New Blue Note SACDs

[Claude]

Claude,

If I may ask, what other stores do you recommend? I see CD Pacific seems to have some of these in stock, but I was wondering if there were other places where I could order these without the ridiculous shipping fees of AcousticSounds.

Just an update.

CD Pacific doesn't seem to get the AP SACDs anymore.

I've bought a couple of titles from various Amazon UK marketplace sellers, for around 20£ including shipping, and from CD Universe, for $20 (on sale) plus shipping.

I recommend using this list to follow the shopping list, as it is a safe way to get the right discs (and not a different reissue) from Marketplace sellers.

http://www.sa-cd.net/alltitles/51

[vibes]

I've spent the last few years primarily not listening to jazz, but was intrigued by the notice about the AP Blue Note SACDs I received from Acoustic Sounds, so I bought these:

Grant Green - Green Street

Grant Green - Idle Moments

Art Blakey - Moanin'

Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue

I also bought the AP SACD of John Coltrane's "Coltrane". I've found all of these releases to be uniformly excellent, and exactly the kind of SACD releases I've been waiting for ever since I bought my first player some 7-8 years ago. They're very clear and very natural sounding, and have been a nice way for me to reconnect with jazz. I'll have to pick up more sometime.

I will say that I'd be a lot more interested in what AP's doing if they chose some Blue Note releases that were more "out", like Jackie McLean's mid-60's work, Grachan Moncur, etc. There doesn't appear to be any of that on the horizon, which is disappointing.

[Peter Friedman]

I received these 4 Analogue productions SACD's in the mail a couple of days ago.

Dexter Gordon - Go

Jackie Mclean - Jackie's Bag

Joe Henderson - Page One

Hank Mobley - A caddy For Daddy

Listened yesterday to Page One and the audio quality was outstanding!

Plan to get some more.

[ajf67]

I have several of the Acoustic Sounds SACDS, and I think they sound fantastic. I'd been bothered by all of the different formats that have developed since the CD, but I am a believer in SACD. My main objection before was replacing things that I already owned, so mostly I have stuck with my vinyl. I still love my LPs, but over time I can see getting more of these and possibly doing what I previously thought was unthinkable: selling the LPs Unlike the previous CDs (and especially the RVGs), I think the sound quality is first-rate and don't think future upgrading will be necessary for me, which is what I found so objectionable. (I still am concerned about all the use these masters are getting, but that's another topic...)

Plus, as mentioned above, the good thing about the Acoustic Sounds Hybrid discs is that they also play on regular CD players and they sound great there too.

[ShowsOn]

I don't think it is the format that counts, it is the quality of the mastering. Sadly for Blue Note albums, the most easily available CD versions - the RVG editions - are also among the worst sounding due to the use of compression and treble boosting.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

I noticed that they had some jazz cds (KoB, etc) in the control booth of the Cyberknife room over at Georgetown University Hospital the other night. Told the technicians I'd send along a few Blue Note discs. I doubt the folks receiving brain radiation will care much about treble boosting and compression.....but one never knows?

[ShowsOn]

Sadly it looks like the next batch of Analogue Productions SACDs, including Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage and Lee Morgan's - The Sidewinder, has been delayed until October; exactly when, who knows.

[Dmitry]

If you've got a nice vinyl rig -- even better...since the 45s, also done by Hoffman, are supposed to clobber the SACDs. Maybe not clobber. And that may be subjective (ye olde analogue/digital debate). But, deep down...I suspect it's probably true.

The 45 rpm vinyl and the corresponding SACDs should sound the same, since the tape transfers are done simultaneously, from the same feed. Whether its indeed the case in reality, I don't know, but theoretically, they should sound analogous[!].

What one may hear on the vinyl vs. corresponding sacds that might make them sound different, are the characteristics and colorations of a particular turntable, tonearm, cartridge and the phono stage.

[Victor Christensen]

Will it ever stop with those reissues ?, I can't afford to replace them all every the time, so I will pass.

Vic

[jazzbo]

My copy of the SACD of Idle Moments arrived. I'm slightly disappointed, I thought it might sound just a bit better than it does (which is excellent, it does sound excellent). Kevin is absolutely correct about the output level, it's very quiet. Doesn't bother me because I don't make compilations nor do I use changers. In comparison basically sonics wise so far I'd say I prefer the sound of the two Audio Wave XRCDs I have to this one by just a hair.

This does make the system sing though, a really nice showpiece.

