New definitive 45RPM BLUE NOTE JAZZ reissue series mastered by Kevin G. & Steve H.

Right on, Steve!

 

Wow, at least 63 albums??? When do you find time to rest? And more important, when does my credit card get time to rest.

 

Let's assume $50 each.... by my calculator's calculations for 63 titles it will total $3,150 (not including shipping).

Time to start a paper-route & mow some neighbor's lawns.

I was just thinking my Jazz library needed more than the big 3 (Miles, Coltrane, & Brubeck for me). Looking forward to these

 

Here's the initial 6 to be released - 2 each Nov, Dec & January (then 4 each month thereafter):

Nov:
Art Blakey - Big Beat
Horace Parlan - Speakin' My Piece

Dec:
Kenny Drew - Undercurrent
Lou Donaldson - LD+3

Jan:
Hank Mobley - Soul Station
Horace Parlan - Us Three

http://www.musicmattersjazz.com/release.html

 

I can't wait to see the entire list. What an incredible project!

Todd

 

Fantastic.
If ever there was a time when you wondered about getting into vinyl i would have to say now would not be to late!
Once these babies are gone there ain't anymore.(That's what limited is- right?)
There's been some great releases on vinyl lately- great quality and sound.
It's a fantastic time for Vinyl and jazz.
Do not miss it.

P.S. anyone taken a look at acoustic sounds lately........the prices of those 45's are going up.

 

This is exciting! If these are anywhere near as good as the Fantasy 45s (and given the source material, I'm sure they'll be better), we're in for a treat.

 

I think I'll be buying all of these...

 

Fantastic news!

Not that it would make any difference, but here are what I am hoping would be included in the "at least 63":


Freddie Hubbard, Open Sesame (one of the finest music, performance and sound Blue Note combo, IMHO, and it is one of the most difficult to find).

Duke Pearson, Wahoo. I don't know why he is so overlooked but he composed/played several of the finest Blue Note tunes.

Donald Byrd, Byrd in Flight. Other than maybe Mustang (which tries to capitalize on the success of Lee Morgan's Sidewinder), this is his finest Blue Note date, IMHO (and Pearson's tunes help in a big way, as well).

Grant Green, Matador, Solid and Idle Moments. Three of the finest guitar-led Jazz LPs in history, IMHO. Grant was the best, PERIOD.

Stanley Turrentine and The Three Sounds, Blue Hour. This is also not an easy record to find with great sound and when you find it, it is usually thrashed. Stanley's best Blue Note date, IMHO.

Lou Donaldson, Blues Walk. Another great bluesy Jazz Blue Note date (together with Hank Mobley's Soul Station, which I see is already being issued, thank goodness).

Sonny Clark, Leapin and Lopin. Sonny's finest Blue Note hour, IMHO (yes, even more than Cool Struttin', which is amazing in its own right).

Herbie Hancock, Empyrean Isle. What rhythm and Freddie simply sizzles here. Besides, all these hip-hop generation kids need to listen to the real Cantaloupe Island with the right sound.

Tina Brooks, True Blue and Back to the Tracks. Folks here are too often throwing around words like "underrated". I don't know who is rating these musicians but if ANYONE is "underrated" (I would say instead "under-appreciated" or "not given enough credit"), it is Tina. He had a voice all his own and made incredible music.

Johnny Coles, Little Johnny C. Another amazing sounding Blue Note date. Is it just a coincidence that Duke Pearson is on this as well? I don't think so.

Joe Henderson, Page One. Blue Bossa alone is enough said. I also just love Kenny Dorham (another "underrated" musicians of the day).

Blue Mitchell, Thing to Do (I think that is the title -- it has been soooooo long since I have even seen this record). Even the original "New York USA" pressing does not do justice to this fine LP. Please do it justice, Steve.

And, of course, the great John Coltrane, Blue Train. Will this finally be done right in full stereo, where ALL of the great musicians can be heard in full frequency? I hope so. Lee Morgan at his finest. There is a reason why this is the all-time best selling Blue Note LP. I would LOVE to hear Coltrane's sax breathe, Morgan's trumpet bite and Curtis Fuller's trombone vibrate, instead of sounding indistinguishable to a layperson. I would also LOVE to hear Jones' cymbals not covering up Drew's sensitive piano playing and hear the rhythm harmony between Drew and Chambers. What a record!

