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DeAgostini Classic Jazz on 33 1/3 Collection

I’m listening to Kind of Blue again and thinking it would be wonderful if they finished the series with the mono version of the album. A kind of circle where the end returns you to the beginning.
 
poco a poco said:
Archie Shepp - 'On This Night'. DeAgostini Jazz 33 reissue LP. I was really looking forward to this Jazz 33 reissue, but sound quality wise it is one of the very few Jass 33's that are a real disappointment. Instrument seperation is good, but is it really lacking in dynamics and looses the power and excitement of Shepp's playing and 'weight' to the drums. Turning up the volume way past my normal setting does little to restore it. Only Huctcherson's vibes comes off reasonably well. It was recorded a year later than 'Four for Trane' above by the same team so I expect an original sounds similar to that, which is spectacular. Here it seems whoever did the mastering didn't want you too shocked by the music. Perhaps works with track 2, Ellington's 'In a Setimental Mood', but little else.
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I Posted the above earlier in the listening now thread re this latest Jazz 33. Bit too polite for the music. The next issue is Ben Webster - 'Ben Webster and Associates'. I hope that is better sound wise.
 
Just catching up with my latest Jazz 33 arrivals with the Ben Webster & Associates issue. This is excellent with some great solos from all the participants. Really good 1959 recording on Verve, although as usual for the time very left / right. Good mastering and excellent quiet pressing as well.
The Guitar Artistry of Tal Farlow is the next issue. Mine was due at my newsagents this week, but so far has not arrived.
 
I revived this thread to say I'm still enjoying nearly all of the reissues in this series. I'm upto number 69 now, Billy Holiday - 'Lady Sings the Blues' that I picked up last week and it's a very good mastering and pressing. I have the 10 LP's Japanese 1946 - 59 Billy Holiday on Verve box set that I always thought was pretty good. It's still a great detailed anthology of her late works, but comparing the 'cuts' of from this from the 'Lady Sings the Blues' sessions with the DeAgostino I have to say I prefer the latter by quite a margin.

The box set cuts are perhaps a little more dynamic, but Billy's voice is more forward and more sibilant on these and in comparison it hides some of the subtleties in her interpretations and some of the depth between her and her backing musicians. Yes both are original mono, but I can still here depth with both pressings, it's just a little better on the DeAgostino, but still does not loose the power of say Charlie trumpet on 'Strange Fruit'.

Lovely silent pressing from the French MPO plant on my copy as well.

Are others here continuing with this series?
 
Yes, I’m still subscribing - though a couple of issues behind you, and will probably see the series through to the end.

There have been one or two titles that have been a bit meh, but the vast majority have been excellent.
 
I was visting a friend last week who has subscribed to the whole series. I'm a little jealous as they are lovely and many are better than the reissues I've bought over the years. The sleeves are lovely reproductions of original releases including gatefolds.

While I was thee he asked me to listen to the Drum Suite record which he thought sounded strangely modern. It was indeed: it was the first Jaco Pastorious record with the wrong label on it.

Anyone else come across this?

Kevin
 
kjb said:
While I was thee he asked me to listen to the Drum Suite record which he thought sounded strangely modern. It was indeed: it was the first Jaco Pastorious record with the wrong label on it.

Anyone else come across this?
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Yes, it was a mistake on their part, lots of people had the same problem. If he contacts De Agostini they'll replace the LP with the correct recording and let him keep the incorrect one.

The only thing that bugs me about the sleeves are the small hologram things on the back. I haven't worked out how to remove them easily and without damaging the sleeve.
 
I've just got around to listening to Shirley Horn 'travelin light'. I don't know how I missed this lady first time around.. but superb stuff. Very understated and self-effacing in my view, but no less competent for all that. Lovely stuff. I shall seek out more.
 
Well I just picked up number 70 from my newsagent today: Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train. Sadly it says on the back page of the magazine that this is the last one in the series. I have, with one or two acceptions, really enjoyed the mastering, pressing quality and title selection of this series. Even though I had quite a few of them it has been fun to compare the mastering. I had thought there were about 10 or so more when previously issued in Italy, but some of the series were different so perhaps this is a copyright issue in different countries?

It seems then that they will not be issuing the Jaco Pastorius in the correct cover? Although I was allowed keep the one in the incorrect Drum Suite cover.
 
poco a poco said:
Well I just picked up number 70 from my newsagent today: Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train. Sadly it says on the back page of the magazine that this is the last one in the series.
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Boo! They said originally said there'd be around 100 issues. Perhaps sales fell off too much.
 
