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Jazz Reissues (Individual and short runs)

Yes please, let’s leave it open to all formats. Trying to wean myself off expensive vinyl reissues and one obstacle is that there seems to be much more information about them than CD equivalents.
 
In that case I’ll recommend a couple of recent CD reissues:

Tony Oxley - February Papers
Tony Oxley - Unreleased 1974 to 2006

Both immaculately recorded and mastered CD/DL releases only, by the heroic Martin Archer on his Discus label, presented in trifold digipacks with artwork by Mr Oxley - CDs that are actually nice to own. Let’s face it, Oxley is an individual genius of the type we’ll probably never see again. February Papers, recorded in 1977, is a classic, (originally released on Incus and these days commanding high prices), comprising of solo, trio and quartet studio pieces. Unreleased - as the title implies - are historical private tapes of various groupings from TO’s personal archive. The opening piece is stunning - hard to believe this was 1974, way ahead of its time.
 
Hi, a question about the Mingus CD available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09RQQCJJW/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

Is this the version that's available on the Candid page?

I ask because I have a CD (Candid CD 9005, released 1987) of this album already but to be honest the version on Spotify sounds better (it does say there that it's remastered). My CD was bought via Discogs and is part of American Jazz Classics (Candid), distributed by Black Dog Records and manufactured in Germany.

If the version on Amazon is the new version from Candid I might buy another copy.

Peter
 
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Hi, a question about the Mingus CD available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09RQQCJJW/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

Is this the version that's available on the Candid page?

I ask because I have a CD (Candid CD 9005, released 1987) of this album already but to be honest the version on Spotify sounds better (it does say there that it's remastered). My CD was bought via Discogs and is part of American Jazz Classics (Candid), distributed by Black Dog Records and manufactured in Germany.

If the version on Amazon is the new version from Candid I might buy another copy.

Peter
It is hard to be sure as Amazon don’t give a year of reissue as they often do. It seems to have been available for at least a little while so given that and the cover details compared to other recent reissues my guess would be that it’s probably 2011 the US reissue: https://www.discogs.com/release/3366242-Charles-Mingus-Presents-Charles-Mingus or possibly the 2,000 UK reissue. It may be good or the same as your 1987 copy. I would hope that if the new CD reissue is made direct from the analogue tape at the same time as the vinyl that the new one would be better.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
It is hard to be sure as Amazon don’t give a year of reissue as they often do. It seems to have been available for at least a little while so given that and the cover details compared to other recent reissues my guess would be that it’s probably 2011 the US reissue: https://www.discogs.com/release/3366242-Charles-Mingus-Presents-Charles-Mingus or possibly the 2,000 UK reissue. It may be good or the same as your 1987 copy. I would hope that if the new CD reissue is made direct from the analogue tape at the same time as the vinyl that the new one would be better.

Thanks for that, best wishes, Peter
 
Good call for starting a new thread

I’ll start this thread off with these interesting new issues of ORT recordings from 1968 - 71 from Wallen Bink

seconded - i got the first 2 of these from Honest Jons last week,and they are very good - very nicely packaged gatefolds. For those who got the duke pearson reissue from the same guys, these are even nicer

Music is good, although each of the artists tends to redo material already available on their own LP's, but there is not a dud among them, and very impressed how the european band play on the tracks with presumably only limited practice time. Its got a very good "live" feel and certainly not poor to listen to, so if you like the artists I would recommend getting them before they sell out - i am going to place an order for the last one on 3rd set, even through I am not a particular fan of Slide or Art, as I suspect the playing will be a similar high standard and a great opportunity to listen to some material I am not familiar with
 
One for the wishlist - would be lovely if UMG reissued Lou Donaldson's albums for Argo/Cadet. Most of that them have been out of print now for 50+ years.
 
MPS has embarked on a record reissue program. Some interesting titles, not usually on the radar and not expensive.

https://www.mps-music.com/products/

I am interested in many of the albums but my first dip in the water left me cold. I picked up the rare Michael Naura LP. Nice cover (with photo of the mastertape! :D) and I believe decent remastering (supposedly from the mastertape, MoFi style or not) but the actual LP was scuffed and there was annoying noise. I have many many used records that looked better than this piece of sh*t from the sealed album. Checking on Discogs revealed that many buyers had the same complaint. These guys go through the trouble of reissuing good albums but use Optimal to do it.

So caveat emptor. I returned my copy and didn't even bother with a same album exchange.
 
