RVG has made a huge contribution to recorded sound, particularly in the house sound for the classic Blue Note period from the 1950's into the 1960's. As I understand it what made his approach different was both mic placement and a tendency to record hotter than was generally done at the time. Having said that, I am skeptical that RVG would be physically up the challenge of remastering today. Not that he doesn't have the knowledge and skill, but he has 88 year old ears. Sorry folks, some things just aren't built to last and no one is spared from hearing deterioration over time. Just my two cents. And I still buy cd's remastered by RVG without much complaint, but I am convinced the job should be in the hands of someone younger. At this point in time "RVG remastered" is, to me, sort of marketing gimmick.
Interesting points Tom.
I would like to add that another attribute to Rudy's work was his ability to "equalize" all of the instruments in the mix. He brought a really nice democratic presentation to his recordings. He also solved alot of the issues around piano, getting rid of that glassy high end (which some people don't like about him).
Many artists couldn't stand him, and some would flat out not work with him, Mingus being one. Mingus thought that Rudy homogenized an artists sound. I have read that Johnny Griffin and him did not agree on much either.
As far as his ability to hear, I would have to disagree with you. Some of his best recordings have been in the last 10 years or so. Check out Houston Person's output on Highnote, nicely rep'd on
The Art and Soul. Sublime, top level hifi.
Even if his hearing had deteriorated, his contribution is mostly in the fact that he knew all of these artists, and what they wanted to achieve in the studio. Some of the original recordings are more from the perspective of the producer. Take Alfred Lion for instance. Yes, he was always concerned about his artists' ideas, but at the end of the day, the music had to be able to represent his label the way he saw fit. This is why so many amazing sessions were shelved.
Quite often RVG will unlock some of the artists ideas that he recalls from the sessions, into the newer remasters. Frankly I think the "RVG Edition" is a mark of quality and in some cases, a different perspective.
My 2 cents...
