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Listener Comments
Many of these first responses are from web sites. Therefore in some cases, screen names are shown rather than actual listener names.
Dr. Tristan Jacobsen
I can't tell you enough how great it is to have you guys. Certainly what you do is a labor of love and it really shows. Keep up the great work. You're making history now although it may seem routine to you guys what you are doing is nothing short of miraculous.
Mike in MD
You know I will say this.......and mark my words. There will come a time, two years, five years, ten years down the road that, for the folks that chose not to embrace what is set before them in the here and now with these reissues. They will be filled with regret that they did not see and hear these Blue Note reissues for what they are, lightening.........caught in a bottle. Call me crazy, but I bet you that these reissues are going to be some of the most coveted records ever pressed into existence. Coveted for all the right reasons, the incredible double gatefold, museum quality jackets, the beautiful artwork and photos inside and out, the fantastic music perfectly mastered and pressed into vinyl with the best current technology has to offer at 45RPM.
jbcortes
I just received my first batch. Just based on first impressions, I would recommend Blakey's One Night in Tunisia (you can't go wrong with this one) and Bluesnick. I also have Parlan's Us Three and Soul Station. In any case, these things are WORKS OF ART. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the jackets. Absolutely stunning. These are among the most beautiful vinyls I own and certainly raise the bar for other companies selling records for $50... There will be a before an after Music Matters.
Randall Kremer, Smithsonian Institution
Dear Ron - I have been listening to the wonderful Blue Note reissue albums you sent and stand in amazement at the sound quality you have achieved. Everything, from the luxurious packaging to the manner in which the LPs were shipped, is of the highest level I have ever experienced. My sincere congratulations and appreciation to you and your team for all you have accomplished. These recordings are national treasures and I am so gratified that they are being handled with the care and consideration they deserve. I will be writing to you by separate correspondence, but I just wanted to send you a quick note expressing my appreciation. I am glad these treasures are in your capable hands! Thank you.
johnny33
All I can say is that I love these 45's. Its an adventure for me and I feel lucky that Joe and Ron are the rare breed left that wanted to do this. My musical life has been enhanced greatly with these. I play them. I dont set them around and look at them. How could I not love being in the studio with these legends? To me these define what the purpose of this forum is. Finding the best sound possible of music we love. Thanks Joe, Ron, Steve, Kevin and those who support this program.
John S
My latest BN copies arrived today....all I can say WOW! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS HAPPENING!
This is now a total of 16 sides......NOT A SINGLE BLEM! NO MARKS, NO SCRATCHES, NO SCUFFS, NO EXTRA VINYL FLOATING AROUND IN THE SLEEVES GOUGING THE LPs...NOTHING!
Apologies for my excitement, but take it from one who has been deep in the trough of brand new vinyl returns, it doesn't get any better than this! I knew this was possible, even as a certain retailer has been trying to convince me to embrace the blems, it is all part of the nostalgia!
All I can say is KUDOS TO MUSIC MATTERS!!
Let me also say that the new shipping cartons are excellent, now that is the way to ship records my friends! And the newly designed jackets are just amazing, absolutely amazing. Folks it just doesn't get any better than this...
Jason K
I've been long overdue in posting my impressions of my first Music Matters title: Hank Mobley's Soul Station. But, this weekend, I had some great opportunities to really sit down and enjoy the music.
First, the packaging. Not much I can add to what has already been said. Heavy gloss, thick jackets, with razor sharp images. No way the original looked as good, or felt so substantial. Both slabs of vinyl are perfectly flat, with no surface noise whatsoever.
And the music! I don't own any other versions of this one, but heard samples of it online. This is jazz right up my alley. Tuneful, sometimes relaxed, with just enough pep to stick the melody in your head long after you've finished the record. Please recommend similar MM titles!!
