Production increased to 5,000 copies. Hopefully the transactional database can keep up with the multiple purchasing hits it's going to have to processs starting at 3:01 PM.
Miles Davis's Relaxin' is Craft's Next "Small Batch" Release!
Craft Records today announced Miles Davis’s Relaxin’ as the next “Small Batch” limited to 5000 copies release. The pre-sale launches Friday April 15th at 2:00 PST/5:00 EST on the “Small Batch” website.
Bernie Grundman cut lacquers using the original analog master tapes and RTI pressed on 180g Neotech VR900 compound with “one-step” stampers. Each pressing is individually numbered and encased in a foil-stamped linen-wrapped slip case featuring an acylic inset of the original artwork. The original artwork is reproduced on a “tip-on” jacket extractable through a unique frictionless ribbon pull tab. Included in the package are new liner notes from GRAMMY Award-winning music historian, journalist and producer Ashley Kahn.
The 1956 recording hardly needs introducing to AnalogPlanet readers, but for the few who might not be well-familiar, between November 1955 and October 1956 the group featuring John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones recorded 32 tracks at Rudy Van Gelder’s Prospect Avenue, Hackensack, NJ living room studio that became Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet (1956), Cookin’ (1957), Relaxin’ (1958), Workin’ (1959) and Steamin’ (1961).
When Relaxin’ was released, Davis was but a few short months away from recording Kind of Blue for Columbia. To pre-order Relaxin’, visit the Craft Records “Small Batch” website as of the date and times listed at the top. I’ve heard the test pressing. Keep your fingers on the website trigger!
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COMMENTS
Now, that's better!
Submitted by Anton D on Wed, 2022-04-13 09:19
5,000 copies will make more vinyl lovers happy and make the company mo' money!
A marketplace win/win!
You are correct!
Submitted by volvic on Wed, 2022-04-13 10:09
I just might play this game on Friday.
Totally forgot
Submitted by volvic on Fri, 2022-04-15 20:56
Guess in the end I didn’t really need it. Still, sad I didn’t order.
Oh looks like it’s still…
Submitted by volvic on Fri, 2022-04-15 21:00
It’s still available as pre-sale.
I just now ordered…
Submitted by Anton D on Sat, 2022-04-16 12:49
Saturday afternoon and got one.
Now, that is civilized!
I pulled back
Submitted by volvic on Sat, 2022-04-16 15:00
Had it in my cart but with shipping and taxes it was $135, so backed out. I’ll wait for the AS repress. Still tempted, but my credit card bills are getting out of hand with all these purchases, so a second sober thought is in order.
Got it a week ago
Submitted by volvic on Fri, 2022-05-20 07:21
But only got to listen this morning, as I am back from vacation. Disappointed, the opening bars have one loud pop in the beginning before the music starts, followed by five pops as the music is playing, and a loud one on track two. Frankly, for this amount of money it should be dead quiet. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue for me, but for $135 this has to be perfect and it isn't. I have thirty year old Collegium Aurum and Harmonia Mundi pressings that survived a flood, that are still dead quiet, and those were purchased for $10.00. Sending mine back for another, but I feel my initial gut feeling not to purchase was the correct one.
Why does Craft pursue a
Submitted by rl1856 on Wed, 2022-04-13 10:55
Why does Craft pursue a limited edition model with this series of releases ? Quick math implies gross revenue of $495k (5000 x $99). They would have to sell 16,500 copies if the retail price is $30, and 13,375 copies if the price is $40. One interesting anecdote from the current bonanza of jazz reissues, is that many reissue titles from Verve/Impulse/Blue Note sell in greater numbers NOW than when originally issued. If one looks for 25,000 copies to be sold (a modest number given potential world wide demand), then there is the potential for a greater return on inv. A limited release model can benefit the company, but does not really benefit consumers, and serves to enrich flippers. So why does Craft pursue this model instead of a more expanded release ?
Net revenue is what matters, not gross revenue.
Submitted by mb on Thu, 2022-04-14 13:53
Every copy which goes unsold is negative net revenue. And every copy pressed which doesn’t get sold right away eats into the profit margin. These days, too few is almost always better for a label than too many.
5,000 copies is a lot of copies for this title. I hope Craft hasn’t gotten out over its skis on this one.
These are one steps
Submitted by Analog Scott on Sun, 2022-04-17 09:02
Which means a new lacquer for every 500 copies. they have to also consider bad pressings and other returns. It's not that simple to just up the production run
The sheep….
Submitted by azmoon on Wed, 2022-04-13 11:54
…will keep buying the same titles at increasingly higher prices. And praise the “improved sound” until the next release. The sheep…..
Better Sheep than...
Submitted by timware on Sun, 2022-04-17 19:06
Lemmings... Look at yourself, azzmoon...
In defense of sheep
Submitted by Tom L on Wed, 2022-04-13 12:27
Calling people "sheep" has become an insult because of their flocking and following behavior, but I lived on a farm with sheep many years ago and they are wonderful animals. Cute, very useful and smarter than you might think. They never buy LPs, although they have been known to enjoy classical and some jazz. Take it easy on the sheep!
