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In Reply to: RE: Music Matters Stereo 'Cool Struttin' arrived today... posted by kuma on November 26, 2014 at 20:27:42
I've had the 45RPM reissue for several years. I've got a lot of other MM and AP Blue Note reissues, too.
My own take on these is that while they're excellent and worth the money when you compare auction prices for used copies of the same records, they're not as good as RVG Blue Notes from any era. Kevin Grey smooths things out just a bit more than he should in my opinion.
That hasn't stopped me from buying them, though 45s and 33s.
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My experience so far for this new Music Matters reissues done by Kevin does not round thing off at all. Nothing else the dynamics is improved so that it has more jump factor.So balance wise they work just perfect in my system.
Cool Struttin' for instance, when I put on the original Classical reissue, it sounds very good in a laid back easy going way. Then put on Music Matters' 33 then all the musicians come in front. Almost watching a sepia tone pictures turn to glorious full colour. I would love to hear the original stereo or mono!
That's just one title. so I would be curious to compare it Moanin' and Somethin' Else ( both are Classics reissue and the latter I have compared it to the Blue Note original mono )
Also, these new 33 reissues come in cheaper than what I paid for Classic reissues.
Since so many of reissues are in poor quality, these vinyl are bargain!I have a few AP reissue but don't have the same title as the Music Matters 33s so I can't directly compare.
Edits: 11/27/14
I prefer Grundman to Grey, I think Grundman's and Chris Bell's work on the Rhino reissues is superior. That's just my opinion.
Kevin Grey doesn't roll off the top and bottom, there's just a smoothness to his stuff...one of the things I love about playing jazz records is how they sound, it's like the combo is in the room. RVG Blue Notes have more of that than the Music Matters and Analogue Productions reissues, regardless of vintage.
Like I said though this hasn't stopped me from buying the MM and AP repops. They are extremely good and even at the $50 price for the 45s they're less than RVG Blue Notes.
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which overlaps with AP and MM?
I wasn't aware of Grundman's Rhino reissues. I love thier Court and Spark reissue.
I still haven't ABed any of the MM with AP ( not sure if there are title overlap ) so my impression is only based on a comparison to Classic reissue on one title.
Now speaking of *smoothness* my friend who's a serious record collector, can't stand AP reissues who claims that they make the music too laid back and smooth. I found their recent mono reissues excellent but haven't compared them to anything else.
And a lot of rock titles like the latest Hendrix reissues. He might have done that Joni album.
The Atlantic stuff reissued by Rhino is top notch, better than original.
I like the AP and MM records just fine, really, got a lot of them.
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I can only find 3 Rhino jazz titles and none of them overlap with Music Matters release.
I don't know how much overlap with Classic, didn't buy many of the Classic jazz titles unfortunately. I wanted to but didn't have the money at the time.
Wouldn't surprise me if Bernie Grundman mastered most of the jazz Classic reissues including the Blue Notes but I've never had the opportunity to compare any Classic reissues with MM or AP.
However I have had the chance to compare RVG Blue Notes with MM reissues and I prefer the RVGs. Doesn't matter if they're NY, Liberty blue and white, or UA "black" notes.
This is a matter of taste, of course.
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Edits: 11/27/14
as I now remember that the BG etched on the dead wax.
Regarding RVG Blue Notes, I do see there is a new remaster listed on the Discog list with BG's credit with it.
Is that the 2014 75th Anniversary European pressing you have? altho, there is one from the US pressing with Grundman's credit!
If so I have not heard those. My past Blue Note reissues have been very limited and the ones I do have aren't that great. (mainly Hancock titles ) Just about the only decent reissues have been the ones with blue label with 'b' on it. Not sure who did the mastering on those.
The one I have compared to the MM reissue was 1987 digital stereo remaster/transfer by Ron McMaster.
Edits: 11/28/14
Not mastered by Bernie Grundman either. No idea who mastered them, but they were remixed from digitized files. There are initials in the deadwax but they're none I've ever seen before. According to Michael Fremer's articles on the 75th Anniversary releases, at least some of them are mastered by Bernie Grundman or Chris Bell but neither of the two I have were.
The best Blue Notes are any with the name "Van Gelder" or initials "RVG" in the deadwax.
The main problem with Rudy Van Gelder Blue Notes is that they're getting more expensive by the minute. It wouldn't surprise me if the Classics are, too.
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also with BG as a mastering engineer.
I've a few RVG mastered/recorded discs here but none of them are Blue Notes!
I have some original Riverside albums but can't remember if any of them had "RVG" or "Van Gelder" in the dead wax.