The sound.. wow. Often times, I sit and listen to records. I mean, I am listening to music through the surface noise of used (and often, new) vinyl. And sometimes I'm listening to what sounds like a good resemblance of a master tape. But not with this. Sounds just like music come through my speakers. Is it just the "horn" sound of my Klipsch Cornwalls that makes the trumpet of Mobley so realistic? I don't know, but I know I life-like horn when I hear one, and it's in my room, thanks to this vinyl. The decay and natural reverb of Mobley's sax just sounds so right. I feel like I have a window into Rudy's studio.
Reading through the accompanying booklet, and jacket, I realize I am lucky that there are still people and record companies that care this much about reproduction of music as I do. Fifty bucks is not a small amount of coin to me, but after listening, I find this release worth every penny.
Pedro L. Evans
Hello my friend,
I sit in still amazement listening to the TP's of Donald Byrd blowing on “Cat Walk.” I experience myself being catapulted into the room with Rudy and all these great jazz players when he recorded this music more than fifty years ago, and I think this is, with out a doubt, the closest I have ever gotten to feeling like I am there. The notes of music come off your records with such rich tone, texture and shear vividness! I have always treasured the original recording you took such painstaking time to procure for me over the years. I was sure I had the closest thing to the master tapes until you astonished me with these newly mastered records. I didn't think that tapes over 50 years old could recreate records that have more tone and texture than the originals. The music that comes off your records rides the timeless airwaves that reach the hearts and souls of these very special jazz musicians that are no longer with us and I have no doubt they are thinking, "thank you Ron and Joe for all you have done to show music lovers the essence of our efforts."
Oh my, you have done it again. You have slammed me hard with the stunning sound of world-class mono recordings. The Gill Melle’s Patterns in Jazz is unreal. Until now, I have never heard a sax come off a piece of vinyl with the kind of presence and weight the instrument has when I hear it being played 10 to 15 feet away from me in a live un-amplified venue. I want to tell you I have never heard a 45-RPM direct to disc come close to the sound coming off this Gill Melle record. I thought the direct to discs that were done in the analog domain in the late 70 and 80s were possibly the closest thing to being there until I sat and listened to Gill tonight. You cats have put the thick and juicy on us jazz lovers and we aren’t going to forget it.
Congratulations,
Pedro L. Evans
Eric
Just a thanks for the great job you're doing with the Blue Notes. Though my experience with these records has been minimal, and though I rarely purchase 45s (too lazy), the wonderful reviews of your reissues prompted me to dig into this series. I'm glad I did. I'm really enjoying these first releases more than I thought I would. Of course, the mastering and pressing have been wonderful,but your covers have really been out of this world and shows how willing you are to go that extra mile for your customers. The fact that you even upgraded already beautiful covers just shows how tuned in you are to your buying public, unlike some other to be unnamed companies(think Hobson). Though of course, profit is a motive in these ventures, I have to believe this is a true labor of love for you both, two people who love jazz and want to communicate it to others. Your feeling and responsivness to your customers is clearly something which comes naturally and is far from common these days. Please keep up the great work and thanks.
Max
Hi there,
I just purchased the first four titles from our local music store and felt like I need thank you at Music Matters for reissuing some of the most important titles in jazz history. Let me say, this is not just an audiophile reissues project. It's Blue Note like I've never heard before.
Such a warm and precise (though) sound with a transparency - perfect. Regarding the pressing, RTI was the perfect choice! ...and wow, the jackets. I am stunned! Perfect job - ...and I hope you will eventually extend the series of 60 or so titles.
Thanks from Germany!
Ray
This is my first post on this forum, but I just had to say how much I am loving the MM Blue Note reissues. I have been a jazz fan for decades now, but just recently got back into vinyl so this is a great way to start building my collection. I also subscribed to the AP series.
Despite my years of jazz fanaticism, and the fact that I have hundreds of jazz CDs, I have remained pretty siloed by listening to the really big names - Sonny Rollins, Coltrane, Miles, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, etc. (there is so much to explore in these prolific performers). I did see Jackie McLean at the Village Vanguard in the early 90s, but only had two CDs of his. When I saw the list of albums that MM was going to release, I saw this as an opportunity to expand my horizons- I had no Blakey in my collection, and I am embarrassed to say that I had never heard of Lou Donaldson, or Horace Parlan- that shows how narrow my focus was!
