soundevaluations

Written by Claude Lemaire

For Part-4: http://soundevaluations.blogspot.com/2023/09/treasures-from-vinyl-vault-part-4.html

27- Sonny Rollins – Saxophone Colossus. Prestige – PRLP 7079 (mono) (1957, Apr.), DCC Compact Classics LPZ-2008 (1995), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: jazz, hard bop, bluesy ballads, cool vibes, calypso influence.

Often cited as Sonny's breakthrough, best known, and most important album, Saxophone Colossus showcases the tenor's tour de force displaying dynamics, agility, and sharp quick wit. Among the five tracks, it comprises three Rollins originals, including the popular and calypso-inspired "St Thomas". I'm not big fan of calypso but thankfully that musical ingredient is kept minimal in the main riff of the first track only. The latter really starts kicking past the two and a half mark where drummer Max Roach indulges his toms and snare. Sonny solos first, followed by Tommy Flanagan on piano; the coda reprises the calypso-themed riff. "You Don't Know What Love Is" is a superb sultry, bluesy ballad, boasting terrific tenor tone as only Sonny–and perhaps Coleman Hawkins–can. On "Strode Rode", Rollins unleashes full force, fingers, and breath, where for half a minute he surfs solo over Doug Watkins' walking bass line. "Morita" is the original German name for the well known "Mack the Knife" interpreted here in a mid tempo swinging bop style. "Blue 7" walks that cool blues vibe–the highlight being the two minute plus drum solo. Rudy Van Gelder recorded the quartet at his studio in Hackensack, New Jersey in June 1956. Though not perfect, this is one of his good takes with lots of crisp presence, dynamics, detail, and a generous amount of reverb on the sax and drums. As typical with RVG, piano and bass are moderately curtailed in frequency and level. I don't have an original Prestige but do have the excellent Hoffman-Gray remastering for DCC upon it first release in 1995, and compared it with the 2011 OJC–that has the "scratched-off" Hoffman-Gray in the dead wax–and it sounded not identical but extremely close with just barely more warmth, to the point where I almost preferred it to the 180g DCC. I didn't hear the 2013 200g Analogue Productions cut by Kevin Gray alone, nor the 2022 180g AP repress.

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28- Nat King Cole and his trio – After Midnight. Capitol Records – W-782 (mono) (1957, Jan.), Analogue Productions APP 782-45 (2010), (3x45 rpm), 180g. Genre: jazz, small-ensemble swing, ballads.

I simply love this 'NKC' album as much for its songs than its supreme sound. Often known for his beautiful ballads as a singer, Cole actually started out as a trio on his first 78rpm recordings in the mid-1940s. Here on After Midnight, the trio moniker is a bit misleading 'cause the tight band made up of Nat on piano and vocals, John Collins on guitar, Charlie Harris on bass, and Lee Young on drums is joined by Harry Edison on trumpet, Willie Smith on sax, Juan Tizol on Trombone, Stuff Smith on violin, and Jack Constanzo on bongos, depending of the songs. Recording engineer John Kraus did an outstanding job at Capitol's famous studios in Hollywood, California, then newly opened in 1956–this LP being one of the first to be recorded there in August and September of that year. Every one of the 19 tracks are pure song gems. I don't have an original pressing but this three LP, mastered and cut in mono at 45 rpm by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman for Analogue Productions, is I believe unbeatable in its transparency and lightning fast dynamics. Only quibble is the packaging, in that the three records are housed in a single-slot jacket making insertion delicate.

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29- Miles Davis Quintet – Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet. Prestige – PRLP 7094 (mono) (1957, July), Analogue Productions – APJ 035 (1996), (1 of 5 LP box set), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: cool jazz, hard bop, ballads.

