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Getting the Lowdown on Blue Note's Vinyl Reissue Series

Michael Fremer  |  Mar 11, 2014

Upon landing at LAX I got in the rental car and drove directly to Capitol Records where I met up with the great Al Schmitt. Al took a short time away from a mixing session to give me a tour of famed Studios A and B where Frank, Nat, Judy, Dean and so many others recorded some of the greatest records ever. I got to see the "local" tape vault, met with cutting engineer Ron McMaster and with Ian Sefchick who is cutting the Blue Note lacquers using a resurrected Neumann VM-66 lathe and SX-74 cutter head Capitol had mothballed and consigned to the storage room.

Tomorrow afternoon I will meet with Blue Note President Don Was to discuss the reissue series, and if he allows, record it and post it on YouTube.

COMMENTS
iyke's picture
Submitted by iyke on Tue, 2014-03-11 18:41

Glad you're undertaking this trip, Mikey. Many of us including myself really want to get to the bottom of this Blue Note mystery.

Can't wait to see your footage & report

o0OBillO0o's picture
Submitted by o0OBillO0o on Tue, 2014-03-11 20:09

I can't wait to hear the humor! :-)

Elegal's picture
Submitted by Elegal on Tue, 2014-03-11 22:36

I just had to state the obvious!

tlat.com's picture
Submitted by tlat.com on Wed, 2014-03-12 04:49

Nice work if you can get it....and you can get it if you try!

Paul Boudreau's picture
Submitted by Paul Boudreau on Wed, 2014-03-12 09:21

Cool pic of "The House That Nat built!"

timorous's picture
Submitted by timorous on Wed, 2014-03-12 14:31

I've always admired this cool looking building, since I first saw it in pictures, and some of the early Capitol record sleeves, in the early sixties. It really does look like a 'stack of 45's'..lol. I otherwise know nothing of its architectural history. Ha..maybe I should 'Google' it... Thanks Michael.

my new username's picture
Submitted by my new username on Fri, 2014-03-14 18:45

An SD card? A flash drive?

Ah what am I saying? "New record company building" HAHA never again happen.

jdmcderm's picture
Submitted by jdmcderm on Wed, 2014-03-12 09:34

If you are in town on Sunday, please feel free to stop by Upscale Audio (2504 Spring Terrace in Upland) for the LA/OC Audio Society's monthly meeting (2-5 pm).  And you do have a pretty cool gig.  Hope you are enjoying LA!

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Wed, 2014-03-12 10:15

I leave for NJ early flight on Friday. I flew out here on the 6:13AM flight Tuesday. Up at 4AM. So yes, it's a cool job (if you want to call this kind of fun a "job") but there are some sacrifices (none involve animals).

MicallefK's picture
Submitted by MicallefK on Wed, 2014-03-12 13:24

can't wait to read all the skinny & lowdown

Jim Tavegia's picture
Submitted by Jim Tavegia on Wed, 2014-03-12 13:49

At least we can live vicariuosly through your videos. 

Steve Edwards's picture
Submitted by Steve Edwards on Wed, 2014-03-12 13:53

Is this where the new Gov't Mule was done?

Chriswilford1's picture
Submitted by Chriswilford1 on Wed, 2014-03-12 14:36

Looking forward to the video footage.

DLKG's picture
Submitted by DLKG on Fri, 2014-03-14 08:16

Michael,

Did you make it down the street to Amoeba Records?  I was only there a couple times but I came home with a hundred records.  I held them on my lap the whole time on the plane.

 

DLKG

Ryan L.'s picture
Submitted by Ryan L. on Tue, 2014-03-18 06:32

I'm eager to hear the lowdown on this series from. Mr. Was via Mr. Fremer. There seems to be scant inside info available on the interwebs so far. 

Ritmoman's picture
Submitted by Ritmoman on Mon, 2014-04-21 19:08

Anyone have a count on how many Blue Note reissues on vinyl and cd? Must be over a dozen? Mono, Stereo, 45 rpm, 33 1/3 rpm, HDCD, SACD etc. Now Blue Note itself is getting in on the act! The master tapes must be getting a little beat up?

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