Classic Blue Notes on SHM-CD

[ejp626]

So has anyone other than Erwbol heard and weighed in on Out to Lunch alternatives? Any other opinions? And Speak No Evil. I am leaning towards getting these (and perhaps bundling with some Ormandy releases I've been eyeing for a while at CDJapan), but another opinion or two would be helpful. Thanks.

[Steve Gray]

So has anyone other than Erwbol heard and weighed in on Out to Lunch alternatives? Any other opinions? And Speak No Evil. I am leaning towards getting these (and perhaps bundling with some Ormandy releases I've been eyeing for a while at CDJapan), but another opinion or two would be helpful. Thanks.

I should have "Out To Lunch" in a day or two. Will post my opinion then.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Steve Gray

[ArtSalt]

It's Hancock's Empyrean Isles that I am really looking forward to on these releases.

Did you order it? My copy shipped 1 November on SAL, so it should be here around 15 November at the latest.

No, I've been rather too successful with my Mosaic box set bids on ebay, so my pocket money is well and truly spent until the end of this month, Then I will be hoovering-up the Blue Notes!

[Clunky]

Out to Lunch just arrived.

Overall sound is very good but not as good as the Music Matters LP set. The alternates sound pretty similar to released versions but will need closer study .

[erwbol]

Out to Lunch just arrived.

Overall sound is very good but not as good as the Music Matters LP set. The alternates sound pretty similar to released versions but will need closer study .

I believe the HD Tracks 24bit/192kHz FLACs are better as well, but this should not come as a surprise. I compared the FLACs to a good needle drop of the Music Matters LP set and they were pretty similar.

Still, I believe this SHM CD brings out a lot more of the tapes than previous CDs. That beautiful deep bass clarinet sound is more present here for instance.

I hope the other titles in this series are equally an improvement.

Edited November 5, 2013 by erwbol

[Clunky]

McMaster = at times bright and a bit thin, bass lacks depth

RVG = better bass , sometimes a bit cloudy , overall an improvement on Mcmaster

TYCJ = bass very clear, no sense of dullness, treble perfect

Small but noticeable increments in SQ with each step. All are perfectly listenable but given the choice ......

The TYCJ is the clear winner on my system and is of course way cheaper than the MM of OTL.

[erwbol]

Please, enough about the RVG. Though time to bury the hatchet somewhere else than in Rudy's skull with this new SHM-CD. All in the past. Unlistenable in my opinion.

TOCJ a bit better on bass and deep bass clarinet sound, but perhaps due to twiddling of ze knobs?

Agree TYCJ clear winner.

[Clunky]

Speak no Evil arrived today.

Again very high sound quality , compares very well with the MM LP edition. All the alternates are new to me as the McMaster is my only other CD version. As with OTL it'll take some listening for this listener to identify the differences between master and alternate takes.

So another winner as the McMaster sounds much shriller than this edition.

[imeanyou]

So has anyone other than Erwbol heard and weighed in on Out to Lunch alternatives? Any other opinions? And Speak No Evil. I am leaning towards getting these (and perhaps bundling with some Ormandy releases I've been eyeing for a while at CDJapan), but another opinion or two would be helpful. Thanks.

I popped into a Tower Records branch in the Tokyo suburbs yesterday afternoon and picked up OTL and Speak No Evil. I'll be listening to them over the weekend along with my old McMaster copies from 1988 and the Toshiba 24 bit mini lp versions from 1999. I picked up a King Records copy of Speak No Evil recently in NM condition so plenty to listen for. The alternate take of Dance Cadaverous on SNE has a much clearer piano track IMO although this alternate is not previously unreleased. I might pick up Something Else and Unity when it appears but otherwise I'm well fixed for Blue Notes.

[ArtSalt]

^Your auditioning comparisons are of great interest to me, Imeanyou. Please do post your hearing experiences and assessment.

Has anyone a verdict/comparison against the Audiowave XRCD24s?

[erwbol]

The Milt Jackson (TYCJ-81022) contains the alternate take of Four in One from the nineties Complete Blue Note box. I never realised it was left off the RVGs (all three).

There was a printing error on the back cover art of my RVG Genius Vol.2. Four In One is track 7.

That boosted bass from the RVGs is gone here. Not noise reduced to death, not too bright. Hopefully Genius of Modern Music Vol. 1 will be delivered tomorrow.

Edited November 12, 2013 by erwbol

[erwbol]

Empyrean Isles (TYCJ-81020). Another clear winner over the McMaster.

[Late]

I'd be interested in hearing how the new TYCJs compare with the Blue Note Works TOCJs. Anyone here conducted an A/B test?

Current Japanese CDs (the last I've purchased anyway) seem incredibly loud. I'm wondering if this is also the case for the TYCJs.

[J.A.W.]

I'd be interested in hearing how the new TYCJs compare with the Blue Note Works TOCJs. Anyone here conducted an A/B test?

Current Japanese CDs (the last I've purchased anyway) seem incredibly loud. I'm wondering if this is also the case for the TYCJs.

I was wondering about that too.

[erwbol]

At least for the Dolphy the TYCJ is clearly beyond the TOCJ, which is not that radically different from the McMaster.

I also have TOCJs of Speak No Evil, Happenings, Maiden Voyage & Speak Like A Child. In a months time I can probably give you an answer on some of these titles.

