Listening to the 2024 UHQCD right now thanks to your post, and, like all of the 85th anniversary series remastered by Kevin Gray, the only operative word is WOW! Generally, the McMaster Blue Note CDs were ok. The RVG series were all over the place with sound quality, largely because the master tapes had aged so alternate cuts or other generational masters were used. Between whatever special sauce Kevin Gray brought to the table and whatever the UHQ pressing does for these CDs, they’re all like having the band in the room with you.
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Completely agree regarding the McMaster and RVG CDs. Makes the LP option an easy if expensive choice. Someday i may pick-up the UHQCD version.
I have purchased every Kevin Gray mastered UHQCD released in Japan since that series started in 2023.
Nice cool morning and I am spinning the first disc, “Stan Getz in Sweden 1958-1960” Dragon 2 cd set, disc 1. The system is sounding so amazing these days, I have it really dialed in and am not messing with it, and this material is well-recorded and mastered.
Followed by
Gerald Clayton “Happening–Live at the Village Vanguard” Blue Note cd.
Gerald Clayton on piano, Logan Richardson on alto saxophone, Walter Smith III on tenor saxophone, Joe Sanders on bass, and Marcus Gilmore on drums.
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A few years back I purchased all the available Archie Shepp SHM-CDs from CD-Japan and found them to be rather disappointing across the board. Clearly not UHQCD , nor done at the hand of Kevin Gray. I chalked it up to inferior source(s) and have been much more cautious regarding the source heritage and who did the transfer. Clearly I was hoping for magic with those particular CDs, which wasn’t in the cards.
Nice to know the 2023 Kevin Gray CDs are up to snuff.
I have most of those Shepp albums on vinyl, and sonically they are nothing special.
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SHM-CD is never going to be UHQCD–both are different material than standard redbook surfaces pressing processes, and differ from one another. And both of these are “material” processes and do not incorporate EQ or other mastering processes or differences.
In general I have found SHM-CD, HQCD and UHQCD to have a subtle improvement when I can compare the same mastering of the same material on regular Redbook cd. Nothing earth-shattering at all, just a subtle difference, usually for my system an slightly improved fequency balance and sound-staging.
Those SHM-CD of Shepp albums (I think there were several waves of them from Japan) may not have sounded spectacular BUT they sound to me on my system better than the early US and the earlier Japanese cd releases. As you say the original LP releases weren’t spectacular either–I think these SHM-CD reissues are closer to the original sound.
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Speaking of Chicago’s Green Mill jazz club, and the recent announcement that the property is up for sale brought to mind this most find live freewheeling set Kurt Elling Live at the Green Mill.
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Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette “Yesterdays” ECM cd
More than cool, downright on the edge of cold this morning. Nice for listening but I am getting a late start.
One of my favorite Jarrett Trio discs. No, scratch that. . .they’re all so good I really don’t have favorites.
Followed by
Charles Mingus “The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott’s” Resonance Records 3 cd set, disc 2
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Wettest spring I have ever experienced. Forecasted rain didn’t show up last night, so celebrating another sunny day to help dry out with…
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Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ladyland, Rainy Day, Dream Away, and Still Rainin’, Still Dreamin’
Could use some of your rain here in northern Illinois. Canadian wildfire smog has been problematic. Reminds me of 1970’s Los Angeles. A brief evening rain yesterday provided little relief.
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Agree, and out of the many SHM-CDs I purchased from CD-Japan, the Shepp ones stand out as falling short IME. The release of either SHM-CD or UHQCD formats presents an opportunity to remaster the recording better suited to either CD format, and current playback technology. In this regard Kevin Gray brings a significant improvement to the table, assuming he has excellent masters to work with. In general the remastering, assuming a good engineer, may bring more sonic benefit than the CD format. Again, IME, neither format ensures a significant playback improvement.
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Well again I find in my systems that SACD does provide an improvement. I have both the redbook and SHM-SACD versions of several of the new Kevin Gray Japanese Blue Note releases, and the SHM-SACD clearly sounds better (both played in the same PS Audio transports, DMP and PWT SACD).
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No more SACD playback here. My planned venture into SACD playback was with the latests PSA PST, and as previously reported it did not last a 72 hour burn in, taking my PSA DSD DAC out as well. I’ll investigate the more recently recorded UHQCDs from CD-Japan. The reissues will depend, as I am trying to thin my CD collection.
Yes I know you don’t have SACD playback, I’m just reporting that to my ears and to other ears I trust SACD playback does bring about an improvement, even with these excellent Gray mastered UHQCD in comparison with the same mastering in SHM-SACD.
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A cool and rainy day. Got drenched going to the post office but am warm and dry now and settling in for a few discs.
Grateful Dead “Enjoying the Ride” sixtieth anniversay box set, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (8/12/79) disc 1
This one is starting off nice and mellow.
Now on to
“Stan Getz in Sweden 1958-1960” Dragon 2 cd set, disc 2
Jazz in Sweden these years has such a great cool vibe.
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Slightly hard to track down, Steve Kuhn’s Three Waves with Steve Swallow and Pete LaRoca originally issued in 1966 on the Contact label and reissued on Flying Dutchman. Most happy to have this Fresh Sounds CD reissue. Three Waves kicks off with a personal favorite, Carla Bley’s Ida Lupino.
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Finally getting to listen! It’s going to be a very nice day, better than the rainy one yesterday. Mowing the lawn is in my afternoon future, but right now I’m starting off with the disc I ended yesterday’s listening on: Jonathan Blake “The Eleventh Hour” on Sunnyside cd. Tom Harrell is on a few here, Mark Turner is on all tracks but one, great stuff.
On to
Ed Motta “Criterion of the Senses” Membran cd
I haven’t spun this one in a while. I miss hearing new Ed Motta, come on Ed, it’s time for a new one!
“It’s kindof Kafkaesque I’d say”. . .a timely line.
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Going to be a hot one today (81 degrees). Listening while it’s cool here upstairs.
Starting off with
Grateful Dead “Enjoying the Ride” sixtieth anniversay box set, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (8/12/79) disc 2
On to
Joe Henderson “The Complete An Evening with Joe Henderson” Red Records cd
Joe in trio format is always a fun listen.
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