ADVISE TO GET AN OUTSTANDING SOUND QUALITY VINYL

[bajofondo]

Hi,
I'd like to try the sound of a very well recorded vinyl. I'd appreciate suggestions of what to get! It can be jazz, classical, I am open, its more to test the potentialities of my L-78.
I'd like to purchase this vinyl tonight to enjoy it!

Thank you
mARTIN

[Brumm]

Interesting question! Where are you located?

Well, it happens that 2 days ago I got the magazine of the Swiss chapter of the Analogue Audio Association.
In this mag. was a report of a member's meeting, at a private place where the owner presented some 'tweaking' tips with his equipment. In that meeting he was asked just the same question, and he said his top LP is the one called 'Flute de Pan et orgue' by the Swiss musical ethnologist and organist Marcel Cellier and the panflute player George Zamfir.
Heck, this LP is around somewhere in my collection, together with a similar one with the Romanian instrument Taragot (played by Dumitru Farcas). The recordings are done in a small church, on a Nagra recorder.
I dug out both and was again getting wet eyes; especially maybe as I have a certain liking to the southeast european countries and their music.
For me, both are of the same outstanding quality.

But what does that help you? Nothing if you can't get a long out of stock LP.
But luckily we have Google and Ebay today.
2 minutes of searching brought this:
http://cgi.ebay.de/Dumitru-Farcas-Marcel-Cellier-LP-Taragot-Organ-/250665878262

Ah yes, the other one (not the same cover as mine):
http://cgi.ebay.at/GHEORGHE-ZAMFIT-MARCEL-CELLIER-PANFL-TE-ORGEL-12-LP-/310234618438
and again:
http://www.abebooks.de/Flute-Pan-Orgue-Gheorghe-Zamfir-Marcel/2157654808/bd

Another one, but possibly very difficult to get, is the 45t LP 'Here's to Ben' ( a vocal tribute to Ben Webster) by the singer Jacintha Abisheganaden from Singapore. The Label is Groove Note GRV1001-1

So, now I will look forward to what others have to say...

Greetings, and good luck!

[bajofondo]

Hi Brumm,
Thank you for your fast reply! I have printed your recommended LP's. I am in San Francisco, and will go tonight to a pretty large Cd, lp store (Amoeba Records). I will try to find your suggested LP!
Will keep you posted!!
Martin

[Graeme]

Look for any of the sheffield lab releases, all recorded direct to disc with no master tapes.

Superb recordings, generaly considered some of the best recordings ever!

[nic]

Another one, but possibly very difficult to get, is the 45t LP 'Here's to Ben' ( a vocal tribute to Ben Webster) by the singer Jacintha Abisheganaden from Singapore. The Label is Groove Note GRV1001-1

Really? Must ask around and see if there any more copies in the shops here..... in Singapore.

[rfgumby]

Just about any pressing of Miles Davis Kind of Blue is a great place to start with jazz if you don't mind an old saw.  Hugh Masekela Hope is a bit more jazz/world-music, and has a few awesome songs on it.

If you have a good cartridge and arm combination, it's about 50/50 shot with older Classical, so try about any pressing you want to take a chance on.  So many sound good if the recordings are from the
1960's for example.

[tomatamot]

Just about any pressing of Miles Davis Kind of Blue is a great place to start with jazz if you don't mind an old saw.

So many sound good if the recordings are from the 1960's for example.

Kind of Blue is (still) a million seller!! Probably the best selling Jazz record ever.
But there excist rechannelled for stereo reissues do I need to say more?........................... Oke.
My personal advise stop listening to audiophile music start listening to the music of your own choice.
Mark my words: and you will find the most beautifull recorded records.
I can give you a list of records to buy ( now ) at Music Stack or Gemm, but all they are my choice of music, Jazz!