I've got some classical music records on the Vox label that were mastered by Van Gelder.
I did some more research, the two 75th Anniversary Blue Notes I bought were mastered by Ian Sefchick. Alan Yoshida did some of the others, still more were mastered by an engineer unknown.
From what I can glean in the comments section at Analog Planet, apparently Bernie Grundman only mastered the UK versions of the 75th Anniversary reissues that were pressed by Optimal and sold in Europe and England. You might be able to get them from Amazon. These were released in 2014 along with the rest of the 75th Anniversary sets.
The Blue Notes have been reissued so many times, it's not all that easy to keep track. Besides AP, MM, and Classics, there are the Scorpios, the CD+LP series, US and French DMMs, Cadre Rouge, Japanese King, 1987 Mastered by Capitol, and as you go back there were White Notes, Black Notes, black labels with blue edge, different permutations of the iconic blue and white label...I've probably left some out.
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Edits: 11/28/14
I am very happy with Music Matters 33 so far that I won't be looking for another copy for sure.
I generally like Kevin Gray's mastering. That said, today I received Analogue Productions' 'Lush Life' and Music Matters' 'Sidewinder'. Kevin Gray remastered both titles and Van Gelder did the original engineering/recording for both titles per Wikipedia.
Playing back to back, Sidewinder sounds so much more alive and dynamic than the Lush Life. Longer Note decays as well as clearer base line. Red Garland's piano is muted and veiled. ( not certain if this is in the original mix as this is the only vinyl copy I have ) Granted, this isn't exactly an apple to apple comparo because of different title plus one Lush Life is in mono and Sidewinder is stereo, but certainly the Music Matters 33s come off much more vivid and dynamic at least in my system context.
This one is also mind boggling to see how many past reissues on the Discogs list for Sidewinder. From my past experience, 'Mastered by Capitol' vinyl are usually poor sounding. DMMs are mostly misses, Japanese Kings can be ok but not consistently great. ( noise floor too high for the copies I have )
Edits: 11/28/14
My copy of that is part of a Prestige two-fer release from the mid-1970's.
My Sidewinder has the blue and white label, "Div. of Liberty." Bought it from Euclid Records in St. Louis about ten years ago. Sounds terrific, it'll get you out of your chair playing air instruments.
"Mastered by Capitol," I pass on those. I like the DMMs but that makes me unique around these parts. I've only got on King, not enough of a sampling.
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to compare to see if Red Garland's piano sounds burried and veiled as the LP.
The balance on each instrument seems to be very similar to Kevin Gray's Analogue Production mono and indeed, even on the CD, the piano sounds distant. Vinyl still has an edge in natural and organic poise but to Hoffman's credit, this 90s CD sounds pretty darn good for a plane Jane red book CD! ( I don't think I played this CD on my CD555 ) There is said to be a DCC vinyl of the same mix. If Music Matters come out with this release, for sure I'd pony up for one as either of these releases still lacking the brilliance and realism.
Speaking of Van Gelder classical work, this Brendel's Schubert's Impromptus on Vox label is one of my favourite performance. Nicely recorded indeed but it's painfully makes me aware that a lot goes wrong in vinyl manufacturing process. Vox being a budget brand, I am certain many corners were cut and it shows in the final product.
Edits: 11/30/14
I'm pretty sure they worked together on Rumours but that didn't turn out very good. On the other hand, they also did some excellent DCC reissues.
Classical is crazy-quilt; my default label is London or Decca but I've had good results with no-name French and Italian labels too.
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but not for their 33 monos.
For this 'Lush Life' DCC CD, Kevin Gray is not listed.
For Bernie vs. Kevin, Adderley's 'Somethin' Else' arrived and this would be a fairer comparison since they are both on stereo.
Instrument mix is very different and both are very good but if I have to pick one, I prefer the new Music Matters 33 rpm. Percussive attacks have much more impact and decays making up more realistic tonal colours to my ears. A few years ago, I've compared the Classic Stereo reissue with my dealer's original mono and thought mono still had an edge on the midrange presence and immediacy. I might bring the new MM copy to compare.
I also have replaced the Classic mono reissue (also done by Grundmann ) with the Music Matters for the main rig. This one also has a slightly different balance. Grundman mix is slightly more forward. Both are excellent, but I prefer the stereo MM 33 sounding slightly more *alive* and easier to follow tunes. Enhanced dynamics and inner details on rim shots and cymbal decays make more convincing soundscape.
A good sounding record can have an big of an impact as some serious hardware upgrade.
Edits: 11/30/14 11/30/14
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