Just got in a fabulous box of Music Matters Blue Note 45 rpm vinyl to get caught up on. If you haven't been keeping up, now is the time, having listened to 7 new MM BN's over the last two days, which is a very interesting and enlightening way to do it, I can only say that sonically this series has never been better, in fact, it has never been this good (and it always has been superb). Not only that, the selection of titles has reached a peak, all these are true classics representing in each case something unique to Blue Note and at the same time a musical milestone.
Stanley Turrentine's "Look Out" is a record I have had for decades but rarely pulled off the shelf. But Music Matters have shone a light on this session and made it essential - not only Turrentine's tone, here magnificently represented in all it's tall, deep, widely thrown glory (check out the lame sound Hoffman gave Turrentine on the Analogue Productions "Up At Mintons Vol. 1" and them come back to "Look Out" for the truth) - the blues shouts, the deep honks, the slides, the shimmys, the soul - all here. But what struck me the most as I listened was just what a great drummer Al Harewood was - and what a solid swing he brings. The cymbal sound achieved here for Harewood is just so damn soulful - and swinging. George Tucker I always thought of as a capable journeyman, and maybe that's what he was. But he is just such a solid, powerful swinging force here. That's what makes this such a classic session - the swing of an outstanding rhythm section, underappreciated - until you here them on this reissue.
Jackie McLean's "One Step Beyond" is another inspired choice. Once again, the sound is the best Music Matters - or anyone - has obtained for Jackie. I have previously written about the MM "Swing Swang Swingin", feeling that excellent though the sound is, McLean's tone wasn't quite truthful - it didn't entirely sound like his alto, and some high midrange was sucked out (by some EQ consultant no doubt). McLean just simply sings here - right out front, thrown way out of the speakers, that tart beautiful tone sitting right in front, so close I could touch it. But this session is more than that. It brought Tony Williams into the studio for the first time, and man, is he ever awesome here - just listen to his cymbal sound! It has never been so realistic, and I had never heard just how detailed and varied his cymbal sound was. Grachan Moncur is a monster here - a huge, enveloping sound, one that now can be seen to be so deep in the swing tradition - it all makes sense now, Moncur can now be heard as a deep traditionalist tonally while reaching for a new harmonic freedom. Of course, by now it must be accepted that only Music Matters have been able to get the warmly metallic, percussive, singing sound of Bobby Hutcherson's vibes right - awesome.
This is a hard bop session, yet a turning point - it reaches out and touches the 'new thing' without McLean abandoning where he came from. As such, it is iconic and unique.
Dexter Gordon had recorded quite a bit for Blue Note before "Our Man In Paris", and from my perspective, other BN-Dexter records are better. But Ron and Joe have again made a beautiful choice here in reissuing this title. Our Man In Paris is seminal in the Blue Note canon for several reasons. First - it is the only title Music Matters have reissued to date not recorded by Rudy Van Gelder. Second - it is a rare encounter between Dexter and Bud Powell, and even more rare - one where Bud is 'all there'. Third - the great French bassist Pierre Michelot's only appearance on Blue Note, and one of the few by the legendary Kenny Clarke.
Sonically, this is a real treat - not RVG sound, and Music Matters have done an amazing job with what I am guessing are very good master tapes. Bud's piano sound is wonderful, and unlike the RVG piano sound. Same goes for the rocking, swinging Michelot - the bass sound is powerful, full of wood. So sonically, this is very unique to both MM and BN - and an excellent session by a band never to meet again.
Obviously, Ron had the challenge in assembling this package of session photos - since this was a Paris recording, there are obviously no Francis Wolff session photos. In their place (and likely not without a lot of detective work to source) are two wonderful photos I have never seen before - a period appropriate shot of Lion, Dexter and Van Gelder together, and another of a rather charming Dexter in Paris. A fabulous job, and an unexpected highlight of the series.
The music smokes. Ron Cater is on bass, and truthfully RVG never really caught Carter properly - but here, MM have made it right, Carter is just so powerfully symmetrical and locks in with Hancock and Higgins, now we hear his wonderful tone and how much his fingers contributed to his sound. Higgins also could be problematic for RVG - his cymbals are often a sizzling, ear bleeding blur during this era, but again, it's all right here, there is a clarity and detail to Higgins' cymbal work that has not been appreciated until heard here. I also never before appreciated just how Higgins could drop bombs - and keep on swinging.
Morgan - Hutcherson - Shorter out front, Ron Carter in a rare Blue Note appearance, even more rare - Carter and Higgins together., amazing, a classic date, singular in the Blue Note catalog, and every tune is just smoking hot.
Notwithstanding a typo in the liner notes, the session photo of Lee Morgan clearly shows the dent in his forehead from an encounter with a radiator while a junkie. Magnificent attention to detail.
Speaking of attention to detail, check out the cover of Wayne Shorter's "Adam's Apple" - the inner photos show Shorter playing a Conn tenor on that one, which he only played for a short time - he started with a Martin tenor, moved to a Selmer Balanced Action, then to the Conn 10M, then ultimately to a Selmer MkVI - all the way through with his usual Otto Link 11* mouthpiece. Checking the Adam's Apple original front cover - I had never noticed before - there it is, the Conn 10M. That accounts for the sound on that Music Matters that blew me away - the bigger, darker tenor sound. That's the 10M sound. Music Matters got it right, and it never has been that right for the last 40 some years.
Don't hesitate on this one - Hutcherson was rarely heard in a quartet setting, and this is just exceptional.
Finally, another seminal Blue Note date from Freddie Hubbard, essential for a number of reasons - not only the Coltrane band of the day (Elvin, McCoy, and the master Art Davis on bass making a rare Blue Note appearance) - but the presence of Bernard McKinney on euphonium. McKinney gives a whole different voicing to the sextet, and Music Matters have captured the unique euphonium sound perfectly, showing it as a very singular foil to Hubbard and Shorter as a solo voice. The compositions on this record are near standrads in their perfection. This record was the first, in my view, that really showed a fully developed, unique voice from Hubbard. It remains one of his finest moments.
As usual, the RTI pressings are excellent (barring some disturbing popping on side 2 of Ready For Freddie that my usual cleaning regimen could not resolve), and the packaging of the usual highest standard.
Thing about this series - it is not just the warhorses, it doesn't play to the gallery, it produces true iconic and essential records that each have a unique place in Blue Note history and form the most complete picture of the depth Blue Note produced in their prime - and as such, it can only be considered the finest reissue series ever produced. Here are a bunch of titles that demand consideration.
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