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Blue Notes you shouldn't...


mgraham333

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I know. I know. I am way late in jumping on this bandwagon but I just bought The Gigolo and was blown away by the first and title tracks. Despite all the chatter about this one I had put off buying it because I was waiting for the remastered version.

With as much as I've enjoyed this album it started me wondering what other Blue Note CDs out there I should buy now, rather than waiting on an RVG version that may never come.

Excluding the upcoming RVGs on the list over at Jazzmatazz, I'd love to hear some recommendations.

I'll start with a few that I already have:

Wayne Shorter

The Soothsayer

Night Dreamer

Horace Silver

Silver's Serenade

Horace-scope

Tokyo Blues

Sonny Clark

Leapin' and Lopin'

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I have my 'personal policy' that I will purchase only those titles that have been remastered. Yes, my 'policy' may be shallow. And, yes, I know I'll be missing out on certain excellent titles that are worth listening to whether they've been remastered or not.

When considering the RVGs, the Conns, Mosaic, the K2s, etcetera, there is simply too much good remastered jazz to trade money for. I have to draw the line somewhere. I drew the line at remastered vs. not yet remastered. If a title isn't yet remastered, I don't buy it. If 'they' want me to buy, they'll remaster it.

Now, how's about an RVG of True Blue and The Gigolo? :mellow:

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I'm frankly amazed that Shorter's Night Dreamer hasn't been remastered and released as an RVG. It is his first Blue Note and a remarkable album - overshadowed by Juju and of course by Speak No Evil among the earlier BNs, but great in its own right.

:tup

I can understand wesbed's position, and have gone through periods during which that was my policy as well, but then sometimes find that I'm not happy with the remastering job (rarely the case with RVGs, though).

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The following are really good ones:

Donald Byrd---------Blackjack

Donald Byrd---------Kofi

Paul Chambers-----Chambers Music

Johnny Griffin ------Introducing Johnny Griffin

Duke Jordan ------ Flight to Jordan

Art Blakey-----------Ritual

And I just happen to have them for trade on this board!

Take a look......

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Mgraham333--

I'm with you on "Night Dreamer" and "The Tokyo Blues"!

These are my favorite albums by Shorter and Silver, respectively, and they are in my all-time top ten Blue Notes. How could they RVG "Adam's Apple" and "In Pursuit of the 27th Man" (not to mention the forthcoming "Serenade to a Soul Sister) ahead of these titles?

Ah, well... I'm just glad "Indestructible!" is out!

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I personally would not hold back buying any title owing to an assumption that it will be RVGd later on. That "later on" could be forever; and it could be never.

I really wouldn't be surprised if jazz labels eventually stopped reissuing old jazz titles. I have no evidence either way, but I would simply buy what you want to hear. Those remasterings might never come. When they do come, I do upgrade sometimes, but not always. Depends on how much I like the session and also whether I am unhappy with the recording.

Another thing to remember is that the master tapes might be degrading and the earlier recording just might be better. This is apparently the case in regards to one tune from Patton's "The Way I feel." The mosaic has reproduced some kind of tape degeneration. Glad I've got the TOJC! It has put me off the Mosaic.

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What's the story with Jimmy Smith's Back at the Chicken Shack? This is one that I really feel like I should have, but haven't seen any plans for an RVG.

I'd sure like an RVG of this one, but I understand that the sound quality of the current release is pretty good?

The JRVG of this is great! To my ears it's so much better that the domestic it's not funny. Same with "Midnight Special", another fantastic treatment By RVG. Why BN haven't RVG'd "... Chicken Shack" & "Midnight Special" is a mystery since RVG is a master at re-doing organ albums. It just doesn't look like it will happen in 2004. :(

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The JRVG of this is great!  To my ears it's so much better that the domestic it's not funny.  Same with "Midnight Special", another fantastic treatment By RVG.  Why BN haven't RVG'd "... Chicken Shack" & "Midnight Special" is a mystery since RVG is a master at re-doing organ albums.  It just doesn't look like it will happen in 2004.  :(

Thanks, Matthew. I'll be looking for the JRVG of both... like Conn says, there's no use waiting around for an RVG that may never happen.

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Feelin' the Spirit. It's great, no matter what remastering; you should have it!

'Feelin the Spirit' indeed. One of my favorite Grant Greens with some of the best playing by Herbie Hancock I have heard to date. Highly recommended! Do not wait for the RVG of this one, especially if you can find it used at a nice price.

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Will those two sessions fit on one disc? Boy, old BN would sell off a pantload of those. Agreed that those two early BN silver discs were not up to snuff.

They add up to 79:41 minutes, which, I think, is just too long for a cd. A great two-fer might be these two lps, and maybe some unrealesed live recordings. One of the things I've always wondered about is if there are any unreleased tapes around the vaults. I always read where BN recorded a TON of live Smith in his first couple of years. In fact, didn't I read somewhere the Alfred Lion wanted to quit BN and just follow Smith around taping his concerts?

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My policy regarding waiting for remasters vs. picking up mediocre sounding current versions depends on whether the current version is OOP or still in print.

If the title is in print, I feel I can wait and see if they remaster it. But if a disc I want is OOP and I see a copy, I usually grab it. As noted above in this thread, some titles may not be remastered for years, if ever, so I hedge my bets and grab the ones that are likely to become harder to find.

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They add up to 79:41 minutes, which, I think, is just too long for a cd. 

I thought 80 minutes was the limit. I have some LP to CD burns which are between 79 & 80 minutes and play fine. 20 minutes per side was supposed to be the LP limit until Columbia began issuing live Miles LP's with 30 minutes per side. You know the old saying, "if they can put a man on the moon..."

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In fact, didn't I read somewhere the Alfred Lion wanted to quit BN and just follow Smith around taping his concerts?

Now that would have been interesting. Never heard that before. Anyone else have any information about this?

Think it was in some "History of Jazz" book I checked out of the library a couple of years ago. Can't, for the life of me, remember the author.

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In fact, didn't I read somewhere the Alfred Lion wanted to quit BN and just follow Smith around taping his concerts?

Now that would have been interesting. Never heard that before. Anyone else have any information about this?

Think it was in some "History of Jazz" book I checked out of the library a couple of years ago. Can't, for the life of me, remember the author.

Hi Matthew & Morganized,

I've heard that same story as well. I'm pretty sure Ruth Lion was the one who mentioned it when she was interviewed for that Blue Note Documentary released on VHS a few years ago.

She also went on to lament how it was one of Alfred's (and Blue Note's) darkest times when "another, bigger record company came along and snatched Jimmy up" in the 60's. I have to say I agree with her on that one!

Cheers,

Shane

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