Click Here for Sound Samples!The Definitive Versions of Blue Note are on XRCD24... Listen & Compare!
Dexter Gordon always played with a melancholy smile in his sound. The joy he felt in playing his tenor saxophone was apparent, as was his huge tone and playful conception. At the time that he recorded Doin' All Right, his very first Blue Note album, Dex had a reason to be smiling. Gordon was making a major comeback after spending several years in prison on a narcotics conviction. After being one of the primary pacesetters among tenors during the bebop era, Dex had been largely forgotten in the 1950s due to several other periods of involuntary incarceration. But after the release of this 1961 album with the young trumpet sensation Freddie Hubbard and the Horace Parlan Trio, Dexter was here to stay. Just listen to him caressing "You've Changed," introducing "Society Red" (which 15 years later would be used in his famous film Round Midnight) and sounding jubilant on "I Was Doing All Right." Dexter Gordon was feeling joyful, feeling healthy and content to let every note tell the story. Doin' All Right is Dexter Gordon creating music for the ages!
"When I listened to the Audio Wave XRCD release of [AWMXR0008] Lee Morgan - Tomcat I was awestruck. My conclusion was that rather than comparing digital to analog, a more logical conclusion was that the entire digital vs. analog debate becomes irrelevant when listening to a recording that is so far superior to anything that has come before it. My analog setup costs six times what my digital one does, but given the same Blue Note title on LP or XRCD I'd choose the XRCD each time. I question the motive of any writer who claims that there is an LP re-issue that equals the sound you all are achieving."
"I recently purchased three more Audio Wave Blue Note titles and the sound on each of them is really stunning. The clarity (without any brightness), dynamics, instrumental timbres and subtlety that I hear in these performances is amazing. You can really hear the emotion and intent of the performers in a way I have not experienced with my Blue Note records before, be it an original pressing, RVG remaster or one of the 45 rpm re- issues from other labels. When playing [AWMXR0010] Horace Silver- Cape Verdean Blues over the weekend, my mom (who was visiting from out of town) and daughter actually came in the room and started dancing around. Its magic on a silver disc."
"I hope you will have the opportunity to visit other back catalogs or more Blue Note titles with wizard Alan Yoshida at the helm. I have a new appreciation for the importance of mastering. Thanks for the great music." - Steven Frost, Elusive Disc Customer
"...on Dexter GordonÂ’s Doin' Allright, Hubbard shows he wasnÂ’t just paying attention to what was going on around him. He had learned where the jazz of the day had come from. GordonÂ’s mixture of styles -- from swing to bebop to hard bop -- was challenging, and Hubbard was equal to the task." - John Crossett, www.theaudiobeat.com, 4/5 Music, 4/5 Sound
"All three of these recordings [AWMXR0007 Dexter Gordon / Doin' Allright, AWMXR0011 Jackie McLean / Bluesnik and AWMXR0012 Freddie Hubbard / Open Sesame] offer state-of-the-art digital sound. The use of the XRCD24 process takes them to the very heights of Red Book CD's capabilities. The drums have snap, the cymbals shimmer, and the bass deep and woody resonance. The piano, not engineer Rudy Van GelderÂ’s strong point, displays realistic percussion -- the hammer-hitting-the-string sound of the real thing. The horns have both brassy bite and, in the case of the saxophones, a reedy quality. There is enough space and detail to satisfy even the most persnickety listeners." - John Crossett, www.theaudiobeat.com
"If you love Blue Note jazz but not the sound of Blue Note's RVG CD reissues (you're not alone), these discs -- along with all of the others in Audio Wave's growing series -- will let you realize everything that Blue Note had to offer musically and sonically." - John Crossett, www.theaudiobeat.com
"I recommend these highly. If you want the best digital versions of these great Blue Note albums, grab these. In my opinion they are the best that have ever been done and probably the best that ever will be. They can't stay in print forever so don't delay!" - Steve Hoffman, Mastering Engineer
"Blue Note has never sounded this good on CD before - these are the first digital Blue Notes that come close to the sound of vinyl. And the packaging is outstanding. I love the high quality glossy covers, and the insert booklets are the first effort I've seen to fit high quality photography into such a small package. Keep up the good work!" - Dennis Davis, Hi-Fi+
"Astute listeners know that the very first Blue Note CD issues are sonically superior to the more recent RVG remasters. Well, these XRCD24s absolutely crush them both, displaying high-frequency air, midrange presence, and bottom-end definition and weight missing on earlier CDs and many LPs as well." - Mark Mickelson, TheAudioBeat.com Click Here to read the entire review!
"Compared to the 45 r.p.m. vinyl, the LPs still have a slight edge in smoothness and liquidity, but thanks to the XRCD process and the care that was taken transferring these albums directly from the original analog masters, these CDÂ’s have to be approaching the limit of what the compact disc is capable of resolving. Instrument timbre is stunningly real, and the amount of air and decay present on these recordings will make the uninitiated swear that there is a record playing on a turntable somewhere. IÂ’ve never heard this music sound this good in any digital format." - Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio
"The quality is next to none and as far the sound goes they are absolutely beautifully recorded, the timing is perfect and the clarity of the instruments is spot on, I will treasure these CDs. I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the collection." - Victor A., actual Elusive Disc customer
"The sound is absolutely stunning and natural and represents digital at its best. The space around instruments and decay times are reminiscent of live acoustic performances. The mini-hardcover book format packaging is exceptional with great photography and legible liner notes. Truly well done and keep them coming." - Roger B., actual Elusive Disc customer
“a well done XRCD... It’s a sound that comes about as close to analog excellence as we’ve heard from any digital format” - Wayne Garcia, TAS Issue 203, June/July 2010 pg. 120-123
“These discs are open, dynamically free, tonally natural... the bass is textured, melodic, and explosive when a drummer lets loose.” - Wayne Garcia, TAS Issue 203, June/July 2010 pg. 120-123
“...they may not quite equal the breathtaking sonics of the vinyl discs in transparency, immediacy, and ultimate dynamic pop, they come very close. So close, in fact... I was prepared to get up and flip the LP to Side Two—except I wasn’t listening to an LP but to a Yoshida-mastered XRCD.” - Wayne Garcia, TAS Issue 203, June/July 2010 pg. 120-123
Protect your Audio Wave Music/Blue Note XRCD24 Collection!
The Japanese Top Sealing Resealable CD Outer Sleeves are also Recommended! Also featuring a 3-Mil Thick Mylar that keeps out dirt and dust and protects from nicks and scratches, this Top Sealing Sleeve features a Looser Fit for easier jacket removal and Top Sealing Strip creating a seam down the spine.
Click Here to find out more!
Features:
• Mastered and produced by Alan Yoshida and Joe Harley from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note 2-Track Analog Tapes!
• Highest Quality Analog-to-Digital transfers from tape to CD
• Deluxe Packaging with Hi-Resolution Black & White Session Photos by Francis Wolff.
• Includes Original Album Liner Notes
• XRCD24 is Compatible with ALL CD PLAYERS!
Musicians:
Dexter Gordon, tenor sax
Al Harewood, drums
Freddie Hubbard, trumpet
Horace Parlan, piano
George Tucker, bass
 | 1. I Was Doing All Right |
| | 2. You've Changed |
| | 3. For Regulars Only |
| | 4. Society Red |
| | 5. It's You Or No One |
| Bonus Tracks: | |
| | 6. I Want More |
| | 7. For Regulars Only (Alternate Take) |
