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"Original Jazz Classics"

I picked up a handful of "OJC" 33 RPM pressings from a major online retailer last week. The short version is three are very good recordings and the other two just stink - tinny and compressed. I'm sure it's the recording/mastering and not the particular pressing. The two I'm not happy with are Getz's "The Brothers" and "In the Bag" by Adderly. Labels are Prestige and Jazzland, respectively.

What is the best way to learn to avoid "bad" recordings? I don't think either of these cases are exactly indicative of the labels themselves - I don't think avoiding the labels is the answer.

I suppose I just really need to research the specific recording I'm interested in before buying if I want to avoid this in the future? Or are there some guidelines I might be aware of?
paulfolbrecht
sberger
146 posts
 
FYI Mosaic Records' True Blue Music is selling a handful of OJC's for $5.98 . These are limited, but there are some pretty swell titles some of which are "Bud Freeman - All Stars ", "Tommy Flanagan - Something Borrowed, Something Blue " "Hampton Hawes - The Séance" and "Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars - In The Solo Spotlight ".

Really can't go wrong for that price.

http://www.truebluemusic.com
belyin
61 posts
 
I do know that the Concord Music Group laid off (or otherwise dispensed of the services of) Stuart Kremsky as tape archivist and re-issue producer at Fantasy. Stuart is a big time record collector and self-described "jazz nut" (as well as reviewer for Cadence and other jazz magazines.) Exactly the kind of guy fellow music lovers would like to have working in the trenches of a huge and rich back catalog. But serving the music community is not part of the corporate agenda, apparently.
ghemrock's avatar
ghemrock
5 posts
 
I purchased a copy of Tedeschi Trucks Band on Fantasy label.  It seems to sound okay, but I can't get past the care they took in pressing the record as far as the quality of the record rather than the sound.  The starting track and one of the four sites feels more like rough sandpaper that goes in approximately quarter of an inch in one spot, I would say half of this record has this going from zero to a quarter of an inch.  I've had a couple records that have had a rough edge and I mean the edge not going into the starting track which was not a problem I just touched it up with little emery cloth to take the sharp edge off, but in this case there's nothing I can do.  I'm not willing to put my cartridge down on the starting track for fear of damage the diamond.I bought this at a small record shop and I'm curious if they're going to return it, I've had problems with records from larger stores Music Direct being one that exchange the record without a problem.
Any suggestions?
lewm
13,106 posts
 
Agree on the merit of OJCs.  About 20 years ago, I purchased a slew of them because there was "a guy" who could get them cheap. Every one of those LPs has proven to be excellent.  I also place the Milestone and Fantasy label even a bit above the OJCs, but that may be because they are often re-issues of Riverside and Contemporary LPs, which were fantastic in their day.  I have all the Art Pepper on Contemporary and love those LPs.  I also have some OJCs that seem to be from Scorpio, and they are decidedly inferior to the ones I purchased en masse 20 years ago, but most are tolerable.  I don't quite agree that Atlantic and Blue Notes (real, original BN) are so superb. I find the bass to be muffled or muddy in some cases and the mids and treble can lack ultimate clarity, but the artists and the music on ATL and BN are so excellent that the SQ is secondary.  I hauled out all my Yusef Lateef on ATL, a few weeks ago when he passed. The MJQ stuff on ATL is good maybe because there isn't much extreme low bass needed. Best jazz LPs ever, IMO, are from ECM.  Verve/Contemporary/Riverside second.

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