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

I only have about half of them. I regret not pulling the trigger on some that I wanted but so be it. I am happy with what I have.

 

I did a little test comparing my SRX of Night in Tunisia to my new MMJ 45 of Like Someone in Love. Since they are from the same recording sessions I figure it’s a fair comparison, though I understand they are different releases so maybe not a one-to-one comparison.

In any case, as good as the SRX sounds, the 45 beat it fairly easily. The difference was not hard to discern, with everything from soundstage to high and low frequency response being better on the 45. Kind of surprised me but that was my observation.

 

Could you, if possible, elaborate on the other differences you hear? I believe that Steve Hoffman was involved in the 45 (and not the SRX), correct?

 

They go in with all of my albums which are organized: Artist->Original Release Date. If I have multiple copies of the same album they're together but sorted by release date so it might go something like: OG/70s reissue/MMJ.

The other exception I make are posthumous releases like those from Tina Brooks that we've seen. I use the last session date (if stated) and use that as a "release date". So where there are instances where something might have been recorded in '56 but not released until '77 - I use '56 to figure out where to slot it as it's likely much different than whatever they might have been recording in '77 (if they're still going).

Same goes for live stuff - if I buy a live album that is just getting released tomorrow but it's from a '72 concert it's going under 1972 for that artist, not 2021.

 

Like Someone in Love has KPG@ATM in the dead wax. It was released in August, 2011. No SH credit. It was one of the last few 45s to be released before the 45s mastered at Cohearent started appearing. A Night in Tunisia (SRX) has KPG/RR@CA in the dead wax.

 

Thank you. I wanted to clarify what variables might be involved. One less, in this case.

 

I do the same. For me I don't want my Headhunters next to my Blue Note Herbie. Its all about mood and vibe for me. These record labels all have specific moods and vibes. All CTI goes together, Blue Note, Impulse, etc. It makes the most sense to me.

I don't do record labels for any other genre though. Just jazz. Maybe if I had more Stax or Sun I would do it with them, but I don't have many.

 

I can't speak for Stoughton, but I have been to the RTI facility, and at least visually and based on the level of organization I observed, it makes perfect sense how one would be able to find a random box in a corner or way high up on a shelf that literally was unaccounted for and presumed lost for a number of years

This is not an indictment on RTI, as I feel generally speaking they run a solid ship, but I will just say it doesn't surprise me based on some of the stories I've heard and that others have experienced.

 

By Label, series. Working on the AP Prestige series’s now. Just dropped a pretty penny on a full set of Prestige 25. Chad is getting greedier than MMJ and their price fluctuation.

 

a lot of those titles are supposed to be getting repressed (at least from my understanding). Not sure how long we will have to wait though.

 

They have been saying that for a long time, but speaking with Acoustic Sounds a few weeks ago, they are less than optimistic on getting the licenses to repress the Prestige and Impulse titles. Not saying it won’t happen, but what was once almost a sure thing has turned to, “not looking good anytime soon”. I got a response via YouTube comment a day or two ago regarding the Bill Evans Riverside box possible getting a repress. Their response: “We’d like to, but no guarantees.” That is more optimistic language than what I heard on the phone regarding Impulse and Prestige. I’m guessing it may be easier to get license for a full box of 45rpms, where a $600 price tag won’t really compete with what Craft may be coming out with in the not too distant future. So I’m not giving up hope on that quite yet.

 

Would be pretty shady business practice to sell at 2.5x retail price only to repress shortly after. I'm guessing it'll be a long wait

 

Sure, I’ll try. I listened to them both again (not all the way through, just snippets). I put on the SRX first, and thought “wow, this sounds amazing. I was probably hearing things wrong yesterday.” Then I put on the 45 and again the improvements were obvious. The instruments are clearer, more present and more realistic. There is more “air” or atmosphere in the sound. The piano is clearer and comes through the mix more. The bass is deeper and more defined.

Sounds like I’m describing two completely different recordings, but I wouldn’t say the SRX lacks any of these qualities. Just the 45 has more.

I can only imagine the if I had a better system it would translate these differences even more.


I recently got the Origin Live “Gravity One” record weight as well as the cartridge enabler and platter mat and these three tweaks really took my humble system to another level (for what it is). Subtleties come through more on my system now.

 

Oh wow - you got one of those!
I was shocked how fast they shifted considering the price.
The Prestige set of 45rpm's seemed the best value. Is that the one you grabbed?

 

The Prestige was 33. Impulse, Fantasy, and Blue Notes had 45s.

I almost grabbed the Fantasy set, but I was a little aggravated as I tried to purchase one a couple of months back (it was the only one listed with availability on the website), and I was told they actually didn’t have any. I did get a Prestige stereo set at that time for original price ($875), so I guess I can’t complain too much. I just couldn’t justify $2k on a set where I only really wanted a half a dozen items, though I’d like to have them all. On the other hand, it would have been 10+ duplicates for me and I’m sure I could have easily recouped much of my costs if I sold those so I am kind of kicking myself now that they are gone.

 

Ahh, yes I meant the fantasy set.

I made enquiries about buying an impulse set last year.
Then they were gone.
Then back again now with 90% mark-up.
And the propect of many getting a 33rpm release looming.
I couldn't make the leap.

 

Yeah I have most of the Impulse titles so I couldn’t bring myself to buy the set for what would have been Duke Ellington & John Coltrane and a handful of other titles that aren’t incredibly interesting to me. At $1,250 (original price), I probably would have been in (as with Fantasy), but $2k was a bit too much. Now, if I didn’t have any of them, I’d be much more tempted.

 

I keep all my titles together by label. At one time, I had all the MMJ titles in order by recording date. That took some time, but then I realized if I wanted more Morgan, I had to search through everything, so I now have them by lead artist. Still have an excel file with all the albums/release date/recorded date somewhere....

 

The shelves would look pretty by label, but from a practical stand point it doesn't jive with me. I often have guests pick some records to play, and that would be quite confusing. Most think its confusing enough as it is. I organize by genre; Rock and Blues, Jazz, Classical, World, and Christmas. Alphabetical by artist and then album title, right to left, top to bottom. And box sets are kept separately, but also arranged in the same fashion.

 

I had all my Impulse titles sorted by catalog number for a long time, it looked OK, not great because they're not as uniform as you'd think.

Stay with me here...

Now I have a Jazz section with labelled dividers sorted by artist
- if I don't have 3+ titles of an artist they don't get their own section
- if an artist doesn't have their own section, their titles are filed with artists who appear on that album. (Grachan Moncur III's Evolution is filed under Jackie McLean)

Now it gets weird, and confusing...

- if it doesn't fit into another artist's section, it's filed by label - Impulse, Blue Note, Cadet and Flying Dutchman
- if it's not on one of those labels it goes into one of the following sections - 70s Jazz, Other Jazz or Vocal Jazz

Basically I filed it like my own personal eccentric record store.

 

Can you let me know what kind of cool dividers you bought? Those look great!!!

 

BCW Supplies 33 RPM Record Divider https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00VLEZTE6...c_i_WPWB5YF1CKRS1ZWNH1QM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

Thanks

 

True Blue on Blue Vinyl is back in stock, if anyone was bummed they missed "the last one" a few weeks back.

 

Good mail day.