Jump to content

Upcoming Impulse! reissues from Japan


Head Man

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 105
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I wasn't going to get any of these but I've just played my only copy of "Three four Shepp" and it's developed digital jitter in a variety of places . It still plays through which is just as well , it's just such a fabulous session.

LPs aren't too hard to come by and feature no digital jitter!

I've got two or three. Offers? ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7c9cf343350a007fb35cd8a50ec.jpg

Just got done listening to this disc in total. What a fine, fine record. I have the old 20-bit digipack edition (Erik Labson?), and it doesn't sound very good. I hope this new Japanese edition can provide more depth and soundstage placement than the edition I own. You can tell it was well-recorded (a ton of room sound!), but ... well, we'll see.

I wish Max had recorded more than twice for Impulse!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7c9cf343350a007fb35cd8a50ec.jpg

Just got done listening to this disc in total. What a fine, fine record. I have the old 20-bit digipack edition (Erik Labson?), and it doesn't sound very good. I hope this new Japanese edition can provide more depth and soundstage placement than the edition I own. You can tell it was well-recorded (a ton of room sound!), but ... well, we'll see.

I wish Max had recorded more than twice for Impulse!

So what's the deal with the cover colors on this one? My copy is a 70s green-label impulse! ,and some of the orange fonts are fuscia, others are white, and the painting is black and white, no orange-ish tint. I assume that the above is the original, but when/how did the version that I have come about?

As for the sound quality, my copy says "Re-recording and Masters" by RVG, with the original engineer being George Piros http://www.discogs.com/artist/379890-George-Piros (which kinda leads back to Bob Shad/Mercury and/or Creed Taylor/ABC Records?!?!?!). There's also a what I would presume to be a session photo of Thiele & Max (with Thiele up front "taking charge" and Max in in the background listening respectfully/dutifully, oh the irony), and along with the other photos, non of them really scream "Van Gelder" to me, because...it's not:

http://www.jazzdisco.org/max-roach/discography/

Fine Recording, Ballroom Studio A, NYC

I'm guessing that RVG was not yet ready for the choir, not 16 pieces of them, anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

max_roach_its_time.jpg?w=500&h=500

I don't know what the deal is with the two different covers. Budget reasons?

So to not derail this thread, and to (hopefully) get more input, I'm going to start a new thread on this album. I have some questions about it, mainly re. Piros, Thiele, Van Gelder, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 5 weeks later...

The SHM remasters from 2011 were exceptional.

If Meditations uses the 2011 remaster this is a must own disc.

Listening to UCCI 9248 right now. I think this may be the SHM-CD remaster. Liner notes have a 2011 date, the album's separated into five tracks (my 1989 MCA copy has only two), and the sound is very good — especially beginning with track 3 (which is the LP's B-side).

UCCI 9263 also has 2011 liner notes, which leads me to believe that it too may come from the SHM-CD remaster.

UCCI 9255, in contrast, is labeled UCCI 9167 on the spine, back cover, and inserts, so this one comes from the 2010 edition. I haven't listened to it yet.

"Low-priced edition" essentially guarantees no new remaster, but sometimes you get a superior (earlier) remaster for a better price ... and then sometimes not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UCCI 9255 ... I haven't listened to it yet.

Listening now. Stereo! The U.S. Labson digipack edition is squashed into near-mono in comparison. Still, this new (re)reissue doesn't sound spectacular. Might be the limitations in the original recording, I'm not sure, but whoever remastered this Japanese edition seemingly didn't know what to do with the bass. It sounds boosted to me. Max's drums sound good, but are deeply recessed. I have to imagine this was a frustrating project, recording-wise, for both Roach and Thiele.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The SHM remasters from 2011 were exceptional.

If Meditations uses the 2011 remaster this is a must own disc.

Listening to UCCI 9248 right now. I think this may be the SHM-CD remaster. Liner notes have a 2011 date, the album's separated into five tracks (my 1989 MCA copy has only two), and the sound is very good — especially beginning with track 3 (which is the LP's B-side).

UCCI 9263 also has 2011 liner notes, which leads me to believe that it too may come from the SHM-CD remaster.

UCCI 9255, in contrast, is labeled UCCI 9167 on the spine, back cover, and inserts, so this one comes from the 2010 edition. I haven't listened to it yet.

"Low-priced edition" essentially guarantees no new remaster, but sometimes you get a superior (earlier) remaster for a better price ... and then sometimes not.

The Meditations SHM-CD did indeed have new Japanese liner notes from July 2011. Others like Stellar Regions reproduced the US digipak booklet and had the new liner notes as an insert.

But no new masterings for any of the other titles not released on SHM-CD in 2011 I presume. I'll proceed with caution, then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But no new masterings for any of the other titles not released on SHM-CD in 2011 I presume.

I'd say that this is probably the case.

* Stop the press * — I just checked the inner ring of UCCI 9248. What I expected: it says UCCI 9209. So, the new edition of Meditations does indeed contain the SHM-CD remaster, just without the super-high material. This could be good news for those who missed out on various titles in the 2011 SHM-CD batch.

UCCI 9248 = UCCI 9209

UCCI 9263 = UCCI 9220 (just checked)

There are more, I'm sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm only a dabbler in reissues these days BUT the 'domestic' digipack of Meditations is just horrible so...thanks for the heads up and keep them coming...

Both the 90s and 00s digipaks are horrible. The 90s has a repulsively bloated, distorted bass, and the 00s is LOUD on top of that.

You won't regret getting this for $8.

I'll place an order for the following six titles soon.

Max Roach - Percussion Bitter Sweet, It's Time, Elvin Jones & Jimmy Garrison - Illumination!, Oliver Nelson - More Blues And The Abstract Truth, Marion Brown - Three For Shepp, & Ahmad Jamal - The Awakening.

Edited by erwbol
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Max Roach - Percussion Bitter Sweet

Ahmad Jamal - The Awakening

I have these two. The former I have as the 2011 SHM-CD, and it sounds very good, particularly the horns. I haven't yet listened to the Jamal, but I'm assuming it's from the 2011 SHM-CD batch.

The best-sounding Impulse SHM-CD that I've heard is Oliver Nelson's Sound Pieces. That one was a huge improvement over the original U.S. disc. Beautiful "room" sound on it.

I'll be spinning Meditations more today. The Tyner feature half way through the disc is considerably more opened up on this new remaster. One thing I also noticed is that it's now easier to separate out Elvin Jones from Rashied Ali — before, the drums were closer together on the soundstage (if that's possible; might just be placebo-effect). Fans of this album can now safely purchase the new "low-priced edition" knowing that it's the SHM-CD (sans super high). Bargain for 1000¥.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to buy 5000 copies of the new version and pave my drive with them. My message to the world.

Google Earth is already showing that David has been good on his word. The drive looks good, even after the car's been over it. Very sneaky of you, however, to slide in that one Beyoncé disc. Nice work trimming the hedges, I should add.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...