AAA Vinyl

This limited to 1000 copies lavishly packaged "one-step" edition of John Coltrane's Lush Life sold out shortly after it was announced. Did you miss anything? If it's a favorite, probably. I hesitated to review it, much like I don't review The Electric Recording Company's limited editions that almost immediately sell out upon release announcement, but given Craft's uneven release history (unlike that of ERC), a review seems appropriate.

First, the packaging is unique and desirable. The sturdy outer slipcase has a jewel-like finish. The embossed spine, though somewhat difficult to read unless the light is "just so" is elegant. A lavender ribbon pull-tab smoothy ("sensually" wouldn't be overstating the feel) ejects the actual "tip-on" jacket. An inner jacket fold-out features an Ashley Kahn essay that begins with a wonderful 2019 quote from the late Jimmy Heath. The Strayhorn song's title is, of course, ironic.

The album was a critical and commercial success, despite being released "out of sequence" (Kahn writes “Released in 1961, it entered the marketplace the same year My Favorite Things was on the radio and Africa Brass was in the stores”).

The fold out also includes color photos of the two original master tapes (the OJC 131 catalog number clearly visible on the box) and a selection of Rudy Van Gelder’s session notes.

I don’t have an original pressing, nor do I have the OJC or either Analogue Productions reissues cut by Kevin Gray, one at 33 1/3 and one at 45rpm, but I do have the 1997 DCC Compact Classics version. Though it says “mastered by Steve Hoffman”, we know that Steve does not cut lacquers and that many records for which he receives mastering credit were cut by Kevin Gray. This one doesn’t have Kevin’s usual initials used back then but instead has an “SR”, which I’m assuming means Stan Ricker cut it. It sounds like one of Stan’s not very good cuts: boosted mid-bass and boosted treble. In other words, not very good. So, if that’s what you have and you like this album (what’s not to like?), if you missed out here, you really did because Bernie Grundman’s mastering is honest and spectrally well-balanced, as would be the two AP’s and probably the OJCs, once available “back in the day” for less than $10.00.

The Neotech semi-transparent VR900 compound “one-step” pressing was both flawless and probably sounds as close to the original tape as you’re likely to hear—not that the recording is a “sonic spectacular” other than being pure and direct because that’s all the technology at the time supported. Other than some cymbal overload, it’s a pleasingly natural monophonic “living room” recording.

If this Lush Life is representative of Craft’s “Small Batch” output, stay tuned for what’s to come or miss out.