'Malletoba Spank'--reference cut

[Bill Hart]

Also, raised the VTA a bit on my arm- easy enough to do on the Airline, you can do it on the fly- and it makes a big difference. While it sounded fine at the slightly lower setting, and nothing sounded muddled on the first cut, i'm playing side two with a tad higher VTA setting and it is even more open on top and the bass tightened up, more 3d quality all around. So, add fiddling to the VTA to your list when you play this record.

 

[audioarcher]

Also, raised the VTA a bit on my arm- easy enough to do on the Airline, you can do it on the fly- and it makes a big difference. While it sounded fine at the slightly lower setting, and nothing sounded muddled on the first cut, i'm playing side two with a tad higher VTA setting and it is even more open on top and the bass tightened up, more 3d quality all around. So, add fiddling to the VTA to your list when you play this record.

My Reed 3q has VTA on the fly as well. I will give it a try.

Another record I am waiting for is Janis Ian Breaking Silence. The newest version is out July 20th. I've heard the album at a friends house that lives out of town. I've been looking for this album for awhile.

 

[garylkoh]

MikeL, thanks for recommending this album. It's probably the most exciting jazz album I have ever heard. The performance is fabulous, and the energy among the musicians have to be experienced to be believed. Every jazz fan should have a copy!!

I haven't done any "reference listening" yet - still too taken by the music to concentrate on the sound

 

[Bill Hart]

My Reed 3q has VTA on the fly as well. I will give it a try.

Another record I am waiting for is Janis Ian Breaking Silence. The newest version is out July 20th. I've heard the album at a friends house that lives out of town. I've been looking for this album for awhile.

I have a copy that is, I think, an 'audiophile' pressing, I'd have to go upstairs and look. It sounds great, but it also sounds very 'pumped up' which may be a function of the production. Her long time classic, on just a regular ol' pressing -'Between the Lines,' is one of my favorites and a fabulous sounding disc as well. (I just bought another original pressing, circa 1975- that was sealed and am looking forward to listening to it).

 

[audioarcher]

I have a copy that is, I think, an 'audiophile' pressing, I'd have to go upstairs and look. It sounds great, but it also sounds very 'pumped up' which may be a function of the production. Her long time classic, on just a regular ol' pressing -'Between the Lines,' is one of my favorites and a fabulous sounding disc as well. (I just bought another original pressing, circa 1975- that was sealed and am looking forward to listening to it).

I know what you mean. I have an 'audiophile' pressing of Steely Dan Aja. It is a 30th aniversary reissued by Cisco. I prefer the original and I have a fairly quiet copy of it. It could be that I am just used to the sound of the original though.

 

[audioarcher]

I got my Classic 180g Jazz Party In Stereo yesterday. Thankfully it's very quiet. I can see why Mike uses the 45 as a reference. Lots of things going on in the first track. Some of the latter tracks are very dynamic as well. My favorite tracks so far are Tymperturabably Blue and Hello Little Girl on side two.

Thanks for the recommendation Mike. This one is a gem.

Sean

 

[mep]

I played my 45 RPM version again last night. After Spank, I was bracing myself for the noise I knew was soon to follow, but damn if the whole side wasn't quiet as a church mouse. This rarely happens to me where a disc on first playing is noisy and then cleans up. I'm very happy with the more expensive set now. For a lot less money, the 180g version is really, really good too.

 

[Bill Hart]

that's pretty strange. because you always clean each disc before play. static? you know, there is one possibility, I hate to mention it, because it is so scary, but...
did you ever see the movie, 'The Exorcist'? or 'Poltergeist' These things do happen, but I usually only bring this kinda stuff up on those conspiracy forums.....
And, believe me, it is really, really costly to get a disc exorcised. You think that Audio Desk thing is expensive?

 

[audioarcher]

that's pretty strange. because you always clean each disc before play. static? you know, there is one possibility, I hate to mention it, because it is so scary, but...
did you ever see the movie, 'The Exorcist'? or 'Poltergeist' These things do happen, but I usually only bring this kinda stuff up on those conspiracy forums.....
And, believe me, it is really, really costly to get a disc exorcised. You think that Audio Desk thing is expensive?

You just need to use holy water in your RCM. I'm taking orders now.

 

[cjfrbw]

As any audiophile knows, the devil is in the details.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I know what you mean. I have an 'audiophile' pressing of Steely Dan Aja. It is a 30th aniversary reissued by Cisco. I prefer the original and I have a fairly quiet copy of it. It could be that I am just used to the sound of the original though.

It must be that you are used to the orginal as I have a copy of that and the Cisco reissue...I prefer the Cisco.

