tone poets in two or three years

 

I think there may be some unwarranted assumptions at work here about what or who the market for 'this sort of thing' is. Blue Mode has a strong rep among people who like that sort of thing (however conceived), how those who would probably never consider buying it view it is hardly relevant and the undecided are ripe for the plucking.

 

Sure, maybe.

800 people have the BN80 of Blue Mode in their Discogs collections. A quick look at other Blue Note 80 titles and most have double and triple that.

 

Seems unlikely to me. So many other titles for JH to pick from.

 

I have about 10 from this series. I think it's a great series but honestly I keep thinking many of them, as well as the Classics will be part of a different series in the future with 33 RPM AAA and single tip-on jacket and closer to the overall authentic quality and feel of the originals. Of course this may never happen, especially with certain titles like Blue Mode.

It would make sense at some point to repress this series but in conservative numbers to at least keep them in print with the demand.

I need to stream a few more of these that I didn't get originally: Hub-Tones, Una Mas, Trompeta Toccata, Takin' Off, Smoke Stack, Alive, Blue Mode, Blacks and Blues and Egyptian Knights.

My BN80 collection is 10+/-, MMJ is 80+/-, and AP/BN is 5+/-. I don't have any of the BN Classics or the BN75 due to reported issues or duplicates.

Any insights on the BN80 listed above?

 

Look for other pressings of Hub-Tones, Una Mas and Takin' Off.

Trompeta Toccata, Smoke Stack and Ethiopian Knights are top notch pressings and titles.

Blacks and Blues may or may not be your thing, I personally love it.

 

There's a AP version of Hub-Tones. Will wait for a different reissue of Takin' Off, the MMJ is too pricey too.

I know some in this series were known for a few issues, that's why I may have avoided originally (not starting a wormhole conversation).

Thanks for the recs!

 

The VMP Anthology of Takin' Off is perfect, not sure what the eBay/Discogs prices are like but it's now my go-to.

edit - there are a bunch of cheap copies on eBay without jackets. Maybe grab a cheap BN80 toss the LP and drop the VMP LP in that jacket

 

Smoke Stack is the only must have (from this series) on your list, IMO.

Takin’ Off, Una Mas, and Hub-Tones are all essential albums, but they are all quite affected by warble in this series. The MMJs of the first two are excellent, as is Hub-Tones I’m sure (I don’t have it), but all are very expensive now I’d imagine. The AP of Hub-Tones is still available and very good. Can’t believe they had that and many other Blue Notes and Verves for $25 just a little over a year ago.

If you feel like splurging, I whole heartedly recommend the MMJs of Takin’ Off and Una Mas. Top tier MMJ. Vinyl doesn’t get much better than those releases.

 

Highly recommend Trompeta Toccata. Some of my favorite Joe Henderson on record -- his solo on "Mamacita" is one of his all-time greats IMO.

 

Nice notes and thank you! I passed on too many of those at $25 myself. I was working my MMJ collection before even more price increases. I entered 2020 with 20+/- and added over 50 titles.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I'm a big Joe Henderson fan!

 

Trompeta, Blacks and Blues, and Smoke Stack are all great albums and should be safe purchases if you want the 80th vinyl.

Some of the other titles you mention are great albums but the 80th pressings have issues you need to be aware of. Not gonna get into that here but you can do a search if you care.

Blue Mode is the only album on the list I've never heard on any format. People around here are usually not very enthused by organ-led soul jazz albums, FWIW. I enjoy the style when I'm in the right mood for it.

 

Thanks, Trompeta and Smoke Stack have moved up my list!

 

Any idea why dudes are selling those with no covers? Seems odd but maybe I'm missing something obvious.