While I felt I was taking something of a chance by subscribing, I sensed that the MM team was so passionate about this series, that I had complete confidence in their choices. Am I glad I did! Every single offering to date has been a musical and sonic gem. I can't believe I had never heard these albums before The first Parlan album was brilliant, but Us Three is up there with my previous piano Jazz favorite- Bill Evans' Portrait in Jazz.
As a Tenor player, I found Lou Donaldson to be a revelation. I was so impressed, that I went to see him at the Village Vanguard about a month ago (how lucky am I to live in Manhattan?)
Thank you for the love and sweat that obviously went into this series, and I look forward to future releases and forum participation.
Richard Spence
Hello, Ron and Joe,et.al. :
I have had a few days to reflect on the two latest 45rpm lps and wanted to express how much I enjoy the music, and to thank you for the effort you have put into a truely once-in-a-lifetime project.
Definitive Blue Note it is. Stunning playback.
The new covers are works of art in themselves. Truly magnificent.
Jason C. Allen
Hi Lori:
Wanted to let you know that my first four albums arrived today.
The presentation of these masterpieces is simply stunning!
I only had time to play disc one of Art Blakey - Big Beat; I am unable to wipe the big grin from my face. The sound is huge, balanced and magnificent! The drum solo on Sakeena's Vision was nothing short of an aural phenomenon. Tracking the album is dead quiet allowing the instruments to fully bloom. The upright bass on Politely was so perceptible that you could hear and feel the strings buzz on the fingerboard.
My initial reaction is completed euphoria; I only wish I had learned of these sooner, as I could have gotten a lower number. Even if I had a number three times higher, I’d still be completely thrilled!
How exciting to be receiving these masterworks over the next two years!
Ali Saad
Ron and the Music Matters group have hit a home run – and as far as I can tell, without the use of steroids! However, one listen to these gems and you will think they are on steroids – stunning dynamics, liquid textures, impeccable balance, and an overall aura of see through realism, especially in ensemble passages. Weight, extension, articulation, it is all there. As a devoted collector of original Blue Notes, I never thought that such sonic results could be achieved by reissues, and simply assumed that the tapes could not possibly have the goods at this late stage of their lifespan, regardless of who was cutting. I was wrong. I have listened in detail to the first two releases – “Big Beat” and “Speakin’ my Piece”, as well as selected test pressings, and felt as though I was transported to the studio. You look, you listen, and you really do feel like you are there! The originals are great, but these are even better – in some cases much better. I did not expect this. But as great as the musical and sonic results are, the artistic presentation may be even better – what Music Matters has done with their packaging is bring us fresh works of art. The first jacket I opened was “The Big Beat” – and my breath almost stopped to see the stunning photos on the inside – wow. An impressive achievement - clearly one that required great vision, perseverance, and attention to detail. Guys, thanks for the unexpected boost to my musical enjoyment.
Mike Grellman
Times like these make me wish I was more eloquent - how else to convey the utter greatness of what these guys at Music Matters Jazz have created? As an audiophile, these transcend the idea of a re-issue, with the sound being astonishingly lively and a window into these sessions. Hoffman and Gray captures the directness of the originals. The stereo mix and lack of compression put you in the room. If these things came in a paper bag they'd still be worth more than the originals. Given the gatefold jacket and original art, reproduced with care and respect for what they represent, these records are a bargain at 4-5 times the price (found any mint copies of these titles for less than a grand lately?). Ron, please accept my order for a second set (one to play and one to save).
