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Tone Poet Blue Notes

I'm skipping Blue Trane, but for those who want the stereo double pack, this guy has it for £42 plus postage, which I think is cheaper than most. I've bought quite a few things from him with no issues.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19536522...d=link&campid=5338728743&toolid=20001&mkevt=1
Juno Records now have the Complete Masters at £39.50 now and it at present says In Stock. Only £1.25 more than the mono. Bit of a bargain. Wish I had waited a bit longer now.
https://www.juno.co.uk/products/john-coltrane-blue-train-the-complete-masters/893486-01/
 
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Well the Complete Masters has just dropped through the door. Absolutely terrible. I can’t live with this!!! On the back cover Locomotion is listed in position as track 3 side one instead of position as track 1 side two. Worst on alternate takes Lazy Bird alternative take one is listed as 1st track side 4 and it is not even on the LP!!! t will have to go back. I can’t possibly be expected to enjoy the music with this error. ;););)

Could this fault be the reason for the sudden heavy discount? Awkward.
 
... and I wondered why I thought it was a good idea having the stereo version when the hard pan technique was, in 1957, at its most naive sounding, with all the horns and piano in one channel and the rhythm section in the other.

I picked the stereo version up yesterday and this was my first thought! More listening required now, as it's growing on me!
 
I picked the stereo version up yesterday and this was my first thought! More listening required now, as it's growing on me!

Given a good system capable of real scale and heft it sounds far more real to me than everything mushed-up in the middle mono. Far more like being in a rehearsal space or studio with the musicians.
 
Given a good system capable of real scale and heft it sounds far more real to me than everything mushed-up in the middle mono. Far more like being in a rehearsal space or studio with the musicians.

I agree Tony. On my Klipsch, the stereo version sounded quite nicely filled in the middle.
 
Given a good system capable of real scale and heft it sounds far more real to me than everything mushed-up in the middle mono. Far more like being in a rehearsal space or studio with the musicians.

Scale and heft not a problem here (Bryston 4B3 driving PMC iB2 SE speakers)! I agree that it does sound very authentic (and I'm playing it now), but the heavy left channel bias is a little distracting. If I sit over towards the right hand speaker and behind my usual listening spot, whilst the imaging is vague, the musicians sound real and the quality of the recording, and the musicianship, shine through!
 
Sounds like a screw up by someone. Up to £53.50 now.
I asked my local indie shop owner about this today. He said the big stores have algorithms set to price match cheaper eBay sellers automatically. Someone, he suggested, may have forgotten to enter a minimum. So how can the guy I bought from undercut everyone else by a tenner, I asked? Casting no aspersions, he said, eBay - unlike Discogs - don’t insist you pay taxes on your sales as a commercial trader, they just suggest that you should.
 
Listening to the stereo Blue Train. Never heard it in stereo before. The soundstage is wiiiide! Tremendous stuff. No more analysis, I’m just enjoying…
 
The new Kenny Burrell is the first BN I've wanted to buy mainly because of the cover!

The music seems decent enough, the sound will, I'm sure, be ace, but that cover :cool:

OIP.gG2OFBJH89ynpcwkLTpDywHaHa


The upcoming Blue Mitchell looks pretty fine as well but I'm not really sure I really need (or can handle) any more "vin ordinaire" hard bop at this stage.

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Maybe this is all I need - and Qobuz :eek:

The Cover Art of Blue Note Records: The Collection: Amazon.co.uk: Marsh, Graham, Callingham, Glyn: 9781911163701: Books
 
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but that cover :cool:
I totally get that - it was a display of 4 B-N's in the Virgin megastore, of the pathe-marconi reissues in the mid 80's, that got me into both Jazz in general and BN specifically

Am picking up the grant green and kenny burrell later today at Elephant music in Winchester - worth a tip for any PFers that are ever in the area.......
 
The new Kenny Burrell is the first BN I've wanted to buy mainly because of the cover!

