Comments on: DG or Not DG; That Is The Question

By: Earl

Earl — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 16:57:29 +0000

Re Deep Grooves in general:
There is a new publication on Blue Note pressings with extensive illustrations by a Giorgio Sarchi, available for download:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b5485avedh7taj8/BLUE%20NOTE%20ILLUSTRATED.pdf

Among many other interesting items is this statement from Allan Songer on Deep Grooves:

“Starting with 4060 ALL “first” pressings have NO deep groove!If you find a copy of any number AFTER 4059 that has a deep
groove in one or both sides, it’s a SECOND pressing–the new
equipment [non-DG] was ALWAYS used for the first run! This has NO EFFECT on value however!”

Not sure where the evidence for this comes from, but it certainly is different from what we have been led to believe heretofore, or what Fred Cohen is quoted as saying in a previous paragraph and in his book.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 15:33:48 +0000

I had two copies of Dolphy Out There in similar condition but one had deep groove and the other did not. The not deep groove sounded better to my ears so i kept that and sold the deep groove copy. Fred Cohen did tell me this once

“First pressings of New Jazz releases, up to 8288, will have the deep groove. I don’t know if Prestige used different
pressing plants, though I doubt it. The absence of the deep groove was not a function of the difference between
pressing plants as much as the normal evolution of record manufacturing, when cost-cutting took it toll on the
amount of vinyl used to make a record

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 15:12:01 +0000

The Burrell/Trane album on N.J. may very well be a first pressing. The later N.J. albums normally came without DG. I checked on collectorsfrenzy, but found no evidence of DG, apart from sellers’ claims to that effect, the pictures are not convincing.
This period of N.J. with the harsh violet labels (other than the pink/violet DG of the earlier issues, can bring very unwelcome surprises of sub-standard vinyl.

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 13:10:36 +0000

Ernie Henry on Riverside. It seems to me that the small blue labels are not the original first pressing. The first issue came with the bigger blue labels, DG, and the GB/US patent numbers in the dead wax.

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 10:56:02 +0000

I looked up the record’s auction results on collectorsfrenzy.com and quickly found two copies that were listed as either two-sided deep groove or only one-sided deep groove. Sorted by price with the highest first. Interestingly, the highest price paid for this record did not state that it was a deep groove record. However, the double deep groove sold for $149.50 (Oct. 8, 2013) and the single-sided deep groove sold for $154.40 (June 12, 2014). From what I’ve read from collectors, it seems that New Jazz Records are very inconsistent as to what it deep groove and what is not, or partial deep grooves. I’ve seen more partial New Jazz deep grooves than any other label. It was a small label, with small runs compared to say, Prestige releases or Blue Note, so you’d have to wonder why the deep grooves would “disappear” so quickly on a pressing run. Pressing plates get replaced because of wear from large runs or added to keep up with demand. Since New Jazz records are relatively rare compared to Blue Notes, it is an intriguing puzzle.

By: dottorjazz

dottorjazz — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 10:06:05 +0000

Joe L: Bags & Trane under Trane for me too, and Duke Ellington & John Coltrane?
Trane, Trane, Trane!

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 15:56:15 +0000

Hey Al – Through careful examination of the cover and precise feeling of the label area. This has become a science for me since I bought a small collection with a few original sealed records from new jazz, contemporary, riverside, and others.

By: Joe L

Joe L — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 18:05:15 +0000

Coltrane. I don’t listen to this record for Burrell (great as he may be). Same with Bags and Trane. Love Milt, but it’s a Coltrane record.

By: dottorjazz

dottorjazz — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 08:42:21 +0000

Burrell for me too, DG, but my only exception is for Prestige 7074: it’s under Tenor Conclave.
don’t ask me why, it’s always been there.

By: Gregory The Fish

Gregory The Fish — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 04:25:55 +0000

also, when i get my copy, it will be under burrell. from top left to bottom right, his name appears first.

(tenor conclave would go under mobley, for example).