Paul Sagerman
I collect the original mono pressings. I have near-mint original promotional pressings of Hank Mobley’s Soul Station and Kenny Drew’s Undercurrent, so I jumped at Ron’s offer to compare them to his test pressings for Music Matters. The monos still sound great, but they never let you forget that you are listening to a vintage recording. The Music Matters reissues on the other hand show remarkable gains in dynamic range, texture, and realism. Separation is very natural and imaging is excellent.
These reissues have the magical quality of letting you forget that you are listening to a recording, and imagine that small group jazz is being performed in your listening room. Some of the Japanese reissues are quite good, but they could never replace my original pressings. With these, I feel that I can permanently shelve my collectable originals. I can think of no higher praise.
Michael Greene
As the owner of a large record collection and the Continuum Caliburn turntable it is obvious that "vinyl" is my listening life. I thought I had heard it all until I recently received the first two pressings of the new Music Matters Blue Note series. The pressings are truly amazing. Dead Quiet, great dynamics and a mix that is both natural and highly musical. To top it all off- a wonderful gatefold cover with lots of photos. I cannot wait for the rest of the series to arrive. I intend to cherish each and every one of the 63 titles. Bravo to Music Matters---their name says it all.
Joel Waterman
Hello Ron - it was not even an hour ago that the UPS man delivered the first two albums. I have only listened to the Horace Parlan - I am stunned, bowled over,I feel a childlike enthusiasm. The music, the packaging..it's all and more than you told us about. These are little time capsules. You can get lost in them. It's a dream come true to be able to get these albums. Thanks to you and the team and Merry Christmas to all.
Back to the music.
jstraw
I never imagined that anything like my subscription to these records would be in my budget. It feels extravagant but oh, so worth it.
I feel much better paying $50 for each of these Blue Notes than I would for any other similarly priced audiophile vinyl of which I am aware. The percentage of that price that's reflected in the packaging compared with similarly priced products is off the charts. The fact that they've spent so much to make these, not to mention hiring the best people to work on them and yet plan to recoup in an edition small enough to ensure that quality is not compromised is frankly unprecedented, to the best of my knowledge.
Rather than see the price as elitist, I see an undertaking that I can scarcely see as being possible at this price, when you see what $50 gets you elsewhere.
rplace
I gave HP a whirl and it was great too. I found it to be more lush and rich (the bass was killer) but the Blakey LP to have a bit more detail and separation in the instruments. The imaging on both are out of this world. I swear as they move up the piano to higher notes the imaging moves more to the left as if the piano is facing you. It is as if the microphones can accurataly track the different locations of the piano strings. I fear as this collections grows I will never change my table back to 33! Perhaps I can sell the 50-100 old jazz LPs I have to offset this new venture. Perhaps the best part is not wondering if some guy on ebay's VG+ or NM- is that same as what I expect. You just know these LPs are going to be as shiny as a mirror every time you open them up.
I can't wait for the next round. BTW, both sets were perfect in the LP and cover department. One corner on both are dinged just slightly. Guess the monkeys at FedEx still throw them around. My numbers are 0254. Nice to have them all the same and low...but I doubt I will ever part with them.
Ctiger2
Got Mine! Hearing Blakey's "The Big Beat" & Parlan's "Speakin' My Piece" for the first time today brought tears to my eyes. Not because they sound phenomenal, that's obvious. The tears were because all other reissues pale in comparison. The sound quality, the packaging, the pressing, these have it all. Fantastic all around job and money well spent. I just wish everyone in the music industry truly cared as much about the music as the people involved in this Blue Note project. The world would be a better place.
My 2 cents
Anand
I have received my first two copies of the Blue Note reissue and to put it in one word was "stunned". The sound (as expected after the Jazz 100 series from Chad) was superb and full marks to Steve and Kevin. However, what bowled me over was the packaging. The quality of the jackets, the material used, the photographs - everything was amazing. The sheer excitement of holding it in my hands gave me the goose bumps. These Blue Note reissues are further going to consolidate vinyl's comeback. How I wish that the iPod generation could listen to this. Going through life without sampling the best of vinyl would be a sacrilege.
Keep 'em flowing Ron....