The music seems decent enough, the sound will, I'm sure, be ace, but that cover :cool:
I was going to pass on this as at first, but the cover persuaded me as well. But this 1956 Mono recording sounds great. Joe Harley and Kevin Gray did a great job on this. Given the recording date, the fact that it is four different line ups, recorded in three different recording spaces it should have no right to sound this good. It’s a fascinating insight on one LP as to how RVG modified his recording technique for the different spaces on the different dates. On March 12 (tracks 4-8) were recorded at the Audio-Video Studios, NYC. On May 29 (track 1) & May 30 (track 2) at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ and on May 31 1956 (track 3) at the Cafe Bohemia. All sound very good, with excellent, for RVG, piano sound in particular those with Tommy Flalangan, who’s playing is excellent throughout.

You can easily hear the differences in the size of the recording spaces of each venue even in Mono. The more intimate (smaller) space of Hackensack where he uses very close mikes to prevent, on track, 1 mike bleed and that also pushes forward Burrell’s guitar and Candido’s congas into your room, giving amazingly fast transient attack to their playing while you hear the rest of the band further back, but still clearly defined in space, with Kenny Clarke’s cymbal well to the rear , but sounding beautiful. On Track 2, Burrell just solo, he sounds beautifully, closeup, intimate and very full range and dynamic.

Track 3 Mexico City really captures the live club ambience and in particular the great slightly ‘hot’ recording on the excellent Kenny Dorham’s Trumpet solo that is well forward in the mix.

For me RVG really scores with the larger Audio NYC Audio Visual Studios space where the mikes are spaced at a slightly greater distance that captures the ambience of the larger space, but also has a pretty much perfect balance between all the instruments with beautifully captured detail and dynamics. I think he may have used this studio on a couple of other occasions. I think for Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers? I really liked Frank Foster’s Tenor and Flanagan’s piano as well as Burrell’s guitar on 3 of these tacks.

This really is another top notch and fascinating Tone Poet reissue. :)
 
The main photo inside of KB is a beauty too. Do I need the Grant Green Jim?
Gavin, Only one play through so far so I may change my mind on further listens. I wouldn’t say it is essential musically and it depends on how many other Grant Green recordings you have. I have quite a few and it is obvious he is a Joe Harley Favourite. GG has many o his usual cliches, phrase repeated many times etc. Billy Higgins keeps the beat sounds a little be bored to me playing this church / gospel music a lot of the time and may not have been the best choice. But for me what does make it worthwhile is Herbie Hancock’s piano playing. I don’t really associate him with the style he plays here, but it shows what a great pianist and how adaptable he is. He plays some great solos that also really swing. Centrally placed piano and again excellently captured by RVG. I may need to reconsider his recording of piano given some of these recent Tone Poets. It is all beautifully recorded and the whole does sound well ... Beautiful.
 
Gavin, Only one play through so far so I may change my mind on further listens. I wouldn’t say it is essential musically and it depends on how many other Grant Green recordings you have. I have quite a few and it is obvious he is a Joe Harley Favourite. GG has many o his usual cliches, phrase repeated many times etc. Billy Higgins keeps the beat sounds a little be bored to me playing this church / gospel music a lot of the time and may not have been the best choice. But for me what does make it worthwhile is Herbie Hancock’s piano playing. I don’t really associate him with the style he plays here, but it shows what a great pianist and how adaptable he is. He plays some great solos that also really swing. Centrally placed piano and again excellently captured by RVG. I may need to reconsider his recording of piano given some of these recent Tone Poets. It is all beautifully recorded and the whole does sound well ... Beautiful.

Thanks :) I really enjoyed The Latin Bit and Born to be Blue. I have a few CDs too and about 3 different Idle Moments. I suspect that I might give in because it will certainly sell out if I procrastinate too much
 
Fwiw I passed on the Grant Green - enjoying the Kenny Burrell and great to see the Warhol cover - it’s easy to forget what an excellent graphic artist he was before he got into screen printing.
 
Feelin' the Spirit was a bit of a sleeper for me. I had been less than keen on Green playing a bunch of spirituals and gospel tunes but as it turns out, I do like it. Better than some of his other albums, e.g. Born to be Blue.

BTW I have the Liberty press but don't feel the need to get the Tone Poet. Especially with the price increase.
 


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