Blue Note Re-Issued LP's

[charles64]

I've bought maybe a dozen or so of the 304 Park ave Labeled LP's-from "Roll Call" and "Cornbread" to "Blue Trane" and "Something Else". I've got to say that for $10 this is a great way to build a Hard Bop Jazz collection without breaking the bank. I own several older Blue Labeled "Re-Issue Series" disc's and I believe these newer LP's compare favorably,despite what I've read elsewhere on line. I'm listening to Grant Green as I type this and it sounds great! Maybe I'm not as sophisticated as some,but I have no complaints. :thmbsp:

 

[dmax99]

I've gotten a couple that were pretty noisy,most were decent tho.

 

[charles64]

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there's something to be said for hearing this great music on vinyl,as opposed to compact disc. Also,how bad are they really? I mean,a brand new LP of music from the heyday of the New York jazz scene for a sawbuck. So,what-I should shell out $2000 for BN1540 or not listen to Mobley with Byrd and Morgan at all-because Some albums Might have a little background noise??

 

[Arkay]

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there's something to be said for hearing this great music on vinyl,as opposed to compact disc. Also,how bad are they really? I mean,a brand new LP of music from the heyday of the New York jazz scene for a sawbuck. So,what-I should shell out $2000 for BN1540 or not listen to Mobley with Byrd and Morgan at all-because Some albums Might have a little background noise??

I think that puts it nicely in perspective. Sure, we'd all love to have pristine original pressings of every old and desirable title, and we'd all like to have the very best-sounding pressings ever, of each of the tittles in our collections, but clearly that is impossible. Some lucky few can do that by spending enough money, others can do it after years of searching and a measure of luck, but if we are willing to accept some degre of trade-off in sound quality, at least we can enjoy the music via a re-release, until we can find something better. It "takes the pressure off" a bit, in terms of when we hope to strike that rare "score" on an original LP.

 

[KrisM]

I know the $10 Blue Note topic has come up a few times. Some call them horrible, and think they are fakes, other have been happy with them. I personally think there have been a few different batches of them. I have a few and think they sound good, and have decent quality covers.
Like others I wish I had access to a bunch of the originals, but they just don't show up around me unless I want to pay a pretty big dollar, which I don't. I've been looking through the thrift bins and garage sales for almost eight years, and the only original Blue Notes I've come across were a couple of Sidney Bechet lps.
My personal advice would be to give a few of the $10 ones a try, but buy from a store that will take them back if they turn out to be the bad, noisy ones.

 

[vinyl1]

The MusicMasters are the ones to get. They two-LP 45-rpm sets that cost $50. THe sound and quality is fanastic.

 

[anytune]

I got this 1976 Blue Note re-issue sampler at a thrift store for a quarter. I don't know much about jazz, but the recording sounds very good.

 

[KeninDC]

Blue Note reissued numerous classic LPs in the 70s. They also put together a number of compilations. Many of these sound fantastic and generally sell for less than the latest batch of reissues.

 

[poppachubby]

Blue Note reissued numerous classic LPs in the 70s. They also put together a number of compilations. Many of these sound fantastic and generally sell for less than the latest batch of reissues.

+1

So,what-I should shell out $2000 for BN1540 or not listen to Mobley with Byrd and Morgan at all-because Some albums Might have a little background noise??

Uhhhhh no you shouldn't. Not sure where you got that figure from. I do however get your point.

We have to understand something when we say "original". The high value pressings of Blue Notes are early run, first pressings. They have 3 or so discriminating features. The mono versions are more valuable than the stereo.

So, after the first run, the more popular albums would have needed to be run yet again to meet sales demands. These albums are effectively original, just not hyper valuable.

Typically, an early run Blue Note in reasonable, not NM shape, would be around the $100 mark depending on the title. The more rare, higher the value. The NM and excellent condition titles can then approach the 3 - 500 mark.

Anyhow, that's still alot of cake. My point is that I have a huge stack of original Blue Notes in VG condition which I have probably paid $25 - 35 on average for. Not too bad and make for a great collection.

As far as the reissues go, listen to what you dig...

 

[reggaenaut]

I have a sealed Blue Train here for sometime. How do I know if it is a reissue?

