Prestige

[brownie]

I have a Prestige dealer order form dated Fall 1963 that lists all available LPs from the Prestige labels that goes up to 7299 (Ahmed Abdul Malik 'Afro-Jazz') so would say 7311 'Outward Bound' and 7326 'Saxophone Colossus' were released in 1964.

[kh1958]

Last night and this morning, I listened to Sonny Stitt's Soul Electricity! This is one inspired recording--with Don Patterson, Billy Butler and Billy James (working group plus Billy Butler on guitar)--and the sound of this recording is very wonderful. All standards on this LP, but Stitt is on fire on every one.

Since I can't stop myself, I bought four more Prestiges--Willis Jackson, Star Bag (with Trudy Pitts and Wild Bill Jennings), Wild Bill Jennings with Brother Jack McDuff, Enough Said, Willis Jackson and Brother Jack McDuff, Together Again, Again, and Johnny Hammond Smith with Willis Jackson, Good 'Nuff.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Last night and this morning, I listened to Sonny Stitt's Soul Electricity! This is one inspired recording--with Don Patterson, Billy Butler and Billy James (working group plus Billy Butler on guitar)--and the sound of this recording is very wonderful. All standards on this LP, but Stitt is on fire on every one.

Since I can't stop myself, I bought four more Prestiges--Willis Jackson, Star Bag (with Trudy Pitts and Wild Bill Jennings), Wild Bill Jennings with Brother Jack McDuff, Enough Said, Willis Jackson and Brother Jack McDuff, Together Again, Again, and Johnny Hammond Smith with Willis Jackson, Good 'Nuff.

"Star bag" is fabulous! One of Gator's best ever!

MG

The others are all very very good too.

PS "Wild Bill Jennings" was a mistake on the sleeve of one of those LPs - he's just Bill Jennings.

Edited January 21, 2007 by The Magnificent Goldberg

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Recently, I've been having fun buying Van Gelder blue labeled LPs at Stereo Jacks. But I have to say, I think I'm seeing part of the reason why Blue Note had the cachet back when these LPs were issued. You see, I've been buying Van Gelder blue labeled Blue Note LPs as well and there is no comparison. The Blue Note pressings are almost all better-sounding than any Prestige pressing. I've plunked on mint looking blue label RVG LPs and heard fuzzy distortion, rice crispies, inner groove distortion and a lot more.

There are better sounding versions out there too. I happened to have a new OJC vinyl pressing of Gene Ammons's "Boss Tenor" and you know what? I'm keeping the new OJC and trading/giving away this old RVG STEREO LP. The OJC pressing blows the RVG away.

The other thing I've noticed about these Prestige RVGs is that you have to inspect the *vinyl itself* when checking it for scratches. There were several mint-looking blue label RVG Prestige LPs where the vinyl had dimples and marbled vinyl. I think the marbled areas are what was called underfill. Nasty looking. I imagine they woouldn't play very well so I didn't buy them.

Kevin

Edited February 4, 2012 by Kevin Bresnahan

[JohnS]

My Jaki Byard Here's Jaki (New Jazz RVG) looks fine but has continual surface noise.

[Clunky]

I must have been lucky until now with blue label Prestiges. Today bought (admittedly for only £5) Charles McPherson Con Alma on Prestige blue label, looked very clean , but there's periodic distortion which is one of my pet hates. I can abide all manner of crackles but not distortion. Disappointing.

[clifford_thornton]

My Jaki Byard Here's Jaki (New Jazz RVG) looks fine but has continual surface noise.

That's been a symptom of a lot of NJ LPs that I've had. Some worse than others.

[kh1958]

My Jaki Byard Here's Jaki (New Jazz RVG) looks fine but has continual surface noise.

That's been a symptom of a lot of NJ LPs that I've had. Some worse than others.

New Jazz was a budget label for Prestige (the price was $1 or $2 less than regular Prestige).

I have not found this problem to be common with main label Prestiges.

[clifford_thornton]

That was what I thought, too, though someone recently countered/corrected that claim.

[Chuck Nessa]

My Jaki Byard Here's Jaki (New Jazz RVG) looks fine but has continual surface noise.

That's been a symptom of a lot of NJ LPs that I've had. Some worse than others.

New Jazz was a budget label for Prestige (the price was $1 or $2 less than regular Prestige).

I have not found this problem to be common with main label Prestiges.

New Jazz was not a budget label. Much confusion arises from the sloppy emergence of Status records. More later, no time now.

[GA Russell]

When I was a freshman in college in 1969, I sent away for and received the Prestige catalogue, which was nothing more than a few 8.5 x 11 pieces of paper with artist, title and price.

It is my recollection that all of the New Jazz albums were one dollar less than the Prestige albums.

That was one of the reasons I ordered a couple of New Jazz albums! (Trumpet Giants with Dizzy, Fats and Miles; and Ezz-thetic with Miles and Lee, along with some Teddy Charles and Billy Bauer)

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I just picked up a few more blue label Prestiges. One is Miles Davis's "Walkin'", which is one of my favorite Miles recordings. I hope this is better than the OJC reissue I have in my LP rack.

