Freako
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Good sound
satkinsn
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It's weird what you learn.

Listening to "So What" the other night from KOB, an album I have probably played 500 times, I heard for the first time how thin the piano was.

s.

Freako
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Sadly I learn that too sometimes

rvance
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Now you're making ME kind of blue.

Jim Tavegia
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Agreed. I do listen to KOB often.

As for the piano, I think it is the hardest instrument to record and get to sound right, although I do have a number of recordings that I do think ARE RIGHT.

I think Al Schmitt does a great job on Diana Krall's discs. I also like the more distant sound that JA does. I als like the Sony version of Fantasies and Delusions from the Bill Joel classical piece. There are many others that I wll not list, but I also have many that are not very good.

Freako
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You're right, Jim. A piano is one of the hardest instruments of all to record and reproduce correct. So much woodwork, so many overtones, hammers, felt, strings.

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A muted trumpet is also difficult, as are handbells for some reason! But with KOB, it is what gets played that works for me!

Freako
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Kind of Blue is a record I only purchased a year and a half ago, since it's taken me some time to learn to enjoy jazz. I dig it very much though, even if the piano is placed in the left background on "So What". Obvious that the trumpet and saxes are the main instruments. I think I've played it about once every other week since I got it. Masterpiece.

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I completely agree, KOB helped me to learn to love some jazz too. The chords on so what, the so what part, is even called the so what chord by jazzbos and pianists. It is the open strangs of the guitar basically, and Bill Evans used it a lot apparently. That is a bit beyond my listening.

I will listen to KOB as soon as I get home from work! You guys are an inspiration.

Trey

Freako
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Thanks. Likewise

Freako
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Speaking of good sound... I can't wait till I receive my Gaucho DVD-A in a couple of weeks. I'm gonna have to PAY for that one, since it's insane to import from the States, but I just gotta have it. Gaucho is one of my absolute favourite albums.

I once imported two Janis Ian cd's from the US, and with toll and VAT they ended up costing me $55 - EACH! Go figure why I don't do this often!

Stephen Scharf
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Rubber Duck, if you are just getting into jazz, you should get a copy of Cannonball Adderley's Somethin' Else, next to KOB, probably the second-most influential and important jazz LP of all time. I'm fortunate to have an original deep-groove mono Blue Note of it from 1959. It's my most prized LP. Regarding the comments about KOB on how it is to record and master piano, you can hear some problems with getting the piano right on Somethin' Else as well. They did the best they could back then. I would agree that getting piano recorded and mastered correctly so that it sounds natural is very difficult.

BTW, I actually prefer Somethin' Else it to KOB.

You also pick up a copy of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, probably the most beautiful jazz LP I've ever heard.

geoffkait
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Quote:
It's weird what you learn.

Listening to "So What" the other night from KOB, an album I have probably played 500 times, I heard for the first time how thin the piano was.

s.

Could be that KOB is system dependent. The trumpet on KOB can also often sound shrill and thin on many systems. But I have heard KOB on a few systems that produce a piano that is rich and full and trumpet with tremendous high end extension and mindblowing speed and dynamics. The problem is finding a system that does the recording justice, that can reveal its truly awesome majesty and power. Could those days possibly be over?

Jim Tavegia
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I probably should buy the KOB on SACD, but have the LP and CD already. I know I should always take John Mark's advice. His article on KOB was great.

Stephen Scharf
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Rubber Duck,
I just got into jazz myself about a year and a half ago, and have built up quite a nice collection of Jazz LPs with the help of some knowledgeable friends.

