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Feb/Mar 2005 US RVGs


Kevin Bresnahan

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I must've told the guys at Blue Note 20 times that they do not need to remaster "Basra". All they have to do is get Rudy's digital master from Japan. For everyone's sake, I hope they listened. I know Michael Cuscuna went ahead and got a copy of the JRVG just to hear it after I insisted. Maybe that did it?

Kevin

Kevin

Lately I've been doing some A/B comparisons of some late '90s JRVG releases vs. the Mosaic versions that were done some years earlier. On some of them there's quite a bit of difference - especially using headphones. Many times the Mosaics - especially from the 90's on - sound better (at least to me) than the recent RVG releases. I just wonder what Cuscuna thinks when these "different" sounding versions that come out on Blue Note. I wonder if he still thinks the Mosaics are better. He did, after all, produce both versions for reissue. It's only the remastering that's different.

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Kevin

Lately I've been doing some A/B comparisons of some late '90s JRVG releases vs. the Mosaic versions that were done some years earlier. On some of them there's quite a bit of difference - especially using headphones. Many times the Mosaics - especially from the 90's on - sound better (at least to me) than the recent RVG releases. I just wonder what Cuscuna thinks when these "different" sounding versions that come out on Blue Note. I wonder if he still thinks the Mosaics are better. He did, after all, produce both versions for reissue. It's only the remastering that's different.

I would suggest E-mailing Mosaic Records directly. I do know that the RVG series, in and of itself, was not the brainchild of Michael Cuscuna but in fact, born and nurtured in Japan. I think the guys in the NY office probably saw the response to this Japanese-only series and said, "Hey, we should do that too."

One thing I'm sure of is that Michael's job on the RVG series is to listen to the remastered CD and approve it or send it back to RVG for another run (as well as check out the final artwork). I would think he has much less say in the overall sound of RVGs than he does with Ron McMaster-ed Mosaic CDs. RVG is getting paid well to give these CDs his personal "sound", so it probably doesn't make sense to have someone else mucking with it.

Later,

Kevin

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2.) Where on earth are the RVG's of Back at the Chicken Shack and Midnight Special???  These are absolute CLASSICS, and should've been upgraded in some of the first RVG's ever put out!  It's about time that Horace Silver & the Jazz Messengers is finally seing the RVG light of day.

All in all, though, this is a good list!!!

DAAAAMN STRAIGHT!!!!

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1.) Never, never, EVER believe Blue Note when they throw around terms like "Limited Edition", or "Collector's Choice", or "Connoisseur's Series". Eventually, all titles will get reissued again (and again, and again)... Look at how many CC's and Conn's have been released in the past few RVG batches, even though they were initially "limited edition, and once they are sold out, they are gone!". For the record, I'm absolutely ecstatic that these titles are being reissued again for the next generation of jazz fans (or those who missed them the first time around)... but "Limited Edition"? My ass!

Good point, Shane, and very true.

Still, why would it matter if they reissue these sessions, especially with superior masterings? We should be happy. I paid a collector's price for many of my cds, as did a lot of people on this board, I'm sure. I traded in my old copy of "Black Fire" for $4.50 trade credit on the new RVG. I had originally bought it for $23.00. In the end, I just wanted the music. The collectability aspect is less important.

On the other hand, once these copy protection discs take over, then you'll find your older cds becoming more valuable as collectables.

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Is it just me, or does the JRVG of Demon's Dance sound wonky?   :blink:

So wonky that I dumped it... AM radio comes to mind.

Kevin,

Just curious, but where are you dumping these...I'd gladly take any that you're not interested in off of your hands for fair prices. Let me know.

Hang on there! If it's so wonky, you might get mine!

(Didn't I offer you "Demon's Dance" before and you weren't interested?)

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Paul —

I'm speaking more generally here. I've also heard Kevin say he didn't like the "Easterly Winds" JRVG. If he's selling them off to used CD stores, I'd gladly give him there price plus more for these discs. That said, maybe I should start on Jackie McLean. After a brief hiatus, he's next on my list.

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1.) Never, never, EVER believe Blue Note when they throw around terms like "Limited Edition", or "Collector's Choice", or "Connoisseur's Series".  Eventually, all titles will get reissued again (and again, and again)... Look at how many CC's and Conn's have been released in the past few RVG batches, even though they were initially "limited edition, and once they are sold out, they are  gone!".  For the record, I'm absolutely ecstatic that these titles are being reissued again for the next generation of jazz fans (or those who missed them the first time around)... but "Limited Edition"?  My ass!

Good point, Shane, and very true.

Still, why would it matter if they reissue these sessions, especially with superior masterings? We should be happy. I paid a collector's price for many of my cds, as did a lot of people on this board, I'm sure. I traded in my old copy of "Black Fire" for $4.50 trade credit on the new RVG. I had originally bought it for $23.00. In the end, I just wanted the music. The collectability aspect is less important.

On the other hand, once these copy protection discs take over, then you'll find your older cds becoming more valuable as collectables.

Hi Conn,

Yeah, as I said, I'm more than glad the old Conn's and CC's are being revived... True Blue and One Step Beyond should ALWAYS stay in print!

I guess my point is with Blue Note's marketing strategy more than anything else. The whole notion of "Limited Edition" is really rather bogus if you just keep re-releasing titles time after time. I don't buy music or CD's to make money off of them, so I don't really care if they get re-released again (thereby reducing the "value" of any CD's I might have)... although I'm sure there are more than a few speculators out there who are pissed that certain titles are being reissued again. Just don't insult me by telling me these are "Limited, Never Available Again" things if they show up every few years.

Aside from that, I'm glad these are being reissued in the RVG series. Hopefully, one day, we'll see EVERY Blue Note session reissued on CD (and remain in print)! Wouldn't that be the day!!! :lol:

Cheers,

Shane

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Mosaic Records says that their box sets are limited editions never to be available again, not Blue Note! The Connoisseur Series is limited. They never made any statement that these limited editions would never be reissued that I'm aware of. That would be incredibly stupid on their part.

BTW, as has been pointed out by "those in the know", all Japanese Blue Note CDs are limited to a certain extent. They press all they want to sell and then they're done. They have re-pressed many titles due to demand. In fact, their RVG series is marketed as "limited" and yet they've re-pressed several of them. If anyone can be accused of having an unlimited "limited edition", it's these guys. :) Well, there's also those laughable "limited edition" CDs that OJC puts out. :D

Later,

Kevin

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