audioexchange

In 1954 Sarah Vaughan released her eponymous album “Sarah Vaughan” on EmArcy records (picture on right above). A NM copy of the original album will set you back £200, at least. My first copy, a CD bought in 1990 or 1991, was called “Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (picture on left above)” – Brown being upgraded from accompanist to co-lead (for reasons that are unclear to me). I have loved the album since I first heard it. However, I have always found the vocals to be quite “thin” and sibilant on the CD. I recently bought a reasonably affordable Japanese print from 1974. The record sounds completely different to the CD – Vaughan’s vocal is deeper and clearer and more, dare I say, analogue. There is a richness and punch to the mono production that I had not heard before. The album has had a couple of digital remasters that I have not heard, including an SACD reissue. Strangely, when I went to catalogue my purchase, I discovered, to my horror, that I had two copies already. The first, a 2008 Jazz Track and the second, a 2016 copy from the wonderful De Agostini jazz at 33 vinyl LP series (the majority of which I have obtained – both UK and Ireland and Italian versions, which had different releases). I decided to play the records side to side. The Jazz Track record, of course, sounded exactly the same as the CD – but used the original artwork. The De Agostini version sounded exactly the same as the Jazz Track, similar cover but with the original labels. Both of these records were likely sourced from the CD. And therein lies the problem.

Under European law, pre 1963 recordings are copyright exempt. In general, this is a good thing for music lovers, as most of the artists are now dead, and the record companies made hay re-issuing CD of historic recordings in the 80s and 90s and selling them for top dollar prices. Now you can happily pick up classical and jazz CD box sets for €10 to €15 that contain 8 to 10 albums. Presumably, the CDs are digital clones of the official releases. Occasionally, the manufacturers boast that the recordings have been 20 or 24 bit remastered, which is a little ridiculous without the master tapes.

However, when it comes to vinyl, the copyright exemption has led to a vinyl version of Greshams’ law: bad vinyl is pushing good vinyl out of circulation. I have been in dozens of record shops all over Europe over the past decade, and crate after crate of jazz records are chock full of copyright free (i.e. CD sourced) reissues by – Jazz Wax, Jazz Tracks, Vinyl Passion, DOL, Vinyl Lovers, Not Now, Panam, Doxy etc. If you get lucky, there are a few Rhino, Impulse or Atlantic reissues and of course new pressings from ECM and Blue Note – but literally nothing else. If you visit Amazon’s european sites, most of the 1950s and 1960s jazz vinyl on offer is the same rubbish. Take, for example – Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section – a true classic from 1957. If one goes to Amazon.com – you are offered a 2011 Original Jazz Classics pressing for $22. If you go to Amazon.co.uk – you are offered a 2013 Waxtime pressing for £20. It is possible, that both of these pressings derive from the same 16 bit files, but at least OJC own the original master tapes (they may be all analogue), and presumably pay some reasonable attention to mastering. The point is that, for basic vinyl reissues, European jazz enthusiasts are being subjected to second rate CD sourced junk, and it is very difficult to source the good stuff.

It might be worth noting that CD sourced 180g virgin pressings may sound a lot better than the 27th repress of a 1950s recording on 120g vinyl from the 1980s.

For years, American audiophile labels such as Analogue Productions, Music Matters, Org, Org Music, Analogue Spark, Mobile Fidelity etc. have reissued AAA versions of, often, hard to find recordings that likely sound as good as the first pressings. Unfortunately, these are not widely sold in Europe. And although one can buy many, but not all, through reputable sources such as the Vinyl Gourmet, there are very few record shops that stock these records. When they do, the double taxation makes these audiophile records prohibitively expensive. Pure Pleasure and Speakers’ corner records are manufactured in Europe – and available online at a reasonable price, but rarely have I ever found their products in a record store. Thankfully, Universal Music have internationalized the “Tone Poet” Blue Note re-issue series. Unfortunately, they are charging top dollar for albums that most of us wouldn’t necessarily choose if we were starting a Blue Note collection. I am excited about the prospects of a UK based AAA Blue Note reissue label Wallinbink.

The Jazz Workshop is a Spanish reissue label. I have a number of their releases – all of which I have enjoyed immensely.  I have no idea of the provenance of these recordings – except for a record shop owner in Salzburg telling me that they were all analogue and audiophile. The records in question are beautifully presented and difficult enough to find on CD.

Finally, there is the used market. Again, I have been in dozens of used record shops across Europe and, everywhere you go, it the same stuff: crappy 1970s and 1980s Italian pressings of classic records in weird jackets on thin vinyl. Anything remotely decent is up, on the wall, at staggeringly elevated prices. This, for me, is the ongoing problem of used record stores: as soon as any new high quality stock arrives it is cherry picked by the staff, regulars, lucky browsers etc. such that most of what fills the crates is fairly ordinary. Yes, you might pick up a much wanted replacement of “Nightflight to Venus” for €1, but forget about finding a first or second pressing of an american jazz classic. Indeed, my own experience is that even a first UK or German pressing can be very very expensive.

So, what about the internet? Let’s face it – Discogs is the greatest thing that has happened to vinyl in the internet era. Apart from the fact that virtually every release is catalogued properly, the marketplace give one the opportunity to source and price records with a fair amount of safety. Unfortunately, over-grading is epidemic. It is remarkable how many “near mint” records I have bought with what turned out to be “good+” sleeves. At least you can contact the seller to warn them that you are going to give them a bad review – usually resulting in a bit of a rebate. Record shops that sell directly do not have that feedback system: I was recently badly burned with a copy of Bill Evans’ Interplay – that was sold to me as first pressing VG+ NM sleeve and record. The cover was Good (at best – big split in the top) and there were audible scratches on both sides. Oh and it was a 1966 repress (I should have spotted this by the photo of the record label). Of course, it’s my own fault – the record price (€40) was too good to be true – I should have consulted Popsike before buying.

The major problem with buying used jazz on discogs (or ebay) is that most of the records on offer are in the USA and buying them risks the wrath of customs and VAT – currently applied on anything that costs more than €22 – often the price of shipping a few records alone. Consequently, one is usually forced to accept later European or Japanese pressings (which often sound great).

Of course, a sensible person wouldn’t spend a penny on vinyl and just enjoy the music – every possible album out there is available on multiple streaming platforms at CD and often high res bitrates.

~ by Pat Neligan on April 25, 2019.

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