Classic Blue Notes on SHM-CD

[erwbol]

I'm happily enjoying the sound of this series and am glad to have left the somewhat compulsive comparing of McMaster & Connoisseur to SHM behind me. So, I won't be making any mini reviews here.

That said, I would like to revise my opinion on the sound of the Speak No Evil SHM now that I'm on speakers. Earlier I had some misgivings about the emotional impact of Infant Eyes when compared to the BN Works and McMaster while listening on headphones (post #431). So, it seems there is now not a title in this series I'm not happy with. Only the Yoshida XRCD24s are better. And the handful of Hoffman BN APO SACDs I own will likely be sold off on eBay once a corresponding SHM is released. So, that's a second opinion revised there.

Edited February 12, 2015 by erwbol

[jazzbo]

Interesting, glad you have speakers to listen to now. I like the AP SACDs as SACDs. . . don't know if I've ever listened to them as Redbook cds. A well-done SACD on my best player trumps the best Redbooks on my best player for those, there's no escaping the benefit of the high resolution.

I'm very happy with these SHM-CDs and keep hoping against hope they'll bring out a series with all the music from the first decade of the label. Still hoping, hope can be cheap to store.

[ArtSalt]

I'm very happy with these SHM-CDs and keep hoping against hope they'll bring out a series with all the music from the first decade of the label. Still hoping, hope can be cheap to store.

That would be great, but little chance of that against the tide of hard bop!

[RiRiIII]

Any idea why Lou Donaldson 's "Cosmos" reissued also in these SHM-CD series, gets only one star (out of five) at allmusic.com? Is it so bad - or even very good?

Thanks.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/TYCJ-81073

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos_%28Lou_Donaldson_album%29

Edited February 13, 2015 by Alexandros

[Late]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax6cx928elU

[JSngry]

Same album, same band, less "production":

and then with a little bit more:

Frankly, I can hear the difference in any of it, but I'm not sure that I feel it...

Biggest WTF? George Butler WTF? is you got Lean Spencer on the record, why the hell you using a bass player?

[JSngry]

Ok, it'd been done before, but George Butler weren't no Francis Wolff. Wolff had a touch with this stuff, Butler was just touching it in an inappropriate manner.

[jeffcrom]

Any idea why Lou Donaldson 's "Cosmos" reissued also in these SHM-CD series, gets only one star (out of five) at allmusic.com? Is it so bad - or even very good?

Thanks.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/TYCJ-81073

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos_%28Lou_Donaldson_album%29

Cosmos is not a great album, but I kinda like it. To me, it's the last LD Blue Note album that sounds like a Lou Donaldson album, if that makes sense. It would be stronger without the vocal trio that's on most tracks, but I still like it. Don't expect desert island quality, though.

Biggest WTF? George Butler WTF? is you got Lean Spencer on the record, why the hell you using a bass player?

Because Jerry Jemmott.

[JSngry]

In theory, yes.

[RiRiIII]

Thanks for your input. I went ahead and placed my order with BN titles I am not at all or very little familiar with, acc. to your input under this particular thread:

TOCJ-50501 Wayne Shorter / Moto Grosso Feio [Limited Pressing] CDA 951yen Released: November 21, 2012
TYCJ-81068 Elvin Jones / Poly-currents [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: January 22, 2014
TYCJ-81073 Lou Donaldson / Cosmos [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: January 22, 2014
TYCJ-81082 Jackie McLean / Bout Soul +1 [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: February 26, 2014
TYCJ-81084 Eddie Gale / Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: February 26, 2014
TYCJ-81092 Reuben Wilson (Org) / Blue Mode [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: February 26, 2014
UCCQ-5055 Ronnie Foster / Two Headed Freap [sHM-CD] [Limited Release] CDA 1500yen Released: October 22, 2014

Alex

[soulpope]

Any idea why Lou Donaldson 's "Cosmos" reissued also in these SHM-CD series, gets only one star (out of five) at allmusic.com? Is it so bad - or even very good?

Thanks.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/TYCJ-81073

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos_%28Lou_Donaldson_album%29

Cosmos is not a great album, but I kinda like it. To me, it's the last LD Blue Note album that sounds like a Lou Donaldson album, if that makes sense. It would be stronger without the vocal trio that's on most tracks, but I still like it. Don't expect desert island quality, though.