I may have to try to snag one
Submitted by arcman67 on Wed, 2022-04-13 14:39
Looks like a really nice package
Well done Craft!
Submitted by jazz on Wed, 2022-04-13 15:28
5000 hopefully at least serves those who pull the trigger during a reasonable time that day.
Craft probably wasn’t aware that AP rereleases the same album at the same time.
I hope we will also see such great, previously never audiophile reissued albums like the Yusef again, which I really enjoyed.
Regarding Lush Live I liked the Hoffman/Gray 45RPM cut better, Relaxin’ could sound very good with Bernie’s choices.
A more reasonable offering
Submitted by Mazzy on Wed, 2022-04-13 16:05
I think I’d rather pay $40 for the upcoming Acoustic Sounds repress. Don’t need the box or ribbon.
Earlier Reissue
Submitted by Rodan on Wed, 2022-04-13 17:04
I won't engaging in the mad rush, as I just realized I have the Analogue Productions box set "The Miles Davis Quintet-The Great Prestige Recordings" (APJ 035), which I picked up at on its release in 1996. "Relaxin'" is one of the five discs. This AP set was also a limited release of 2500 (not one-step, though), but in those days I think it took a lot longer to sell out! Michael's post reminded me that it's been a while since I spun these LPs, which I'll do directly.
I compared
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Fri, 2022-04-15 05:49
A test pressing of this new remaster vs the one in the box. Box sound is soft and warm. New reissue trumpet sounds far more real…
So you compared it
Submitted by jazz on Fri, 2022-04-15 09:27
to the Stan Ricker mastering which was already beaten by the Hoffman/Gray mastering. Would be interesting how it compared to the latter. From my experience with the Kenny Dorham it should be a little leaner sounding with better controlled bass and maybe just slightly different treble EQ. The transparency difference between the new Grundman and the old Gray chain can but usually doesn’t play the biggest role with mono releases. Just my guess.
And then besides the Stan Ricker and the 45 RPM Hoffma there is
Submitted by jazz on Fri, 2022-04-15 09:29
the 200g 33RPM Kevin Gray reissue on AP
I would be much more excited
Submitted by MrRom92 on Wed, 2022-04-13 21:45
I would be much more excited to see this title, and this series in general done at 45rpm. Analogue Productions did it 20 years ago, that version is now long out of print. Why not try to make these pressings the best they can possibly sound? I’m sure it will be the best 33rpm version that anyone has yet to offer, but why leave room for better performance on the table if this is such a premium product?
Halcyon Daze of your
Submitted by Robin Landseadel on Thu, 2022-04-14 03:10
I remember getting this music back in the mid-seventies on Fantasy two-fers. That fantasy series was great, generic packaging but usually good pressings and excellent liner notes. Not exactly the earcandy of "Kind of Blue", the sound quality somewhat less sumptuous. But the playing is uniquely first-rate, everything recorded at these sessions is worth hearing, no matter the format.
Oh Well !
Submitted by Russo7516 on Thu, 2022-04-14 07:01
Miles last five Prestige albums were done with in a week . He had a contract that had to be finished with Prestige. How amazing is that .
But the sound engineering at Prestige was ok. Plus the Tape quality of the 50's's and vault storage.
How is the Craft going to make this Lp sound any better.
MY OJC of this pressing sounds good and well was the 24 bit CD that was released ( early 200's). Are the using the 24 bit digital master. WINK WINK !
I think I will play the NY lottery cause I have a better chance winning that than obtaining a Small Batch Record @ 99 buck Plus S&H. lol
That's almost correct
Submitted by rich d on Thu, 2022-04-14 08:47
The last five Prestige albums were recorded in fairly short order but not in one week. The LPs were cobbled together from three sessions - one in late '55 shortly after Miles signed with Columbia,and one each in the Spring and Fall of '56. They were all pretty brief sessions as the group knew the repertoire well, so your estimate of one week is about right if you mean the total time spent. Don't call me pedantic!
I'll play it and tell you what it is later.
Google says
Submitted by Russo7516 on Fri, 2022-04-15 03:51
2-4 day total. It was done in Mono also from jump.
You can still buy it two days later
Submitted by Analog Scott on Sun, 2022-04-17 09:07
So no one can whine and bitch about the release being too limited. If you are happy with what you have great. But this will sound different than anything you currently have.
Relaxin,Cookin,Workin,Steamin
Submitted by ilbiffo on Thu, 2022-04-14 09:41
A OT question for mr.Fremer or for those who know: the AP Miles Davis Relaxin,Cookin,Workin,Steamin on 45 RPM are mono or stereo?
Great point about stereo or mono
Submitted by DaveyF on Thu, 2022-04-14 14:20
rich d's question about stereo or mono is an interesting one. These days, while i may be in a small minority when it comes to this, I am far less enamored of mono recordings. The reason is that there i only so much i can get from having all of the instruments placed in the middle of the soundstage with no left or right information. For example, my Tone Poet LP of 'Introducing Kenny Burrell' is great, BUT the musicians are all clumped in the middle, and even though the SQ of each instrument is superb, the lack of spread really diminishes the overall presentation. If this same release was in stereo with a great soundstage, it would have been so much better, IMO. Same thing will go for the Relaxin' release to come.
