TAS journal The Best-Sounding Jazz LPs Fred Kaplan wenty years into the CD revolution, we find ourselves—at least those Pops and his sextet of Basie’s touch—the among us with a passion for such things—in the midst of an LP renais- blazing through the full percussive snap and sance. Thanks to Classic Records, Analogue Productions, Speakers likes of “St. James harmonic bloom; the sax Corner, and a few other audiophile labels, golden-age jazz albums are Infirmary,” “Frankie & section swoons; the T being reissued on gloriously thick slabs of virgin vinyl. Meanwhile, due Johnny,” and “Jelly horns scream; the to sonic improvements in digital reproduction, prices for original vinyl pressings are Roll Blues” picked up dynamics whisper and plunging. The time seems ripe, then, for a list of the best-sounding jazz LPs. by Telefunken micro- swell. (There’s also a very I stress the phrase “best-sounding.” To make the list, an album must bear phones arrayed in an good digital disc from music that’s at least very good (no Finnish Dixieland here). But the premium is M-S pattern. Satch’s JVC’s XRCD series.) on sonics, and all the choices meet demanding audiophile standards (hence, no brass-blare trumpet, Charlie Parker either). I should also make clear—as Wayne Garcia and Bob Peanuts Hucko’s Bill Berry: For Duke Gendron did a few issues back in their similar “Great and Great-Sounding Rock licorice clarinet, and [M&K RealTime RT-101 LPs” piece—that this is not meant as a comprehensive catalog. Despite nearly Trummy Young’s slide (direct-to-disc)]. 30 years of collecting, I don’t own everything and I’ve no doubt overlooked some trombone are right there septet of (mainly) wonders from my stash. in the room. The duets AEllington alum- After each album title I cite the original label, followed in some cases by the with Duke are spirited ni—including Berry, reissue label. If the reissue is available (or worth getting) as a 45rpm pressing affairs, only slightly less Ray Brown, and Britt as well as 33 1/3, I note that in parentheses. (Analogue Productions has issued present. The Gershwin Woodman—trots out several titles in 45rpm, spread out on two discs; Classic has gone 45 with one- is a class act. The origi- the warhorses (“Take sided LPs, spread out on four.) I also mark an asterisk (*) next to the album’s nal (black label) pressing the A Train,” “Mood title if it was (or should have been) included on my list of the 20th century’s 100 sports a gatefold cover, Indigo,” “Satin Doll,” best jazz albums in Issue 122. That list, by the way, was based entirely on musi- a big booklet, and an etc.). The band’s a bit cal criteria. orchestra with a spa- tepid, compared with cious soundstage, the real thing, but it’s booming tympani, and good enough, and the Cannonball Adderley: range of what he could Play Together for the First silky strings. sound is spectacular, a *Somethin’ Else [Blue do. The first is a collec- Time [Roulette/Classic favorite demo disc of Note/Classic 1595 (also tion of standards, with SR-52074]; & Duke Count Basie: 88 Basie the late ’70s and one of mono and 45rpm)]; In Miles Davis as lyrical Ellington: The Great Street [Pablo/Analogue the most realistic jazz San Francisco [Riverside/ sideman, recorded at Reunion [Roulette SR- Prod. 2310-901 (and recordings ever made. Analogue Prod. 1157 Blue Note’s studio 52103]; & Ella 45rpm)]. M&K later reissued (and 45rpm)]. with pristine precision. Fitzgerald: Porgy & Bess this and its “Fatha” The latter is a live ses- [Verve MGVS-6040-2]. Hines album [see sion of sophisticated below] on a single CD, soul, with brimstone which, amazingly, is brother Nat on cornet. almost as real. It catches the wall-to- wall you-are-there Clarinet Summit: In ambience of a jazz Concert at the Public club. In their own Theater [India ways, both are marvels. ne of Basie’s last Navigation IN-1062]. ulian “Cannonball” Oalbums. His great he idea behind this JAdderley blew the Louis Armstrong: ot the very best bands had long depart- T1981 live concert most mellifluous alto Satchmo Plays King NArmstrong, but ed. Still, this has ample was a gamble. Four saxophone, and these Oliver [Audio still wonderful. The charms, and the fideli- very different clar- albums, recorded in Fidelity/Classic AFSD- King Oliver tribute is ty is awesomely high. inetists, playing all 1958 and ’59, span the 5930]; & Duke Ellington: a stunning find, with You get every nuance together, with no 16 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND n DECEMBER 2005 rhythm section for back- is OK, but not great. Mobile Fidelity SACDs, up. Jimmy Hamilton, the Ditto, below, for the though the vinyl rules. Ellington veteran, was absence of Coltrane’s lured out of