 

[MylesBAstor]

OK everyone hold onto your horses and dollars. ORG has the album, in glorious 45 rpm, on their soon to be released list The album will be cut by Bernie Grundman, the same engineer who did the Classic reissue. But Bernie has really stepped up his mastering system several notches in the intervening period and this new reissue has the potential to be even better than the Classic. And the ORG will be $60 compared to $200+ for the OOP Classic Records version.

http://www.originalrecordingsgroup.com/htm/comingsoon.htm

 

[Bruce B]

Lookie what I just got! Original Mint UK Mono pressing!!

 

[jazdoc]

Oooh. Congrats. We should compare the US 6-eye one day!

 

[Bruce B]

Oooh. Congrats. We should compare the US 6-eye one day!

You're on!

 

[rockitman]

Lookie what I just got! Original Mint UK Mono pressing!!

View attachment 7022

do you have a mono cart to play that baby back ?

 

[garylkoh]

Oooh. Congrats. We should compare the US 6-eye one day!

In the 6 months or so since MikeL first posted this thread, the Ellington Jazz Party has become my favorite Jazz LP of all time. I must have bought at least 20 different copies so far. The two Philips Mono UK pressings that I have exhibit an unmitigated joyfulness in the playing that I did not find in any other pressing. There is an inventiveness and a playfulness that just puts a great big smile on my face everytime I play it. Try track 3 Red Shoes or Garter? on side one and track 4 Hello Little Girl on side two.

The Philips are much quieter than the Columbias (both the stereo and the mono). Not as quiet as the 45rpm, but while the sound on the 45rpm I think is better, the musicianship on the 6-eye is better and the Philips are quite a bit better. The 200gm and the Columbia Special Products re-issue tie for the worst. The Classic Records re-issue is very good. Unfortunately, with all my attempts I have not unearthed a Philips Stereo and I have only ever seen two Philips mono (and bought both).

On the original pressings, you really do realize that it was a spontaneous jazz party and not a rehearsed studio performance or a live performance. Dizzy Gillespie on U.M.M.G. (track 1 side 2) is superlative. He learned the song on the fly there.

 

[Bill Hart]

In the 6 months or so since MikeL first posted this thread, the Ellington Jazz Party has become my favorite Jazz LP of all time. I must have bought at least 20 different copies so far. The two Philips Mono UK pressings that I have exhibit an unmitigated joyfulness in the playing that I did not find in any other pressing. There is an inventiveness and a playfulness that just puts a great big smile on my face everytime I play it. Try track 3 Red Shoes or Garter? on side one and track 4 Hello Little Girl on side two.

The Philips are much quieter than the Columbias (both the stereo and the mono). Not as quiet as the 45rpm, but while the sound on the 45rpm I think is better, the musicianship on the 6-eye is better and the Philips are quite a bit better. The 200gm and the Columbia Special Products re-issue tie for the worst. The Classic Records re-issue is very good. Unfortunately, with all my attempts I have not unearthed a Philips Stereo and I have only ever seen two Philips mono (and bought both).

On the original pressings, you really do realize that it was a spontaneous jazz party and not a rehearsed studio performance or a live performance. Dizzy Gillespie on U.M.M.G. (track 1 side 2) is superlative. He learned the song on the fly there.

Gary, when you say the 'musicianship is better' on the Philips, it is the same record, just different pressing/perhaps different master tape of same performance, right? So you are saying you are hearing more life in that particular pressing, though it may not be as quiet as the Classic?
I'm pretty amazed at how good some of the old 6 eyes sound.

 

[garylkoh]

Gary, when you say the 'musicianship is better' on the Philips, it is the same record, just different pressing/perhaps different master tape of same performance, right? So you are saying you are hearing more life in that particular pressing, though it may not be as quiet as the Classic?
I'm pretty amazed at how good some of the old 6 eyes sound.

Yes, correct. More "life", but in this case, the words "joyfulness" and "playfulness" come to mind. The party was in February 1959. The Philips, as far as I can tell was produced in 1964. I don't know if there were different master tapes. Certainly the Columbia mono sounds different from the Philips mono.

I am pretty amazed at how good some of the old 6 eyes sound.... just that with this one every 6 eye I have is noisy. Might be the vinyl formulation, or even the master causing it. I don't know.

 

[rockitman]

I just bought a first issue Columbia 6 eye mono (CL1323) in VG++ condition...$23.00. I suspect that even though it's a VG rating, it will play pretty quiet on the Ikeda 9TT mono cart. Looking forward to see how it compares to my Classic Records 45 in stereo in terms of musical enjoyment.