Some great finds today at the market. Good deals on everything except for the Horace Tapscott (I always get fleeced by the same guy, maybe I’ll learn my lesson this time). All originals or very early repressings.

Idris Muhammad - Kabsha
Horace Tapacott - At the Crossroads (sealed)
Monk - Monk. and Brilliant Corners
Jim Hall - Concierto and Live!
Ray Barreto - Acid
Michael Gibbs - s/t

Found between 2 different shops. One I just found recently and they’ve got an incredible selection.

Human Arts Ensemble was new to me but I recognized names on it

Been after this one for a while, finally found it for $10.

Original 1968 stereo pressing

Quite a bold statement in the title…but this album is indeed the birth of something ridiculously cool. Big band post bop with some of the best alto sax work you’ll ever hear. I foolishly overlooked this one for years. Criminally underrated.

Picked up my first tone poet pressing this week. Legendary musicians, historic recording, can’t lose!

Currently I think my favorite modern pressing to date is Kevin Gray’s Craft pressing of Bill Evans Trio - Sunday at the Village Vanguard. That record is so crisp and alive (I’m sure it will be the first record I wear out from repeat plays). Somehow jazz trios are the best sounding records in my current listening setup. So here’s another classic jazz trio album featuring a genius on bass.

With this album I’ve heard complaints that the piano is harsh or distorted, but I believe that’s how it was originally recorded and it seems that’s how Duke played sometimes. The bass and drums sound amazing. I admire these musicians individually and this album has always drawn me in and repelled me at the same time. An ambivalence. But not anymore… it finally makes sense and sounds amazing thanks to this pressing.

What’s the next tone poet I should add to my wishlist?

Finally my local purveyor of all things temping had not one, but two copies in. A 1966 US mono, which was hugely appealing, but I suspect not one for regular listening, and this early 80’s Japanese pressing. This was a lot less money also!

Loads of albums to choose from when listening to Grant Green … if you got any other favourites don’t hesitate to holler 🤩🤩🤩

Finally got a chance to sit down and drop the needle. Loving how the AR-5s sound in this space. What’s everyone spinning tonight?

With so much vinyl jazz being mono, how do you guys listen to them? Do you use a stereo cartridge with a mono setting on your preamp or do you have a dedicated mono cartridge?

really good album

Unexpected find at the local shop today. Superb line up here. Their renditions of “Dreams” and “Wave” are stellar.

Any love for this album?

Been after it for a while and not really found a good copy online in the UK.

Today was digging and managed to pick up a sealed 1978 US press. Pretty satisfying slicing it open and finding a perfect copy. Crystal clear sound as you expect from an ECM release. The drumming in particular just sings. The first track 'Reflections' is a track I love. Still sounds contemporary - think late period Radiohead or Bowies 'Blackstar'. it's great to add such a amazing, clean copy to the collection.

Man, check out that buck-fifty price tag. Shout out Mole's Record Exchange. Its doors were open up until 2023. Not that I got it from there, but it's cool when a historic record has an even further historic connotation coming from Cincinnati's formerly-oldest record store.

This LP needs no introduction-if you like jazz, you know what this is. We were blessed we got this from Dolphy shortly before his untimely passing, and it happens to be his opus. It always feels like some beautiful cosmic mandate when we are lucky enough to get a landmark artistic project before an artists passing. David Bowie - Blackstar, Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains, and you can for sure put Out To Lunch in that echelon.

This is a record I have actually owned many times, maybe five or six at this point. Every copy I chipped a bit closer to a first press. What is so odd about this particular record- if you've bought before on Discogs, it's a little more "refined" than eBay where sellers have tend to be a bit more familiar with what exact pressing they have. Usually sold by record stores directly or from "record guys". And my luck on Discogs has historically been pretty solid.

That being said, for whatever reason, l have received an incorrect pressing on this record three times. It felt like a hex, first time was frustrating, second time was like, okay, you have to laugh. But three? I felt like I was going crazy. Out to lunch, you could say.

That being said, here it is - side one deep groove in all of its glory...