retirement for Giant Steps, A Love Miles Davis: *Kind of Blue the occasion which also Supreme, and Live at the [Columbia/Classic CS-8163 included Alvin Batiste, Village Vanguard. (and 45rpm)]; The Complete the New Orleans master; Prestige Quintet Recordings John Carter, the abstract John Coltrane: *Blue Train (esp. Cookin’, Workin’, expressionist; and, on bass [Blue Note/Classic 1577]; Relaxin’) [Prestige 7094, clarinet, David Murray, *SoulTrane [Prestige/ 7166, 7129/Analogue Prod. then the eclectic wun- Analogue Prod. 7142 (and (and 45rpm, mono), five-LP derkind. It paid off won- 45rpm)]; Ballads [Impulse! A- box set, 33rpm APJ-075]; drously. The highlights 32]; John Coltrane & Johnny *The Complete Studio are the standards— Hartman [Impulse! AS- Recordings of the Miles “Groovin’ High,” “Jeep 40/Speakers Corner]. Davis Quintet, 1964-68 Blues,” and a sweltering [Mosaic Records MQ10-177]; Batiste-Hamilton duet on Bags’ Groove [Prestige/ “Honeysuckle Rose.” You Analogue Prod. 7109 (and hear the air flow through 45rpm)]; & Gil Evans: those dark wooden tubes, Sketches of Spain [Columbia/ the musicians’ shoes tap- Classic CS-8271 (and ping the floor, and the 45rpm)]; Miles Live Around audience’s startled laugh- the World [Warner Bros. ter wafting through the (Germany) 9362-46132 1]. hall. (Avoid Volume II, hat more is there to taken from the same con- Wsay? These four cert. Also stay away from albums capture the most the CD, which combines adventurous tenor saxo- all the tunes in the order phonist tracing the more played and which sports, accessible paths of transi- puzzlingly, just so-so sonics.) tion between his ’50s be- bop roots and his ’60s Ornette Coleman & Charlie spiritual explorations. Blue Haden: *Soapsuds, Train is his purest immer- iles Davis’ 1959 Kind Soapsuds [Artists House sion into “hard-bop” and a Mof Blue is a truly revo- AH-9406]. textbook case of “Blue lutionary concept album rnette turns to the Note sound”—the crisp that’s also a giant hit. Otenor sax on this lit- cymbals, wide soundstage, Instantly appealing on a tle-known late ’70s ses- warm horns, clean balance, dozen levels, it’s still a best- sion, playing duets with and, usually the glaring seller after nearly a half-cen- Haden, the bassist from flaw, a somewhat dimmed tury. If you can find a clean his erstwhile break- piano. SoulTrane finds him copy, the original stereo through quartet. They applying his “sheets of pressing, with the “six-eyes” play original tunes, main- sound” style to standards, label, is a joltingly vivid ly ballads, and the theme in a more upfront sound. recording. Classic Records from Mary Hartman, Mary Ballads and the Hartman seems to release a new, Hartman (which, you real- album feature his classic slightly different reissue ize, sounds a lot like quartet in its most com- every year; they all come “Lonely Woman”). The mercial—but not remotely very close to the original, music is riveting, the sell-out—mode, more while the 45rpm pressing sound pleasantly in-your- lushly recorded. (Rudy exceeds it. The 1956 face. A Verve CD reissue, Van Gelder was the engi- Prestige dates—five albums put out years later, falls neer for all.) The Speakers recorded in marathon ses- far short. Where, you ask, Corner reissue of Ballads sions—are best heard in are Ornette’s master- sucks out some of the air; AP’s box set or in separate pieces, Change of the its Hartman reissue is sub- 45rpm double-LPs. The lat- Century and The Shape of lime. SoulTrane and Ballads ter are spooky; the first time Jazz to Come? Their sound are also well served on I heard Coltrane solo on 18 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND n DECEMBER 2005 Cookin’, I leapt off the he plays so gorgeously, their sophistication, Brown’s bass-plucking couch. The ’60s quintet those strings are so versatility, and heady in all its dynamic sub- sessions feature Wayne silky, and the cushy swing. Fred Plaut sat tlety. Big 4, with Shorter, Herbie ambience just makes at the controls and, Brown, Joe Pass, and Hancock, Tony you sway. BMG’s CD except that it’s in Louie Bellson, is the Williams, and Wayne doesn’t cut it. mono, you’d think this sonic hair-raiser, the Shorter. In those days, was an audiophile quartet right there, Columbia wreaked havoc Eric Dolphy: *Out to Lunch demo disc. So many trading phrases in the in post-production, pil- [Blue Note 4163]. colors, such true tones same ambient space. ing on the EQ and he raw and brilliant and vast dynamics! the original Riversides, reverb. Mosaic’s box set TEric Dolphy took (Columbia Legacy Bill Evans: *Waltz for but AP’s vinyl reissues returns to the unadulter- the alto saxophone to pressed an excellent, Debby [Riverside are jaw-dropping.