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Classic Blue Notes on SHM-CD


David Ayers

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I skipped the RVG of JuJu and have only the McMaster to compare to the new SHM-CD. The latter wins hands down principally due to being much less harsh. On the McMaster the cymbals are way up which contributes to a grating effect. The SHM is much smoother, has better soundstage ( separation of the instruments) and more audible bass. So no disappointment here with this SHM.

The best SHM I've heard is Patton's "That certain feeling", but it is the only version I've heard

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Received the SHM discs of Shorter's Speak No Evil and The All Seeing Eye. What erwbol said above, the differences in the RVG and SHM of Speak No Evil is slight, in that there is a slightly different depth and distinction of instruments, but not that significant to warrant spending $20. The All Seeing Eye, however, is significantly better than the Connoisseur cd. Destroys it. About as good as the Patton disc in terms of remastering. Sharp without being harsh or bright, punch to the drums, excellent depth. So, like David Ayers, I am wondering what the master digital sources are for these. Will albums that have been issued as Connoisseurs or appeared only on Mosaic sets have greater sound improvement on SHM cds than those that have appeared as RVG remasters?

The only other discs I have ordered in this series are the Dolphy Out to Lunch and the Larry Young discs. I might be tempted by the Patton Understanding discs and a couple of the Elvin Jones, but I'm not looking for an overhaul of my library for these SHM discs.

Also, take my words with a grain of salt -- the differences in our listening systems and ears will vary. My stereo system has been mentioned earlier in this thread, so you know where I'm coming from.

Edited by Stefan Wood
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no kidding! the amp was sounding so sweet, too.

after 'the all seeing eye' and 'on broadway', i was deeply into dizzy reece's 'asia minor' when a racket came bellowing from the speakers. i think it surely a loose ground somewhere. it took a good 90 minutes to start, so it's going to take the tech a while to replicate the problem...

Edited by etherbored
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I know, it's very hard to step down. In my case I have two of the same model amps (mostly), the Decware Torii Mk III. One is one of the first made, and I've had it for some years now, the other is one I bought last year that has one more control that the previous one doesn't. Ironically I haven't really had any problems with either, but I have a spare (in use in my second system, but that hardly sees use). I'm glad you are getting another Marantz!

Edited by jazzbo
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JIm, I'd be very interested to hear what you think of the sound of the cd. It sounds so much better, to me, than the earlier cd on One Way. Against the record. . . . ?

I don't have one on One Way, just one on Blue Note proper (very recently obtained, to be given as a gift someday to some young player I've yet to meet who seems/plays/sounds like they're on their way to there...or to the my kids when I die, whichever comes first, and not so fast now, which will come first - I'm still healthy and young players kind bug me more often than not lately!). Are you thinking of Moto Grosso Feio, or did One Way do Odyssey as well?

Jim, replace the clear plastic tray with a black one. Problem solved! :)

Yeah, that'll work, you know it! :g

vs LP, I don't know. That record always had a..."messy" sound to it to me (and Moto was just plain messy, period). Not particularly carefully recorded or mixed, maybe.Duke PEarson jsut set 'em up and let 'em roll...there's no engineer credit anywhere, ever, is there, so who know? Greater clarity will be weird for me on this one, but weird is often enjoyable!

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Darn, you're right Jim, I was thinking of Motto. It's been a long day and full of my Mom's drama about very undramatic things that I have had to keep explaining over and over.

The new (non SHM-CD) Blue Note cd of Motto sounds so much better than the One Way cd. This new Iska sounds better than the early McMaster to me, much beteter.

Edited by jazzbo
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Jim, replace the clear plastic tray with a black one. Problem solved! :)

or make it look like this (although Isra's brownie colours cannot fit with these red obis etc - same for Ornette Coleman's New York is Now!):

samriversbn75th_zpse01c2680.jpg

Edited by Alexandros
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Ok, six times through Iska today, twice each on LP, McMaster, & SHM.

First of all, the likely engineer is Tony May, since he did both Super Nova & Moto..., both at A&R. And best cover reproduction in terms of capturing colors goes to SHM, hands down. Take a bow.

Otherwise...

LP = still my favorite way to hear this material. The mix and placement of instruments is perfect, imo, although there's some dirtiness in various places that can never be fixed, it's hardwired in there (Tony May had this a lot, as did Elvin Campbell's early Milestone work. It's a "period" kind of thing, I think, and should be treated as such both when listening and when tinkering). But rather than try to clean them up, they get incorporated into the final sound of the record, the LP, Most importantly, Wayne always sounds like he's in the band, on top of it sometimes, but always in it, never away from it. That continuity of sound throughout the instruments is important to me, because this is very much a group music. But, my LP has aches and pains and more than a few signs of having been well-played. We share that these days, my LP & me.

McMaster = Keeps the original mix/soundstage/whatever, but just sounds dull (in keeping with the reproduction of the over, perhaps). If it didn't sound so dull, hey, win-win, no vinyl "artifacts" and same sound. But it does sound so dull. So it kinda low-level pisses me off.

SHM = No dullness here! Definitely much louder and much brighter (the tape hiss amp hum at the very beginning is crystal clear, and the entry of the second bass at the beginning of the first track startlingly so, I swear it's not this bluntly audible on either the LP or the McMaster). But on my piss-ant system, it sounds like they've subtly altered the balance and presence of the individual instruments, and I don't know if I'm happy about that. Wayne no longer sounds in or even on top of the band, he sounds away from it. I think they tried to improve the dirt of the original mix by cleaning it out, and...maybe not such a good idea? There's more than a few moments where I'm used to hearing Wayne just...appear in the sound like a mist becoming an apparition and then a real body (sometimes over the course of just one or two notes) and those moments aren't here any more. But otoh, yes, there is more clarity of everybody's part, so maybe it's my fault for not piecing it together in this new way. Or maybe they're making records now that people with bad record players & old hi-fis shouldn't buy. Could be! Pissed me off? No. But I wish my LP was in better shape, I'll put it that way.

The only "perfect" solution for me would be to either find a mint copy of the LP and guard it like my baby loved one, or else for some outfit to go back and get the original stampers and press another run (this one was not widely pressed, I don't think, it was hard as hell for me to find it back in the day, and the first time I did - at the proverbial "neighborhood" mom-and-pop - was the time I bought it, as well as the last time I've seen it in a normal retail setting, ever), get those probably still near-virgin stampers and press up another run on this hyper-virgin pop-proof vinyl that all the kids are talking about these days and then sell it for the maximum price extractable by law, I'd be good for one of those. Don't remix or remaster (and are there mastering credits on these? I don't see any here unless it's in Japanese, and then, how would I know?), just repress. Unless that's scientifically impossible, it oughta work with a low-run item like this was, those stampers should still be fresh enough to get it done again.

Anyway, no matter what the version, wonderful music, and all three of these formats deliver that, so hey, it's a good day.

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Thanks for the inpressions and comparisons Jim!

I have to say, on my system Wayne sounds sort of as he seems to on your lp. . . . I love this new SHM-CD. But I've never heard an lp, never even seen an lp copy. Would go for a well-pressed new one (though it's not the sort of date they tend to license and press).

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