I know the part you mean, to me it's not distorted, I've listened to that part 4 or 5 times since dastinger told me he hears distortion there and I just don't, I hear a sax that's possibly recorded a bit hot, but still sounds like a sax to me.
Boy, that's an interesting collection! There are a few albums that gave me pause. 1) The Latin Bit was apparently reissued as The Latin Beat. I've never seen that before. 2) I did not realize the Dave Bailey Quintet's Reaching Out was later reissued as Our Miss Brooks by Grant Green with the Dave Bailey Quintet. That session was apparently issued three times, originally as the Dave Bailey Quintet album and twice again as Green records, Our Miss Brooks, and later Green Blues. Recorded on March 15, 1961, you might want to move Reaching Out a couple of notches to the left, next to Green Blues. 3) I've gone over this photograph several times with a magnifying glass and I'm not seeing Green's Blue Note trio album Remembering, recorded on August 29, 1961, which initially saw the light of day as a Japanese release in 1980. I think my favorite Grant Green as a leader dates records are Sunday Morninin', Green Street, and Idle Moments. Followed by Talkin' About, and Carryin' On. A funny story, I spent years (circa 1998 and beyond) looking for the Talkin'About album because it was recommended to me by drummer Lenny White, who comes to my mind because he did the Andrew Hill Passing Ships record. He had told me to look for it as a Larry Young album. This was before the internet had any practical value in such endeavors. I combed through the racks for years at Tower Records, The Jazz Record Mart, etc., in Chicago. Then one day along comes the MMJ issue under Grant Green's name! (with Larry Young as a sideman). At any rate, Talkin' About is a great record. Remembering (Grant Green album) - Wikipedia Reaching Out (Dave Bailey album) - Wikipedia
Good thought, but RTI doesn't add markings for individual stampers, as far as I'm aware (Optimal and MPO are the only plants I've seen do this recently), and it's unlikely that they would have gone back to recut and replate it this soon. So I don't imagine we'd see any difference in deadwax on any of the copies out there now.
You should hear the CD, or listen to it Amazon HD if you have that so you can hear what it sounds like without it.
Honestly it sounds like clipping to me though we are referring to it as distortion. This may fall under semantics.
I'm missing "Remembering", I make no claims to being a Grant Green completist, perhaps one day though I do have things like the Gloria Coleman Quartet and suspect I picked that up just for Grant, it's no surprise the order is slightly out, when it comes to Jazz I aim at "close enough", labels not issuing sessions to years later doesn't help either. Good story about Lenny White and I can't fault your selection though I've always had a soft spot for "Grantstand" and would add that as well.
When you say unmastered WAVs what exactly do you mean? Were these files of Addey’s new supposedly analog mixes of Passing Ships?
Even with the distortion (or whatever you want to call it) that some members are experiencing, Passing Ships is a great Tone Poet release and highly recommended. In my case, I was really carefully listening to Plantation Bag after hearing how hot the horns sounded in the beginning. It wasn't until near the end of Plantation Bag that I actually heard a very brief (definitely not longer than 2 seconds) moment of distortion. I doubt I would have noticed the distortion if I wasn't on high alert . But of course, now I cannot unhear it regardless of whether I am paying attention or not. This episode reminds me of the MMJ Song For My Father. I never noticed the distortion in Lonely Woman on the MMJ 45 RPM until I heard the very noticeable distortion on the same track on the MMJ 33 RPM SRX. I was adamant, and complaining on the corresponding forum thread, that there was no distortion on the 45 RPM until @Gabe Walters corrected me. That prompted me to critically listen to the 45 RPM and sure enough, I could also hear distortions there!
Wondering why there are wav files of a new mix that was supposedly done all in analog. And just trying to clarify what the files you heard are.
Two separate issues concerning "Lonely Woman" and "Plantation Bag" though (iirc the issue with Lonely Woman) But I get what you are saying.
I think that as they went back to the analogue multi we can take it as given that the mix is analogue, as for why Dean would have heard .wav files, obviously people send previews of tracks, transfers, mixes etc, via the net, can you imagine Macolm Addey completing his new mix in the US and then sending a copy on a reel to the UK for approval, regardless of whether you are having digital tapes transferred or analogue reels to 1/4 " you will get sent .wav files, it's instant and easy to share, unlike tape, it's also superb quality.
Just to add that Dean R has been involved in the music business longer than me, but in the 25+ years I've worked for labels the only analogue tape I was given for a preview was a compact cassette, otherwise it was all DAT tapes, a short period of CD-Rs and for many years it's been files and even then not always higher res. Even during the days of 1/4" people would often use cassette or even cut acetates.
Thanks for the recording. This is exactly what I am hearing on my setup. Clearly, it's been recorded hot and the sax sounds like it is clipping in places. Does not bother me in the slightest. This is very similar to that one song on Bass on Top where the sax distorts just a little. I do not think it has anything to do with the pressing. I might check up my cartridge setup later but this does not detract at all from the incredible sonics on this album. Beautiful music and incredible sound.
Yes it is recorded hot. But if you go back to the 2003 CD, there is no clipping or distortion on that saxophone. Or just listen to the version on Youtube, likely sourced from same, which was shared by mpayan earlier in the thread. No clipping/distortion on the sax. Which means it is probably not in RVG's original multitracks.
The two stereo mixes obviously sound different, nothing wrong with the 2003, but it does sound anemic compared to the new mix and Ron Carter sounds more buried in the mix, without hearing the sax track from the multi-track I'm not sure we're ever going to be sure how it was recorded or intended to sound.
Can people please stop moaning about Andrew Hill Tone Poets? I really want Joe and Kevin to do as many as possible and you whinging lot will be putting them off!
I am a proud owner of both of these two new Tone Poets. They are both spectacular editions, particularly Passing Ships. I was expecting the music to be wonderful on this one, but the clarity and instrument separation is particularly impressive here. It’s definitely noteworthy that this recording makes use of Tuba, Bass Clarinet and of course Double Bass, but each instrument has its distinct place in the sound stage. I do hear the distortion on the saxophone, and it sounds like a saxophone. There are various types of distortion, and clipping us definitely distortion....this is what I hear in the Sax, but by no means does this detract from my experience. Hearing it makes me think it’s on the tape but I have no way of checking. Speaking of saxophone, Joe Farrell’s performance on this album is definitely a highlight, and his reed doubling is first rate! Dizzy Reece and Woody Shaw are both spectacular on trumpet. It’s a shame this wasn’t released when it was recorded, but as a result we benefit from fresher tapes, and get first pressings as Tone poets!
Exactly. The digital version sounds weak compared to the TP, so quite likely it was EQ'd in some way to tame the heat on the sax.
Basically, compress the file so that the lows come up and the peaks get pushed down in the mix, that way nothing goes in the red and the quiet parts will sound more level with the rest. But it'll sound less natural than the original tape (probably quite a lot less in this case, given how dynamic the recording is)
