The Blue Note Thread

zdkaiser said:
This is the best sounding Tone Poet of the 31 I own. Take your copy for a spin.
www.discogs.com

Dexter Gordon - One Flight Up

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2021 Vinyl release of "One Flight Up" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com www.discogs.com
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I agree. I play this (along w a couple others) to show friends my system. It’s guaranteed to make your system sound good. It helps that ”Tanya” is an absolute swing bomb and banger all at once. It’s my favorite jazz track.
 
zdkaiser said:
When Byrd pops in for his solo during Tanya, that right channel just pops! Sounds incredible.
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Spun it after reading people talk about that TP in here. Tanya is an absolute all time track but for me, it's actually Gordon's version of Darn That Dream that moves me more than anything on One Flight Up. Some of his phrasing on there is just absolutely tremendous.
 
zdkaiser said:
Received the latest Grant Green BN Classic, Green is Beautiful.

Pressed flat, no defects, no surface noise. Solid Optimal pressing. Sounds pretty good, but overall the mix sounded a bit flat to me at times.

Yo Kev, you only included a single Boom on this one! I paid for the BoomBoom!
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Grant and Bobby should both be waiting for me at home this afternoon.
 
jamieanderson1968 said:
I have yet to buy a Hutcherson album that I did not love.
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I could help you find some.

In general, Bobby's best BN were the ones Alfred Lion chose to release at the time.

Some gems, like Inner Glow, are IMO superior to the TP titles Harley chose from among the 'unreleased' sessions.

The stuff Bobby recorded for BN in the 70's is a-fucking-mazing.

Natural Illusions is pretty bad. Highway One is not much better.

Gary Burton is the king of vibes.
 
Jbraswell said:
The fender bass on Ummh is sweet.

Lot of people not liking the Brand recording it seems.
I'm grabbing it when I get a chance.
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Probably the people complaining on the Huff forum don't know David Brand, who is a very distinguished sound enigineer.

And, BTW, the engineer isn't everything about a recording. The studio, the console and mics, the producer and artist preferences and even the label suits have just as much impact - as they are telling the engineer what they want and what to do.
 
RHANDMJ said:
Probably the people complaining on the Huff forum don't know David Brand, who is a very distinguished sound enigineer.

And, BTW, the engineer isn't everything about a recording. The studio, the console and mics, the producer and artist preferences and even the label suits have just as much impact - as they are telling the engineer what they want and what to do.
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Yeah I think it's not the traditional RVG tone messing with some people. Not sure. Sounds good on Qobuz to me.
 
Jbraswell said:
Yeah I think it's not the traditional RVG tone messing with some people. Not sure. Sounds good on Qobuz to me.
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I just read all this and popped on my copy, one of the 1971 “misprint” editions, which I bought 3-4 months ago (well b4 I knew about the Classics reissue), and it sounds great. Maybe not as detailed and airy as well recorded RVG BN recordings, but I may actually prefer the warmer, fuller sound, at least compared to some of the Classics reissues that seem a little lacking in the midrange and sometimes the low end (to me).

Of course, I haven’t heard the Classics, but it’s hard to imagine it sounds bad or bad enough to bitch about. But SHF. I know. They’re probably the same people who pollute the Discogs reviews with negativity about perfectly good reissues.
 
Mr. Natural by Stanley Turrentine got a new cover.

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Selaws said:
Oh wow, I have the same watch as Mr Turrentine. An Omega Seamaster DeVille. Released in the early 60's and looks like Mr Natural was recorded in '64, so looks like he treated himself to a new watch around the time of recording.
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I don't think I have that exact one but I have my great grandfather's Omega (he died when I was 18, and was v special to me) and it looks almost identical. V cool...
 
DJSJ said:
Turrentine's never quite been my cup of tea but with a lineup like that this one definitely deserves a listen.
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I am a big Turrentine guy and IMO his best period by far was on CTI. But I like the mid-late BN period stuff as well.

Mr. Natural is something of an outlier. Something shelved at the time raises questions.

First, the band doesn't really gel. On Side 1, Barretto is really out of place. Side 2 is better. No one sounds inspired here. Turrentine's solos are fairly stock Turrentine riffs, and Lee seems to be not the best foil for Turrentine, as Hubbard could be. Elvin's advanced style really doesn't go well with Turrentine's brand of soul-bop.

Perhaps Alfred Lion heard it the same and put the tape on the shelf.

Or, there may be another story. Listening to it, it is possible that Alfred put this together as an experiment, or as a way to break Turrentine out of his mold. Jazz, in 1964, even on BN, was a boiling pot racing ahead. Turrentine was not, and perhaps his sales showed it. Putting this up beside Crescent, Fuschia Swing Song, Page One, or many, many others of that year, seems to me to not show Turrentine as moving the needle at all. Perhaps after listening to the session, Alfred realized this was not the direction to go in. Later records - Easy Walker, The Spoiler - retained Cranshaw and Tyner but brought in Mickey Roker, which was more suitable. Then Common Touch started Turrentine firmly on the soul-jazz/smooth jazz path he would later refine.

So possibly, Mr. Natural was an experiment or attempt that was considered to not be the right direction. To me, it sounds like it. All these players did way better on other records.

A great lineup does not ensure a great record.

I would much rather have The Spoiler or Easy Walker, which were released in the day.

Having said that, I will probably buy it. It is unique to hear Elvin behind Turrentine, even if Elvin's presence doesn't really ignite Turrentine. The original 1964 mix was undoubtedly done quickly for review. Barretto is mixed too much to the front on Side 1, so I hope it has been remixed.

I like the new cover, the Japanese one I never really felt much about.
 
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I know it will come down in price, but Amz.ca has Mr. Natural for $92 on pre-order!!!

That said, I wasn't planning on buying it.

Edit: The Chet is listed at a more "reasonable" $56
 
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