Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Blue Note 4003 Rar

New Series:  Blueish Annotation Masterpieces, disregarded.

Checking to see what my copy of Blakey Jazz Messengers BN 4003 had in the run-out, I  plunged into LondonJazzCollector under "Blakey", only to come up short: I had never  posted on this championship. Time to brand good, overlooked masterpieces from the LC shelf. And I've thrown in a Collector'southward Corner mystery, to add a little spice.

Selection: Moanin' (Timmons)

…

Artists:

Lee Morgan (trumpet) Benny Golson (tenor sax) Bobby Timmons (piano) Jymie Merritt (bass) Art Blakey (drums) recorded Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, October 30, 1958

Cultural Context 1958:

Just ii months before the recording of Moanin', on September 2nd,1958, Uk performed a nuclear exam at its far-flung  territory in the Pacific Bounding main, Christmas Island. One month later, on October  1st, United kingdom ceded the Christmas Island territory  to Australia.

The U.k. graded the condition of the  isle as "VG plus". The Aussies graded it below "Poor", claiming the isle had been incinerated to a cinder in the test, threatening to open a "not as described" claim. Britain agreed to take the island back, but postage at Australia's expense, information technology'south a big isle. Australia retaliated with very negative feedback. Thus started a longstanding enmity betwixt our 2 nations which afterwards spilled over onto the cricket pitch, named for now obvious reasons, The Test Match. (Alarm: some of these event take been made upwardly, though not all.)

Music:

At the end of October 1958, Rudy Van Gelder was still recording in mom 'n' popular's home studio, Hackensack, New Bailiwick of jersey, delivering amazing acoustics, musicians in the living room, literally. The Jazz Messengers class of '58: Benny Golson on tenor, Lee Morgan trumpet, the irresolute piano seat on this occasion accommodates Bobby Timmons.

The modern jazz songbook used to consist mainly of '30s and '40s standards and prove-tunes, merely here, strong new compositions begin to dominate, with Timmons catchy "Moanin' ",  and Golson's four memorable new tunes, including the archetype Along Came Betty. Not limited to played swinging loftier free energy tenor, Golson wrote many tunes which went on to exist regarded as jazz standards, including "Killer Joe," "Stablemates," "Whisper Not," "Blues March," "Five Spot After Nighttime," "Are Y'all Real?" and "I Remember Clifford.". His writing is powerful stuff, tunes that linger in your head long subsequently the record is put to bed.

Anybody here is hot. Timmons offers soulful, churchy-bluesy vamps, Jymie helping out in the bass-ment, Morgan direct alee and swinging,  "blows with unflagging zest tempered with superb control" (Dr Herb Wong) and especially Benny Golson, whose tenor solos masterfully build tension: initially walking pace in measured but carefully placed steps, rise relentlessly towards the next level, where he unleashes the raucous climax – dazzling fast figures, squawks and cries, shaking with nervous energy, a thespian possessed. Blakey the ringmaster but beams, pushing the ensemble along.

In 1958 Van Gelder was  yet thinking in mono, since near dwelling record players were equipped only for mono, which was also the format of radio airplay. Big room-filling mono, sound perfectly counterbalanced in all elements.  I mistakenly once wrote that Rudy began recording in stereo in July 1957. On reflection, he began recording to  two-track tape: the stereophonic soundstage was a long manner from his mind.  I never felt the demand to seek out this record in stereo. Anyone want to put in a kind word for the stereo, here's your chance.

Vinyl: mixed NY/47W63 labels, ear, RVG stamp, no deep groove.

When I commencement started collecting I used to think peering at matrix codes was the stuff of trainspotters, but, in fourth dimension, the penny dropped.  Then many secrets are to be found in the deadwax, information technology's an excitement of discovery wholly absent from digital media.

I also started out thinking I coveted the original first pressing. Until I institute through experience that it didn't make much departure, as the apply of Van Gelder original metalwork was found in many second and third pressings, which sounded just as practiced simply without the price premium. I also discovered a lot of what was described every bit "original" wasn't. And so I taught myself to be a chief of unoriginal pressings.

This is most likely a third pressing, mixed labels 1962-6 New York label Side ii with legacy 47W63 with ®+INC . A label from inventory sometime stock suggesting early on in the period,  possibly 1962. No deep groove either side. No inner sleeve present to narrow it down further.

Initially I had this listed equally without the 9M, but on closer examination, 9M is just visible at ii o'clock position on Side 1, a very shallow pin compose, very easy to miss. No sign of 9M on Side 2, which is of itself interesting: mastering involved one acetate of 9M supplier origin, the other side of which must have come from a different batch without the mysterious Blue Note client code.

Side one matrix is A-one, indicating Rudy didn't like his first acetate cut, and chose to recut information technology. Could the recut of Side 1 be linked to the presence of 9M only on that i side, pulling a spare acetate from an older batch, somewhere in the back of a cupboard in Hackensack (side by side to the cookie jar)?

