When you put a lot of time, hard work and no small part of yourself into something you’re passionate about, it’s bound to pay off eventually. That’s been my hope with The Broken Record, even if that payoff is just helping a few audiophile record collectors find a great sounding copy of their favorite album, or to discover some new ones.
Lately I’ve enjoyed a few extra perks, including the opportunity to borrow and spend time with a terrific copy of Miles Davis’ masterpiece, Kind of Blue, supplied by none other than Tom Port at Better Records. You can read about that experience and what I learned from it here.
Then just a few days ago, a friend and reader, Jonathan A., reached out to me with an enticing offer. Jonathan and I have had a dialogue for a while now that included, among other topics, our mutual interest in landing a stellar pressing of what I expect is our mutual favorite Sonny Rollins album, Saxophone Colossus. I own 2 different pressings of SC and was definitely in the market for another, better copy, but Jonathan has been seeking out a great copy with a fervor that makes me, frankly, proud to say he’s one of my readers.
After acquiring no less than 5 different copies of SC that included 3 different pressings from 3 different decades and not finding the sound he was looking for, Jonathan bit the bullet and ponied up BIG TIME for a 6th, a WHITE HOT stamper from Better Records. After receiving the record and spending a little time with it, he harbored some lingering uncertainty, understandably so, that he’d made the right choice in buying it.
Seeking a second opinion, Jonathan reached out to me and asked if I would allow him to send me his Hot Stamper and his other 2 remaining copies, the ones he liked the best of those he’s acquired, so that I could give them all a listen and offer my opinion. I agreed with enthusiasm and in fact couldn’t wait to get the records and dive into what I knew would be a fascinating shootout of some very different pressings of one of the greatest jazz records of all time.
The shootout, I’m glad to say, did not disappoint, and as is ALWAYS the case with a vinyl shootout, I learned A LOT. In particular I gained some insights into how mastering engineers from decades past set out to remaster this classic 50’s mono recording, especially the engineers who tried to convert mono recordings into stereo and their varying degrees of success with that effort.
Since I did have a couple of copies of SC of my own, a 1987 OJC reissue and a 1964 mono reissue, I threw those into the mix here as well. Below are my notes, impressions and conclusions from the shootout. Predictably, the hot stamper won, but that copy was not without it’s problems and overall I’d have to say that the main takeaway was that finding a REALLY STELLAR sounding copy of this classic is no easy feat.
70’s Green Label Stereo Reissue – The bass is deep, big, warm and “tubey,” and the cymbals have good sparkle. The piano lacks weight and definition. The drums seems to have too much treble and sound hollow. They also seem somehow out of sink with the cymbals. Sonny’s sax sounds distant and a bit thin. Overall there’s just something off about the presentation. The soundstage seems pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces just don’t quite fit together.
I’ve heard some FANTASTIC green label Prestige reissues but this, unfortunately, is not one of them. Typically they’re better when left in mono and sometimes even the copies that purport to be in stereo basically play in mono. That is not the case with this version of SC and I would have to say, the conversion to stereo doesn’t do the record any favors.
2011 OJC – Spot on tonality. Terrific sparkle to the cymbals. Good, tight, fairly “tubey” bass. The sax, and especially the piano sound distant and lacking in immediacy and presence. The sound of the sax in particular sounds rolled off. Overall the sound on this version is clean and polished but pretty lifeless and dull. The most telling moment on this record is the closing of the Roach’s drum solo on Blue 7. When the cymbals crash and the rest of the band comes back in, we should be on the edge of our seats. On this copy the moment is completely lacking in any impact. I wanted to feel excited, but I just could’t get there with this record.
This OJC, unlike their earlier releases from the late 80’s, is a repress of DCC version remastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray back in 1995. It’s considered one of the better reissues of Saxophone Colossus, and maybe the original DCC’s sound better than this OJC, but if they don’t I’d be inclined to avoid that version as well. It’s not bad, just not great and not at the level of audiophile listening.
’87 OJC – Good transparency! Sax is a bit “honky” and thin sounding but is crisp and has good bite. Bass is big and “tubey,” but maybe a little too soft. Nice crisp key strokes and tonality for the piano. The drum hits are crisp and have good pop. It’s too bad the horn sounds strained. At least it’s clear and “live” sounding.
Overall this version has the propulsive energy that’s right for this music. I wish the horn sounded better and that it had a little more in the lower midrange, but it definitely has some things going for it. I’d say I prefer this version to the 2011 OJC and the 70’s reissue.
Hot Stamper – The first thing I noticed on this copy was how badly the sound pans to the right channel. I don’t have balance controls on my preamp and 99% of the time I’d never use them anyway, but I found myself wanting them with this record. It might also help to simply play this record in mono, but alas, my CJ ET3 also lacks that option. If you can look past that, however, this copy is doing everything right and sounds wonderful!
’67 Mono Reissue – The vinyl quality on this copy is terrible and it plays with constant surface noise. With my previous TT, this was a deal breaker. Thankfully the tracking ability of my new tonearm and cartridge has made the surface noise far less noticeable than it was with my old rig, and it has actually brought that noise down to a level that I’d characterize as pretty tolerable. When I look past what is now some light background noise, my first thought is that this copy was cut from the same master tape as the Hot Stamper, but it images in the center. It also has a nice, full bodied “tubey” sound with crisp, solid drums and deep, tight, “woody” bass. The piano key strokes are nice and solid, tonally right, and despite the surface noise from the vinyl, the piano presents clearly, as do the cymbals which have good sparkle and air around them.
It’s really too bad this 60’s reissue has the surface noise issue. If it didn’t, I’d say that with the right cleaning it would be on par with the Hot Stamper. C’est la vie!
I must admit, the panning issue with the Hot Stamper made for a bad first impression, but later in the day I put the record back on, directed my attention to the relatively small soundstage that my right speaker made with a little help from my left speaker, and I began to hear a lot of BIG things that I liked. This rather clunky “Stereo” reissue had everything I liked about the 70’s Stereo reissue but with a clarity and cohesiveness that transformed the listening experience from one of noticing the bad things and the good things to simply hearing everything as it should be. This copy presented SC in a clear, albeit narrow, studio space, but a space with a depth and transparency that more than made up for its limited width.
This, my friends, is what we call ‘MASTER TAPE SOUND” on a jazz record. It’s a sound that liberates us from a laborious pondering of the relative strengths and weaknesses of a pressing and instead, leaves us relaxed in our listening chair armed with the confidence that we’ve now, finally, heard Saxophone Colossus the way it was meant to be heard, shelving any foolhardy impulses to seek out expensive OG’s or the more sought after reissues.
Collecting records for their sonic value, rather than their collectibility or market value, can be A LOT of work and honestly a pain in the ass, but a record like Saxophone Colossus is worth the effort. I’m not going to out Jonathan and what he spent on his Hot Stamper of SC. Let’s just say plenty of people privy to that number would immediately suggest he have a psychiatric evaluation.
But if you consider OG’s of SC in good playing condition are selling well into the 4 figures and the fact that Jonathan paid A LOT less than that, you could argue he got a relative bargain. I’m just grateful I got a chance to hear it!