万歳 (Banzai)

[porcy62]

Ok, I raise the flag of truce.

When lots of titles in my wish list go for 1K and more on ebay I have a choices: become a kamikaze and head myself and my bank account against the original pressings carriers or look at east...and go for japanese pressings. (Actually someone may think there is another option: cd, but you know wich is the teaching of my spiritual master)

Lately I bought some of them, mostly King pressings, (from Tanno San and ebay) but I don't know nothing about them, a part that most members here warmly reccomended them.

So far I am pretty satisfied with King. I noted there are lots of different reissues: Japan Victor, Toshiba, etc. I presume there are also original japanese first pressings, but my japanese is poor and I couldn't really untangle myself in this jungle, no way to know the mastering (analog or digital), etc.

Any info, opinion, link, suggestion, reference are welcome.

Edited March 26, 2010 by porcy62

[sidewinder]

I have to admit, I am listening to quite a lot of Blue Note on Toshiba CDs of late..

I hear what you say re: $1k pressings for 47W63rds in VG+ etc. Way too much.

Maybe you don't need to go the 'Turning Japanese' route for Blue Notes as Music Matters have hinted on the Hoffman Forums that the whole Blue Note catalogue is their aim, at least as far as the classic period is concerned.

Edited March 26, 2010 by sidewinder

[porcy62]

You know that I live outside the civilized world. Over here record shops are depressing like the political situation. So the web is my only source, when the Milestone twoofers on internet go for more then 20 bucks, plus shipping cost, Japan is a reasonable safe harbour. Blue Note a part, there are dozens of early Prestige, Riverside, Transition, Savoy, Contemporary, Mercury that are beyond reason. If an original New Jazz pressing, not even a deep groove, goes for 300 bucks in VG+ condition, well I grab a japanese reissue for 20 bucks, let's say 30, in immaculate condition. I go for later pressing when available, but not all the stuff has been reissued in a decent manner. I am fine with buying a NY or a Liberty pressing of a 47W63rds, but I don't stumble on them often. In my short experience japanese pressings on ebay are true NM, I couldn't say the same for a later Prestige blue label for instance. I am not really picky about pressings per se, I am about grading, sound quality and price. The game was fun when you bet 10 bucks on later pressings, now that the blind bet is 100 bucks... Banzai!

Edited March 26, 2010 by porcy62

[Chas]

You know that I live outside the civilized world.

Guess that explains why an increasing number of Ebay sellers would sooner ship to Congo than Italy...

[Dave James]

You might find something of interest here. Enter "vinyl" in the search box and Blue Note in the "GO" box.

http://www.elusivedisc.com/searchprods.asp

Edited March 27, 2010 by Dave James

[Dan Gould]

I know I am not offering anything great but if you love vinyl there is still a lot of great music available in my sale. And its not like you're risking much on the price (though the shipping won't be cheap, its no different than what you'd pay other international sellers).

[thelbc]

How many Japanese BN pressings do you own, Porky?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

You know that I live outside the civilized world.

Guess that explains why an increasing number of Ebay sellers would sooner ship to Congo than Italy...

That remark puzzled me until I saw this, in Chewy's latest odd find thread

http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Three-Sounds-Manhattan-Melodies-Blue-Note-RARE-LP_W0QQitemZ260513861759QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item3ca7d6107f

I mean, really!!!

MG

[porcy62]

You know that I live outside the civilized world.

Guess that explains why an increasing number of Ebay sellers would sooner ship to Congo than Italy...

Maybe not, I never visited Congo's record shops, but the jazz bins in Rome's record shops are usually a collection of one hundred super bargain reissues of super bargain hits of Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman, usually beated up, almost dead already I would say, and they cost 10 euros. This happens because over here the used record market is negligibile, the tax and the rent for commercial space are high so the shop's owners put on ebay anything different then a Louis' dead record. Included that famous Horos, I got a few of them, bought in a now dead shop, never payed them less then 50 euros.

How many Japanese BN pressings do you own, Porky?

Guess I got 40 more or less.

I know I am not offering anything great but if you love vinyl there is still a lot of great music available in my sale. And its not like you're risking much on the price (though the shipping won't be cheap, its no different than what you'd pay other international sellers).

I got your records under my radar Dan, I'll do a serious search and an order this week end.

[sidewinder]

And there was me thinking that Rome was full of well stocked and cheap jazz LP places.

The cost and availability of used LPs on the Continent has definitely taken a turn for the worse. Time was when you could fill your boots whenever you crossed 'La Manche' (and the £ being worth more than the Zimbabwean Peso at that time also helped).

It's a problem that has also got much worse over here. Collector LPs in the shops have ridiculous prices, refuse to go there - and often they are in bad shape. The bargains to be had, such as they are, are with the CDs.

By the way - a for Dan's sale. I was pleased with the Lps I got from him during his big clearout last year.

Edited March 27, 2010 by sidewinder

[porcy62]

You might find something of interest here. Enter "vinyl" in the search box and Blue Note in the "GO" box.

http://www.elusivedisc.com/searchprods.asp

I subscribed the Music Matters 45 reissue series, and they are the best sounding reissues I found, with a gorgeous 'packaging', and they managed to print some more 'adventurous' stuff then the usual suspects, (True Blue, Blue Train, the early Morgan, Mobley and Clark that you have as 45 two disc, as 200 grams mono, 200 grams stereo and so on).

Let's take the Analogue Production stuff, they reissued a very limited edition of one hundred Prestiges titles at 45rpm, 50 bucks, that are now OOP and go on ebay for 100 bucks, plus the usual suspect at 33rpm, Evans, Monk, Davis.

The stuff I look for are less known records like Elmo Hope, some Garland, Draper, etc, I understand they are less interesting commercially speaking then the 100th reissue of Bill Evans.

If you look for these 'obscure' records you got only the japanese pressings or 1K originals.

[thelbc]

I'm sorry Porcy,

You start a Japanese vinyl thread, you own 40 and have no opinion of your own...what are you doing? What's the point.

I know you have a nice system and a ton of Mosaic vinyl(my kid thanks you,tuition, you know)...I have no idea what you are talking about...

[porcy62]

I'm sorry Porcy,

You start a Japanese vinyl thread, you own 40 and have no opinion of your own...what are you doing? What's the point.

I know you have a nice system and a ton of Mosaic vinyl(my kid thanks you,tuition, you know)...I have no idea what you are talking about...

I am glad for your kid, I'll rest easy.

Edited March 28, 2010 by porcy62