[low pitch]

I would very much like to have your list of jazz records to buy, if you could be so kind...particularly the European scene.

martin

[worcestermark]

Of course a lot will depend on your taste, but as a lover of mainly modern jazz, I really rate the sound of ECM lps, a German label. They have started issuing some new releases on vinyl recently after a 19 year gap of just cds, and there are a thousand vinyl titles out there to pick up second hand. These tend to have well spaced soundstages and are a match for most overpriced audiophile lps, although the music will be modern and cool. This great capturing is often down to the engineer jan Erik Kongshaug who runs the Rainbow studio in Norway. Many of the ECM artists made their way there over the years for his immaculate recordings. Also German MPS lp's are great sounding often, and they are a much broader range of jazz styles. As a rule of thumb, american issues of 1950's and 1960's lps on Mercury, Verve, Roulette are brighter sounding, and the Uk pressings of them are on quieter vinyl. When it comes to Blue Notes, US pressings are the best and the 80's DMM reissues can sound great if you have an adjustable curve phono stage like the graham slee jazz club amp and that beauty Daiwok recently mentioned here from AMR was it?. As another very broad rule of thumb, the majority of 1980's US jazz reissues are a bit thin sounding, and from the 90's on, people like alto analogue, speakers corner, Analogue Productions,  Classic Records and some of the pure pleasure issues are a treat. I am currently writing a book on the sound of records, so any attributable contributions are welcome!.

[tomatamot]

worcestermark, welcome!
I endorse your opinion and ECM are maybe the best sounding records IMHO but I do like merely a small part of their collection.
Do you know:
http://www.ishtar.it/label_list.php?IDMarca=3
http://www.audioglobe.it/label.php?iId=1743
How could I forget  : http://www.ricky-tick.com/ Great contemporary Jazz from Finland.
Tempo records ( uk ) are now also in a Japanese reissue series. ( Tubby Hayes, Stan Tracy, Bogey Gaynair etc. )

[Brumm]

Tomatamot, thanks for mentioning these Italian labels, which I did not know (Italy is sooo far away  )
Seems I have to do an order soon...

Btw I had a look at the Groove note site http://www.groovenote.com/
They have some interesting records too, I hope they are of the same high quality as the Jacintha LP. But it seems some are out of stock 

The Jacintha 45t is an excerpt of the original LP; I can't remember how I got it (some 'special offer' from a magazine or distributor I think). It has only a plain white sleeve; completely devoid of any informations. But the sound ...   

Greetings,

[strata]

Hi, I must recommend a record with Mallard from 1973, "In a different kind of climate". Its one of the ten most superb recording I
ever heard, in other words, a reference record!! Michael

[tomatamot]

Btw I had a look at the Groove note site http://www.groovenote.com/
They have some interesting records too, I hope they are of the same high quality as the Jacintha LP. But it seems some are out of stock  

 the sound ...  

Greetings,

Brumm I know the Dutch distributer, all these records sound great. But do you like all these music????

But as you write:  the sound ...  

[Brumm]

No fear tomatamot, surely not all, and I even don't know some of the artists Well, sometimes a nice surprise is ok too. But from these on the catalog page I certainly would choose:
Ray Brown, Ernestine Anderson, Almeida/Byrd, Gene Harris, Bennie Wallace, Jay McShann. 5 stars for these...

Greetings,

[wer]

......and he said his top LP is the one called 'Flute de Pan et orgue' by the Swiss musical ethnologist and organist Marcel Cellier and the panflute player George Zamfir.
Heck, this LP is around somewhere in my collection, together with a similar one with the Romanian instrument Taragot (played by Dumitru Farcas). The recordings are done in a small church, on a Nagra recorder.
I dug out both and was again getting wet eyes; especially maybe as I have a certain liking to the southeast european countries and their music.
For me, both are of the same outstanding quality.

I am please to say that i have all 3 Volumes of Flute de Pan et Orgue on Festival as well as La Doina Roumaine with Gheorghe playing Nai and various other soloists, also recorded by Marcel Cellier on Festival. I never listened to these from the point of view of recording excellence, because - as you already said - the music is so moving that you don't worry about much else (i spent 5 years in Romania and got to know a few of the local musicians).