[sTisTi]

Hi,
I am really into Jazz at the moment and am quite frustrated with the poor sound quality of the Duke Ellington CDs I own (A 2 disc set called "Millenium Collection" released in 2000). The sound is bad, like from an old grammophone. Viewed in an audio editor, it can be seen that the audio only goes up to 6.5 kHz, so this explains why it also sounds muffled.
I've looked around for other releases with possible better sound quality, but this is difficult - there are often user reviews which complain about the bad sound quality, so this seems to be a common issue, probably because of the old source material. Now I've come across the 2-disc set "The Essential Duke Ellington" by Sony, 2005, which claims to be remastered. However, the low-quality audio clips from Amazon (22 kbps WMA or something) are not very revealing, so I'm not sure it is worth to get this collection.
Does anybody have these CDs and can comment on the sound quality (or better still post a 30-second sample with decent quality)? Or are there even better Duke Ellington releases with regard to sound quality?
Thanks!

 

[Voltron]

stisti-
Try out Masterpieces by Ellington on Columbia Jazz. Sound quality is great IMO (and Stereophile or TAS recommended it when I bought it) and the four long tracks and three shorter bonus tracks are all uncut concert arrangements. That's the only disc I have at the moment, other than some old LPs which sound great to me but might not make the digital cut!
Volt

 

[Coltrane]

Live at Newport is a classic with pretty good sound.

His Mother Called Him Bill is an amazing album (tribute to Billy Strayhorn) with great sound quality.

Unfortuantely, alot of classic Ellington has iffy quality. Anything on Columbia should sound pretty good though, especially post 1950 studio stuff.

 

[Coltrane]

double


ill add check www.allmusic.com for pretty good reviews. they usually discuss sound quality as well.

 

[discord]

"Takin The A Train", "Cool Rock", and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" have pretty bad quality. Just a heads up to avoid those if you are really concerned about quality.

 

[sTisTi]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely take a look at "Masterpieces by Ellington" and the Newport concert. I guess most of the post-1950s studio albums can be had in decent quality, or will be when they are remastered. It's really a pity about the older recordings, as I really like Ellington's early short 2 or 3 minute big-band pieces. But the sound quality I've heard really detracts from the music...

 

[BillyC]

That's just how it is with most pre-fifties recordings.

I bought this huge set (40cds, $55.00) and have been very happy with it. Of the three sets I've got with 40's material this is the best one for sound quality, though it may not meet your expectations.
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinf...90167594&BAB=M

Whatever you do, do not by Never No Lament. In this remaster you can hear the rythm section much better, but the horns can be virtually unlistenable.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=glance&n=5174

 

[gratefulshrink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sTisTi Hi, I am really into Jazz at the moment and am quite frustrated with the poor sound quality of the Duke Ellington CDs I own (A 2 disc set called "Millenium Collection" released in 2000). The sound is bad, like from an old grammophone. Viewed in an audio editor, it can be seen that the audio only goes up to 6.5 kHz, so this explains why it also sounds muffled. I've looked around for other releases with possible better sound quality, but this is difficult - there are often user reviews which complain about the bad sound quality, so this seems to be a common issue, probably because of the old source material. Now I've come across the 2-disc set "The Essential Duke Ellington" by Sony, 2005, which claims to be remastered. However, the low-quality audio clips from Amazon (22 kbps WMA or something) are not very revealing, so I'm not sure it is worth to get this collection. Does anybody have these CDs and can comment on the sound quality (or better still post a 30-second sample with decent quality)? Or are there even better Duke Ellington releases with regard to sound quality? Thanks!

For excellent re-mastered CDs, I recommend Ellington Uptown, with studio sessions from the late 40s/early50s: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p...:mvpyxdfb4olg;

and

the Far East Suite, live concert from 1966: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p...0:iz1uakjkam3x

 

[Kevin Sinnott]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sTisTi Hi, I am really into Jazz at the moment and am quite frustrated with the poor sound quality of the Duke Ellington CDs I own (A 2 disc set called "Millenium Collection" released in 2000). Does anybody have these CDs and can comment on the sound quality (or better still post a 30-second sample with decent quality)? Or are there even better Duke Ellington releases with regard to sound quality? Thanks!

I've got a 5-disc set on a label called Past Perfect. It sounds pretty good, but I've not measured the frequency response. It is made in Germany. Their web site is www.timcompany.com

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Kevin

 

[Kevin Sinnott]

I just listened carefully to the set I suggested. It will not suit your needs. The sound is terrible. The rolloff is severe and causes phase distortion.

So, I'll keep looking and watching this thread as I would like to upgrade my Ellington collection. I know I heard this one last on a system where it didn't sound so bad. I'm glad I caught it.

 

[sTisTi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Sinnott I've got a 5-disc set on a label called Past Perfect. It sounds pretty good, but I've not measured the frequency response. It is made in Germany. Their web site is www.timcompany.com ... I just listened carefully to the set I suggested. It will not suit your needs. The sound is terrible. The rolloff is severe and causes phase distortion.

The said 2-disc "Millenium Collection" I own is also from timcompany - so it's probably the same material (BTW, their website seems to be permanently down, maybe it does not exist anymore?). As you said yourself, the sound is terrible

I've now found the 2005 "The Essential Duke Ellington" (see 1st post) on the iTMS, where the audio samples are higher quality than e.g. at Amazon, and it sounds at least a bit brighter than what I have. But it's also pretty scratchy and noisy from what I've heard, so it's probably also crap.

 

[ooheadsoo]

Ellington was an audiophile, but he could only do so much with what he had in the 20's to 50's.

This may sound like blasphemy, but you should check out the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis's "Live in Swing City - Swingin' With The Duke." They are so good, it really fooled me into thinking I was listening to a modern Ellington recording. Until I took a really good look at the liner notes. Fantastic. I really could hardly tell them apart from the real deal, which is pretty crazy.

Ok, I admit I couldn't tell them apart. This is my go to Ellington/Big Band recording.

A lot of the vinyl I've heard on mediocre systems sounded great, especially his suites from the 60's and early 70's. But it's vinyl

Another CD to watch out for is the Basie/Ellington cookoff. I haven't heard the SACD remaster, but the standard redbook remaster isn't bad. "Duke Ellington Meets Count Basie."

 

[johnmatrix]

You also should try his 70th birthday concert CD and the Paris Jazz Concert (French CD). Both have good sound quality.

 

[ssportclay]

The problem with Duke Ellington is that his most famous recordings were produced before 1950.Ellington at Newport is a great sounding stereo live recording and The Far East Suite is a very good sounding studio stereo recording.I don't have His Mother Called Him Bill but this 60s vintage recording should also sound very nice.

 

[ooheadsoo]

Well, you can say that half of his most famous songs were _written_ before 1950, but he continued to perform the same songs for something like 50 years, so there are plenty of latter half of the century recordings of the Ellington Orchestra (with many of the original members sticking with him for those same 50 years) playing those same numbers.