'Tone Poet' Jazz Reissue Series*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by cds23, Dec 23, 2018.

  1. scotti

    scotti Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta GA
    Heck know, I said upthread I got from my local and how I got them a day earlier. I most always support my local store unless its something they don't carry...I came from the Indie stores before I got recruited and do my best to support them whenever I can.
     
    wgb113 and G E like this.
  2. Trifonius

    Trifonius Jazz

    Location:
    Europe
    Again listening to the mono BT. What occurs clearest to me is the lovely cymbals and how fantastic the trumpet sounds. Like I said, it’s not my fav trane but this definitely is the version where I’m most sucked into the playing. It just sounds phenomenal; articulate, defined, clear, warm and balanced. Such a joy
     
  3. Dai

    Dai Note to self: listen to Clifford Brown more often

    Yeah, mine was bought at one of my local bricks & mortars, too, like most of the new LPs I buy. I've had good luck, with the only LP I've needed to return on recent years happening to be from onlibe retailer Norman Records, who makd a feature of their returns policy.

    I wasn't going to buy the new Blue Train at first, even after the ridiculous early pricing came down. I've been enjoying my 80s CD since I bought it almost when issued, but playing it a few weeks ago I realised how much my wife digs it when I give it a spin... that's all it took for the old 'man calculator' to switch from red to green. Very glad I did: this beautiful edition has brought an extra dimension and a new lease of life.
     
  4. Dai

    Dai Note to self: listen to Clifford Brown more often

    Well said, and ditto... very much how I feel about it. I've never really thought about where it ranks, for me, but the great original themes and the three horn front line (especially effective when pkaying together) have kept me coming back to it for over 30 years. A couple of the themes, and some of Trane's playing also sound only a short step away from Giant Steps, to me.
     
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  5. scotti

    scotti Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta GA
    Joe forwarded over the review Fremer just did yesterday for Blue Train which is a good one and the comment I liked from him was that he mentioned how cool Fuller's trombone is on the record.

    I will also add as others have said, I find myself enjoying BT more than I ever have with the way these two versions now sound.
     
    FashionBoy, timzigs, G E and 4 others like this.
  6. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Curtis fuller sounds awesome on the stereo. Pardon the pun but he legit sounds fuller lol. My future in music review writing is non existent
     
  7. MisterBritt

    MisterBritt Senior Member

    Location:
    Santa Fe, NM, USA
    I've heard of those, but I'm not sure I've seen one in the wild. Do you have pictures?

    Funny anecdote.

    There was recently a big news day, so I decided to drive to the La Fonda hotel, which, from memory, maintained a newsstand. I intended to purchase a physical newspaper and spend the afternoon with it. I wanted a copy of the "Washington Post." Blank stare. Newsstand?

    I circled back to Downtown Subscription, a neighborhood coffee shop that also, from memory, kept a newsstand and magazine rack. They did have some specialty magazines, the "New York Times" and the "Wall Street Journal." I inquired about the "Washington Post." Another blank stare. "Is that a newspaper?" the youthful clerk asked. Not only did they not have it, she had never even heard of it. I won't guess her age, but she was old enough to work the register.

    I recently reviewed Fremer's "Tracking Angle," featuring an article about Tone Poet's latest offering. The article emphasized how this recording is older than many current consumers. We sit in a historical period, looking back and forward in equal measure. You've got to be both old and new school to get this one. It's an interesting dichotomy: John Coltrane's Blue Train, a 1957 recording, marketed exclusively online to consumers mostly younger than the session, physically pressed and distributed in 2022.

    Go, @scotti. Go!
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2022
    Swann36, G E, recstar24 and 5 others like this.
  8. Mr. Dean

    Mr. Dean Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Oh god no, I have two 5 qt. jugs of motor oil coming too. :cry:
     
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  9. Crush87

    Crush87 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    So what’s the consensus? I feel I’m reading more reviews of the mono than the stereo
     
    mktracy likes this.
  10. ubiknik

    ubiknik Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Forgot to mention that trick, the only downside is leaving adhesive if too much heat.
     
  11. Pimjazz0

    Pimjazz0 Forum Resident

    You love your sticker that’s all clear man!
     
  12. Pimjazz0

    Pimjazz0 Forum Resident

    Thanks! Sounds like to much of a risk so I’ll leave it on then. Just thought that if it would easily come loose I’d pull it off
     
    ubiknik likes this.
  13. TommyTunes

    TommyTunes Senior Member

    Got both versions, the Stereo is killer, the only other stereo version I have is the classic but this is much better. Listen to the opening drums on I’m Old Fashioned. Marvelous sound beginning to end.
    Perfect pressing and dead quiet.
     
  14. TommyTunes

    TommyTunes Senior Member

    I really wish the Tone Poet series could be extended outside of Blue Note and Jazz. For $38 a record these guys really produce a reference level item. From sound thru pressing and packaging.
     
    Korato69, GyroSE, mktracy and 6 others like this.
  15. Kimiimacman

    Kimiimacman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lost
    Blue Train 3-way shootout!

    Earlier today I found myself with a couple of hours spare and an empty house, bar the dog who likes my jazz, unlike wife and daughter.

    In the stalls were mmj33 (non SRX) vs TP mono and stereo.