I, of course, have many many more on my wish list, but all of the above, IMHO, are a MUST. Take it from a Blue Note collector for 25 years (and, if I were to add up the collecting years of just those that I have known well over the years, it would be in the thousands of Blue Note years). We ALL agree on this.

And PLEASE, no more Sonny Rollins' weak Blue Note dates, no more Miles Davis (other than Something Else), and no more Lou Donaldson's forgettable dates.

I HATE to switch from 33 1/3 rpm to 45 rpm, but if these are out, I would be the first to buy them.

Thank you all for reading these words of a madman.

 

Yes, and in my case detail some cars on the weekend.

 

great start
I use Mobley's record as Jazz 101 for newbie
with converts to jazz to many to count
they won't stand a chance now!

so many fabulous possibilities
for me personally Bluetrain is the grail

 

Unbelieveable I'm going to subscribe to this series even if it means it's the only music I'm buying. Thanks for the warning - my credit card is cowering as I type

 

Rga answer

"Thanks for the email,I have not finalized that issue yet,
best regards,

Ron Rambach"

 

Wow, this is excellent news Steve.

BTW, Hobson isn't going to be too happy about this..

 

That's what I'm thinking. I'm willing to stop buying all other recorded music for a year or two in order to focus on this.

Please, please, please give us free jazz fans Out to Lunch, Point of Departure, and Speak No Evil in this series.

Blue Train would be great, too, but I'm assuming we'll get that.

 

This is what many of us have been secretly (or not so secretly) waiting for and why many of us haven't bought more of the AP 45s. Riverside, Contemporary, and Prestige produced good, sometimes great jazz. Blue Note has the cream of the crop. This is just incredible news for the lover of jazz vinyl. Bring on Jackie McLean's "Jackie's Bag!"

 

I was one of the dudes who jumped on the boat late for the fanatsy 45's.Got 'em mostly( but it wasnt easy).

I'll be on this boat.

This is really neat for those of us who are just getting into jazz. This may be the first time I have even heard some of this great music on Blue Note.


What a way to hear it for the first time!

This is a gift Steve.. thanks!

 

I've heard a lot of the music, but I'm beyond excited about hearing it at 45 rpm, on virgin vinyl, with Steve's mastering, etc. And to be quite honest, what Steve posted about the care and attention being paid to the artwork of these albums is almost as exciting as the care and attention being paid to the music.

 

I e-mailed Nate at Acoustic Sounds about this, and received this response:

You are privy to some confidential information!! We don't have much
that is concrete, but it is assumed that we will be handling this in a
similar manner to the Fantasy Jazz 45's. As soon as we have details,
we'll be letting everybody know!!

 

Perhaps i missed it?
But.....when they say limited, how limited?
The AP 45's where limited to 1000- which to my mind is pretty limited.
I think these would be at least 5000 considering the more high profile label, Blue Note.
Anyone got any idea?
Steve?

 

Steve,

Please consider:

Grant Green - Idle Moments
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin Else
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
Freddie Hubbard - Open Sesame

These are must have albums.

 

Hey, nice subtle dig in the FAQ:

Frequently Asked Questions


We use 180 gram pressings. Why not 200 gram?

We use 180 gram pressings for the simple reason that we believe 180 gram weight is more than sufficient to provide a near perfect pressing. Forcing presses that were designed for 150 gram and 180 gram weight to press 200 gram vinyl results in a multitude of additional problems including warpage. A check audiophile vinyl chat rooms reveals many dissatisfied buyers of 200 gram vinyl. When Music Matters asked our friends at Record Technology Inc. for their recommendation to achieve the highest possible quality pressings their answer was unequivocal......go with 180 gram!

 

I think Steve has pointed out before---it's not his choice what gets released and what does not.
The folks at music matters make that decision.

 

Great news. For those not aware, Ron is one of the world's top dealers of the rarest collectable jazz records. He's a legend in Japan, for his knowledge of jazz and his inventory. Ron is also an audiophile and a perfectionist, so these records are going to bridge the gap between collectors and music lovers.