These titles are not too loud. The Empyrean Isles has a bit higher volume levels than the McMaster, but is not excessive. Neither is the Dolphy or the Milt Jackson. The TOCJ Out To Lunch already is bit louder than the McMaster.

The TYCJ Empyrean Isles and Out To Lunch do, however, have more detail than any previous CD releases I have heard.

Edit: The Blue Note XRCD24s (I have Soul Station) also have a bit higher volume levels than the Hoffman/Grey SACDs (of which I have several).

Edited November 12, 2013 by erwbol

[J.A.W.]

At least for the Dolphy the TYCJ is clearly beyond the TOCJ, which is not that radically different from the McMaster.

I also have TOCJs of Speak No Evil, Happenings, Maiden Voyage & Speak Like A Child. In a months time I can probably give you an answer on some of these titles.

These titles are not too loud. The Empyrean Isles has a bit higher volume levels than the McMaster, but is not excessive. Neither is the Dolphy or the Milt Jackson. The TOCJ Out To Lunch already is bit louder than the McMaster.

The TYCJ Empyrean Isles and Out To Lunch do, however, have more detail than any previous CD releases I have heard.

Edit: The Blue Note XRCD24s (I have Soul Station) also have a bit higher volume levels than the Hoffman/Grey SACDs (of which I have several).

Thanks. The volume levels of the Hoffman/Gray hybrid Blue Note SACDs are very low and the masterings are very "polite" or laid-back. They could have been a bit louder and I prefer the more "direct" Alan Yoshida masterings on the Audio Wave Blue Note XRCDs, which are excellent.

Edited November 12, 2013 by J.A.W.

[etherbored]

At least for the Dolphy the TYCJ is clearly beyond the TOCJ, which is not that radically different from the McMaster.

I also have TOCJs of Speak No Evil, Happenings, Maiden Voyage & Speak Like A Child. In a months time I can probably give you an answer on some of these titles.

These titles are not too loud. The Empyrean Isles has a bit higher volume levels than the McMaster, but is not excessive. Neither is the Dolphy or the Milt Jackson. The TOCJ Out To Lunch already is bit louder than the McMaster.

The TYCJ Empyrean Isles and Out To Lunch do, however, have more detail than any previous CD releases I have heard.

Edit: The Blue Note XRCD24s (I have Soul Station) also have a bit higher volume levels than the Hoffman/Grey SACDs (of which I have several).

just out of curiosity, what are you listening to these on? i know you previously mentioned you were a headphone listener, if i recall correctly. regardless, what's your player?

[erwbol]

I have a Marantz CD6003. link

I use Sennheiser HD650 headphones and an old NAD 312 amp. Van Den Hul cables.

Nothing high end or fancy.

I currently listen to headphones only out of necessity (housing). When I change apartments I will eventually buy some speakers and upgrade my amp.

Edited November 12, 2013 by erwbol

[erwbol]

Thanks. The volume levels of the Hoffman/Gray hybrid Blue Note SACDs are very low and the masterings are very "polite" or laid-back. They could have been a bit louder and I prefer the more "direct" Alan Yoshida masterings on the Audio Wave Blue Note XRCDs, which are excellent.

These are more like the Yoshida Blue Notes than the polite, warm, laid-back Hoffman/Gray efforts. Though not quite in the same league, of course. Regardless, the TYCJs I've heard are the last editions of these titles I'll ever need.

Edited November 12, 2013 by erwbol

[J.A.W.]

Kevin Gray's "solo" masterings are excellent - he did Analogue Productions' John Coltrane impulse! hybrid SACDs, to name but a few.

Gray's Cohearent Audio: http://www.cohearent.com/; his comment on loudness: http://www.cohearent.com/a-note-about-cd-loudness/

Edited November 12, 2013 by J.A.W.

[erwbol]

The Milt Jackson back cover art states:

Produced by Alfred Lion

Original remastering by Rudy Van Gelder

This must be a mistake as this is clearly not the same remastering as the RVGs of the Monk/Jackson material.

All other TYCJs have the following on the back:

Produced by Alfred Lion

Original recording by Rudy Van Gelder

This must be where a mistake crept in for this particular disc. It'll be interesting to see what the TYCJ of Genius Vol.1 has on the back.

None of the TYCJs I've seen gives information about the remastering (in English) in the booklet.

[Late]

Thanks, erwbol, for your information. It'll be interesting to see how many titles this 75th anniversary edition includes. I'm tempted to pick up the Monk titles as I only have them as RVGs. The re-purchase bug continues.

(I'm still bummed that Sam Rivers Blue Note titles haven't been included in any XRCD or hybrid SACD reissue ... and now TYCJ? )

[Late]

Original remastering by Rudy Van Gelder

Perhaps (if actually not an error) this means the original LP mastering? Didn't Van Gelder remaster some titles that Doug Hawkins recorded?

On another note:

I just read through the (translated) Japanese EMI page for this anniversary edition, and there's no clear indication that there will be more than 50 titles. Uh? I hope I'm wrong about this. It'd be weird to leave as orphans certain Vol. 2's. Maybe David Weiss could weigh in on this?

[erwbol]

Blue Note's anniversary is not until next year. If they do not release more titles, the festivities will be over before they got well underway. Let's hope these first 50 sell well.

Edited November 13, 2013 by erwbol

[etherbored]

there's a method to the madness, i'm sure. if this series sells well, which i should think it would, then it'll be continued. i see it as universal's first go at a blue note reissue campaign.