This tasty Grant Green with Sonny Clark...one of the recently acquired Music Matters 45 RPM albums.  This has been issued with several different covers and is in the Mosaic Box set.  The music is stellar... there's nothing else like Grant's chiming guitar lines through Decware Gear.  Mark.

Next is my first purchase of a "Speakers Corner" audiophile 33 RPM 180 gm LP. Sounds good.  They have lots of Classical, Jazz and Rock reissues.  I may have to try another.  They retail for $35, same as Music Matters 33 RPM LPs although they have an ordinary thin cardboard stock cover... the Music Matters LPs have thick glossy gatefolds.  Even the MFSLs have thicker stock covers and maybe superior sound for $29.  Oh well, this was the only audiophile reissue of this album I could find.  Mark.

Well,  I found out MFSL has two more Miles Davis Second Great Quintet LPs coming on 45 RPM Vinyl... "In The Sky" and "Filles de Kilimanjaro".  And the Impex label has reissued "ESP"...I'll pick it up next time there's a sale.  The other two are on preorder as are "My Funny Valentine" and the 45 RPM of "Kind of Blue",  both on MFSL.  Lots of great Vinyl coming.

I'm ending the night with a little 1975 Vinyl Pepper.  Mark.

PS...the recently deceased Charlie Haden's playing on this LP is huge...Lester Koenig's Contemporary Records Label always seemed to put out well recorded product.

Thanks for the `Speakers Corner` heads up Mark. I`ve been hovering over the buy now button for Caravanserai for over a month. Buying replacement albums gets pushed down the list but the Santana album is so full of atmosphere and memories that I did it. Not cheap..$45 but there aint any others on the market, and it`s from my US supplier so free p&p. I`m starting to feel guilty ordering one at a time from him ( or not )

Kenny Burrells `Midnight Blue` blue note 75 anniv re-issue 180 gm came today ( same seller, all_yourmusic ) so we`ll find out what he`s about this evening. I haven`t got a scoobydoo  :)

ps Caravanserai has been a bit of a disaster area for me. My first replacement came in a multi-order and I took a craft knife to slit open the `join` of the package which was in the middle only to find the seller had placed the records outside the sleeves so I scored the record. Lesson learned. My second replacement was bought as nm but is nowhere near it. The Speakers Corner replacement should bring the journey to an end.

Marky,  in the US the speakers Corner LPs are $35.  It is a European Label with headquarters in Germany, so I would think you could find a seller closer to home.  Also if you are going to go with the Blue Note 75th Anniversary reissues rather than the Music Matters versions...what I have read is that the European versions are superior, on 180 gm vinyl and pressed at Optimal in Europe vs a lighter weight vinyl and inferior US pressing for the US version.  I personally would go for the Music Matters versions when available, for $35. Just my two cents.

I picked up an original of that Santana Caravanserai  LP on a recent trip to HPB&R.  It's very nice.  I actually like the more instrumental music.  I'm still looking for number two...or is it three.  Anyway, I want the first four Santana releases on Vinyl.  I'm cooking tonight so I may get to the Listening Cave later.  Mark.

I hear ya Marky,  it's hard to understand price variations around the world.  I bought a few batches of CDs from Amazon Germany because there was a significant savings even after taking into account higher shipping cost...free from US with an order over $35.  I haven't done this for a long time...I suspect since the value of the US Dollar has increased compared to the Euro, that there would be an even greater savings now.  I'll have to go look.

I probably spend too much time reading reviews but when spending so much for the "audiophile versions", I want to see what those who are far more picky than I am think of certain titles and labels.  I take reviews with a grain of salt.  The Steve Hoffman forum has an awful lot of very picky folks.  Even before a series has been released, they're able to wax poetic on it.  Also some folks seem to return a lot of new Vinyl.  I have never packed up and sent Vinyl back to a seller...I guess I'm not as picky as most.  Now at Half Price Books and Records, I probably return 5 to 10 percent of the Vinyl because of too much surface noise or other defects but there I'm dealing with used, ungraded vinyl.  I do visually examine everything before purchase.

Specifically about the 75th Blue Note series, here's a link to a Hoffman forum thread...  http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/alan-yoshida-mastered-blue-note-75th-anniv...

Here's one for Speakers Corner...http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/speakers-corner.301374/

A search can reveal opinions on specific album issues.  I find them helpful.

Anyway,  I have to get another cup of coffee.  Happy Listening,  Mark.

PS...Marky, can you paste the link to your seller so I can take a look?

I've been in the den with the Omegas and Signature Monos.  This now and prior...a two CD set of the Allman Brothers Live in 1992.  Mark.

This XRCD 24  now...

Disc 1

Disc 1 today. Never heard this sound better.

LP belonged to my Parents....heard around the house a lot. Good memories!

Two nice listens last nite...the ZP3 is really starting to season! Nice!

PFM:



AND BOWIE:

Now I'm listening to Disc 3 of the Complete Dial Modern Jazz Sessions set from Mosaic. This sounds awesome!

I haven't been in the Listening Cave for almost a week.  Tonight I'll listen to a few more of the Music Matters Blue Note 45 RPM reissues...as listed below. They're mighty sweet.  Mark.

That's a good one. I have the SACD.

Right now, this very Dolphy and Mingus like cd again. It's stuck in my stack to be played, this is the fourth time in two weeks.

Better than hot cocoa.

From the new box set.

A pinch of Pepper to spice things up...

Well I nearly bought some albums from elusive disk Mark, to take advantage of the shipping deal which runs out Monday. Totalled up around $120 but $50 was too much shipping. The overseas discount would have been equal to the US disount in dollars. Any idea what your discount would have been ? Included was a Coltrane double on the Quiex classic label. They are very expensive but not a bad deal on elusive disk as were the other 2, Sketches of Spain and another on v/g labels. If the discount is good I still might go with it but couldn`t risk waitng till after I`d pushed all the pay buttons for the discount to kick in.