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Classic Blue Notes on SHM-CD


David Ayers

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Thanks for posting this Laton. Interesting how the ones I'm most interested in are all right in a row:

UCCQ 5114 Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue +1

UCCQ 5115 Andrew Hill: Andrew!!! +2

UCCQ 5116 Sam Rivers: Contours +1

UCCQ 5117 Tony Williams: Spring

UCCQ 5118 Andrew Hill: Compulsion

UCCQ 5119 Don Cherry: Complete Communion

In addition to Contours, I'm especially excited about the Hill and Cherry titles; I never cared too much for the Connoisseur editions. The Tony Williams title is one of the best-recorded Blue Note sessions, in my opinion. It will be interesting to hear how the SHM-CD sounds in comparison to the Blue Note Works TOCJ. The drum solo on that record is impeccably recorded.

I haven't heard "Jasper" from Dialogue in a long time. I like the TOCJ, however, and may have to pass on that one. I'd bet the new SHM-CD sounds more open.

No love for Tyrone. (Maybe in the next 50?) No love for Cecil either.

One title that cries out for sonic updating is Bobby Hutcherson's Components. The Larry Walsh remaster sounds dreadful to me. It's never been out on compact disc in Japan, to my knowledge, and the U.S. edition (as one of the first Connoisseur titles) is very much showing its age. The music itself of course is wonderful. Great compositions paired with the front line of Hubbard and Spalding.

I'm also very interested to hear what the SHM-CD edition will do with Joe Henderson's Inner Urge. That's always been a problematic title (sonically) to my ears. Again, the music is phenomenal.

I agree with Mr. Ayers — if only these were around when I was growing up!

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Blues in Trinity extras?

Two additional tunes (not alternates) — "Eboo" and "Just A Penny." Good tracks. I do wish, for selfish reasons, they'd chosen Star Bright instead.

Natural Essence was reissued twice? Didn't know that. I have the Blue Note Works TOCJ. I didn't know there was an edition in addition to that one.

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Thanks for posting this Laton. Interesting how the ones I'm most interested in are all right in a row:

UCCQ 5114 Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue +1

UCCQ 5115 Andrew Hill: Andrew! +2

UCCQ 5116 Sam Rivers: Contours +1

UCCQ 5117 Tony Williams: Spring

UCCQ 5118 Andrew Hill: Compulsion

UCCQ 5119 Don Cherry: Complete Communion

All great choices. I'll probably get a few of these. It helps that I've only one version of these already !!

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I'm likely getting all those as well plus an additional 5 or 6 more. I have all of these already on various different vinyl pressings but these CDs sound so great and are relatively cheap too so I just can't resist...plus the bonus tracks are nice to have. Glad to see "leapin and lopin" in the list; my favorite Sonny Clark. Have a nice NY USA original stereo LP and an early American CD issue but will get this SHM anyways.

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Natural Essence was reissued twice? Didn't know that. I have the Blue Note Works TOCJ. I didn't know there was an edition in addition to that one.

Yes, it was done in the 24 bit series that many here don't seem to like. . . I have them both, they both sound pretty good to me.

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Natural Essence was reissued twice? Didn't know that. I have the Blue Note Works TOCJ. I didn't know there was an edition in addition to that one.

Yes, it was done in the 24 bit series that many here don't seem to like. . . I have them both, they both sound pretty good to me.

Aha. I do remember that now.

Anyone going to pick up Blue Mitchell's Step Lightly?

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One title that cries out for sonic updating is Bobby Hutcherson's Components. The Larry Walsh remaster sounds dreadful to me. It's never been out on compact disc in Japan, to my knowledge, and the U.S. edition (as one of the first Connoisseur titles) is very much showing its age. The music itself of course is wonderful. Great compositions paired with the front line of Hubbard and Spalding.

At the Hoffman board, the Larry Walsh Connoisseurs are considered the greatest digital Blue Note prior to the release of the Gray/Hoffman SACDs and Yoshida Audio Wave XRCD24s.

Personally, I think the Walsh Connoisseur of Smoke Stack is a piece of shit.

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Would like to get The Empty Foxhole to replace the 'CDR on demand' version that i have.

Mode For Joe... some amazing music, but the previous version that i had on CD (i believe it was an RVG) sounded distorted to an unfortunately enjoyment reducing level. Is it possible that the SHM version would be an improvement, or is the distortion present in the original recording i wonder?

Was scanning through the list hoping to see Song of Singing. I'm starting to wonder if there is some impediment to getting this album reissued. Seems like a no brainer: high profile, presumably high in demand artist, long out of print album; why not kill two birds with one stone and reissue it among the plethora of titles they have chosen to reissue? Slightly frustrating for me but i guess there are a ton of other titles that people view in the same way and a ton of titles on the 'to do' list.

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Pretty much from the beginning of the opening track and throughout the album. The 1988 McMaster also had it.

RVGs can make such distortion problems worse. The McMaster of Hank Mobley's Another Workout was bearable, but the RVG pumped up the sound and consequently the distortion.

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What's still missing is ... Andrew!!!.

Cecil Taylor's Unit Structures and Conquistador! would also be welcome.

Andrew!!! made it into this last batch. UCCQ 5115.

I'd also welcome the Taylor titles. I'd really like to see Wayne Shorter's Schizophrenia make it into this series at some point. Ron Carter's bass on the JRVG booms.

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I like it. It's not as "progressive" a date as "A New Perspective" but it has its charms indeed. Nice engineering too imo. Our mileage often varies so I hesitated to say anything about the music.

Has "A New Perspective" ever gotten an audiophile treatment? What is the preferred digital version? Thanks.

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