[ShowsOn]

I got the Analogue Productions SACD of Maiden Voyage last week, it sounds very good. Here is a file that has the start of the title track from the McMaster CD and the RVG CD, and then the CD layer of the Analogue Productions SACD:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/RlRvWGJPZDV6NEx2Wmc9PQ

Here is a comparison of the second drum solo from Survival of the Fittest. First the RVG CD, then the AP SACD CD layer:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/RlRvZUNtRStIcWZ2Wmc9PQ

[ShowsOn]

Here's another comparison with three different versions of Dolphins Dance:

http://rapidshare.com/files/443885469/dolphindancecomparison.mp3

McMaster CD, RVG CD, Analogue Productions SACD (well, the CD layer).

[Leeway]

Will it ever stop with those reissues ?, I can't afford to replace them all every the time, so I will pass.

Vic

I totally agree. It must certainly be one of the outer rings of Hell in which otherwise nice folks buy endless reissues of the same Blue Note titles they already have. I know this is very much a minority opinion, and certainly folks can spend their money however they want, but ----how about venturing into some new musical paths?

[Dmitry]

Will it ever stop with those reissues ?, I can't afford to replace them all every the time, so I will pass.

Vic

I totally agree. It must certainly be one of the outer rings of Hell in which otherwise nice folks buy endless reissues of the same Blue Note titles they already have. I know this is very much a minority opinion, and certainly folks can spend their money however they want, but ----how about venturing into some new musical paths?

For me, Blue Note Records is the best thing that happened to jazz. Any significant improvement in quality of the sound of my favorite sessions is a godsend. These sacds are easily the best way for the majority of us to hear how the music was originally produced and recorded. I'll buy them all eventually. What can I say, I am a Blue Note fan..

[EyeSpeech]

I've been enjoying many of the AP Blue Note and Impulse SACDs, most recently Maiden Voyage (wow, the sound of Herbie's right hand making the piano resonate) and No Room for Squares. Just before that--Out of the Afternoon. Next I'll pick up Love Supreme and Duke and Coltrane. If it wasn't for Chad Kassem at Acoustic Sounds, the SACD format would be nowhere. I agree with Dmitry--these are the best way to hear the sessions as Lion produced them.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Well, I suppose I can post this here... other forums might not appreciate it.

I have been told that the master tape for "Maiden Voyage" is in very rough shape. For a recent US LP reissue, Blue Note pulled the Japanese master from Japan to see if it sounded any better. If AP used the US master, I would think it might not be the audiophile masterpiece that some expect from these expensive SACDs.

[EyeSpeech]

I was very impressed with Maiden Voyage. Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman have encountered one or two master tapes in very rough shape before and managed to extract amazing sounds. The SACD is not unlike the Page One or Whistle Stop SACDs from the previous AP series in terms of the realism, openness, precision and detail. If you've heard those you can get a sense for what to expect with Maiden Voyage. Gray and Hoffman understand the importance of using the original source material so I would be very surprised if they used a Japanese master further down the chain for this project--though I suppose we can head over to Hoffman's forum and enquire.

Edited February 24, 2011 by EyeSpeech

[Dmitry]

These sacds are anything but expensive. $18-$20 a disc is a steal.

[J.A.W.]

These sacds are anything but expensive. $18-$20 a disc is a steal.

If you can find them at those prices. The "elite" stores like Analogue Productions owner Chad Kassem's Acoustic Sounds and also Elusive Disc and Music Direct are selling them at full price, $29.99 apiece.

[EyeSpeech]

These sacds are anything but expensive. $18-$20 a disc is a steal.

Agreed--would be interested in finding them at that price. I've never seen them below $22-$23 on Amazon. Where are you finding them below $20?

[Dmitry]

importcds.com sells them for $18 + $2.50 s/h

[EyeSpeech]

Thanks for the tip!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

though I suppose we can head over to Hoffman's forum and enquire.

Ha ha! No. You can't inquire over there. You ask a question like that and you'll just get gorted. If something even hints that Steve might have, maybe just a little, used a not-so-great master, that post gets deleted quicker than you can blink.

[EyeSpeech]

though I suppose we can head over to Hoffman's forum and inquire.

Ha ha! No. You can't inquire over there. You ask a question like that and you'll just get gorted. If something even hints that Steve might have, maybe just a little, used a not-so-great master, that post gets deleted quicker than you can blink.

Yep. Thanks for reminding me why I stopped participating there.

Maiden Voyage does sound incredible on SACD, though. Would be great if AP comes out with subsequent series of these.

[JSngry]

Dude, what's up with the eye thing? Are you from CBS or something?