MrFloyd
I received the 2 LP's yesterday, and these are definitely the nicest reissues I have seen. Definitely worth 50 bucks a pop; it's too bad that I will have to be selective with my purchases.
The Music Matters LP's are in another league when compared to the AS Fantasy releases (which were very good), although I do have several of their upcoming Blue Note titles on preorder.
TommyTunes
Got mine from MD yesterday. A class act all the way and the pressings were superb. It seams that either RTI has hit on the right vinyl formula or Music Matters is doing their own QC. Magnificent artwork that truly adds to the experience.
Qdrone
I see people coming on here crying on how high prices are for Blue Note original titles. Well here is your chance to get back some of that money. Buy two of each title and hold on to them for twenty years and sell the unopened ones. Quit Crying and start buying. Nuff said.
scotto
Received my Art Blakey on Christmas eve and it is, as everyone has said, stunning: immaculate packaging, amazing sound, and of course, incredible performances. Bravo!
fmuakkassa
I received my first two LPs (#201) and they sound out of this world. So real! These Blue Note LPs may become my reference records for sonic quality.
Thanks for the tip for gluing the seems. Scotch Glue stick did the job for me on both LPs.
JasonK
I GOT IT! Music Matters BLUE NOTE 45 RPM LP'S! WOW!!
Talk about excitement! I got home from work today and there it was! I didn't even want to open it, the packaging looked so good. Seriously, the packaging is amazing compared to the other retailers I've bought from. But, needless to say I did open it and I was not disappointed. The jackets are just as beautiful as reported, and these records are heavy! I suppose it's a combination of the thicker paper stock and the 180 gm LP's but when you hold this sucker it's got clout, serious clout. That's the only word I can think of. The photographs from Francis Wolff inside are a really cool bonus as well. Great job guys!!
I decided to play "Speakin' My Piece" first, because I wasn't that familiar with Horace Parlan, and I can see now this series from Music Matters is going to be one heck of a wonderful journey. The sound is unreal, and extremely spatial. Holographic I guess you'd call it-basically like having the band in your room. Horace on piano, slightly left of middle. Stanley Turrentine on tenor, hard right. Tommy, his brother, hard left. The drums are not quite hard right, but more so than you'd expect on a modern mix. Bass, also left of the middle. The balance is impeccable, and the mastering is very, very smooth. Not a trace of harshness, and a silky top end. All four sides played flawlessly. But the real revelation is the music. Talk about drawing you in! I was mesmerized by this record. Bluesy, soulful, every track seemed to top the previous one. On the fourth side the track entitled "Oh So Blue" epitomized the sound I've come to associate with great jazz. Melancholy, deep, greasy. Turn the lights down low and drift away. This is GREAT music, beautifully presented, mastered--I couldn't be happier. Thanks Ron, Joe, Steve and Kevin! You made my holiday!
Diamond007
GOT MINE TODAY!! NUMBER 0179!!
There I was standing at the end of my driveway, like a kid waiting for the Sears and Roebuck truck when I was just a bit younger, when I glanced down the street and there it was! The infamous FedEx truck steaming it's way up the street to my house, just as if it was jolly St. Nick, himself. It stopped and she said, Diamond Jim this must be yours!!!
YES! My records had come home at last. luckily, I had my ole' 845's glowing and ready so I opened the package only to find the most beautiful pair of records ever packaged. Oh yes my friends, anyone who has received records from Ron knows that he has the highest quality packaging money can buy, I kid you not. Well, I put "The Big Beat" on the platter of my Teres TT, picked up the tonearm of my trusty Tri-Planar and let my ZYX Airy3-SB preform it's magic for me.
The first song cued up and I said , yep this is stereo, but cleaner and by the second side my cartridge was all warmed up and the magic came through! The weight and body, the tonal balance was all there in spades. When Blakey's cymbols crashed, it was positively scary. A purity of sound so rare to find today, as if I had just broke the bank on eBay for another $800 record only dead silent!