 

[vinyl1]

The characteristics you mention don't just indicate an early pressing, they indicate sound quality. The reason audiophile collectors are willing to pay high prices for these early pressings is that the sound is vastly superior to the later issues.

I learned this myself when I picked up a copy of Horace Silver's Songs of My Father from a street vendor for $5. It has the New York address and the RVG stamp, but lacks the deep groove and the 'ear'.

I took it to a listening session, and had a jazz collector bring an original. My copy sounded nice enough, but it was absolutely no match for the original, which had killer sound.

I was informed that the 'ear' is really a 'P', which stands for the pressing plant BN used before Liberty Records bought them. Any pressings without it, even if they don't say so, were made by Liberty Records and are much lower quality. In the case of the record I had, my pressing was worth $25-40 and the original was worth $200-300. You get what you pay for.

 

[gmku]

I know the $10 Blue Note topic has come up a few times. Some call them horrible, and think they are fakes, other have been happy with them. I personally think there have been a few different batches of them. I have a few and think they sound good, and have decent quality covers.
Like others I wish I had access to a bunch of the originals, but they just don't show up around me unless I want to pay a pretty big dollar, which I don't. I've been looking through the thrift bins and garage sales for almost eight years, and the only original Blue Notes I've come across were a couple of Sidney Bechet lps.
My personal advice would be to give a few of the $10 ones a try, but buy from a store that will take them back if they turn out to be the bad, noisy ones.

The $10-range BN reissues are very nice. I like the point about the cheap cost of LPs when the originals were made. That's what made the LP so great. It was affordable high-fidelity for the masses--nothing at all wrong with that.

 

[KeninDC]

The characteristics you mention don't just indicate an early pressing, they indicate sound quality. The reason audiophile collectors are willing to pay high prices for these early pressings is that the sound is vastly superior to the later issues.

Agreed. The sound of these early pressings can be stunning. Deep, warm, and detailed. I have many I picked up from a colleague's uncle that collected jazz.

Still - I will pick up a Liberty-era Blue Note LP when I see it. Almost always decent and always all-analog.

Some folks will pay more for an early mono LP when many sessions (especially RVG) were recorded in true stereo. In essence, they are paying more for what is, in many cases, a mono fold-down (albeit a damn good mono fold-down). I'd argue that the better sounding version in lots of cases is the less expensive stereo version. Price does not always reflect sound quality.

Ken

 

[dmax99]

I've got alot of the liberties,I think they sound pretty damn good. Hard to beat the price too.I think seven or eight dollars for most of them.

 

[PickyEars81]

I have one or two of the new BN reissues. Not too bad.

 

[bluestime]

Are The BN re-issues re mastered?

 

[Ilikevinyl]

Just picked up this Blue Note Reissue Series at the thrift for $1.98 (2 records). Sounds really good to me.:yes:

 

[GreatTone]

I'm glad someone is having good luck with the $10 Blue Notes. I tried a couple and they were dreadful. I couldn't tell much about how well they were mastered because the pressing quality was so bad.

I prefer the Music Matters 45 rpm reissues. They are $50 each, but I'm more into quality these days than quantity. The covers they have produced are works of art, which is appropriate considering the iconic status of many Blue Note cover designs.

Then again, I have a pretty extensive jazz collection, so I need to limit the number of albums I take in these days.

 

[gmku]

I'm glad someone is having good luck with the $10 Blue Notes. I tried a couple and they were dreadful. I couldn't tell much about how well they were mastered because the pressing quality was so bad.

I prefer the Music Matters 45 rpm reissues. They are $50 each, but I'm more into quality these days than quantity. The covers they have produced are works of art, which is appropriate considering the iconic status of many Blue Note cover designs.

Then again, I have a pretty extensive jazz collection, so I need to limit the number of albums I take in these days.

I'd love to have the money for reissues at $50 a pop! I think I'm extravagant picking up the 180 gram things (not necessary BN) for 20 bucks plus.

Really, it seems wrong to me that the LP has to cost so much these days. One thing I loved about this habit in college was that I could support it while remaining relatively poor.

 

[vinyl1]

Buy two copies of the MusicMasters. Wait until it goes out of print. Put your extra copy on eBay for $100 - RARE! Out of Print!