Only for hardcore vinyl fans...

[wolff]

The latest Acoustic Sounds catalog lists the next twenty five 45 RPM Jazz titles mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray for Analogue Productions:

1. Gene Amons: Blue Gene

2. Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane

3. John Coltrame: Settin' the Pace

4. John Coltrane: Lush Life

5. The Miles Davis Quintet: Steamin'

6.Kenny Dorham: Quiet Kenny

7. Duke Ellington and Ray Brown: This One's for Blanton

8. Bill Evans Trio: Everybody Digs Bill Evans

9. Bill Evans Trio: Portrait in Jazz

10. Ella Fitzgerald + Joe Pass: Take Love Easy

11. Milt Jackson & Wes Montgomery: Bags Meets Wes

12. Thelonious Monk: Thelonious Monk in Action

13. Count Basie: For The Second Time

14. John Lee Hooker: That’s My Story

15. Blue Mitchel: Blue’s Moods

16. Thelonious Monk and Gerry Mulligan: Mulligan Meets Monk

17. Thelonious Monk Septet: Monk’s Music

18. The Montgomery Brothers: Groove Yard

19. Lightin’ Hopkins: Goin’ Away

20. Art Pepper: Art Pepper + Eleven

21. Sonny Rollins: Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders

22. John Griffin: The Kerry Dancers

23. Sonny Rollins: Plus 4

24. Miles Davis: The New Miles Davis Quintet

25. Bill Evans Trio: Explorations

[sidewinder]

Nice - but probably best for those with a frequent disk changeover fetish !

Me, I'm too lazy and even 33 1/3 RPM is wearing me out..

[jazzhound]

I don't even know if my MMF-7 runs at 45 rpm!

[patricia]

I was amazed, because I had never paid attention, that there was such a thing as a turntable which only plays 33 1/3 RPM records. Saw one in a secondhand store the other day. When did that happen?? I picked up a turntable, not new, but not that old, few months ago and it has 33 1/3, 45 AND 78RPM settings. Considering that my favourite vintage vinyl place not only has LP's, but 45's and 78's in really good condition, I wonder what the point was.

Did the only 33 1/3 one come out just before the advent of CD's, or the advent of audio-tape popularity?? I feel like I must have fallen asleep at the switch.

Keep watchin' the misc for sale column for people offering jazz record collections. I've found that if I can find out how old the person offering them is, I won't make an unnecessary trip to view old stuff from the 60's that have spent too much time in the hands of kids [like I was at the time ] so, on the floor, or out of their covers.

People who collect jazz seem to treat their old records like the treasures they are, in my experience.

Edited November 30, 2003 by patricia

[sidewinder]

Patricia - not sure when exactly it happened but most of the top end turntables these days have 33 1/3 and 45rpm, if you are lucky. I have a Linn LP12, a turntable which has been available in it's current form for at least 20 years and it 'defaults' to 33 1/3 but allows selection of 45rpm if you keep the power light depressed just a little longer. I've never actually used it 'in anger' !

I would agree with your comment about treating these black vinyl thingys like 'treasures'. Sometimes you feel like a combination of full-time museum curator and antique restorer. Recently, for example, got hold of a Red Garland Prestige original in not very good nick but with a bit of cleaning of the vinyl and restoration of the cover (some messy tape job was left on) it turned out to be a nice acquisition.

Edited November 30, 2003 by sidewinder

[patricia]

My turntable is a BSR, don't know how old. I picked it up at a secondhand store and it is compatable with the rest of my sound system which is about thirty years old. The turntable was covered with dust, when I found it, but works perfectly. There are a couple of places in town that I know carry needles, etc, so I'm good.

I can actually feel my heart beat faster when I spy a JazzTone for a dollar at a garage sale. Amazingly, I've rarely had to do more than a surface cleaning on any of my really old stuff. I stay away from anything "pop" as I mentioned.

The older the find, for the most part, the better it was looked after, with few exceptions.

Edited November 30, 2003 by patricia

[ajf67]

My MMF-5 can play 45s, but I have to take the platter off and adjust the belt, which is a pain so I haven't bought any of the 45 remasterings. Plus, it does sound like 45rpm would mean a lot of up and down to change sides. Just when i got comfortable I'd be flipping the record.

I think these things are treasures too. I'm also amazed at how good the sound can be on an old mono record that looks like it's been trashed. I went home for Thanksgiving to Pittsburgh, and made my required trip to Jerry's Records (if you are ever in Pittsburgh definitely stop there, it's in Squirrel Hill. Great prices and TONS of inventory.) I found an old copy of Jimmy Smith's "Houseparty" that looked pretty beat up for $7.00 but I took a chance on it because it was a deep groove with the W.63rd St. address on the label and the cover was in nice shape. I ran it through my Nitty Gritty record cleaner and stuck it on the turntable and there was Jimmy, Lou Donaldson and Lee Morgan coming through very clear and with that nice Blue Note mono soundstage (which even on my cheapy system to me sounds soooo much better than CDs). There are some clicks and pops and some low-level static, but the horns are distortion-free and the overall sound is very enjoyable.

[patricia]

I smiled when you mentioned the effort it would require to get up off the sofa to flip a 45 record. Nowadays we hardly have to get off the sofa to do anything, once esconced. Remember when you had to change TV channels manually??? No wonder there are so many large bottoms these days.

What I like about my old vinyl is that they are essentially recorded with everybody there and whatever happened, happened. Some are several sessions on one or two records, but the sound-doctoring, which is expected now, was not used then, to the extent that it is now, if at all.

Everybody just showed up, rehearsed and then recorded. I love that.

Of course, the records presented the talent, warts and all, which doesn't happen now. Also, if you were lucky enough to get to see the artists, live, they were at least as terrific as they were on their records. NOBODY played air-instruments, or lip-synced. Sure, the records may be in mono, but that was really them [although occasionally somebody would be there, but not credited].

Edited December 2, 2003 by patricia

[WD45]

I have to adjust the belt on my Pro-Ject table if I want to play 45s. I don't do it very often, so when I do, I play ALL of my 45s to get it out of my system.

[patricia]

I have to adjust the belt on my Pro-Ject table if I want to play 45s.  I don't do it very often, so when I do, I play ALL of my 45s to get it out of my system. 

You don't "stack" them on the spindle, do you?? I'm sure you're aware that that is an indictable offence.

Edited December 2, 2003 by patricia

[Z-Man]

Is there really a dramatic difference in fidelity with these 45 RPM reissues? I'm a big fan of Classic Records and Analogue Productions vinyl reissues, but I've been drawing the line at spending the big bucks for the 45's. How much better are they?

[shrugs]

Is there really a dramatic difference in fidelity with these 45 RPM reissues? I'm a big fan of Classic Records and Analogue Productions vinyl reissues, but I've been drawing the line at spending the big bucks for the 45's. How much better are they?

Have you tried any of the OJC reissues? The earlier ones are usually great and can be had for cheap if you hunt around. I saw a couple for $8 a pop yesterday but had to pass.