I'll put it on after "The Immortal Lester Young" (Savoy) (RVG in the deadwax) finishes. "Old timey" sounding stuff on this record (can you tell I've never owned/heard it before?).

Edit: Yeah! This blue labeled Pretige RVG LP of "Walkin'" sounds great. I suppose if I was "stuck" with the OJC LP, I wouldn't be totally disappointed. Word to the wise: if you really want a vinyl version of a Prestige record the latest OJC pressing is pretty darn good for the money.

Edited February 11, 2012 by Kevin Bresnahan

[Clunky]

Anyone know or care about the significance or otherwise of the Trident on blue labels being placed on the right versus top centre of the label ?

And while I'm asking whats the significance of the purple label?

[kh1958]

I think the purple label was used at the very end, just before the sale to Fantasy.

[jeffcrom]

I've got a couple of weird Prestige hybrids - my copy of Glide On by Bill Jennings is a yellow-label Prestige pressing in a Status cover, both with the same catalog number: 7177. My blue-label copy of 7257 by Gene Ammons has the yellow Bad! Bossa Nova cover with Jungle Soul (Ca' Purange) back sheet and labels. I guess Prestige didn't waste any stock and used up all covers and labels on hand, even when they changed the name of an album.

Edited February 11, 2012 by jeffcrom

[Big Beat Steve]

I've got a couple of weird Prestige hybrids - my copy of Glide On by Bill Jennings is a yellow-label Prestige pressing in a Status cover, both with the same catalog number: 7177. My blue-label copy of 7257 by Gene Ammons has the yellow Bad! Bossa Nova cover with Jungle Soul (Ca' Purange) back sheet and labels. I guess Prestige didn't waste any stock and used up all covers and labels on hand, even when they changed the name of an album.

Indeed.

Another example was described at length in the Sept./Oct. (#4) 2009 issue of ORKESTER JOURNALEN, relating to the Elmo

Hope LP released on Prestige: "Informal Jazz" (7043) was later reissued under the same number as "Two Tenors" credited to Hank Mobley and John Coltrane (sidement on the original date) but it seems like they did not bother to change the labels accordingly; they still said "Elmo Hope" and "Informal Jazz" under the same release number. At least part of the pressing run had this incongruency.

The same seems to have happened with "Hope Meets Foster" (7021) later retitled as "Wail Frank Wail" credited to Frank Foster only.

[kh1958]

Anyone know or care about the significance or otherwise of the Trident on blue labels being placed on the right versus top centre of the label ?

And while I'm asking whats the significance of the purple label?

The Goldmine Guide says that trident on the right is 1964-67, trident on the top is 1967-69, and purple label is 1969-72.

[Clunky]

Anyone know or care about the significance or otherwise of the Trident on blue labels being placed on the right versus top centre of the label ?

And while I'm asking whats the significance of the purple label?

The Goldmine Guide says that trident on the right is 1964-67, trident on the top is 1967-69, and purple label is 1969-72.

thanks

[six string]

Recently, I've been having fun buying Van Gelder blue labeled LPs at Stereo Jacks. But I have to say, I think I'm seeing part of the reason why Blue Note had the cachet back when these LPs were issued. You see, I've been buying Van Gelder blue labeled Blue Note LPs as well and there is no comparison. The Blue Note pressings are almost all better-sounding than any Prestige pressing. I've plunked on mint looking blue label RVG LPs and heard fuzzy distortion, rice crispies, inner groove distortion and a lot more.

There are better sounding versions out there too. I happened to have a new OJC vinyl pressing of Gene Ammons's "Boss Tenor" and you know what? I'm keeping the new OJC and trading/giving away this old RVG STEREO LP. The OJC pressing blows the RVG away.

The other thing I've noticed about these Prestige RVGs is that you have to inspect the *vinyl itself* when checking it for scratches. There were several mint-looking blue label RVG Prestige LPs where the vinyl had dimples and marbled vinyl. I think the marbled areas are what was called underfill. Nasty looking. I imagine they woouldn't play very well so I didn't buy them.

Kevin

Of course you have to inspect the vinyl itself. Yesterday I found a copy of Booker Ervins Groovin' High. The cover was in really nice shape (vg++) which caused my heart to race and I took out the record and saw the black/yellow label, an original pressing! A half second later and I was staring at the vinyl surfaces and it was beat to shit. I mean throw it down the street a few times and then put it back in the cover kind of beat up. My heart sank so fast. If they hadn't wanted so much for the record relative to it's condition ($7.00) I would have bought it for the cover in the hopes of finding the lp later with a beat up cover but clean vinyl. I'd be happy to own all of Ervin's Prestige albums on blue label pressings. I only have two of his Prestige albums on vinyl (so far).

[kh1958]

I've found those old black/yellow Prestiges to be similar to original Blue Notes in that they may still sound alot better than they look, at least absent feelable scratches.