Sonny Rollins - Night at the Village Vanguard

[skeith]

I am listening to the domestic RVG double cd set and it seems a bit rolled off on the high end and while the sound is pretty round and fat, I think that another version I have heard - a japanese TOCJ which was not an RVG - sounded better.

any thoughts?

Edited December 28, 2005 by skeith

[J.A.W.]

I am listening to the domestic RVG double cd set and it seems a bit rolled off on the high end and while the sound is pretty round and fat, I think that another version I have heard - a japanese TOCJ which was not an RVG - sounded better.

any thoughts?

I compared the RVG and Japanese "Blue Note Works" TOCJs a long time ago; I hated the RVG and sold it, and loved (still love) the TOCJs.

[skeith]

I am listening to the domestic RVG double cd set and it seems a bit rolled off on the high end and while the sound is pretty round and fat, I think that another version I have heard - a japanese TOCJ which was not an RVG - sounded better.

any thoughts?

I compared the RVG and Japanese "Blue Note Works" TOCJs a long time ago; I hated the RVG and sold it, and loved (still love) the TOCJs.

yes, but do your volumes 2 and 3 of the "TOCJs" have reverb or some sort of slight echo?

Edited December 28, 2005 by skeith

[brownie]

Have never heard better sound from this recording than the original BN vinyl. One of the best from Rudy Van Gelder!

[Hardbopjazz]

I am listening to the domestic RVG double cd set and it seems a bit rolled off on the high end and while the sound is pretty round and fat, I think that another version I have heard - a japanese TOCJ which was not an RVG - sounded better.

any thoughts?

I compared the RVG and Japanese "Blue Note Works" TOCJs a long time ago; I hated the RVG and sold it, and loved (still love) the TOCJs.

yes, but do your volumes 2 and 3 of the "TOCJs" have reverb or some sort of slight echo?

I always wondered why the echo?

[skeith]

Have never heard better sound from this recording than the original BN vinyl. One of the best from Rudy Van Gelder!

Ok Brownie, I am totally jealous! You happy now?

[Big Al]

Maybe it’s a matter of sound systems. When I visited Lon/jazzbo a few years back, we listened to a bit of the RVG on his system, and it sounded wonderful. The same RVG on my system sounded like it was filtered through an aqualung.

[jazzbo]

I think there must be system differences at play ultimately in what we choose as the best sounding releases. I rarely spend the dollars for EMI Japan products now as I find that the US releases of Addey and RVG remasterings sound better to me on my system. I'm very happy with the RVG of this title; it is so much better than the US version that preceded it. I don't think I've heard Japanese versions and am not losing sleep over that.

[skeith]

I think there must be system differences at play ultimately in what we choose as the best sounding releases. I rarely spend the dollars for EMI Japan products now as I find that the US releases of Addey and RVG remasterings sound better to me on my system. I'm very happy with the RVG of this title; it is so much better than the US version that preceded it. I don't think I've heard Japanese versions and am not losing sleep over that.

Generally Lon, I am in agreement that the US RVGs sound better, but this Rollins Night at the Village Vanguard is the exception, at least on my system and generally I have similar impressions of the US Blue Notes to yours. By the way, the other big exception for me is Blakey's The Big Beat, that US RVG sounded terrible on my system.

[jazzbo]

I still don't have the Big Beat.

I don't think the Village Vanguard RVG is the cat's meow... I don't think this is one of the great sounding source recordings. I just think myself that it is not worth buying three Japanese cds for a possible, and I do mean possible, sonic benefit. . . . Me, I'm happy enough with the RVG.

[CJ Shearn]

ultimately its the music that matters

[Kalo]

ultimately its the music that matters

[BruceH]

I'm very happy with the RVG of this title; it is so much better than the US version that preceded it. I don't think I've heard Japanese versions and am not losing sleep over that.

Same here.

[skeith]

On further listening, it the RVG is definitely darker than the japanese non-RVG and sounds somewhat more distorted, but also sounds more upfront and the soudstage is bigger. Could be that the RVG is exposing more of the defects of the source tape.

I may decide I like the RVG, but still working that out.

[paul secor]

I have three volumes of this material on Japanese vinyl - Vol. 1 on King and Vols. 2&3 on Toshiba/EMI. I haven't done a comparison of the two labels, but the sonics on both always seemed less than average to me. The music, on the other hand, is a whole other story. And I always listen to music first - if that's not there, sound quality is irrelevant.

[jazzhound]

Have never heard better sound from this recording than the original BN vinyl. One of the best from Rudy Van Gelder!

Ok Brownie, I am totally jealous! You happy now?

I guess Brownie's original doesn't have the out of phase cymbals which is a result of RVg screwing up. The original vinyl does kill the cd versions I have heard however so you can still be jealous.