New Blue Note 45rpm sets

[J.A.W.]

Speaking of the Hoffman Board - I continue to be shocked that there are folks there who are getting their first exposure to jazz via these reissue programs.

What I find very annoying is that some of those folks start acting like "jazz experts" on the Hoffman board once they've picked up a few of these reissues. They also keep calling jazz from the 1950s and 1960s "classic jazz"; they have no notion of what went on before the 1950s.

I wonder if they really listen to the music

Edited August 15, 2008 by J.A.W.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Alot of them listen extra hard for the slightest tick or the -- as one guy put it, "somewhat quiet fart sound" --- and are quick to rush back to the threads to complain/share notes about whatever the malfunction of the day is. All in all, I can't say that that's a bad thing because it sure helped steer me waaaaaay clear of the AP releases. Only plunking down cash for MM.

[captainwrong]

I wonder if they really listen to the music

Oh no. You can't actually play these things as that would ruin the monetary value. One play through to scrutinize for technical defects then seal it back up and lock it up in a secure location. And spending a lot of money on anything buys you expertise, apparently.

@SAW, yeah, I was considering buying a few favorites just to see what the hype is all about. Once reports of the totally amateur hour quality control issues started coming in (and combined with my general displeasure with the quality of record production these days anyway) I came to my senses.

[Christiern]

We listen and visualize something like this...

....they hear the same thing and see only...

I much prefer the former.

[sidewinder]

Alot of them listen extra hard for the slightest tick or the -- as one guy put it, "somewhat quiet fart sound" --- and are quick to rush back to the threads to complain/share notes about whatever the malfunction of the day is. All in all, I can't say that that's a bad thing because it sure helped steer me waaaaaay clear of the AP releases. Only plunking down cash for MM.

Probably not a bad move, that's my approach on these too - although Yves tells me that he has had good experiences with the APs. One not to miss of the MMs is the 'Cape Verdean Blues'. That one is pretty special (and the 'True Blue' is no slouch either).

Edited August 15, 2008 by sidewinder

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

One not to miss of the MMs is the 'Cape Verdean Blues'. That one is pretty special (and the 'True Blue' is no slouch either).

That's good to hear. Just checked UPS tracking ...... the pair left Chicago on Wednesday.

[clifford_thornton]

Now that the MM sets have hit the stores in Austin, I've got a chance to look at copies. I'm not too impressed by the graphics or the gatefold spines, and the stock seems kinda cheap. Haven't heard any of the titles yet in this configuration, but I'll be saving my pennies and keeping my King pressing of True Blue.

[Soul Stream]

Now that the MM sets have hit the stores in Austin, I've got a chance to look at copies. I'm not too impressed by the graphics or the gatefold spines, and the stock seems kinda cheap. Haven't heard any of the titles yet in this configuration, but I'll be saving my pennies and keeping my King pressing of True Blue.

What stores in Austin? Waterloo? I'd like to check them out as well...thanks!

[clifford_thornton]

End of an Ear has True Blue and Cape Verdean Blues at $49.99 a pop.

They're really the only record store I go to in town.

[RDK]

Great news for Sidewinder fans! From Steve Hoffman...

So I have been tearing out my hair trying to find the Rudy Van Gelder session masters for the famous and fabulous Lee Morgan album "The Sidewinder" so we could cut it for Analogue Productions/Acoustic Sounds 45 RPM Blue Note series and companion dual layer SACD.

84157 is the stereo number and I have been going through tapes right and left trying to find the original. Today, through a stroke of luck I checked out two reels in 1980's ugly 3M plastic boxes with Xerox copies of Liberty Studio retyped tape legend and crappy Ampex 406 packing tape at head and tail (in other words, looked like a 1980's dub). Just for a lark it was wound back and, wow!!! After the gunky 406 and the white leader the tape turned a nice milk chocolate Scotch 111 brown. In other words, the true master of THE SIDEWINDER, thought to be lost was lost no more.

There it was, mis-boxed, mislabeled and misfiled. Some goofball back in the 1980's pitched the original Van Gelder tape boxes and put the reels in these plastic turks. Why, I don't know. Then, they did NOT mark as masters. Yikes.

First thing I did was take my black sharpie and write on the reels and the boxes: ORIGINAL TAPE, NOT A COPY!