Stunsworth said:
Boo! They said originally said there'd be around 100 issues. Perhaps sales fell off too much.
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That is what I thought might happen as you never see many of these part works in newsagents after about issue 10. I thought this would be really annoying if you brought one of the part work model kits and could not complete it after spending quite a bit of money, but my newsagent said she has sold a number of these, some running to nearly a 100 parts, and they do get to run till the end as long as people put in an order. So perhaps their intention was only to run 70 in the U.K. When they worked out the licencing agreement?
 
These are the 17 that were on the DeAgostini Italian website list of 80 and that we did not get in the series of 70 in the U.K. We did though get quite a few others that are not in the Italian series. I have a few of these below, but would have liked to have got the others.

Standards vol I - Keith Jarrett
Waltz for debbie - Bill Evans
It could happen to you - Chet Baker
Saxophone colossus - Sonny Rollins
Bright Size Light - Pat Metheny Group
The Wee Small Hours - Frank Sinatra
Incredible! - Wes Montgomery
Max Roach - Deeds not wars
Bill Evans - Portrait in Jazz
Nina Simone - Nina Simone at Village Gate
Stephane Grappelli - Afternoon in Paris
Gene Ammons - The soul moods
Art Tatum & Ben Webster - The album/The Art
Etta Jones - Don't Go to Strangers
Lee Konitz - Duets
Abbey Lincoln - Abbey is Blue
Much in common - Ray Brown & Milton Jackson
 
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Dinah Washington 'In the Land of Hi-Fi' was in the UK series.. or at least in what I received. And a very nice album it is too.

I must check out the 'Drum Suite thing as I'm not familiar wth either the 'alleged' artist or the one who 'snuck in' and haven't listened to it yet. And I must request a replacement.

I'm up to issue 64 I think now and was beginning to think I now have enough modern jazz. I've probably only listened to about 40% so far. b Most of it is fine and I've been a bit of a jazz fn since childhood.. but some of it, such as Eric Dolphy, might for all I know, be clever..but does nothing for me. I have a simple test for music. Does it move me? I'm afraid Eric doesn't.

Overall though.. a very satisfying purchase. :)
 
Mullardman said:
Dinah Washington 'In the Land of Hi-Fi' was in the UK series.. or at least in what I received. And a very nice album it is too.
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You are of course correct. It is number 50 in the series. I used the DeAgostini back numbers list rather than checking through all my records to compare and number 50 is missing from that: https://shop.deagostini.co.uk/filter-by/back-issues/jazz-at-33-rpm/?p=5 Perhaps that one sold out? I have edited that one out now from above.

I have listened to them all and generally the quality has been very good. Where I have an original or very early pressing I have tended to prefer it, but where the pressing I have is later I have preferred the Jazz 33 even when I think I can detect a slight 'digital signature' in the mastering. I have made a few comparisons back through this thread.

I nearly didn't go for this series as the first 'Kind of Blue' was a real disappointment compared to my Nimbus pressing. I'm glad I persisted.
 
What have been everyone's Top 5 from the UK series?

Mine would be

1. Alfie - Sonny Rollins
2. Time Out - Dave Brubeck
3. Milestones - Miles Davis
4. Moanin' - Art Blakey
5. Study In Brown - Clifford Brown and Max Roach
 
Well I depends if you mean just musically or just mastering / pressing or a balance of the two over another version. I assume you mean musically? I am discounting those I already had on either Vinyl or CD which was quite a few. Although where I I have only had a CD version I think in every case I have preferred the Jazz 33 and in a few cases they have been so much better they have made me appreciate the music more.

Difficult to choose as such a diverse range of Jazz, but I think my 5 from those I did not have before, in no particular order of preference are:

Albert Ayler - In Greenwich Village
Art Blakey - Drum Suite
Joe Henderson - Page One
Ahmad Jamal - At the Pershing, But Not For Me
Horace Silver - Song for my Father.

I reserve my right to change my mind of course with more repeat plays. ;)
 
poco a poco said:
Well I depends if you mean just musically or just mastering / pressing or a balance of the two over another version. I assume you mean musically?
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I didn't mean mastering/pressing as all the ones I've bought have been fantastic.

I chose my 5 from those that I keep going back to again and again. Maybe that surprised me how wonderful the music is based on what I expected (Alfie/Time Out) to just sheer skill of the performance and enjoyment of listening (Moanin', Milestones, Study).

Drum Suite in the end was a disappointment for me (after all that palaver and waiting). It was the one I anticipated most but unfortunately I don't find the extended drumming demonstration of side 1 that listenable really.
 
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