Thelonious Monk "Brilliant Corners"

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by JPartyka, Dec 27, 2004.

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  1. JPartyka

    JPartyka I Got a Home on High Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I love Monk's Brilliant Corners album. I've only ever owned the Fantasy OJC CD; I listened to it over the weekend on my main system, and I enjoyed it, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was not hearing the album at its best.

    Of course, I'd love to grab the Analogue Productions 45rpm vinyl edition ... which may still happen (though it's pricey). But I'd also like to ask: how is the Fantasy SACD? I looked in the archives, and found surprisingly little discussion of it. Is it a marked improvement over the standard OJC CD?

    Any other editions worth investigating? Thanks.
     
  2. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    I only have two versions...The 45 RPM AP and the standard OJC LP.... I believe I got this many years ago from Tom Port. Although I haven't compared them, I can safely say that nothing sounds better than those 45 RPMs. For the money, the standard OJC LPs are a bargain.
     
  3. Beatlelennon65

    Beatlelennon65 Active Member

    I've thought about picking up that sacd. The other Monk sacd that I have sounds pretty good.
     
  4. Mike B

    Mike B Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    The Briliant Corners SACD is pretty decent- nice, but not as impressive as 5 By Monk.
     
  5. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    On redbook, there's also the Analogue Productions Thelonious Monk box set, RIVERSIDE TENOR SESSIONS, which contains BRILLIANT CORNERS on gold disc.

    Unlike most other jazz albums of the era, BRILLIANT CORNERS was edited from multiple takes to produce complete takes of the complex music, which may account for sonic shortcomings.
     
  6. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    The Fantasy OJC sounds pretty close to the original master tape. Just that Jack Higgins/Reeves sound.

    As far as I remember there were only around 3 splices in the entire master reel so I don't know about piecing together stuff. That might be an urban legend...
     
  7. mgb70

    mgb70 Senior Member

    Location:
    Orlando, FL
    how does this forum generally feel about the remastered redbook "K2" Fantasy CDs? Is there a noticeable improvement over the lower priced OJCs? I have noticed a big improvement in the Analogue Productions SACDs (Way Out West, Waltz for Debby) but wondering about the "standard" SACDs.
     
  8. JPartyka

    JPartyka I Got a Home on High Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I decided to splurge and just get Steve and Kevin's 45rpm edition of Brilliant Corners on Analogue Productions. I figured if I don't do it now, I might be sorry later (when it's out of print and going for silly money).

    I just played the 45rpm AP Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins tonight, which helped convince me. These records sound amazing; I still wish I could afford to get all of them. Brilliant Corners will be my third from the series.
     
  9. Michael Doyle

    Michael Doyle New Member

    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    My OJC vinyl has one side that is very "hot" . One of my favorite lps for music and
    sonics.
     
  10. Claude

    Claude Senior Member

    Location:
    Luxembourg
    All the K2 CDs I have heard so far (about a dozen) sound very good. Better than the regular OJCs (to various degrees, from spectacular to barely noticable), but not as good as the DCC versions (which sound warmer) or the AP SACDs. The Fantasy SACDs vary a lot in quality, so it is difficult to position them generally. Some people on this board think the K2s (remastered in Japan, whereas the SACDs are remastered by Fantasy engineers themselves) sound too bright, but I find them very well balanced

    A very interesting K2 CD is "Monk's Music", because it uses the mono tapes, which in my view are far superior to the stereo tapes used on the OJC CD and the SACD (and I'm not a mono freak :)). The stereo recording has more of an experimental nature, different microphone positions were used, and the result is a very diffuse unnatural sound. The mono recording has the typical impact of close-up recordings of the time and renders the music better.

    It's dissappointing that Fantasy reissues many of the same albums in both their "audiophile" series - K2 CD and SACD. "Mulligan & Monk" has been reissued as a K2 CD last year and this year again on SACD. The K2 series does not seem to be faded out now that hybrid SACDs exist. With such a huge catalogue of recordings, why release so many duplicates?
     
  11. JPartyka

    JPartyka I Got a Home on High Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I just played the first LP in the 45rpm Analogue Productions Brilliant Corners set I received a few days ago.

    Once again, I have to congratulate Steve and Kevin Gray on a job very well done. The richness and dynamics that come through are just spellbinding, and all I want to do is put the needle right back to the beginning and start again. This is a gorgeous pressing of a great record. As Homer Simpson would say ... nine thumbs up!
     
  12. Beatlelennon65

    Beatlelennon65 Active Member

    I just bought Criss Cross and it's good, but not quite at the same level as some of the other Monk I have been listening to. I saw Misterioso (I dont know how to spell it) in k2 remaster as well as an early 90's remaster. Would you say the K2 is the one to get? I am not sure if I should get this title or maybe Underground. There is also a 3 disc boxset that is fairly new. Any opinions?
     
  13. Mike B

    Mike B Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    Hmm, didn't even realise that Mysterioso came out in K2. I would guess it's an improvement over the original, though. However, I'm wary to get any K2s simply because those same albums tend to come out in SACD, and I may just get the Monk Prestige/Riverside box to cover all the music that isn't on SACD.
     
  14. theron d

    theron d Forum Resident

    Location:
    Baltimore MD
    Bump on how the K2 version of Brilliant Corners compares? Any comments?
     
  15. Ellsworth

    Ellsworth Forum Resident

    I am bumping this back up. I have the original OJC and am curious if anyone has an opinion on whether the Keepnews Collection reissue or the K2 version are an upgrade over the original OJC. Any thoughts are appreciated.
     
  16. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    OJC CD or LP?
     
  17. Ellsworth

    Ellsworth Forum Resident

    CD. Unfortunately, I don't have the capability to play records.
     
  18. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    OJC CD is the very best. Keep it.
     
  19. Ellsworth

    Ellsworth Forum Resident

    Thanks. I was hoping that would be the response.
     
    Steve Hoffman likes this.
  20. 2xUeL

    2xUeL Forum Philosopher

    Location:
    Albany, NY
    How would you describe the difference between the OJC CD and the Keepnews? Just curious, as I have access to both at local libraries. I know there's a small edit difference, where part of the intro to "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues" is cut off on the OJC version...I'm guessing it was there on the original release...? But anyway I'm asking about sonics.
     
  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    The OJC is effortless, untweaked sound. It can be cranked. 'Nuff said.
     
  22. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    Love the 45 you did too. Steve. So lucky to own one.
     
    hvbias likes this.
  23. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    I have two versions of this album, one as part of the Japanese The Complete Riverside Recordings box that came out in 1988, and one as part of the Analogue Productions The Riverside Tenor Sessions set that was mastered by Kevin Gray. To my ears the sound on both is good.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2013
  24. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    The next question is how does the OJC compare to the VDJ (which I've owned since about 1984)?

    The VDJ CD sounds close to my original Riverside LP pressing, FWIW.
     
  25. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    I don't have the VDJ but I would imagine it's the definitive digital version.
     
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