In addition to KOB, Somethin' Else, and John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman and here are some that I've bought in since Jan '09 that I find particularly good. If you like the three aforementioned, my guess is you'd like these:

Dexter Gordon's Doin' Alright!
Sonny Clark Cool Struttin'
Lee Morgan Candy
Lee Morgan Tom Cat
Horace Parlan's Speakin' My Piece
Freddie Hubbard Here to Stay
Art Blakey Moanin'
Cannonball Adderley Sharpshooters
Ike Quebec Blue and Sentimental
Bill Evans Waltz for Debby
Miles Davis, in person at the Blackhawk, San Francisco, Friday Night
Red Garland Groovy
Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers
The Jazz Experiments of Charles Mingus (on Doxy Records)
Jackie MacLean Capuchin Swing
Sarah Vaughan Sarah Vaughan (on EmArcy Records)

Cheers,
Stephen

Stephen Scharf
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Quote:

Quote:
It's weird what you learn.

Listening to "So What" the other night from KOB, an album I have probably played 500 times, I heard for the first time how thin the piano was.

s.

Could be that KOB is system dependent. The trumpet on KOB can also often sound shrill and thin on many systems. But I have heard KOB on a few systems that produce a piano that is rich and full and trumpet with tremendous high end extension and mindblowing speed and dynamics. The problem is finding a system that does the recording justice, that can reveal its truly awesome majesty and power. Could those days possibly be over?

I don't know if it's system-dependant as much as recording-dependant. I've got a copy of KOB as a 1959 mono Columbia six-eye LP, and when played with a good TT (Michell/SME V/Shelter) and good tube electronics (EAR and C-J) it sounds purdy dang good...my guess is some folks are listening to it in stereo as a Redbook CD....not sure if it's the same experience. My Columbia six-eye LP blows away the same recording that I have as a Classic Records re-issued stereo LP.

JoeE SP9
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Are you guys aware that the original LP and the first CD reissue are all a semitone fast? This was corrected in later CD and LP reissues by using the master tape from an alternate tape recorder.
I have the original mono Columbia LP, the stereo Columbia LP and the first CD reissue. They are all a semitone fast. The 20Bit re-master and the Gold re-master are the correct speed. The 45RPM LP reissue (I don't have) is also the correct speed.

For Jazz newbies I'd like to add...
Sonny Rollins:
Way Out West
Saxophone Colossus
John Coltrane:
Blue Train
Giant Steps

BTW: IMO Cannonball's Something Else while a fine album is hardly in the same class as KOB. Not only is the music great and the musicians fantastic, it caused a change in the way Jazz was played by introducing modally based music. This was the second time Miles changed the general direction of Jazz. The first time was with "The Birth Of The Cool". He did it again with "Bitches Brew".

JoeE SP9
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What has Gaucho got to do with Jazz? It's a great LP I have it, like it a lot and play it frequently.

Is it Jazz? I don't think so. FWIW, I'm not new to Jazz. I've been playing it (as a bassplayer) and listening to it for 45+ years. I'm relativelynew to Rock and popular music. A lot of it and the musicians get praise I don't understand.

Freako
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Quote:
Rubber Duck,
I just got into jazz myself about a year and a half ago, and have built up quite a nice collection of Jazz LPs with the help of some knowledgeable friends.

In addition to KOB, Somethin' Else, and John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman and here are some that I've bought in since Jan '09 that I find particularly good. If you like the three aforementioned, my guess is you'd like these:

Dexter Gordon's Doin' Alright!
Sonny Clark Cool Struttin'
Lee Morgan Candy
Lee Morgan Tom Cat
Horace Parlan's Speakin' My Piece
Freddie Hubbard Here to Stay
Art Blakey Moanin'
Cannonball Adderley Sharpshooters
Ike Quebec Blue and Sentimental
Bill Evans Waltz for Debby
Miles Davis, in person at the Blackhawk, San Francisco, Friday Night
Red Garland Groovy
Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers
The Jazz Experiments of Charles Mingus (on Doxy Records)
Jackie MacLean Capuchin Swing
Sarah Vaughan Sarah Vaughan (on EmArcy Records)

Cheers,
Stephen

Thanks for the heads-up. I have made a note of your suggestions

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