Comments on: Vinyl Classics From Riverside and Prestige

By: Tim Motion

Tim Motion — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 23:37:42 +0000

I have just discovered the Bill Evans NJC, and am astonished by fluidity and attack displayed by Bill at that time. Was this recording made in 1956 or 57 by Riverside?

By: Ceedee

Ceedee — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 13:18:37 +0000

Love the NJC cover,too-although by the time I first saw him play(’72),the “bookish ” Evans had long given way to “Grizzly Adams” Evans. I’m still enjoying my OJC pressing,which cost a lot less than 1k($7.00). Ooooh….suddenly,I feel all tingly inside!

By: Michel

Michel — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 19:33:31 +0000

Peter A. Absolutely right. Two pressing plants for Riverside.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:40:23 +0000

Peter A, good info thanks!

By: Peter A

Peter A — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 20:14:33 +0000

@Aaron: it seems that Riverside “originals” – also (some) white label period ones – have been pressed both at the East Coast and the West Coast. Apparently the non-DG version of New Jazz Conceptions was manufactured by Research Craft Co. in L.A. – it has the “gruve gard” and U.S. and G.B. Patent numbers in the dead wax. I have a (east coast) pressing of NJC myself, which has deep-grooved labels, no groove gard or safety lip, and no patent # in the dead wax. The east coast pressings are usually much heavier (and better sounding) than the west coast copies, I have experienced…

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 00:29:58 +0000

There were at least two pressing runs of the white label/original cover New Jazz Conceptions, one with a deep groove and one without. Don’t know the story why a 1957 release wouldn’t have a deep groove but I have photographic evidence. The “small” blue label that was used through 1960 can be frequently found without a deep groove but to say non-DG white labels are rare would be an understatement.

By: Peter A

Peter A — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 22:28:15 +0000

Wow, only 600 copies sold of New Jazz Conceptions…that is even less than Mobley 1568 (apparently 800 copies sold). The tricky thing with the early Riverside (white label) is that they were sold without inner sleeves. So it is even more difficult to find NM copies…

By: JimRJim

JimRJim — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 23:52:06 +0000

I am intrigued by Robert’s definition of a collector being someone “concerned with Value and possible Appreciation”. I urge him to look at great collectors such as Dorothy and Herbert Vogel or Giuseppe Panza di Biumo. I would hope that most of the “collectors” who are regular readers of this website began their collections for the love of the music in the grooves and still have a large portion of their “collection” that have little or no “financial “value” or “possible appreciation”, they simply have great music. Art Pepper on Galaxy, Frank Morgan on Contemporary, McCoy Tyner or Sonny Rollins on Milestone- zip value…except musically.
For forty years I collected jazz lps as a fan. I attempted to own a copy of every album on ESP, Blue Note, Impulse, Atlantic 1200-1700 (like Impulse AND BN there is a TON of dreck in there), BYG/Actuel, JCOA, every album with Mingus as a sideman or leader, same with John Gilmore or Dolphy or Jackie McLean. Crazy.
Now, as I sell off the vast majority on Ebay the “value” and “appreciation” are interesting from a distance but not the be all and end all. Billy Parker for $340.00+ when Chico Hamilton with Dolphy earns $4.99? Absurd.
In my mind the sell off has nothing to do with once being a “collector”. It is the dissolution of a love affair with collecting.
Now, fifty-one years after my first jazz lp purchase, forty years after taking on the heavy mantle of being not just a fan but a record collector, sitting at home with an absurdly lovely sound system, listening to audio files and streaming (your-favorite-artist-here) it is back to the love of the music.

By: Bill L.

Bill L. — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 23:28:49 +0000

“Love that cover photo on Bill Evans, New Jazz Conceptions, Riverside 223. Just noticed it sold for a whopping $1725 ! Is this one really that rare ?” – d_notes

I heard a lecture by Orrin Keepnews who said he sold only 600 copies of New Jazz Conceptions!

By: vinyl word

vinyl word — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 01:56:47 +0000

You can’t play the cover , that said it does put you back to the time of recording and adds to the pleasure of hearing those sounds in the original time setting .
My approach is hear the music with a clean vinyl first and upgrade the cover later if required. It still works for me.