First Impulse! CD reissues?

I managed to find a list of some of my 1986-1987 American Impulse! CD releases:
MCAD-5649 / JVC-462 Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1986)
MCAD-5653 / JVC-459 Gil Evans - Out of the Cool (1986)
MCAD-5655 / JVC-458 Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins on Impulse! (1986)
MCAD-5659 / JVC-468 Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1986)
MCAD-5660 / JVC-467 John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (1986)
MCAD-5883 / (no JVC #) John Coltrane - Coltrane (1987)
MCAD-5885 / (no JVC #) John Coltrane - Ballads (1987)
MCAD-5886 / (no JVC #) Art Blakey - Jazz Messengers (1987)
MCAD-5887 / (no JVC #) John Coltrane - Impressions (1987)
MCAD-5889 / (no JVC #) John Coltrane - Crescent (1987)

On the back it says:

DIGITALLY REMASTERED FROM THE
ORIGINAL STEREO MASTER TAPES
Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound, L.A., CA

I believe all other American Impulse! CD series (i.e. with different catalog numbers, such as MCAD-39XXX, MCAD-33XXX, MCAD-420XX, etc.) are from a later date.

 

These American Impulse! series were released in the following years:
MCAD-39XXX, MCAD-420XX - early 1990s, probably 1990
MCAD-33XXX - 1992

 

I was able to add some more titles to the list:

MCAD-5541 / DIDX-204 John Coltrane - From the Original Master Tapes (1985)
MCAD-5648 / (no JVC #?) Art Blakey Quartet - A Jazz Message (1986)
MCAD-5649 / JVC-462 Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1986)
MCAD-5650 / JVC-461 Duke Ellington/Coleman Hawkins - Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (1986)
MCAD-5651 / JVC-460 Benny Carter and His Orchestra - Further Definitions (1986)
MCAD-5653 / JVC-459 Gil Evans - Out of the Cool (1986)
MCAD-5655 / JVC-458 Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins on Impulse! (1986)
MCAD-5656 / JVC-457 Count Basie - Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 (1986)
MCAD-5659 / JVC-468 Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1986)
MCAD-5660 / JVC-467 John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (1986)
MCAD-5661 / JVC-466 John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman - John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (1986)
MCAD-5883 / (no JVC #) John Coltrane - Coltrane (1987)
MCAD-5885 / (no JVC #) John Coltrane - Ballads (1987)
MCAD-5886 / (no JVC #) Art Blakey - Jazz Messengers (1987)
MCAD-5887 / (no JVC #) John Coltrane - Impressions (1987)
MCAD-5888 / (no JVC #) Oliver Nelson - More Blues and the Abstract Truth (1987)
MCAD-5889 / (no JVC #) John Coltrane - Crescent (1987)

I also found this list on the web:

http://www.howie.co.uk/listing.html

 

I just found out that the German Impulse! CD's and the first Japanese Impulse! CD's (32XD/55XD series) share the same mastering. These were released in 1987. Here is the corresponding list (it was quite some work to get all this info):