Newly signed to Columbia but still under contract for Prestige, Miles booked two memorable sessions at Van Gelder's studio in Hackensack, New Jersey–the first in May 1956, and the second in October. These dates provided material for four albums with their titles ending with the suffix "-in' ", as in Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin'; all of which released at 8 to 18 months intervals down the road. The personnel–John Coltrane on sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums–formed the basis of Davis' First Great Quintet. They are all captured by Rudy in mono and mostly live takes in the studio. I first came upon Cookin' in the mid-1990s when Analogue Productions got Doug Sax, Gavin Lurssen, and Ron Lewter to team up to remaster and cut it [AAPJ-021, APRJ 7094] with tube electronics at The Mastering Lab as part of the label's first jazz audiophile reissues. It starts out very soft and intimate with Miles' take on "My Funny Valentine", the 1937 show tune turned jazz standard by Chet Baker when playing in the Gerry Mulligan Quartet in 1953. It sounded good, especially for that first of four tracks. A few years afterwards in downtown Montréal, I bumped in to my "nemesis" again–refer to Part one http://soundevaluations.blogspot.com/2022/09/treasures-from-vinyl-vault-part-1.html on the Birth of the Cool entry to make the connection–where he sold me his mint Miles Davis Quintet's The Great Prestige Recordings 5 LP boxset compilation [APJ 035] from 1996 for 200 dollars. These were remastered and cut by Stan Ricker. His version of Cookin' sounded slightly superior to my ears with more bass weight. I once had the chance to hear and compare back to back the double-45 rpm version done by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray for Analogue Productions [AJAZ 7094] in 2003, and the latter came out on top, which made my friend quite happy.

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30- Miles Davis Quintet – Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet. Prestige – PRLP 7129 (mono) (1958, Mar.), Original Jazz Classics – OJC-190 (2011 and 2020), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: hard bop, cool jazz, ballads.

Relaxin' is by far my favorite Davis album from the Prestige releases ending with the suffix "-in' ". Recorded in May and October 1956, and released in March 1958, it comprises three tracks per side. They are all superb, with Sonny Rollins' "Oleo" opening side two, being the least relaxin' and most excitin' of the album. The free-spirited interplay between Davis and 'Trane over Chambers' running up and down his fingerboard, and Joe Jones entering and exiting the fray, are energetically enticin'! I remember seeing the 2003 Analogue Productions' double-45 rpm release cut by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at the annual Montreal HiFi show back in the day for sale around 90 bucks or so, and passing over it. Boy did I kick myself afterwards for choosing to buy instead an Ella Fitzgerald Cole Porter reissue on Speakers Corner [MG V-4001-2]. The first version that introduced me to this important jazz album, was the Stan Ricker cut as part of my 5 LP Prestige boxset described above which I found great until I heard my colleague's very affordable OJC [OJC-190] from 2020, which bettered it in every aspect, especially its top end airiness where the Ricker sounds definitely duller. Also had the opportunity to compare with another friend's pressing which was the more expensive 2022 Craft Recordings 'one-step' [CR00227] cut by Bernie Grundman which went in the opposite sonic direction than the Ricker cut, i.e. sharply defined top end but lacked low end bottom on the bass instrument. So you guessed it... the cheapest of the three turned out to be the Goldilocks in tonal balance, and best sounding version for my ears. Sometimes we do get a break after all.

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Reference List (Singles, albums, and labels):

Sonny Rollins – Saxophone Colossus. Prestige – PRLP 7079 (mono) (1957, Apr.), DCC Compact Classics LPZ-2008 (1995), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: jazz, hard bop, bluesy ballads, cool vibes, calypso influence.

Nat King Cole and his trio – After Midnight. Capitol Records – W-782 (mono) (1957, Jan.), Analogue Productions APP 782-45 (2010), (3x45 rpm), 180g. Genre: jazz, small-ensemble swing, ballads.

Miles Davis – Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet. Prestige – PRLP 7094 (mono) (1957, July), Analogue Productions – APJ 035 (1996), (1 of 5 LP boxset), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: cool jazz, hard bop, ballads.

Miles Davis – Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet. Prestige – PRLP 7129 (mono) (1958, Mar.), Original Jazz Classics – OJC-190 (2011 and 2020), 33 1/3 rpm. Genre: hard bop, cool jazz, ballads.

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