What was different? Well, it was mixed for modern gear so the heavy mids are tamed and as are the high end, by that I mean to say it was there and boy was it there!!! Not rolled off or glaring, just perfectly balanced, extended AND in STEREO!! The way it is supposed to sound, that's all.
Next came the Horace Parlan, which in my opinion was a better recording from the start, a tad hotter recording and MAN, just slamming!!! I was shocked this LP has never made in my 4000+ LP collection. I really love these records and will definitely be waiting at the end of my driveway next month again for for the next pair of records.
At $49.95 these records are absolutely the best value of any recordings today, bar none! Are they ready yet? This guy wants mo!
Voltron
After cleaning all 8 sides and listening to 4 sides (2 from each album) I can say that the early reviews are right on! Pure, clean blissful stereo sound. There has not been a better presentation of this music to my experience, and although I would be interested to do/hear a direct comparison with pristine stereo originals, I will not be hunting for them because these LPs are the shiznik!
DrJ
Totally, utterly agree with the kudos so far.
First class packaging, utterly remarkable sound. Way, way superior all around to any prior presentation of classic Blue Note material I've ever seen/heard, including the best-sounding Mosaic sets. It's hard to believe the same tapes were used for these as for prior reissues of this stuff.
Without sounding too sappy, I literally have been sitting here getting choked up for the past hour sipping some really good scotch and listening.
This classic Blue Note music is so, so, so important - really, collectively, a national treasure, in my view, no overstatement, and the musicians themselves - so many of them now gone - were also treasures. To have their timeless music finally presented right is just too much to have ever hoped for, and I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime. Somewhere, these guys (well at least the departed ones - sadly, most of them) are smiling down on all of us tonight.
This is a very, very good time to be alive and into vinyl!
Right now side 4 of the Parlan set is on - the slow bluesy piece "Oh So Blue" - and I'm in absolute heaven!
As good as the Fantasy 45 rpm jazz titles were in terms of cover art/packaging, the Music Matters Blue Notes take things to a whole other level. The gatefold approach, the high quality repros of the Francis Wolff b&w studio prints inside the gatefold, and the ] fact they are basically recreating the cover art from scratch using best possible original source material is really just too much to have ever expected.
- Tony Jerant
MikeC
Mine arrived this afternoon. #81.
Man... These things are gorgeous! A dream come true for Blue Note fanatics like myself. I have only listened to the first side of each album so far, but can already tell that these are the finest pressings of these albums that I will ever hear.
The jackets are very nicely done. Much more impressive than the jackets used by AP for their Fantasy reissue series (don't get me wrong - those jackets were good enough, but...nothing special by any means). The pictures are gorgeous. I actually wish that Analogue Productions would flatter Music Matters by imitating these jackets with their upcoming series...
To everyone involved in getting these records out: GREAT JOB, guys. You're making a lotta folks very, very happy... Can't wait for the next batch!!
johnny33
I received both sets yesterday. Beautiful. Just beautiful.Such great music and absolutely realistic sounding. I have confessed before that I am a new jazz fan.But I love this music. It makes me feel good.
The one thing I can say for myself is that I am coming from a bit of a different angle than many of you more seasoned jazz people. Never hearing these albums, except for bits and pieces to see if I like the music enough to buy it, I am getting to hear these guys .. this jazz genuis.. as close to what it would sound like if they were right in front of me. So each experience is a very special one for this jazz newbie in the fact that I am almost "there" as it is happening.That is, I feel a part of the creative process almost because of the life these remasterings bring out.The covers are just vivid.. glossy works of art. Thanks!
Bravo! to all involved and your hard work. I hope these go on for every album that can possibly be remastered. You have my lifetime commitment.
Sherlock
I just played one of my first two (Blakey--The Big Beat). These are museum quality records--seriously. Heavy duty planks of vinyl. Totally flat. The photography in the gatefold is high-def, and fantastic. Perhaps cut not quite as "hot" as the Acoustic Sounds Jazz 45s, but dead quiet, and very very good. Very. I am glad I signed up for these. If they are limited, as advertised, they will be very collectible. Most highly recommended.