Biggest WTF? George Butler WTF? is you got Lean Spencer on the record, why the hell you using a bass player?

Because Jerry Jemmott.

actually for me the participation of Jerry Jemmott was the main reason to think/research about this album....

[jazzbo]

Thanks for your input. I went ahead and placed my order with BN titles I am not at all or very little familiar with, acc. to your input under this particular thread:

TOCJ-50501 Wayne Shorter / Moto Grosso Feio [Limited Pressing] CDA 951yen Released: November 21, 2012

TYCJ-81068 Elvin Jones / Poly-currents [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: January 22, 2014

TYCJ-81073 Lou Donaldson / Cosmos [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: January 22, 2014

TYCJ-81082 Jackie McLean / Bout Soul +1 [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: February 26, 2014

TYCJ-81084 Eddie Gale / Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: February 26, 2014

TYCJ-81092 Reuben Wilson (Org) / Blue Mode [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: February 26, 2014

UCCQ-5055 Ronnie Foster / Two Headed Freap [sHM-CD] [Limited Release] CDA 1500yen Released: October 22, 2014

Alex

The Eddie Gale is great, I think you'll really dig that one.

[Eric]

Thanks for your input. I went ahead and placed my order with BN titles I am not at all or very little familiar with, acc. to your input under this particular thread:

TOCJ-50501 Wayne Shorter / Moto Grosso Feio [Limited Pressing] CDA 951yen Released: November 21, 2012

TYCJ-81068 Elvin Jones / Poly-currents [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: January 22, 2014

TYCJ-81073 Lou Donaldson / Cosmos [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: January 22, 2014

TYCJ-81082 Jackie McLean / Bout Soul +1 [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: February 26, 2014

TYCJ-81084 Eddie Gale / Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: February 26, 2014

TYCJ-81092 Reuben Wilson (Org) / Blue Mode [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: February 26, 2014

UCCQ-5055 Ronnie Foster / Two Headed Freap [sHM-CD] [Limited Release] CDA 1500yen Released: October 22, 2014

Alex

The Eddie Gale is great, I think you'll really dig that one.

Yes, that is a very good one. I am also fond of the Elvin Jones, the Reben Wilson and the Jackie McLean. Have never been able to get into the Shorter. Maybe it was seeing beat-up vinyl copies with that horrific cover in cut-out bins for 20 years

[jazzbo]

I like the Shorter, and THAT is the cd version to get, sounds so good.

[Late]

TYCJ-81068 Elvin Jones / Poly-currents [sHM-CD] CDA 1500yen Released: January 22, 2014

Best-sounding version I've heard. Joe Farrell on English horn! Pepper Adams sounds uncomfortable to me on this record, and I actually think that makes his solos better; he can't fall back on "The Knife" (Mel Lewis's nickname for Adams?) licks.

I've just ordered Monk Vol 1 -

Of all these new SHM-CDs, the Monks are two discs I can recommend without reservation. Let the board know what you think after you've heard it.

[danasgoodstuff]

Ok, it'd been done before, but George Butler weren't no Francis Wolff. Wolff had a touch with this stuff, Butler was just touching it in an inappropriate manner.

So good 'n greasy...my impression is that there's not much grease left by Cosmos, no?

When You're Smiling, I'm Smiling but Hell Below... makes me fell like I,m already there!

Make it With You is better than it has any right to be, but still... There's quite a bit of unissued LD from the 70s IIRC but it's unlikely we'll ever hear it, unless they do a LD box set? or add it to a reissue of something...

[Clunky]

s.

I've just ordered Monk Vol 1 -

Of all these new SHM-CDs, the Monks are two discs I can recommend without reservation. Let the board know what you think after you've heard it.

Monk Vol 1 arrived today.

Tracks reflect the original 12inch 1500 series issues and not the chronological sequence that the McMaster or RVG offered. That said the programming works very nicely even if it does mean sessions split across the 3 CDs. Immediately I was struck by how open the sound is. Having ditched the 80s MCMaster's I only have the RVGs for comparison. Leaner and cleaner sounding on the whole with more 'air' around the instruments, results in better separation. I had though the RVGs sounded pretty good but even after a brief spin this new TYCJ sounds better.