    This is a personal observation made with my particular setup, YMMV. All 3 are fantastic; there are no duds here but they all sound quite different from each other. This then puts to bed the notion that TPs are the same as MMJs perhaps.

    Well of course this is the first and probably last time a direct shootout is possible and with a level playing field ie no fancy vinyl formulas etc.

    They do say “never judge a book by its cover” and I guess the same might be true of an LP but actually on this occasion in hindsight I’d say that would not apply here.

    I listened to two numbers in particular for this, Lazy Bird and Moments Notice. First at a low volume then at a decent but comfortable level and finally at a reasonably realistic volume which was very telling and the later helping come to a firm decision where the lower levels produced some uncertainty.

    At low level the stereo stood out as the most detailed or should I say clear, both monos sounding a touch soft and congested. Separating the monos at the medium level was interesting in that the TP was tighter albeit a little smaller in scale but the MMJ did sound a bit grey or indistinct by comparison. I spent most of the time at this middle volume level and found it difficult to produce a definitive winner so it was time to go up a couple of clicks.

    This was when things really revealed themselves for me. Compared to the MMJ33, the TP sounded somewhat compressed, not by much but enough to loose some air, a sense of life the MMJ expressed so well. On top of that the MMJ had more drive in the bass even though the TP’s bass is tighter. Each horn on the MMJ has more texture and ‘air’ emanating from it, the TP was a bit more like a CD by comparison (that was what it reminded me of).
    The stereo sounded great at the higher volume, obviously very different but bear in mind that Moments Notice has far less hard panning than any of the numbers; there seems to be a fair amount towards the centre from the left although the drums remain hard right until the solo. But compared to the MMJ the instruments all come across smaller in scale, further away but remains musically together. I really like the stereo as an alternative presentation to my MMJ.

    To sum up. For me, when I can play my music at the level I would like the MMJ remains my go-to copy; it just sounds more alive and driving than either Tone Poets with more inner detail. (As has the cover photo, hence my point above). When forced or prefer a quieter listen I’d probably pick the stereo; the comping and especially the drum kits opens up nicely, it swings better than either mono at low volume too. Plus of course the outtakes which start off pretty badly frankly, take 7 is all over the shop but gets better from there on. The packaging with the booklet is nice as is the price.

    Anyone unsure which one to go for when it can only be one, I’d say buy the stereo but if you hate the panned channels the mono is fantastic and a great AAA substitute for a now ridiculously priced MMJ. If you’re loaded, then what the heck, treat yourself, it’s still the best imho.
     
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  16. Hardiman

    Hardiman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hartlepool
    Great post, now you need to buy an original mono and stereo and throw those in the mix! I bought the stereo TP and have a mono original and I prefer the mono, but RVG mastering hits different for me.
     
    MisterBritt, PATB and CBackley like this.
  17. Jam757

    Jam757 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Nice analysis. I’m curious of your opinion of the Analogue Productions 45rpm as I’m certainly not ready to put either of these two above that one. I’ve never heard the MMJ 33rpm but always felt the 45 was absolutely incredible.
     
    Kimiimacman likes this.
  18. mbg

    mbg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    My copies still haven’t shipped from BN warehouse in Michigan ugh.

    However, based on some occasional surface noise at certain points, my MMJ SRX has been tentatively moved to the purge shelf.
     
    bjlefebvre likes this.
  19. Mr. Dean

    Mr. Dean Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Ordered the stereo and they just delivered the mono version. Morons. And it's warped to boot.
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2022
    bruinuclafan likes this.
  20. scotti

    scotti Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta GA
    Nice post! I want to go back and listen to the SRX again because I want to hear it without going through the comparisons. I will say that I don't believe the Tone Poet stereo is panned where it jumps out and has a bit more tighter soundstage. For me these new versions are my go to and was interesting to see Fremer say the same. Don't always agree with him, but I have to this time.

    Anyhow a really nice post from you and it will make me go back and listen with a different perspective...
     
  21. Jam757

    Jam757 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Unbelievable. Amazon I’m assuming. I guess I got lucky. I’m actually considering keeping both of these as the only sonic defect was one pop and a few clicks on the Stereo. I’m testing it right now on my other system. The ugly scratch on the mono version was actually inaudible.
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2022
  22. Mr. Dean

    Mr. Dean Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Yes Amazon. Should have the stereo version tomorrow unless they send another mono. :realmad:
    I put it on. It sounds very good but I think I will prefer the stereo version more.
     
  23. Kimiimacman

    Kimiimacman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lost
    I really don’t think I’d ever buy another pressing of this one tbh. I don’t have the AP or know anyone with it so I guess I’ll live in ignorance.
     
    Jam757 likes this.
  24. rcsrich

    rcsrich Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    At this point, if I get something with a scratch that DNAP, I let it slide. I’m in it for the sound, and if I can’t hear anything through headphones, I call it good.
     
    ryu, Glenn coates, Dai and 1 other person like this.
  25. Aura

    Aura Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, Texas
    I'm looking forward to the same shootout if Blue Note Store ever gets around to shipping my order. Shipping label created a week ago. :|

    I will say that I have noticed some of the Tone Poet releases are cut much hotter than most vinyl in my collection. You mentioned 'somewhat compressed' and it crossed my mind that a hotter cut might reduce DR. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will chime in with the technical reasoning behind this.
     
    kt66brooklyn likes this.

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