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (254 557-2) 32XD-595
Quincy Jones and His Orchestra - The Quintessence (254 560-2) 32XD-624
Charlie Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (254 562-2) 32XD-622
John Coltrane - Ballads (254 607-2) 32XD-570
John Coltrane - Cresent (254 608-2) 32XD-571
The John Coltrane Quartet - Coltrane (254 609-2) 32XD-572
John Coltrane - Live In Japan Vol. 1 (2-CD) (254 610-2) 55XD-573/574
John Coltrane - Transition (254 611-2) 32XD-575
Keith Jarrett - Death and the Flower (254 612-2) 32XD-603
Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins on Impulse! (254 613-2) 32XD-607
McCoy Tyner - Nights of Ballads & Blues (254 614-2) 32XD-609
The Gil Evans Orchestra - Out of the Cool (254 615-2) 32XD-611
Johnny Hartman - I Just Dropped By to Say Hello (254 616-2) 32XD-613
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (254 617-2) 32XD-576
John Coltrane - Ascension (254 618-2) 32XD-577
John Coltrane - John Coltrane Quartet Plays (254 619-2) 32XD-578
John Coltrane - Live In Japan Vol. 2 (2-CD) (254 620-2) 55XD-579/580
John Coltrane - Meditations (254 621-2) 32XD-581
Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 - Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 (254 622-2) 32XD-614
Keith Jarrett - Treasure Island (254 623-2) 32XD-604
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers - Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers (254 624-2) 32XD-615
Elvin Jones and Richard Davis - Heavy Sounds (254 625-2) 32XD-616
The Gil Evans Orchestra - Into the Hot (254 626-2) 32XD-612
John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard (254 627-2) 32XD-582
John Coltrane - Impressions (254 628-2) 32XD-583
John Coltrane - Selflessness (254 629-2) 32XD-585
John Coltrane - Sun Ship (254 630-2) 32XD-586
Oliver Nelson - Blues and the Abstract Truth (254 631-2) 32XD-617
Keith Jarrett - Byablue (254 632-2) 32XD-605
Charlie Haden - Liberation Music Orchestra (254 633-2) 32XD-619
J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding - The Great Kai & J.J. (254 634-2) 32XD-620
Albert Ayler - In Greenwich Village (254 635-2) 32XD-621
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (254 636-2) 32XD-587
John Coltrane - Live At Birdland (254 637-2) 32XD-588
John Coltrane Orchestra - Africa Brass (254 638-2) 32XD-589
John Coltrane - The Other Village Vanguard Tapes (2-CD) (254 639-2) 55XD-590/591
John Coltrane - Om (254 640-2) 32XD-592
John Coltrane - The Mastery of John Coltrane Vol. I "Feelin' Good" (2-CD) (254 641-2) 55XD-593/594
Keith Jarrett - Mysteries (254 642-2) 32XD-606
Oliver Nelson - More Blues and the Abstract Truth (254 643-2) 32XD-618
Archie Shepp - Four For Trane (254 644-2) 32XD-623
John Coltrane - Kulu Sé Mama (254 645-2) 32XD-596
John Coltrane - Expression (254 646-2) 32XD-597
John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard Again (254 647-2) 32XD-598
John Coltrane - Africa Brass Vol. 2 (254 648-2) 32XD-599
John Coltrane - The Mastery of John Coltrane Vol. III "Jupiter Variation" (254 649-2) 32XD-600
John Coltrane - The Mastery of John Coltrane Vol. IV "Trane's Mode" (2-CD) (254 650-2) 55XD-601/602
Sonny Rollins - Alfie (254 651-2) 32XD-608
McCoy Tyner - Reaching Fourth (254 652-2) 32XD-610
John Coltrane - Ascension (Edition I) (254 745-2) 32XD-584

 

How do the German/Japanese Impulse! compare to the US? I'm looking for A Love Supreme in particular to compare with my SACD so any help would be appreciated.

 

I don't think this can be answered on a generic basis.

Hans has informed me that some of the U.S. impulse! CD's share the same mastering as the German/Japanese versions, but I have also heard some which are clearly different.

I have approx. 20 titles of the German impulse! series (254 xxx-2) and a few of the Japanese 32CD titles, and if someone has a copy of the U.S. versions, we can take it from there (total time, peak levels, possible some clips etc.).

We can start with "A Love Supreme" if someone has the early US version.

By the way, the 1987 impulse! CD sounds much better than the SACD in my opinion.

 

I have the following titles (see bold catalog numbers) in case somebody is interested in a comparison to the U.S. releases:

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (254 557-2) 32XD-595
Quincy Jones and His Orchestra - The Quintessence (254 560-2) 32XD-624
Charlie Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (254 562-2) 32XD-622
John Coltrane - Ballads (254 607-2) 32XD-570
John Coltrane - Cresent (254 608-2) 32XD-571
The John Coltrane Quartet - Coltrane (254 609-2) 32XD-572
John Coltrane - Live In Japan Vol. 1 (2-CD) (254 610-2) 55XD-573/574
John Coltrane - Transition (254 611-2) 32XD-575
Keith Jarrett - Death and the Flower (254 612-2) 32XD-603
Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins on Impulse! (254 613-2) 32XD-607
McCoy Tyner - Nights of Ballads & Blues (254 614-2) 32XD-609
The Gil Evans Orchestra - Out of the Cool (254 615-2) 32XD-611
Johnny Hartman - I Just Dropped By to Say Hello (254 616-2) 32XD-613
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (254 617-2) 32XD-576
John Coltrane - Ascension (254 618-2) 32XD-577
John Coltrane - John Coltrane Quartet Plays (254 619-2) 32XD-578
John Coltrane - Live In Japan Vol. 2 (2-CD) (254 620-2) 55XD-579/580
John Coltrane - Meditations (254 621-2) 32XD-581
Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 - Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 (254 622-2) 32XD-614
Keith Jarrett - Treasure Island (254 623-2) 32XD-604
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers - Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers (254 624-2) 32XD-615
Elvin Jones and Richard Davis - Heavy Sounds (254 625-2) 32XD-616
The Gil Evans Orchestra - Into the Hot (254 626-2) 32XD-612
John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard (254 627-2) 32XD-582
John Coltrane - Impressions (254 628-2) 32XD-583
John Coltrane - Selflessness (254 629-2) 32XD-585
John Coltrane - Sun Ship (254 630-2) 32XD-586
Oliver Nelson - Blues and the Abstract Truth (254 631-2) 32XD-617
Keith Jarrett - Byablue (254 632-2) 32XD-605
Charlie Haden - Liberation Music Orchestra (254 633-2) 32XD-619
J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding - The Great Kai & J.J. (254 634-2) 32XD-620
Albert Ayler - In Greenwich Village (254 635-2) 32XD-621
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (254 636-2) 32XD-587
John Coltrane - Live At Birdland (254 637-2) 32XD-588
John Coltrane Orchestra - Africa Brass (254 638-2) 32XD-589
John Coltrane - The Other Village Vanguard Tapes (2-CD) (254 639-2) 55XD-590/591
John Coltrane - Om (254 640-2) 32XD-592
John Coltrane - The Mastery of John Coltrane Vol. I "Feelin' Good" (2-CD) (254 641-2) 55XD-593/594
Keith Jarrett - Mysteries (254 642-2) 32XD-606
Oliver Nelson - More Blues and the Abstract Truth (254 643-2) 32XD-618
Archie Shepp - Four For Trane (254 644-2) 32XD-623
John Coltrane - Kulu Sé Mama (254 645-2) 32XD-596
John Coltrane - Expression (254 646-2) 32XD-597
John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard Again (254 647-2) 32XD-598
John Coltrane - Africa Brass Vol. 2 (254 648-2) 32XD-599
John Coltrane - The Mastery of John Coltrane Vol. III "Jupiter Variation" (254 649-2) 32XD-600
John Coltrane - The Mastery of John Coltrane Vol. IV "Trane's Mode" (2-CD) (254 650-2) 55XD-601/602
Sonny Rollins - Alfie (254 651-2) 32XD-608
McCoy Tyner - Reaching Fourth (254 652-2) 32XD-610
John Coltrane - Ascension (Edition I) (254 745-2) 32XD-584

 

Just to avoid any misunderstandings: I was talking about the early U.S. pressings from 1986/1987, not the ones from the early 1990s or the digipack reissues from the late 1990s that were remastered by Erick Labson.

Some of those early pressings sound the same as the early German/Japanese versions, others don't.

 

By the way, from now on I'm steering clear of discussions about various masterings and any differences between them. I don't need the aggravation they've caused me.

 

Bumping this thread up to inquire about a CD I bought today:

J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding The Great Kai & J.J.
Impulse MCAD-42012
Matrix says "Mfd by JVC"
Tray insert says "Manufactured for MCA Records, Inc."
No other info on where the CD was pressed, or mastering engineer.

I presume this is a Japan pressing. In an earlier post in this thread Hans indicates this series came out in 1990. It looks like the 2nd CD pressing. Does anyone know who mastered it?

 

See my previous post in this thread:

The MACD-42012 (you accidently wrote MCAD-42012) is a U.S. pressing and is a later version. I don't know if they share the same mastering.