Then, we played it. Ahhhhhh, wonderful sound. A Rudy Van Gelder engineered winner.

So, please be on the lookout for this when it becomes available in 45 RPM and companion dual layer SACD from Analogue Productions/Acoustic Sounds! It only took 6 months to unearth the true stereo master tapes.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=158851

[sidewinder]

Wow - didn't even know that the master of this classic was thought to be lost !

[Jay]

As usual, though, that thread is ridiculous. Hoffman is the king, the Indiana Jones, etc.

Now, who is Michael Cuscuna again?

Edited August 29, 2008 by Jay

[Daniel A]

From that same thread:

Is that japanese King from the original master also?

No. No King is from a master. Tape copies.

Wait - didn't King have free rein to anything they wanted, even if for a while? I've been told that so many times it's a little odd to hear something to the contrary. Anyhow, they sound excellent. My own listening tests (and others) usually result in a dead heat with the original issues.

Free reign? You mean to release anything? Beats me.

The Master Tapes have been in California since Liberty. King got copies. King had great mastering. That's the difference. I've cut records from copies with wonderful result. Don't get so hung up on the copy tape aspect, it's the mastering that counts.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I wouldn't worry about a lot of the comments from some of those posters over on the Hoffman forums. A majority are worried mostly about the sound, not the music. A lot of them wouldn't know a good performance if it hit them on the head.

I am waiting to hear more about this "lost" "The Sidewinder" master tape from some people at Blue Note. The initial answer I got was that it was never lost, simply misfiled. I guess they knew it was around, but they didn't worry too much about it.

I am still waiting to hear what tape was used for the CD issues that are out there in circulation. Maybe it was this "lost" tape?

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

I wouldn't worry about a lot of the comments from some of those posters over on the Hoffman forums. A majority are worried mostly about the sound, not the music. A lot of them wouldn't know a good performance if it hit them on the head.I am waiting to hear more about this "lost" "The Sidewinder" master tape from some people at Blue Note. The initial answer I got was that it was never lost, simply misfiled. I guess they knew it was around, but they didn't worry too much about it.

I am still waiting to hear what tape was used for the CD issues that are out there in circulation. Maybe it was this "lost" tape?

I hope that Hoffman & Joe post a major heads-up!!warning about the squeaks in 'Candy' before it's released or those MM phone lines will be jammed with frantic callers complaining about weird defective squeaking sounds.

[J.A.W.]

I wouldn't worry about a lot of the comments from some of those posters over on the Hoffman forums. A majority are worried mostly about the sound, not the music. A lot of them wouldn't know a good performance if it hit them on the head.

Very true and annoying. I also find it annoying that some posters over there who picked up a few Hoffman-mastered jazz albums but never listened to jazz before, are talking as if they know all about it...

[Clunky]

The tone over there is enough to put me off these releases. All that drooling and arrogance.

However, I've heard Bluesnik, Speakin my piece, Soul Station, all sound really excellent. The one I'm really looking forward to is Our Thing but otherwise I'll be getting very few of these because of their high cost. I hope Chuck's wrong about sources being damaged.

[captainwrong]

I love Morgan, but I think* I could go the rest of my life without ever hearing Sidewinder again and be ok with that.

*not that I ever really want to find out, mind you

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I heard back from Ron McMaster on the "lost" "The Sidewinder" master tape. He was a bit confused. He hadn't heard that anyone was having any problems finding that master. In fact, it's currently on his workstation for some work he's doing (that I'll try to get clearance to post more on this in the vinyl forum). He said the box looks like it was swapped because the old one wore out but that his old mastering notes for his CD work were still in there.

He also believes that this is the master that Rudy used.

[clifford_thornton]

I wouldn't worry about a lot of the comments from some of those posters over on the Hoffman forums. A majority are worried mostly about the sound, not the music. A lot of them wouldn't know a good performance if it hit them on the head.

Speaking of which, really enjoying this Zoot Sims Live at the Half Note 1965...

[RDK]

I heard back from Ron McMaster on the "lost" "The Sidewinder" master tape. He was a bit confused. He hadn't heard that anyone was having any problems finding that master. In fact, it's currently on his workstation for some work he's doing (that I'll try to get clearance to post more on this in the vinyl forum). He said the box looks like it was swapped because the old one wore out but that his old mastering notes for his CD work were still in there.

