When reviewing albums by legends like Duke Ellington and Roland Kirk, I often turn to Discogs — the go-to online marketplace for vinyl — to get a sense of a record’s availability, demand, and how the new reissue stacks up against past pressings.
Roland Kirk’s 1967 1LP Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith is one of those vintage jazz titles that is not super valuable in a “Holy Grail” sense (if you will; it’s not in high demand commanding deep prices). Nonetheless, there are very few copies available when you look for 1967 original pressings and none of those available are in anywhere near “mint” condition. Indeed, I’ve only come across this album once out in the wilds of collecting and my copy is in what I often call “well loved” condition (that is: it has been played a lot yet has some life left in it despite some inevitable clicks ‘n pops).
Likewise, when I went looking for original 1959 pressings of Duke Ellington’s classic collaboration with his longtime saxophone sideman Johnny Hodges, Side By Side, I found that while there’s no shortage of reissues over the years, original pressings in better than VG+ condition are relatively scarce. There are also only a few stereo originals available. In fact, I’ve been searching for early copies of this album for years and only recently found a decent-condition mono pressing on the original Verve Records “trumpeter” label. I’ve long since given up hope of finding a clean stereo copy.
All this points to the fact that deluxe reissues of these albums were no doubt in order. As we’ve come to expect, the Verve Acoustic Sounds reissue series (from parent company Universal Music) is again outstanding.
Both of these releases feature high-quality 180-gram black vinyl pressings, sourced from the original tapes, that are dead quiet and well centered. Pressed at the highly regarded Quality Record Pressings plant, the fidelity is top-tier. The producers also went the extra mile with beautifully laminated covers that stay true to the original designs — and in some ways, surpass them. The Ellington-Hodges album, originally a simple single-pocket release, now feels more like a deluxe Impulse Records title from the 1960s.
Both of these albums are really nice listening experiences. Roland Kirk’s Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith is pretty and melodic, a surprisingly easy to digest recording. Ellington & Hodges’ Side By Side is a sweet showcase for these impossibly influential jazz icons.
Both albums are available via Amazon at the links embedded in the titles, for about $39.
If you love jazz, these reissues are about as near definitive as one can ask for and arguably superior to the original editions. Unless you have the patience (and budget!) to keep searching for that elusive mint condition “OG” unicorn – – which may well be out there! — I think these reissues will serve most audiophile-leaning jazz fans well.
Where to buy:
- $38.98 at Amazon – Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith
- $38.98 at Amazon – Side By Side
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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