[Late]

Immediately I was struck by how open the sound is. [...] Leaner and cleaner sounding on the whole with more 'air' around the instruments, results in better separation. I had thought the RVGs sounded pretty good but even after a brief spin this new TYCJ sounds better.

Glad you dig.

[RiRiIII]

s.

I've just ordered Monk Vol 1 -

Of all these new SHM-CDs, the Monks are two discs I can recommend without reservation. Let the board know what you think after you've heard it.

Monk Vol 1 arrived today.

Tracks reflect the original 12inch 1500 series issues and not the chronological sequence that the McMaster or RVG offered. That said the programming works very nicely even if it does mean sessions split across the 3 CDs. Immediately I was struck by how open the sound is. Having ditched the 80s MCMaster's I only have the RVGs for comparison. Leaner and cleaner sounding on the whole with more 'air' around the instruments, results in better separation. I had though the RVGs sounded pretty good but even after a brief spin this new TYCJ sounds better.

Thanks! Perhaps it was covered before, but dont the 2 Monk SHM-CDs inlclude all recordings made available with the 2 RVGs CDs? Is there a 3rd as well? By the way I see that the RVGs cds have 39 tracks in total, while the SHM-CDs have 15+22=37 tracks acc to cdjp listings. Is this correct?

EDIT: I did my homework and I think the 3rd cd is the Milt Jackson one?

EDIT #2: and of course I had raised the same question some pages before... sorry for this...

Edited February 18, 2015 by Alexandros

[RiRiIII]

My pre-order of the 3/25 titles is as follows, I never had any of these:

UCCQ-5082 Freddie Redd / The Music From The Connection [sHM-CD] [Limited Release] CDA 1500yen Released: March 25, 2015
UCCQ-5100 Blue Mitchell / Step Lightly [sHM-CD] [Limited Release] CDA 1500yen Released: March 25, 2015
UCCQ-5107 Freddie Hubbard / Breaking Point [sHM-CD] [Limited Release] CDA 1500yen Released: March 25, 2015
UCCQ-5120 Joe Henderson / Mode For Joe +2 [sHM-CD] [Limited Release] CDA 1500yen Released: March 25, 2015
UCCQ-5121 Ornette Coleman / The Empty Foxhole [sHM-CD] [Limited Release] CDA 1500yen Released: March 25, 2015
UCCQ-5129 Donald Byrd / Electric Byrd [sHM-CD] [Limited Release] CDA 1500yen Released: March 25, 2015

[jazzbo]

Those are good titles; of these I've pre-ordered the Byrd, and a half a dozen others. Just a few more weeks to go! (AND I may be getting a few rare, much needed days off around the time these ship, so I may get to listen to them right away, looking forward to that!)

The others I ordered were Inventions and Dimensions, Andrew!!!, Compulsion, Dialog, Night Dreamer, A New Perspective, I'm Tryin' to Get Home, and Spring.

Edited March 4, 2015 by jazzbo

[king ubu]

Any news on new alternate takes/bonus tracks?

I've got the Patton on order, but other items I've ordered with it (discs released in November 2014!) have held up my order for more than a month by now

[Rooster_Ties]

Have any particular titles gone out of print yet already? - or have any become difficult to track down?

I've been meaning to get some more of these, but guess I need to move on it probably.

[erwbol]

A number of those from the first batch, October (and probably November) 2013, are OOP. For example Clark's Cool Struttin'.

At CD Japan, it seems they are available for 12 months. After that, depending on how popular they are, you're at risk of either missing out or paying extra on eBay, amazon third party, etc.

Things may be a bit different at HMV Japan, but they don't ship everywhere.

Edited March 4, 2015 by erwbol

[romualdo]

Has anyone done a comparison of the two SHM Joe Henderson "State Of The Tenor 1 & 2" to older releases

I know these are not part of the "Classic Blue Notes" series but I think this reissue has been mentioned here

considering upgrading my mid 90's doubletime release - this sounded quite good IMHO (for the time) but are the SHM's that much better? - It's a pity they didn't add more unreleased titles from these live sessions (there are plenty)

BTW I've been buying the earlier Classic SHM BN's from HMV Japan - they have them at a reduced prices, as low as 1200 yen at times (with their frequent special offers)

AFAIK all of the titles since the first series are still available at HMV Japan