The series of Prestige 200g vinyl starts to roll out, a year after it was announced (or was it like 2 years??) - I figure they announce these decades in advance to attract as many preorders as possible, and to get as many people to commit their dollars to them so as to 'corner' a certain piece of the market. Whatever - it actually helps me out, I am much less prone to impulse purchase if its been on my list for awhile, and that list regularly gets whittled down through occasional application of common sense to it. From me, anyways, Chad actually gets his sales reduced by announcing way too far in advance, as well as by his continual delays. I just move on to other things and realize that I really don't need it after all.
But here we are - "Coltrane", John Coltrane's first date as a leader, starts the series off in a very good 200g (or thereabouts, Chad says they are 200g, but I think they come up short of that, not that I care) pressing, sounding superb - in fact, better than ever, the characteristic Prestige tubbiness in the bass and love handles around the mids have been tamed without losing any warmth or tonality, there is an organic fully analog tone in a big, open space, Coltrane bites and the tonal range is all here. The top end is sparkling and hasn't been futzed with. All in all - and the same goes for the other two below - the sound is exemplary, even maybe a bit more than that.
Where the series falls down so far is in choice of titles. It's fair to say that 'Coltrane' would not be any even passing Coltrane disciple's lead off choice, let alone a tenth or fourteenth pick. It is an average hard bop album that is pleasant enough, hardly challenging or groundbreaking, and far from representative of Coltrane or an important Coltrane album. As one who came to Coltrane in the 1970's, and in fact took up the tenor largely because of late period Coltrane, I can say that in 40 years I have never really felt a need to own this record. So why pick it now for a high end vinyl reissue series when there are so many better Prestige records that could use a polish and relaunch?
Much the same could be said for All Night Long, really a Mal Waldron date if anything, featuring Hank Mobley long before he developed into an interesting player, a young Donald Byrd likewise not yet at his peak, The always interesting Art Taylor - but when the most compelling attribute a record has is the fine flute playing of Jerome Richardson, you know that you are not in the presence of forgotten masterpiece. An odd record, Richardson is really the only highlight. Odd.
Mobley's Message is in many ways the best of the bunch, not just because it has a really very cool 50's vibe cover. Mobley is not entirely Mobley yet on this one, and even his weakest Blue Note date puts this to shame. But it has merit, as Mobley's tone at this point was much lighter, and his articulation much softer. He is far more of a changes-runner here than the improviser he became just a few years later, but even if this is far from an essential record, it is enjoyable.
There is nothing to fault in pressing, mastering, or artwork. All are above reproach and in fact can be considered best in class. All Chad needs now is someone who knows the music - and not just on the surface - to curate the series meaningfully.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar