Workin' With The Miles Davis Quintet - 2023 Craft OJC, Kevin Gray cut, RTI pressed LP compared to OG
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 พ.ค. 2023
- So, Craft Recordings have just reached the OJC - Original Jazz Classics label. This time however, rather than being a budget label it has all the elements to be an audiophile bargain:
Sourced direct from the original tapes
All analogue mastering / cut at Coherent Sounds by mastering supremo Kevin Gray
Pressed onto 180g vinyl at RTI
Archival quality inner sleeve
High quality 'tip-on' jacket
The first release on the newly resurrected OJC label is the Miles Davis masterpiece, released in 1960 but recorded in 1956, Workin' With The Miles Davis Quintet.
Here I compare to my original deep grove RVG Prestige original... So, how does the new reissue compare?
I purchased my copy from: ravesfromthegrave.com
Excellent sound quality ( your voice ) on your site.
Peace to all.
Thanks Alan, that’s really good to know. 🙏
Thank you Dave! I was planning on picking one up. I will make it sooner than later. Also the '58 French soundtrack sounds riveting as well.
Thanks Ed…
There’ve been several reissues of ‘Ascenseur…’ and it was also released on Columbia as ‘Jazz Track’ well worth a listen.
My first time watching a video of yours. Nice thoughts on Miles and this release! I’ll be back.
Cool! Thanks @Next Play Records, glad you enjoyed my video!
Great video Dave as usual. I have this on order 👏🏼
Thanks for the comment @eiahrah. Good to know you’ve got it on order.
I have an original , an old OJC, and the latest Craft reissue.. honestly the Craft is the best sounding of tje three. - my original may have too much wear,,, but yeah..
Thanks for the feedback.
I’m really really looking forward to the forthcoming OJC ‘Miles’…
Cheers, Dave. Great video.
Thanks for the feedback Curtis!
Another great watch..Cheers Dave...Craig
Thanks Craig, glad you enjoyed it. 👍
Great video… and I totally agree!….JG
Thanks Jack, much appreciated.
I bought two OJCs by Sonny Rollins and the dead wax has Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray. They were re-using the stampers from DCC!
The only OJC I had already got (a few years ago) was Way Out West, that did sound pretty good to me. I’ll have to check the dead wax on that.
Thanks for the feedback Steven.
Kevin needs to get some tubes into his system
Hi Jack, I don't actually know what Kevin's system comprises of. To be honest, I had a feeling it was tube-based (certainly the recording system he's using for his new recording / label venture)... Either way, I rate his mastering work extremely highly. One of the best, if not the best...
Thanks Dave for this nice review. Miles records from Prestige are indeed all great. Just wonderig why not playing those modern monos with a proper mono cartridge. I have a Miyajima Zero, sound quality is so good and noise floor is much lowered by horizontal only movement. With a mono mastet tape and a proper cutting stylus setup,there "shouldn't" be any vertical groove movement... J from Paris.
Hi Julien, great question! Thank you.
The primary reason I don't use my Miyajima Zero for playing modern monos because it is a 1 mil stylus version: specifically for '1950s' monos.
Most of my mono LPs are from the 1950 - early 1960s. I have tried a 0.7 mil Zero which was superior for those mid - late 60's monos, but similarly the benefit over my stereo cartridge on these cuts was less profound.
If I could afford three cartridges / tonearms I'd get a 0.7 mil Zero too...
Dave, wonderfully educative “inside baseball” - thank you. I’m one of those KOB one-trick-pony jazz listeners and I’ve never managed to connect with other Miles works, despite trying over the decades. Cool to learn that these were recorded by Capitol years before they could see the light of day. I only have about six jazz records (spanning ‘58-64).
Glad you found it interesting Austin, I'm intrigued to know which are the six jazz LPs you have...
@@DaveDenyer It's a short list! The six are Blue Train (Tone Poet Stereo), Moanin' (BN Classics), Time Out (AP), Kind of Blue (UHQR-45), A Love Supreme (AP), and Somethin' Else (BN Classics). It's an essential starter kit, but they're great and I really feel no need to move beyond them. Most jazz annoys me to be perfectly honest and it took a lot of listening to get to these six. Oh yeah, and some day I should receive Chet Sings (Tone Poet) in Switzerland from Blue Note. So if that counts as a jazz records, then there's my seventh. Cheers!
And soon to be the just-announced A LOVE SUPREME UHQR-45! Awesome.
@@austinhunt4260 I saw that: brilliant news!
@@austinhunt4260 that really is a good starter kit. I'd suggest Herbie Hancock - Takin' Off, and Lee Morgan - Sidewinder (both BN Classics, I think) as possibilities you may enjoy.
Another brilliant review. I’m really grateful again because this sounds like another bargain. I wonder how this compares to kind of blue Uhqr? Thumbs up
Thanks for feedback again @DMD, glad you enjoyed the video
apples and oranges
@@dariuszsalamon9441 how would you compare the two when played through your system. Do do have both right?
Dave, I recently discovered the output from those three RVG studio sessions ‘55-56 that resulted in MILES, RELAXIN, STEAMIN, WORKIN, and COOKIN. I picked up thIS KPG/RTI pressing of WORKIN and have pre-ordered MILES. (1) Should I wait for OJC to release the other three or pick them up from AP while they’re available? (2) I’m listening to these monos on a Hana ML and wonder if that’s good enough or if I “really” need a dedicated mono cart. I don’t really like mono and don’t plan to own any aside from these (only because they’re not being cut in stereo). Thanks!
Cool, I’m really pleased you’re getting into them.
Regarding the mono cartridge: I only use mine for original 1950s mono LPs. The groove is actually bigger than the modern mid-sixties and later records. Modern mono LPs are, I’m 99% sure, cut with a stereo cutter head, and hence I play them back on my stereo cartridge.
@@DaveDenyer awesome! Thanks Dave.
Some "modern" mono carts such as a AT33MONO have compliance in all axis even though they won't produce the extra channel in order to deal with the concerns you mentioned.
Agreed. In fact I believe most “modern” mono carts are basically stereo generators rotated through 45 degrees and only half-wired.
These shouldn’t damage stereo records at all.
Thanks for the feedback.
If you like this first Miles Davis OJC reissue, the second Monk LP is fantastic. I'm very hopeful for this series. So far, so good....
Hi Frank, I’ve just got the Monk, but not even opened it yet. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to play it this weekend.
@@DaveDenyer Pretty sure you're going to really enjoy it. 👽✌️
It sounds like your copy of Modern Jazz Giants was pressed on recycled vinyl, which adds a significant noise floor. It's usually visible in the wax, and looks like there is a light texture across the entire surface, though most noticeable in the runout. Typically you see recycled vinyl in Prestige, New Jazz and Status records with early reissues.
Thanks for the info. I agree, it looks like recycled vinyl. There’s a background ‘whoosing’ throughout.
The biggest difference between Prestige and Blue Note is that Blue Note had much more rehearsal time.
Hi Eddie, that's what I've heard. I sometimes think that with albums like this where it's got the feeling of being live, or even improvised, that might be a good thing.
originals from 50s are limited in bandwidth, lathes of those days were pretty limited on the botto and on the top
Hi Dariusz, I agree about the bandwidth of the original. The reissue is clearly better extended at both ends.
Thanks Dave, I. I think there are plans afoot for Craft to release the rest of the series too? Do you have any of the Analogue Production versions to compare with?
I have some of the AP versions on order… looking forward to hearing how they sound.
I have about 500 old mono Jazz records and every time when I compare it to the new reissues, no matter who mastered them, the old ones win. I also have a special mono system for them and I think this is very important. If you have the money or the luck to find them cheap, get the old ones.
I agree, generally. I keep buying the new ones in the hope…
Thanks for the feedback Wolfgang.
I agree. I try to buy originals. But as you say, money is often an issue. When I buy a reissue, jazz or otherwise, I first look at the used market. Workin' (1st pressing) goes for $400 CAN for VG+ on Discogs. $80.00 for G+. Balance the price to the genre. "It Never Entered My Mind" is going to sound terrible on this G+. So I purchased this reissue. Actually, very happy with it. Would highly recommend (for the price!).
The older OJC pressings (the US ones, not the European ones) are actually really excellent. Really quiet vinyl, tip-on sleeves, and apparently cut from the original masters. I think Chad from AP has also voiced is appreciation for the series; especially the riverside ones, since the original riverside releases were manufactured so cheaply.
Interesting, thanks for the information Ethan.
If you had to choose two 50’s era Miles albums which would you choose?
Hi Nicolas, that’s a tricky question to answer, I don’t think I could slim down the list beyond Ascenseur pour Lechafaud, Modern Jazz Giants, Workin’, Relaxin’, Cookin’, etc, and also Collector’s Items.
How about Milestones album ( just saying )
Oh dear. I don’t have any of these… I think I’ll be buying them if I can. I love the albums around classic albums - I realise this is a weird statement - but filles de Kilimanjaro, and Jack Johnson get maybe 20% of the love of kind of blue and bitches brew - they aren’t 20% of those albums. Similar thing with Beerheart’s lick my decals off - if anything this is better than trout mask…
Good comment, to be honest, Trout Mask is probably my least favourite Beefheart album.
Perhaps I missed it but any word on them releasing the remaining discs in this series?
Hi Stephen, I've not heard that confirmed as yet, but I am sure they will. They'd be daft not too!
Bought the KG cut. I love Coltrane and Miles so had to be done especially as I'd not heard this one before. It's a good album and sounds fine for the time it was recorded. Coltrane's playing seems a little uninspired at times. The compositions not always particularly inspired either. IMO. I'd still recommend it but there's a lot of great reissues at the moment and it's not that cheap. I personally would hit a cheap early 80's reissue if you want an AAA cut for less. Also this issue drops out 3 times on the B side do obviously there's an issue with the tapes. That's probably not the case on 80s reissues.
Hi @CrazyDuckProductions. Thanks for the comment, I haven't heard any of the previous reissues so can't comment on that, but this one really does sound good to me.
@@DaveDenyer It does sound great. Perfect pressing too. I'm looking fwd to more from this series. Enjoyed the video and subscribed thanks.
Sounds a little less lively than an original, but it has a wonderful, quiet background and its "fancy" sounding character is all good with me. I have to still give Rudy the edge as far as his understanding of cymbals and how to represent them in the end product
Great stuff Dave the ojc is really good I still think a little pricey. Art of that amazing four lp session. When you say original you are talking about an usa copy.
Thanks George, all of my 1950s Miles Davis Prestiges are US OGs… in fact, all my 1950s Miles Davis Columbias are US too.
My 1st OJC cost £6.99 and pressing, presentation and sound terrible
That’s pretty much what suspected. Thanks for the feedback.
Your comment does not reflect the general consensus on the old ojc's. The audiophile/vinyl community have been throwing them to the side for a long time. Probably because they were cheap (so it couldn't be much) and originals were preferred. For the last decade it's widely known that they sound actually very good. The European pressings are not as good but you want to get the early US ones from the 80s. I have Relaxin as an early ojc and it's great. You may have had a bad copy, I don't know.
WOW U MUST HAVE PAID QUITE A BIT FOR THAT OG EH
It was quite a find: about 12 years ago, I bought it for just $32! 😁