http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithville_(album)
I finally found a minute to sit down and listen uninterrupted. Still sealed, brand new!
Listening on my Clearaudio Concept with Maestro Wood MM cart, Vista amp, SS PP amp, all JPS SC3 wires, Gravesen DTQWT-12 speakers.
First impression is the new master is a normalish recording, with minimal sonic drama. There is a very natural brightness and crispness to the trumpet. He has a very full tone like Byrd, but with a little edginess like Morgan, and all of it comes in clearly. The trumpet tone is very full and warm, I suspect tube mic, tube compressor, etc.
The record is more dynamic than I'm used to from my 80s Jap Blue Notes. Maybe it is the lower noise floor, combined with more microdetail from the higher resolution.
I noticed only two slight ticks so far on the whole first side. It is virtually silent, that makes it easy to lose myself in the solos and groove.
Cymbal tone is awesome. As with the sax and trumpet raspiness, it is very natural, but the added detail brings the whole record more to life. OK first song done, time to get up and flip it...
Side two, an uptempo bopper. Cymbal presence is really noticeable, and nice. Not the usual dead sizzle. I noticed on the groove feed in, that even with clean grooves, there is a rumble hiss noise floor. I have it really cranked which brings it up but it is an unavoidable aspect of vinyl, even the most perfect records have groove noise. On a record like this the music easily drowns it all out. Even more gorgeous trumpet splat on this tune. He has great time and good ears and mature worthy presence in the music, but he's not particularly innovative as soloist.
I keep coming back to the drums. So much more alive. Piano is a lot more punchy too. This cart and the horn loaded woofers really get the bass violin right. PCs solo here is very powerful, clear, detailed. The bow texture is nice to hear on vinyl, rather than just the fundamental.
Don't know if this is the record, or my cart, or vibration coming in from speakers but when the band is playing at full tilt, I hear some distortion like tube overload growl, more on the first side, I haven't noticed it again.
The inner sleeves are thick polyethylene tinted pink with static control coating. Static was minimal when removing the discs. The outgroove of side two was much quieter, as was the ingroove of side 3. Did I mention another flip?
The record jacket is thick, heavy, gloss varnish, beautiful photos. Compared to my jap reissues this is first class packaging.
Side 3 is a ballad showcase for the leader. He has such a beautiful tone. On his loudest peaks I start to hear a touch of the distortion again. It is a break up. Could well be on the original tapes as overload. There is a significant amount of tube compression on him, so could be overloading an outboard tube stage, or a worn tube. Seems to only happen on the trumpet. The piano is just as hot, in similar frequency band, and no break up. I hope someone later in the tour can listen for this raspiness on the trumpet. I've heard it before on trumpets playing through vintage tube gear.
The sax is a little bright. Too much sibilance, or 'spit' as musicians call it. Since it's only on the sax it must be the mic choice or recording EQ. His midrange is boosted too. Very forward sound compared to his more restrained tone on recordings for Columbia. The sibilance is most noticeable when he plays softly like background for the trumpet feature. When he comes in after the trumpet solo it sounds like bad distortion until I hear that it's the check. When blowing hard it is more balanced but still pretty forward. The third side is noisier than the others, but still quieter than most of my Blue Notes. Flip!
Side 4 starts off a little bit hot. I think the sax and cymbals are starting to get to me. Nice Charlie Rouse solo to start. Beautiful sax sound. I am familiar with his tone from the very well recorded Teo Macero sessions on Columbia with Monk. This is more detailed and intimate without as much room echo. This is the benefit of more forward EQ. Lots of compression on that trumpet!! But it is buttery smooth and lovely. He is getting going now, pressing out some nice lines and clever turnarounds on the 4th track.
The cymbal resolution is just amazing to hear all those metallic overtones in there so clearly. Almost like being on stage with him. On the out chorus the same midrange boost is evident as at the beginning on the 4th tune. I think it is just the mike choice of the sax. The midrange boost happens whenever he is playing.
5th tune is back to normal, a more open, fuller feel without the sax. Lots of trumpet sparkle, very natural trumpet sound, but phat. I'm impressed that my cartridge can play this! Says a lot for the humble Vista phono preamp too.
The rimshot accents on the drum comps really allow me to hear deep into the soundstage space, and there is a lot to hear with Rudy's one room setup. No isolation booths here! The drums are miked with a single mic overhead and another sometimes on the hihat. Snare and toms are the usual distant open sound, but there is a lot more detail in the reverb at 45rpm. The last side outgroove is noisy. Side 2 and 4 seem noisier than 1&3, maybe it's something with a particular side of the pressing machine? Not really bad noise, just a few pops that I only noticed on the groove out. There is hardly any perceivable noise behind the music.
This was a good listening experience for me and it was fun to hear a record sound so clear and dynamic. I can see the appeal of 45s for these recordings if one loves to hear the sonic details. 45 allows the full resolution of the original tape to come through.
I devoured many Blue notes in my teens on less than hifi gear, so for me the value of these recordings is not so much the sound quality. But it is fun to hear the subtle details of Rudy's recording technique, and the tonal inflections of the musicians more clearly.
Big thanks to Jerome for sending this record on tour and for allowing me this learning experience.
Rich
