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Luckily, these are all distant horror stories to me, though things aren't perfect over here either. Certainly not outside of the long privatised Dutch postal service. I avoid couriers like DHL, GLS and UPS whenever possible.

Darjeeling first flush. I drink nothing but several kinds of Darjeeling. No other tea that I'm aware of comes close.

I never thought I would end up owning several dull disco albums in box set format, and the worst is probably yet to come with the eighties stuff.

&%$%^##@% annoying! I need these Braxtons on disc.

I'm just anticipating the movie tie-in cover art for Miles releases from that point on.

I also like the Deluxe RVG. That and the APO SACD form part of my collection now. The Reeves Impulse Originals remaster is a different matter. It is LOUD and annoying on headphones, but I'm sure that is down to Verve setting guidelines for a particular series, and not down to Mr. Reeves's hearing or preferences. The Blues and the Abstract Truth Originals is similarly annoying, but mastered by someone other than Kevin Reeves. Good thing they let Reeves remaster again with different standards for this Blu-ray.

Have you had the chance yet to compare A Love Supreme to the Kevin Gray APO SACD? I would be interested to know what you think, Lon. I love reading about all these audiophile releases even if they are out of my league.

All you could ask for in a series of history books. Now reading:

Any more about the Monk ? I always thought the RVG was above criticism compared to the McMaster largely due to original acetates being used IIRC. I've listened to the Monk several times now, and am convinced it is less compressed. Also, the RVG bass was somewhat boosted & booming. This could make it a bit of a dark zooming mass. The new bass sound is more clearly articulated, like a well recorded real instrument made from wood and strings. I always enjoyed the RVGs (my first Monk was the Blue Note box) up until now, and do not mean to put them down. But listened to side by side on my system the difference is marked. The opening up of the music due to the greater dynamic range makes all the difference. Very fresh (though Monk on Blue Note never really grows stale). Perhaps the original acetates were used once again in the transfer. The Monk material has also been made available on HD Tracks. Isn't that what Blue Note is doing? Transferring masters and storing them in 32bit digital (I believe I read this somewhere recently, perhaps on this board). These TYCJs certainly don't sound like they were made from inferior source material. None of them do.

I stopped buying Blue Notes altogether when copy control was introduced in the second half of 2002. I only started buying RVGs again after copy control was discontinued when I discovered they were in the bargain bin at Fame in Amsterdam for €5 a piece in 2009. Then I started comparing, reading posts on the internet, and eventually importing some second hand McMasters cheaply from the US. I compared more RVGs with McMasters by downloading FLACs through bittorrent. All this to say I've spent comparatively little on eighties/early nineties McMasters and RVGs. The Connoisseurs released without copy control only in the US were a little more expensive to track down, but I did get some to me essential titles. So, with this series I'll be able to expand my Blue Note collection with some fine sounding discs and replace most of the RVGs I still own. I also have no qualms about replacing McMasters when there is clear sonic improvement.

Perhaps (if actually not an error) this means the original LP mastering? Didn't Van Gelder remaster some titles that Doug Hawkins recorded? That must be it. Genius of Music Vol. 1 adds a line: Original recording by Doug Hawkins Original remastering by Rudy Van Gelder These editions follow original track listings of the 12" LPs (and add bonus content to fill out the complete Monk sessions).

Not a Brit, but using the cheapest shipping option, SAL (1 to 2 weeks delivery time), I pay between €14.50 and €15 at CD Japan. (I have them shipped individually to avoid the Dutch customs Nazis taxing me.)

I saw the Hancock box for €99.95 today at Fame in Amsterdam.

Thelonious Monk - Genius Of Modern Music Vol.1 (TYCJ-81025) Going by the first track on the new TYCJ, 'Round Midnight, a marked difference over the RVG. A more spacious sound (less compression ?) and a clearer bass sound. It seems there was considerable room for improvement over the RVG.

Great news. Dig This has catalogue number TYCJ-81100 which suggests at least 50 more titles! I've updated the list on to include the new titles.

Hootie Blowfish Dickwad

Best wishes.

Blue Note's anniversary is not until next year. If they do not release more titles, the festivities will be over before they got well underway. Let's hope these first 50 sell well.

It's also the case that the late nineties Wilder remasters for Sony using SBM like Inner Mounting Flame, Nefertiti were louder and harsher than his recent remasters (2009 onwards) for The Complete Columbia Album series, and special releases like 40th Bitches Brew, etc. I believe only KOB was remixed from three track stereo because the mono tapes are lost.

If the Ascenseur soundtrack is poor quality I might think twice about the Miles Mono box. I know the soundtrack from the Criterion DVD, and would like a copy of the best sounding CD in my collection. I might save my money for that and the upcoming MoFi KOB SACD, which should be definitive, instead.

Unlike that "white bitch" on the original cover?

The Milt Jackson back cover art states: Produced by Alfred Lion Original remastering by Rudy Van Gelder This must be a mistake as this is clearly not the same remastering as the RVGs of the Monk/Jackson material. All other TYCJs have the following on the back: Produced by Alfred Lion Original recording by Rudy Van Gelder This must be where a mistake crept in for this particular disc. It'll be interesting to see what the TYCJ of Genius Vol.1 has on the back. None of the TYCJs I've seen gives information about the remastering (in English) in the booklet.

These are more like the Yoshida Blue Notes than the polite, warm, laid-back Hoffman/Gray efforts. Though not quite in the same league, of course. Regardless, the TYCJs I've heard are the last editions of these titles I'll ever need.

I do not know if items are removed from CD Japan's saved items list once items go out of print, but it has never happened to me that items just disappeared from that list.

I have a Marantz CD6003. link I use Sennheiser HD650 headphones and an old NAD 312 amp. Van Den Hul cables. Nothing high end or fancy. I currently listen to headphones only out of necessity (housing). When I change apartments I will eventually buy some speakers and upgrade my amp.