Now Again reissue of Tribe Records. Another interesting series of the hard to get Tribe Records albums. I love the music - 1970s 'Black Power/Black Awareness' protest jazz with a small original print run and distribution. These albums also don't get reissued that much.

https://www.nowagainrecords.com/the-story-of-tribe-records-box-set/

These are supposedly 'lacquered directly from the mastertapes by Bernie Grundman'. Issue is (& there's almost always an 'issue' isn't there?), the sound seems inconsistent and not entirely in keeping with what I am used to with Grundman's usual stellar work. I am not sure if the problem is with the tape, mastering or pressing. (I also found similar less than great Now Again reissues of other artists, allegedly done by Grundman also). Pressing is also of indifferent quality, as expected from GZ. Egon, the guy behind Now Again, puts out interesting & rare stuff and his heart is in the right place but he really needs to figure out how to do justice to this material.

Don't let me be too discouraging though. The music is great and the sound is decent but just not up to what I expect from a Grundman remastering. Pricing is very reasonable but finding a perfect pressing may be a crap shoot. And i feel it's important to support reissues of genuinely rare and expensive albums as opposed to the usual audiophile reissues of the same tired titles ala Chad Kassem.
 
Now Again reissue of Tribe Records. Another interesting series of the hard to get Tribe Records albums. I love the music - 1970s 'Black Power/Black Awareness' protest jazz with a small original print run and distribution. These albums also don't get reissued that much.

https://www.nowagainrecords.com/the-story-of-tribe-records-box-set/

These are supposedly 'lacquered directly from the mastertapes by Bernie Grundman'. Issue is (& there's almost always an 'issue' isn't there?), the sound seems inconsistent and not entirely in keeping with what I am used to with Grundman's usual stellar work. I am not sure if the problem is with the tape, mastering or pressing. (I also found similar less than great Now Again reissues of other artists, allegedly done by Grundman also). Pressing is also of indifferent quality, as expected from GZ. Egon, the guy behind Now Again, puts out interesting & rare stuff and his heart is in the right place but he really needs to figure out how to do justice to this material.

Don't let me be too discouraging though. The music is great and the sound is decent but just not up to what I expect from a Grundman remastering. Pricing is very reasonable but finding a perfect pressing may be a crap shoot. And i feel it's important to support reissues of genuinely rare and expensive albums as opposed to the usual audiophile reissues of the same tired titles ala Chad Kassem.
To be honest I’ve been disappointed with the quality of Now Again releases so often that I won’t consider buying any titles from the label:(
 
Can't blame you.

My Vibes from the Tribe sounds great but warped. OTOH The Time is Now! is lackluster in sound. Both allegedly lacquered directly from the mastertape by Bernie!
 
In that case I’ll recommend a couple of recent CD reissues:

Tony Oxley - February Papers
Tony Oxley - Unreleased 1974 to 2006

Both immaculately recorded and mastered CD/DL releases only, by the heroic Martin Archer on his Discus label, presented in trifold digipacks with artwork by Mr Oxley - CDs that are actually nice to own. Let’s face it, Oxley is an individual genius of the type we’ll probably never see again. February Papers, recorded in 1977, is a classic, (originally released on Incus and these days commanding high prices), comprising of solo, trio and quartet studio pieces. Unreleased - as the title implies - are historical private tapes of various groupings from TO’s personal archive. The opening piece is stunning - hard to believe this was 1974, way ahead of its time.

The Unreleased 1974 to 2006 album is really excellent - perhaps the fullest expression of Tony Oxley’s work without Cecil Taylor that I have heard.
 
I’ll start this thread off with these interesting new issues of ORT recordings from 1968 - 71 from Wallen Bink
https://wallenbink.com/

“Working with the best available mastering sources – mastering all analogue where possible – with support from Grammy award winning mastering engineers at Abbey Road Studios, we strive to meet the highest standards in audio quality.”

These Eric Kleinschuster recordings are all double LP’s and feature sessions with leading American Jazz musicians.
WB0014 Clifford Jordan and Charles Tolliver. https://wallenbink.com/index.php/sh...recordings/erich-kleinschuster-6tet-orf-wb014

Timely review here from LJC with interesting background info and a couple of samples:

https://londonjazzcollector.wordpre...dan-charles-tolliver-1968-9-wallen-bink-2022/

I’ll be opting out. Love Jordan, but hate trombones (excepting Mingus and Moncur - brilliant brass and woodwind arrangements par excellence).
 
Just played "Samara Joy" WR4776LPB Whirlwind Records on vinyl - great voice accompanied by mostly trio (Guitar, bass ,drums) the guitarist -Pasquale Grasso has enough of the Joe Pass/Jim Hall to be pretty impressive in his own right and Samara Joy can do the kind of things that bring us back again and again to Ella and Sarah -great vocal chops.CD is available as well.
 
Really? Albert Mangelsdorff? Robin Eubanks? Steve Turre? Curtis Fuller?

Correct. None of those artists as leaders in my collection. Great instrument for ensemble work and big band arrangements - Mingus has it nailed. Keith Tippett too in some of his work with Nick Evans.
 


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