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BLUE NOTE 75TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL REISSUES

Thanks for the bump Graham. I didn't pick up any of these at the time but have been tempted recently when I've seen them in the racks. I had no idea idea it was such a minefield!
 
Essentially keep to EU pressings if you can, as most EU batches pressed by Optimal. Pity the series never appeared on CD, a sign of the times I guess.
 
Graham H said:
Essentially keep to EU pressings if you can, as most EU batches pressed by Optimal. Pity the series never appeared on CD, a sign of the times I guess.
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Graham,
Did not see this thread bump till after I posted something similar in the other one.

It seems no more new ones are being issued as Blue Note 75 other than those here: http://www.bluenote.com/vinylreissues.html
but I am seeing some new Blue Note reissues in the racks (e.g Ray's Jazz shop today) with a different sticker saying 180g Audiophile pressing (or something similar). I assume this is the continuation of the reissues they promised, but not using 75 as well past that now?

I didn't have time to ask if I could check who was pressing these.
 
poco, I'm not aware that Blue Note are releasing any titles at present beyond the 75th series, and those you have seen in Ray's Jazz could be Elemental or Heavenly Sweetness. If you read the small print at the bottom of the sleeve it will indicate whether these are licensed to either of those companies. I think both labels lost their license when the 75th series started. It would be interesting to know where those in Ray's have originated from. Do let us know.

Heavenly Sweetness and Elemental issued some interesting titles. I have Dialogue by Bobby Hutcherson on Elemental and it's a good pressing and sound, similar to 75ths but nowhere near as good as a friend's original. I also have about 10 or more Heavenly Sweetness, again similar to 75ths, perhaps a bit better in terms of warmth. I have no idea where either of these labels were pressed, but there have been some reports on the Hoffman forum of Elemental being generally preferred to 75th, although one has to remember on the Hoffman forum they are probably being compared to US United pressings.

Elemental, EU 75th series and Heavenly Sweetness are all good enough to my ears as stop gaps until original mint copies turn up for a tenner, or Music Matters decide to come out of retirement and release the entire BN catalogue. Dream on in both instances.......
 
Graham,
It was just that before Blue Note changed the page that I linked to and it was being updated monthly I thought there was a reference to them possibly continuing the reissue series. There are 105 on that page, but if I remember they stopped for about 6 months about at 100 and then later just issued the last 5 or 10? I was aware of the Hevenly Sweetness reissues, but not the Elemental.

As I said I was short of time as I was meeting someone and buying a couple of S/H LP's from them so didn't have time to check them properly. Next time I am in town I will check and if they look worthwhile perhaps buy one to try. I think most were about £20 each, not much different from the 75th's they had. Maybe they can be found on Amazon for less?

I now wish I had invested in the Music Matters reissues. They were a bit expensive for me at the time, but they can only increase in value. Not that I would be buying them to make a profit. I have a few of originals or early pressings, but I brought those about 40 years ago. It certainly would be a dream to find a decent one for £10 now! :)

I was pretty lucky yesterday though, one of the S/H ones I brought from Ray's was and original NM Decca Ace of Clubs of Alexis Korner R & B at the Marquee for £18. :)
 
I was lucky enough to obtain all the MM I wanted, about 20 or so, alongside a few Analogue Productions. The only one I regret not getting is Basra, although I think I have tracked down a nice used copy. Believe me, finding original BNs for a tenner is a dream I frequently have!

There was indeed talk of extending the 75th series beyond the 100 titles, but apart from an additional batch or two that included the Sam Rivers title, to the best of my knowledge there has been nothing since. Pity really, I was hoping for Andrew! and Compulsion! - two less popular titles but brilliant music. And shamefully we never did see any Herbie Nichols. I get the feeling that maybe this series didn't sell as well as anticipated.
 
Graham H said:
There was indeed talk of extending the 75th series beyond the 100 titles, but apart from an additional batch or two that included the Sam Rivers title, to the best of my knowledge there has been nothing since. Pity really, I was hoping for Andrew! and Compulsion! - two less popular titles but brilliant music. And shamefully we never did see any Herbie Nichols. I get the feeling that maybe this series didn't sell as well as anticipated.
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I think some sold better than others as some of the original 100 are now difficult to find (especially in an EU pressing) or at least are more expensive than others that are still easily obtained. Quite a few things that I would have liked to see as well.

Do you know if this Avid CD remaster of 4 Herbie Nichols albums is any good?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01I6MJBXU/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
 
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I'm disapponted that neither the 75th series nor the MM 33rpm had much in the way of Joe Henderson, just the MM 'Page One', as far as I remember. I really didn't want to go 45rpm with those albums.

I did a brief comparison of 75th vs MM the other night with Wayne Shorter's 'Speak No Evil'. Qutie a difference. I listened to the 75th of 'Witch Hunt' first and really liked it; very good presence on Wayne Shorter's solo, obviously more of a mid-range emphasis which made Freddie Hubbard's solo creamier in texture and more forward. The massive difference switching to the MM is how much more of Elvin you can hear. It's much more full range and dynamic. The whole sound is a bit more refined and clear as well, but the dynamics are the big thing.

There is always a trade off with this kind of audiophile release, between full range dynamics and mid-range concentration and projection. Sometimes they can be mastered with too much attention to dynamics, with the result that the soloing instruments are pushed much too far backwards in the mix. I have one or two Analogue Productions and Mobile Fidelity recordings that do this, although others are well balanced. Most of the MM releases got the balance very well.
 
The 75's reissued 'Mode for Joe' but that seems to be one that is now hard to find. I didn't get it as I have a 1980's reissue that is fairly good.

I'm not really interested in any of the 45 two disk versions even if some sound better.

I forgot 75's also reissued Joe Hederson 'State of the Tenor vol 1'. That is still on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TUQ3KAM/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21 I would like a good LP copy of Inner Urge.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
I can't recommend the Avid sets, the one I tried sounded compressed and one disc was a needle drop. The BN 90s reissue CD set of Herbie Nichols sounds fine. But those arty sleeves are crying out for vinyl reissue.

I like the 45 MMs, and Joe Henderson's Inner Urge sounds fabulous. Good excercise those 45s. I'd agree it's the dynamic range of the drums that really sets the MMs apart, especially when Elvin Jones is involved.
 
Paul, they are well worth snapping up for those without any Herbie Nichols in their jazz lives. I have the 90's box which sound excellent, these may be even better.
 
Graham H said:
I'd agree it's the dynamic range of the drums that really sets the MMs apart, especially when Elvin Jones is involved.
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And just as much when Tony Williams is involved, a prime example being the solo on 'One Finger Snap' at the beginning of 'Empyrean Isles'.

Just listening to Herbie's 'Inventions and Dimensions' (streaming; I don't have a vinyl copy). This is another one I wish MM had done on 33rpm. It's precisely the kind of album I don't want to have to keep turning over.
 
Elephantears said:
Just listening to Herbie's 'Inventions and Dimensions' (streaming; I don't have a vinyl copy). This is another one I wish MM had done on 33rpm. It's precisely the kind of album I don't want to have to keep turning over.
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There is an online petition to try to get Music Matters to continue with the Blue Note reissues that has had a bit of press coverage, but given the cost and complexity of these sort of licensing arrangements I'm not sure it's likely to succeed.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/takeaction/991/002/449/
 
Graham H said:
Paul, they are well worth snapping up for those without any Herbie Nichols in their jazz lives. I have the 90's box which sound excellent, these may be even better.
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I have this Japanese vinyl issue combining vols 1 & 2 on a single disc.

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Was pointing out for the benefit of other board members :)
 
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