KING

[Alfred]

"Konitz meets Mulligan" is currently spinning it's rounds on my turntable. It's the GXF King release from 1979.

WOW! I have no comparison but can't imagine the original plays better than this copy. The dynamic is fantastic, the bass blows me out of my pants ( I'm home alone for good reason!).

[Stefan Wood]

Whoops, I thought you were talking about King Records, the Ohio based label that had James Brown.

[sidewinder]

The King pressings from Japan are great and well worth getting hold of. For BN sessions I find that they are only surpassed by originals in good condition, which tend to have more depth, especially if from the earlier (47W63, NY USA and earlier Liberty) vintage. For the Pcific Jazz sessions, they compare pretty damn well with the originals.

Kings are usually a very sound purchase. Great dynamic as you say. I have some nice PJ sessions on King from that 'West Coast Classic' series (the Sheldon, Shank/Cooper 'Blowin Country' and the Bill Perkins) and will have to dig them out today. All are magnificent.

Edited December 5, 2004 by sidewinder

[ajf67]

I'll second the thoughts on the King pressings. Very well done!

[Daniel A]

For the Pacific Jazz sessions, they compare pretty damn well with the originals.

I'm bringing this up because I'm choosing between a sealed mono Pacific Jazz pressing and a mint stereo King pressing of the same album. Which one should I go for?

[Clunky]

I can vouch for Beauties of 1918 by Charlie Mariano- I have this on a King and it sounds just fine.

[sidewinder]

I can vouch for Beauties of 1918 by Charlie Mariano- I have this on a King and it sounds just fine.

Yes, I have that title in that pressing too. Good excuse to dig it out !

King pressings remain excellent value, considering the alternatives out there.

[sidewinder]

For the Pacific Jazz sessions, they compare pretty damn well with the originals.

I'm bringing this up because I'm choosing between a sealed mono Pacific Jazz pressing and a mint stereo King pressing of the same album. Which one should I go for?

If its an early Pacific Jazz issue (say with black label and deep groove) and in excellent condition then I'd be tempted. The sound on some of thise can be very good - just playing several of them yesterday (Feldman, Dick Grove etc.) and I was suprised how full and well balanced the sound was. The later 'Liberty period' LPs from the late 60s on are not quite so good, in my experience.

Edited August 30, 2008 by sidewinder

[JohnS]

I can vouch for Beauties of 1918 by Charlie Mariano- I have this on a King and it sounds just fine.

Yes, I have that title in that pressing too. Good excuse to dig it out !

King pressings remain excellent value, considering the alternatives out there.

Me too. Definitely due for a spin.

I'm a big King fan, lovely sound on first rate pressings.

[Daniel A]

For the Pacific Jazz sessions, they compare pretty damn well with the originals.

I'm bringing this up because I'm choosing between a sealed mono Pacific Jazz pressing and a mint stereo King pressing of the same album. Which one should I go for?

If its an early Pacific Jazz issue (say with black label and deep groove) and in excellent condition then I'd be tempted. The sound on some of thise can be very good - just playing several of them yesterday (Feldman, Dick Grove etc.) and I was suprised how full and well balanced the sound was. The later 'Liberty period' LPs from the late 60s on are not quite so good, in my experience.

Correction: It was in fact not on Pacific Jazz, but a World Pacific pressing (from -64).

[ajf67]

For the Pacific Jazz sessions, they compare pretty damn well with the originals.

I'm bringing this up because I'm choosing between a sealed mono Pacific Jazz pressing and a mint stereo King pressing of the same album. Which one should I go for?

My guess is you probably wouldn't be much difference. Since the King pressings are very consistent (and probably cheaper), I'd go with that. I dont think you will lose either way.

[ajf67]

Whoops. I forgot that you also mentioned the mono/stereo issue. My personal prefernce is for mono, so 'd go for that.

[Daniel A]

Did go for the King. Will get back with my impressions.

[Daniel A]

Predictably, the sound is very fine and the surface noise is at an absolute minimum.

Only quibble: there is a faint noise at around 9 kHz (I checked it with frequency analysis software). It's not audible during the actual music, but can be heard at the end of the fade outs. Probably a tape machine problem. I don't know if this is on the original album (I've got a CDR of that somewhere). Not by any means a problem, but I thought I should mention it.

[clifford_thornton]

Only quibble: there is a faint noise at around 9 kHz (I checked it with frequency analysis software). It's not audible during the actual music, but can be heard at the end of the fade outs. Probably a tape machine problem. I don't know if this is on the original album (I've got a CDR of that somewhere). Not by any means a problem, but I thought I should mention it.

Sorry, Daniel, but I find this extremely funny (and that said as a fellow record condition obsessive).

[sidewinder]

Only quibble: there is a faint noise at around 9 kHz

I'll get my Hewlett-Packard spectrum analyser out and check my copy tomorrow.

[Daniel A]

I know, this is but one step away...

[Christiern]

Faint noise? Hmmmmmm

Have you tried passing smelling salt through the center hole?

[blajay]

Spinning this now... Amazing.