Another "WOW" Experience from Sonny Rollins

[mep]

I'm very much a Johnny Come Lately to the jazz scene so I'm just now catching on to some of the great music that many of you have known about for years. The one thing I find incredible about jazz recordings is how routinely outstanding they are in terms of musicianship and the recording quality.

My local LP store has a decent jazz selection and of course the majority of the LPs are reissued. I bought a sealed copy of Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet on the Prestige label for around $10. Most of the songs on this LP were recorded in 1951 and four songs were recorded in 1953 which means this LP is mono. If you don't already own this LP, you want to own this LP. The list of guys that played on the LP is pretty impressive: Art Blakey, Percy Heath, Miles Davis, and Milt Jackson to name a few.

Mono or schmono, this LP will raise the roof and blow your walls down while throwing a big soundstage which seems counterintuitive for mono. The sound quality is just incredible. It reminds me very much of the Duke Ellington "Jazz Party in Stereo" when the Xylophone comes into play and starts cutting the air in your room. I played this LP last night and was just bowled over. This LP will provide another classic demonstration of how far some modern recordings have gone off track compared to recordings made in the 1950s (and this one is very early 1950s).

I don't know if there is 1/2 speed mastered version on virgin vinyl that is more rare than a large gene pool at an Amish gathering, but I really don't care. Buy this version for $10 and be happy.

 

[jazdoc]

mep -

Congrats on the pickup. The original 10" and 12" versions are highly collectible and priced accordingly. There are many reissues. Which release is this???

You might enjoy "Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders", Contemporary, M3564, 1958.
Look for an original ($50 +/- $25). One of the best sounding albums I own and the music is terrific. Newk's last LP before he 'retired' for 3 years...

 

[mep]

Doc-On the back of the LP at the upper right-hand corner it says "OJC-011 (P-7029) and at the bottom of the back it says "Distributed by Fantasy, Inc., Tenth and Parker, Berkeley, CA 94710" Does that help identify it?

Thanks for the tip on "Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders." I will keep an eye out for it.

 

[puroagave]

OJC or orginal jazz classics were reissues from the late '80s when fantsasy bought the rights to the prestige and riverside back catalog. unfortunately they've been digitized, it shouldnt detract fromthe music. i bought multples of the OJCs when they were blowin' em out $3 and gave them away as gifts. mosts of the titles were rare as hens teeth till the reissues came around.

 

[mep]

I just snagged a sealed copy of "Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders" on Ebay. There was one old beat-up copy that the guy was asking way too much for it in the condition it is in. We will see how the one I bought stands up.

 

[jazdoc]

Here's another must have where the original can be found for reasonable prices:

Sonny Rollins "Now's The Time" RCA LPM 2927. Has some great tracks including: I Remember Clifford. St. Thomas & 'Round Midnight. Spectacular sonics in glorious mono...one of my favorite LPs.

 

[MylesBAstor]

OJC or orginal jazz classics were reissues from the late '80s when fantsasy bought the rights to the prestige and riverside back catalog. unfortunately they've been digitized, it shouldnt detract fromthe music. i bought multples of the OJCs when they were blowin' em out $3 and gave them away as gifts. mosts of the titles were rare as hens teeth till the reissues came around.

Do you know for a fact that the OJC's were digitized? Tom Port was the one who was spreading that and I don't take him as a reliable source.

 

[mep]

It doesn't sound like digital and if it is, hats off to them because it sounds great.

 

[puroagave]

Do you know for a fact that the OJC's were digitized? Tom Port was the one who was spreading that and I don't take him as a reliable source.

it was from an interview with phil de lancie of fantasy...i dont remember where, that was 25-yrs ago they digitized everything for the concurrent cd releases, the LPs were just gravy to them as interest in early jazz recordings was taking off with CD sales. the fact they used the actual jacket art was a boon to collectors as many reissues up to that point used alternate art.

 

[MylesBAstor]

it was from an interview with phil de lancie of fantasy...i dont remember where, that was 25-yrs ago they digitized everything for the concurrent cd releases, the LPs were just gravy to them as interest in early jazz recordings was taking off with CD sales. the fact they used the actual jacket art was a boon to collectors as many reissues up to that point used alternate art.

OK thanks missed that one. While not up to the quality of the early issues, I just attributed it to the mastering.

 

[Lee]

Here's another must have where the original can be found for reasonable prices:

Sonny Rollins "Now's The Time" RCA LPM 2927. Has some great tracks including: I Remeber Clifford. St. Thomas & 'Round Midnight. Spectacular sonics in glorious mono...one of my favorite LPs.

I have the Classic Records gold cd of that. Terrific performance and sound. The Bridge is also good on Classic.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Here's another must have where the original can be found for reasonable prices:

Sonny Rollins "Now's The Time" RCA LPM 2927. Has some great tracks including: I Remeber Clifford. St. Thomas & 'Round Midnight. Spectacular sonics in glorious mono...one of my favorite LPs.

Just ordered the Classic Records reissue in stereo.