He also believes that this is the master that Rudy used.

Interesting. Hoffman implies that he just found this tape yesterday (or the day prior to the thread over there at any rate), so I wonder if it's the same "master" they're talking about - or how long Ron's had it "on his workstation."

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I heard back from Ron McMaster on the "lost" "The Sidewinder" master tape. He was a bit confused. He hadn't heard that anyone was having any problems finding that master. In fact, it's currently on his workstation for some work he's doing (that I'll try to get clearance to post more on this in the vinyl forum). He said the box looks like it was swapped because the old one wore out but that his old mastering notes for his CD work were still in there.

He also believes that this is the master that Rudy used.

Interesting. Hoffman implies that he just found this tape yesterday (or the day prior to the thread over there at any rate), so I wonder if it's the same "master" they're talking about - or how long Ron's had it "on his workstation."

Yes, it is the same master. Ron just got it yesterday. He said that someone definitely replaced the box and reels, most likely because the old ones wore out, but it's the one Steve Hoffman is talking about. His CD mastering notes are in the box and he knows this tape well.

He also said that if there was a 6 month search for a Blue Note master, he would have been called into it right away because he has his hands on them all the time. I imagine his mastering workstation would be one of the first places they'd look if a master got misplaced.

BTW, he pulled the tape to prepare an upcoming LP release. I asked him for some details of this new LP release and I hope to hear back so I can let you guys know.

Kevin

EDIT: For the record, I am not saying that Steve Hoffman is lying, just that he appears to have not used the right people at Blue Note to find the master. The impression I got from Cuscuna and McMaster was that they knew exactly where this tape was. Ron said that he got the right tape with one request. They don't know if someone messed with Hoffman or why he got the run-around, but they assured me that the tape was never "lost" on their end.

Edited August 30, 2008 by Kevin Bresnahan

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I wouldn't worry about a lot of the comments from some of those posters over on the Hoffman forums. A majority are worried mostly about the sound, not the music. A lot of them wouldn't know a good performance if it hit them on the head.

Speaking of which, really enjoying this Zoot Sims Live at the Half Note 1965...

In SH.tv land: Zoot Sims "Live at the Half Note 1965" is an abomination that should never have seen the light of day. Many of the instruments are inaudible and there is excessive noise reduction used to try and clean it up. And what kind of name is Zoot anyways?

Kevin

[Shawn]

In SH.tv land: Zoot Sims "Live at the Half Note 1965" is an abomination that should never have seen the light of day. Many of the instruments are inaudible and there is excessive noise reduction used to try and clean it up. And what kind of name is Zoot anyways?

Kevin

To paraphrase Yosemite Sam: "Audiophiles is SO stupid!"

[RDK]

I heard back from Ron McMaster on the "lost" "The Sidewinder" master tape. He was a bit confused. He hadn't heard that anyone was having any problems finding that master. In fact, it's currently on his workstation for some work he's doing (that I'll try to get clearance to post more on this in the vinyl forum). He said the box looks like it was swapped because the old one wore out but that his old mastering notes for his CD work were still in there.

He also believes that this is the master that Rudy used.

Interesting. Hoffman implies that he just found this tape yesterday (or the day prior to the thread over there at any rate), so I wonder if it's the same "master" they're talking about - or how long Ron's had it "on his workstation."

Yes, it is the same master. Ron just got it yesterday. He said that someone definitely replaced the box and reels, most likely because the old ones wore out, but it's the one Steve Hoffman is talking about. His CD mastering notes are in the box and he knows this tape well.

He also said that if there was a 6 month search for a Blue Note master, he would have been called into it right away because he has his hands on them all the time. I imagine his mastering workstation would be one of the first places they'd look if a master got misplaced.

BTW, he pulled the tape to prepare an upcoming LP release. I asked him for some details of this new LP release and I hope to hear back so I can let you guys know.

Kevin

EDIT: For the record, I am not saying that Steve Hoffman is lying, just that he appears to have not used the right people at Blue Note to find the master. The impression I got from Cuscuna and McMaster was that they knew exactly where this tape was. Ron said that he got the right tape with one request. They don't know if someone messed with Hoffman or why he got the run-around, but they assured me that the tape was never "lost" on their end.

Good info, Kevin. Now I dare you to post this over at SHTV!