Universal Japanese Vinyl Reissues get it right!!

Rather quietly, Universal Japan have been reissuing a small number of catalog titles - in most cases, very rare and offbeat stuff, on superbly done 200g vinyl that puts domestic vinyl reissues to shame.

Take a look at the picture that shows how these are packaged. First, the covers are exact reproductions of originals - whether flip back, tipped on, gatefold...it's reproduced exactly, right down to the paper type. The records are packed in a high quality resealable Japanese outer sleeve, with the actual record in a Nagaoka type round bottom inner contained inside a separate thick white cardboard sleeve. This type of packaging precision and excess is in every way designed to make sure both record and sleeve arrive in perfect condition, every time. Nice.

They are indeed highly limited, maybe 500 to 700 copies at most, and truth is. they pretty much all sell out immediately. Deservedly so.

I'll point you first to the Clarke-Boland Big Band 'Latin Kaleidoscope' since it is still available in Japan. This is a classic MPS recording that is legendary, with originals going for fairly significant bucks in the used market. Gary McFarland's suite is on the first side, a Francy Boland suite of equal significance on the second, key players like Johnny Griffin, Sahib Shihab, Benny Bailey, Jimmy Woode, Idrees Suliemann, Tony Coe, Ronnie Scott, Sabu Martinez...the cream of the crop playing in Europe in the early 70's. There is a reason this is a somewhat under the radar legend - the band is red hot, having a blast, loose, and the music is superb. This is simply a joy to listen to. Hunt a copy of this reissue down, it's a real keeper.

The Clarke-Boland is perhaps the best known title reissued by Universal Japan in this series, aside from Yusef Lateef's 'Before Dawn'. Two 1960's titles by Staffan Abeleen are revived, Perseopolis is the earler, in serviceable but not overly fulfilling mono, Downsteam the later and better of the two, in fine stereo and dispelling the myth that the European jazz player of the 60's was stiff and unidiomatic. Very worthwhile and quite advanced for the period, in ways looking ahead to ECM, rooted more in Crescent era Coltrane in other ways, and featuring the young Palle Danielsson who went on the anchor Keith Jarrett's 1970's 'European' quartet. Very recommended.

A very odd and welcome title from Paul Gonsalves, 'Hummingbird' was originally issued on UK prog label Deram, probably why it disappeared quickly and remains forgotten. Features a UK backing group that includes Kenny Wheeler on trumpet (imagine - Kenny Wheeler and Paul Gonsalves!!) that acquits itself very well, an interesring mix of a few standards and originals from band members, strong blowing from all, and of course, Gonsalves recorded so infrequently as a leader and in small group settings that this one must be highly recommended.

It goes without saying that the Japanese 200g pressings are flawless in every respect. While I hear a lot about how great Pallas and (sometimes) RTI are, the fact is, the best pressing plant in the world is in Japan, and as has been true for over 30 years now, the very best pressings in the world still come from Japan. Check these out please.