Jazz fans rejoice! Not only is Music Matters releasing new 45rpm double LP reissues of classic Blue Note titles, but so is Analogue Productions.
Following the model of Analogue Productions' superb Fantasy 45 reissues, the new Blue Notes will be remastered from the original master tapes by Kevin Grey and Steve Hoffman and cut at 45rpm on two 180gm virgin vinyl discs. "Why mess with success?" asked Chad Kassem.
Some enthusiasts will be surprised by AP's decision to master the stereo version of the Blue Note sessions. Kassem was animated on this subject: "The truth is, every Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note session after October 30, 1958 was recorded only in stereo—the mono mixes were folded down from the stereo masters. In other words, there was never a true mono master! For a short period of time—March 1957 to October 30, 1958—RVG did in fact run dual mono and stereo session tapes, which means only those mono versions were in fact cut from a mono master. But for every other session, the mono was cut from a folded-down stereo tape, and the master tape boxes from these sessions are labeled in RVG's writing, 'monaural masters made 50/50 from stereo master.'
"Now we all know the mono pressings are more desirable on the collectors' market," Kassem said. "So we assumed it would be a no-brainer to release the mono masters—you could have knocked us over with a feather when we discovered that after October 1958, there was no such animal! But there's a kicker—when Kevin, Steve, and all of us compared the stereo masters to the summed monos, there was no question the stereos sounded more natural, with greater detail, air, and overall ambience. These reissues will be revelations to jazz fans who think they know these recordings."
Kassem paused for breath. "And they can always press 'mono' on their preamps if they don't agree."
Of the 25 releases announced to date, albums by John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Cannonball Adderly, and Sonny Rollins stand out.