FrankieLuvsVinyl
I took the stairs two at a time, skidding to a stop in front of the computer to order the Horace Parlance...
Definitely one of the quietest, best recorded jazz records I have from a collection of maybe 2500 slabs. No tics. No pops. Just fantastic music exploding from the speakers.
Of the 50 or so original Blue Notes I currently own, this one sounds better than all of them. Then again, while most of those BN's are in excellent condition, they are all old. Paying 500 to 1000+ dollars for a mint original is ok - I'd never do it, but I'd be hard pressed to think they sound better than these reissues. I mean they use the exact same master tape.
I'm willing to bet that anyone who is into vinyl, and into jazz at all will be kicking themselves when these are gone and didn't buy any. Just like I'm kicking myself now for not buying the DCC's when they were available...
sberger
This about says it all. These are this era's DCC's. Anybody pissed off at the price now will be even more pissed off when these go for double, triple, whatever a couple years from now. Done by the same folks who did the DCC stuff. And if nothing else, it's BLUE NOTE. The holy grail.
Either you get it, or you don't.
MikeC
To begin, there are no duplicates between the two sets. Both series are being mastered by Steve Hoffman and cut by Kevin Grey. Both series are being pressed at RTI. Both series are limited to 2500 copies. The only difference will be in the packaging. The AP sets (as far as I know) will be like their Prestige/Riverside 45 series released over the last several years: 2 LP's in a single jacket. The MM sets will be released in a deluxe gatefold jacket with original session photos printed inside the jacket. Having seen these (I received the first two today!), I can attest to the fact that they are absolutely beautiful and set a new high watermark for jazz reissues.
I've subscribed to both series. Yeah, it's very hard to justify spending $200per month on 4 records, but...the way I see it, I really can't afford not to invest in these. These are some of my absolute favorite records, and I seriously doubt they will ever again be released with such care and attention to detail. Once they're paid for, I'll have the rest of my life to enjoy them. If I miss 'em, I'll regret it forever...
As far as an introduction to jazz... Well, I would say that if you're not familiar with any of these, I would have a hard time recommending these $50 records as an introduction to the music. Yes, Blue Note records is a fantastic entry point into the world of jazz. However, I would recommend picking up a few CD's on the cheap before investing such a large chunk of change into records you may or may not like. If you like the CD's, then splurge for the ultimate pressings...which these undoubtedly will be.
Sberger
Just got mine this morning! #97. Power's out in my office building, so I have the day off!! Just threw on Horace Parlan, and it's every bit as great as Jason and Diamond noted last night. Absolutely perfect in every way.
Congratulations to all who made these releases possible. An incredible accomplishment, to say the least.
RMSRETIRE
I've heard the test pressings several times on these first two.....and the fidelity of the mastering is breath taking....and the packaging beyond belief.
These are the good times. STEREO BLUENOTES mastered superbly. Buckle-up...it's going to be a great ride.
vinylsail
Ok, now I’ve had time to listen. The string buzz on merits bass actually has dimension. These are some of the best records I ever heard and not only what we’ve come to expect from Steve and Kevin but beautiful pressings on quiet vinyl with gorgeous covers. These are the new treasures of my collection. I don’t have originals to compare with but I don’t care since finding a mint original is unlikely and if possible would be very pricey. These sound amazing and are an incredible bargain at $50. ea. Cant wait for the rest!
#155
JSTRAW
I had a surprise waiting for me when I got home today. I listened to the Parlan. Guys...this is the best upgrade my system has ever had. I have never heard a better sounding record.
The music is gorgeous too. Hard to believe Horace was leader on these sides. It seems like he mostly makes room for the Turrentines to blow.
McIntosh
Outstanding pressings gentlemen !! Dead quiet and flat as a pancake.
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