Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissues

As there seems to be quite a bit of interest in the new reissue of classic Blue Notes that are going to be mastered from the original analogue tapes by Kevin Gray I thought I would start a new seperate thread here for posts to avoid having them in the Tone Poet thread.

Classic Vinyl Reissue Series – Release Schedule:

December 4, 2020

• Lee Morgan – The Sidewinder
• McCoy Tyner – The Real McCoy

January 15, 2021

• Horace Silver – Song for My Father
• Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil

February 12, 2021

• Cannonball Adderley – Somethin’ Else
• Joe Henderson – Page One

March 12, 2021

• Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Moanin’
• Hank Mobley – Soul Station

April 9, 2021

• Sonny Clark – Cool Struttin’
• Jimmy Smith – Back At The Chicken Shack

May 14, 2021

• Dexter Gordon – GO!
• Eric Dolphy – Out To Lunch

June 11, 2021

• Grant Green – Idle Moments
• Kenny Burrell – Midnight Blue

July 9, 2021

• Freddie Hubbard – Ready for Freddie
• Herbie Hancock – Maiden Voyage

http://www.bluenote.com/classic-vinyl-reissue-series/

Personally I have all of the above in pretty decent LP pressings of early copies or as good reissues like those by Music Matters so I doubt I will be tempted. I thought I might want a better copy of the supberb Speak No Evil, but I played it this week and it sounds pretty good to me. Better than the CD I also have. Maybe I will still try that for a comparison, but that could be a slippery slope.

 

I have a few of these from the DeAgostini series - will be interesting to see if there’s a significant difference.

 

Thanks for the link. Some great classics there and the non gatefold format appeals so I may have to rethink my Blue Note strategy in 2021.

 

Yes I have all the ones in the ones above that are in the DeAgostini series as I only missed getting two of those( that are not in the above) due to returning for pressing faults. I think without checking that is about 10 in total. In most cases from memory they are very good even though nearly all have gone through a digital mastering step. I think I have other pressings of nearly all of this 10 as well. In some cases more than 1 mastering of these. I have 4 different masterings and pressings of 'Cool Strutting' for some reason. To be honest while it's interesting to compare pressings ultimately it's a bit silly to keep chasing something that may (or may not) be better as long as what you have is good enough to convey the musical intent. Even just within the Blue Note catalog there so much more to explore that is difficult to find a reasonable price. That is what I have liked about a lot of the choices in the Tone Poet series as there have been quite a few there that I have never heard or only heard on CD.

That is not to decry this series of Classic Reissues as there are many people, particularly who are younger collectors, who have not heard them or have not upto now been able to find a decent pressing at a reasonable price.

 

Yes the beautiful quality of the gatefold and even the single Stoughton covers in the Tone Poets and Music Matters series does add to the pleasure of ownership of those LP's.

 

Like others I have the ones that were in the excellent DeAgostini series, however there are a few I don’t have so I’ll probably get at least those. If they’re up to the quality of the Tone Poets or BN80 releases I’ll be more than happy.

 

Regarding the packaging, I'm guessing these aren't aimed so much at collectors/audiophiles (for one thing many will already own all these titles!) but designed to be an affordable alternative to the dreaded DOL/Doxy/Waxtime/etc product that has flooded the market.

I think it's a great idea - it reminds me a bit of a Japanese style reissue program... Blue Note Masterpiece Selection 150, Hits Of Blue Note Part 1, etc Popular titles released as properly mastered, non-nonsense mass market(ish!) pressings.

 

Well if these prove as good as the BN80's have and they probably will if being mastered by Kevin Gray, then I would certainly regard the mastering 'audiophile standard'. All my pressings of the BN80's were excellent as well, no returns by me. In most cases the noise floor was as low as the Tone Poets as well. So if the UK price point remains under £20 like the BN80's that should make them a much better deal than copyright avoidance crap.

The position may seem a bit different in the US where it seems that the price difference between the BN80's and the Tone Poets can be as low as a few dollars. Collectors there seem regularly to be able to get the Tone Poets that have the better covers for as low as $26 (under £20 at UK conversion) so that makes them a real bargain in comparison to the UK Imported price (as they are pressed at RTI in the US) at around £35 that now seems to be moving upwards? Of course the Classics are being pressed by Optimal in Germany and these may go up in price once Brexit fully kicks in?

 

They're available to pre-order on the Blue Note site for £19, and £22 at Amazon...

https://shop.bluenote.com/*/Music/The-Real-McCoy-Blue-Note-Classic-Vinyl-Edition/6RWO0WPA000

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08DBZDCTQ/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

 

The blue note site has the first 4 of these at 20% off so at £15.19 (exc delivery) - I think this is just for today

 

These are all sold out at the Blue Note store and close to Tone Poet prices elsewhere. Anyone got a reliable source, or news of restock schedule?

 

Soul Brothers in Putney have the first 2 for 2021 for £22.99. Previous 2 are sold out. Still higher than £18.99 on the Blue Note store.
https://soulbrother.com/product-category/jazz/
No idea on restock has most pressing plants have long delays at the moment, which is the reason the Tone Poet full schedual list for 2021 has not yet been posted.

 

I missed the first two but Horace Silver and Wayne Shorter arrived but have yet to play them.

 

Our favourite London jazz critic compares Classic Series Somethin’ Else:

https://londonjazzcollector.wordpre...lse-1958-blue-note-classic-vinyl-series-2021/

 

There appears to be a multitude of variations of this one! I have a New York USA stereo deep groove, RVG STEREO with Ear. Sounds amazing.

 

Issued 186 times according to Discogs!

Just the two for me - a 1976 Toshiba and the De Agostini mastered by Ron McMaster.

Looking forward to finally picking up a decent/affordable Idle Moments this June.

 

It was obviously a well engineered session - even my McMaster CD sounds excellent.