Masterpieces By Ellington - Duke Ellington on Analogue Productions, or - how Quality Records Pressings can screw up...

Just arrived - "Masterieces By Ellington", a historic 1950 recording by Duke Ellington. Skipping the back story of this recording, it is truly outstanding to see this fabulous recording reissued on vinyl, and the job AP have done is beyong amazing. Often you will read a review qualified by saying something to the effect of 'for 1950, the sound is...' - well, here, there can be no such qualifier. The sound is light years beyond anything recorded today. There is not only a timral, tonal richness and analog organic quality - the definition and lifelike-ness is astonishing, as are the wide dynamics, somethimes, the full band comes in and the dynamics are almost frightening. The dimensionality is so lifelike, it is hard to distinguish this as a mono recording. You have to wonder about why stereo or MCH were ever introduced when mono is capable of a recording such as this.

The music is genre-defining. The last of the WWII era Ellington band's recordings, and the first time Duke could record his finest compositions in full concert length, this is historic. It simply cannot be missed.

But - and a big but. The pressing simply isn't up to the quality of the mastering, and does this magnificient, timeless music a big disservice. QRP - Quality Record Pressing - claims unashamedly to be the best pressing plant in the world. The problem with making such an inflated claim - unprovable as it is - is that you then have to keep that promise.

The pressing is flat. It has the usual marbling and light scuffs typical of vinyl today - but has multiple pinpoint dots, which are literally tiny, microscopic gaps - throghout, and despite my usual meticulous efforts - First RV mostly - the pops during quiet passages cannot be eradicated, and are intrusive, and wholly unacceptable.

Of course, Acoustic Sounds will not post anything approaching a negative comment about their product on their store website, so all you will find is positives there, as well as on the usual professional reviewer sites. My lengthy experience is that if I got a screwup, a whole lot of the pressing run is going to have that same screwup.  It seems to me that AP/QRP rushed this out to hit the Christmas market and the quality conrol just wasn't there. Unfortunate, and a real disservice to this great music.

The SACD coming next year will no doubt be a stunner. Wait for it. Even with the sub-standard pressing, Masterpieces By Ellington is revelatory, revolutionary, and beyond essential. You have been warned about the pressing, so buy forewarned, or wait for the SACD. Either way, this is magnificent.