Which Complete Basie on Decca is the best?

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Jonas · #16 Post by **Jonas** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:40 pm

After having spoken to the owner of a really good jazz record store in Stockholm (he knows his shit!), I would guess that the GRP "original" [GRP #611] has "more" of the sound left and therefore also more of the surface noise, since it was done by remastering guru John R. T. Davies (he has done many great JSP boxes and a lot of HEP discs) together with Steven Lasker and Doug Schwartz, whereas the Definitive set [Definitive #11173] is a bit "muffled", with some high pitched sounds seemingly cut, but with less surface noise, so it just depends what you're after.

But until I buy the GRP issue as well I can't tell which one I like better. I'll live with the Definitive for now because of the really low price, and might pick up the GRP one if I run across it somewhere. It might be like my experience with the Columbia vs. Definitive issues of Basie's Columbia years (see my Thu 17 Feb post in this thread), using one for listening at home because of every wonderful nuance of the tones getting through, and using the other, a bit muffled one, for dj:ing, 'cause crappy sound systems seem to amplify the pops and crackles of the first.

/Jonas

AlekseyKosygin · #17 Post by **AlekseyKosygin** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 9:51 pm

Wow, I did not know that John worked on that too...What does GRP stand for? BTW the guy has worked on lots of labels big and small, not just JSP and Hep...He's worked on Frog, Timeless, Jazz Oracle, Retrieval, and Storyville, I never knew he did work for Decca also but it does not surprise me...

Go to his site and see what he's worked on...

http://www.jazzrescue.com/

Before he passed on he worked on a lot of Blue Rhythm Band sides for Retrieval and I'm still waiting for that to come out...the Classics stuff is great but I always wish the sound quality was a little bit better...

Alex

Shorty Dave · #18 Post by **Shorty Dave** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 10:59 pm

AlekseyKosygin wrote:What does GRP stand for?

(Dave) Grusin and (Larry) Rosen Productions

Jonas · #19 Post by **Jonas** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 6:05 pm

Strange, I really have to check up on that Davies-GRP-connection again, now I can't seem to find the link while searching the net (shoulda included it the first time of course), and Davies' own page says nothing about it.

Sorry, I'll be back, and until then, I hold my head low in shame...

Jonas