Etchings close up:

Collector's Corner: calling Inspector Vinyl.

What prompted me to fish 4003 off my shelf was an enquiry from an Italian reader, Dino, virtually some strange things he had noticed on his copy of BLP 4003.

His copy had all the hallmarks of an early pressing – RVG stamp, 47W63rd labels (with ©+INC), deep groove both sides, even a 9M,  and a hefty 190 gram vinyl weight.

There is no question it is pressed from Van Gelder metal, but crucially, the expected Plastylite  "P" is missing. Instead, on i side,  a stamp resembling the letter of the alphabet "One thousand", (right) almost certainly a pressing plant identifier. Do you know this stamp? You must tell.

All the usual indications of later Liberty reissue are absent: deep groove dies had disappeared by the time Liberty came on the scene,  and vinyl weight had slimmed down to around 140 – 150 grams. No indications of overseas manufacture. – no royalty collection agency or import duty stamps. This is non a Freedom pressing, or an overseas pressing. It is something else. Merely what?

" data-medium-file="https://londonjazzcollector.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dino-4003-labels.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://londonjazzcollector.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dino-4003-labels.jpg?w=584" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-49758" src="https://londonjazzcollector.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dino-4003-labels.jpg?w=584" alt="Dino 4003 labels" srcset="https://londonjazzcollector.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dino-4003-labels.jpg?w=584 584w, https://londonjazzcollector.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dino-4003-labels.jpg?w=1168 1168w, https://londonjazzcollector.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dino-4003-labels.jpg?w=120 120w, https://londonjazzcollector.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dino-4003-labels.jpg?w=300 300w, https://londonjazzcollector.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dino-4003-labels.jpg?w=768 768w, https://londonjazzcollector.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/dino-4003-labels.jpg?w=1024 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px">

No Plastylite "ear"

Let'due south rule out i obvious possibility – that Plastylite "forgot" to use the ear in the factory. The only time I have seen the ear missing was on i side where the run-out was and so small there was a gamble of applying the ear to the grooves. And that leaves no caption for the stylised "G" postage.

A more than likely explanation is that some fourth dimension in 1961, when I recall this tape was pressed (labels ©+INC), there was a capacity outcome. Either Blue Annotation urgently needed more copies, sales were good,  or maybe some Plastylite plant presses were out of activity. Exceptionally, Blueish Note provided metallic, labels and jackets to some other pressing plant to press an extra batch.

Nosotros know something similar happened with BLP 1595, Something Else, where a re-create surfaced (in Russian federation, of all places) which had all the correct hallmarks but also lacked the ear. In that case, coexisting evidence pointed to industry by Plastylite rival found, Abbey Manufacturing (identical pressing die band Side 2 to those found on Prestige pressings effectually that fourth dimension) .

Information technology may not be a coincidence that BN 1599 and BN 4003 are adjacent catalogue numbers, though the engagement of each pressing is unknown, so information technology is not possible to link more than closely, but certainly tempting.

I was also tempted to manus this investigation over to the FBI, as there is a potential Russian connection, though absolutely somewhat remote.  However nosotros need answers  that are trustworthy and provided apace, so probably not the right people to ask.

Iv Learning Points

i. You never terminate learning.

2. You can't be certain of anything.

3. Some of what you lot think you know is incorrect.

four. I've forgotten the 4th point.

If you have a amend theory, lets hear it, preferably with some show to back it upward. On the other paw, wild speculation and conspiracy theories seem to be all the rage correct now , so don't feel you take to limit yourself to the facts. Almost important, does the "K" stamp ring any bells for anyone? That is the biggest loose cease, merely there may be other things you tin shed low-cal on (begetting in mind lessons 2 and iii above)

My thank you to Dino for sharing his "earless" mystery LP.
LJC

Postscript October 17, 2017 :4003 encompass colour variations

Tireless record collecting sleuth Shaft has spotted variation in the colours of this comprehend. A quick wait through a few hundred or so covers in auctions confirms that in the form of many additional pressing runs, and printing of boosted jackets,  a spectrum of colour migrate is found, from pale orange type and xanthous bandage (left two columns below) through to bright red type (right ii columns below) .

Auction photos were every bit is usual, taken under a diverseness of light sources of different colour temperature, and with varying degrees of over and under exposure, all of which affect color fidelity.

The odd inner sleeve captured with the auction photo confirms this record went through multiple pressings from 1960 right through to 1966 ("27 Years of" Inner). Numerically, I'd guess 75% plant are broadly of the orange tint, and peradventure 25% of the crimson tint. In between there some with very strongly saturated orangish type.

The bottom left picture is from a Bob Djukic auction ( cover positioning clips summit left and beneath) and his photography is mostly spot on.  But then is mine, and then the variation are from colour printing differences, not photography differences.

Like I said. You never stop learning.

LJC

gardnerregged.blogspot.com

Source: https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/2017/10/14/art-blakey-and-the-jazz-messengers-1958-blue-note/