You have to get aware
Submitted by jazz on Thu, 2022-04-14 17:18
which recordings were made in true stereo (not fake, rechanneled) at all. Those which were only recorded in mono simply have to be accepted as the are, you won’t have a choice of mono/stereo there. All high quality versions of Relaxin’ will be mono.
There Was….
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Fri, 2022-04-15 05:51
No stereo recording for any of these Miles records
There Was….
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Fri, 2022-04-15 05:51
No stereo recording for any of these Miles records
There is no stereo version of
Submitted by MrRom92 on Fri, 2022-04-15 07:59
There is no stereo version of this recording so it’s a non-issue for me. Well done mono does not leave me wanting in the slightest. Some of the most startlingly real recordings I’ve ever heard were in mono.
The important thing here is that Bernie mastered this version while using a proper full track head for the transfer. You would be shocked how uncommon this has been for most reissues of mono material since the dawn of the stereo era, even on major MAJOR re-releases. Like The Beatles 1987 CDs - the first 4 are mono tapes played back on a stereo machine with all the nasties that come along with doing that. A lot of mastering studios aren’t even equipped with a fulltrack head anymore, or simply don’t bother to use them... Blech!
Just ordered...
Submitted by mraudioguru on Fri, 2022-04-15 12:06
...my copy. Got confirmation already. Pre-Sale was the way to go!
Don’t see it for preorder yet and wonder what you ordered
Submitted by jazz on Fri, 2022-04-15 12:45
.
Ah got it,
Submitted by jazz on Fri, 2022-04-15 13:45
didn’t see the subscriber preorder link in the mail. Have to go with the normal link.
Yes, no stereo copy
Submitted by DaveyF on Fri, 2022-04-15 14:29
I knew that there were no stereo versions of these MD records. Nonetheless, I still think this for me is an issue for ultimate SQ. I own numerous original Blue Notes that are in mono, all great recordings and all enjoyable, but personally for me not as enjoyable as stereo releases. I managed to get the Craft release, which I'm sure will be good...just wish it was a stereo LP.
Are you playing these mono recordings with a mono cartridge ?
Submitted by hockeyyo on Fri, 2022-04-15 16:09
In most cases I prefer the Blue Note recordings in mono versus stereo. I'm using a dedicated mono cartridge (Miyajima Infinity). When friends are over I play the stereo & mono version and 75% of the time they pick the mono version. Music Matters released Lee Morgan 'Candy' in both stereo and mono. I've done this comparison for over 20 different people and they picked the mono version 100% of the time. I love the Prestige Mono Series by AP but I also purchased this new Craft pressing today.
Using a stereo cartridge
Submitted by DaveyF on Sat, 2022-04-16 00:11
I'm using a stereo cartridge to listen to these mono pressings. While I'm sure a mono cartridge would be more appropriate for mono LP's, I fail to see how the mono cartridge can solve the soundstage issue that I spoke about above.
So, I ordered this product
Submitted by Rashers on Sat, 2022-04-16 02:48
$127 including shipping. I hope I'm not going to get a whopping import and tax bill (European Union) - as this product is shipping from the US.
Still Available To Order Saturday :-)
Submitted by Mile High Audio on Sat, 2022-04-16 14:10
I missed Friday's pre-sale so bought a copy when the 'general public sale' launched a few hours later...and it's still available today when I bought a second copy as a gift :-)
Other ways…
Submitted by Anton D on Sat, 2022-04-16 14:24
If the turn around weren’t so slow, preordering and then pressing based on purchase numbers would be cool.
Sadly, no.
Submitted by Anton D on Tue, 2022-04-19 08:10
But the Pacific Northwest Audio Fest, in July, yes!
Timeless recordings....
Submitted by Trevor_Bartram on Sun, 2022-04-17 10:54
that will never go out of fashion. My favorite is Workin' but the whole set is essential.
Interesting.....
Submitted by mdz10000 on Mon, 2022-04-18 12:45
I preordered this past Friday at 3:30PM. Was surprised that it was still available. As of 4/18/22 3:45PM still available. Wonder when will it sellout.
It has already...
Submitted by Wymax on Tue, 2022-04-19 12:54
It has already sold out in Europe! Or rather, it never went on sale :-)
I hope it does sell out, just to encourage/reward them!
Submitted by Anton D on Tue, 2022-04-19 15:12
They can probably dial in the right number to press as they go.
Also, it must be tough to gauge, sometimes.
I love Ahmad Jamal, but he might not generate the sales frenzy that a new mix of 'Take Five' would.
It will interesting to see.
Anton will miss NFS, you were
Submitted by JMiller on Tue, 2022-04-19 16:06
Anton will miss NFS, you were my best exhibitor in Vegas (Jeff and Dirk)
Did they announce an Ahmad Jamal one step?
Submitted by Bmcpherson on Thu, 2022-04-21 11:37
I'd be into that depending on the album
Large parts of his catalog
Submitted by jazz on Mon, 2022-04-25 23:56
has burned (tape wise) as far as I know. Difficult to get the sources we like.
Initial impressions on opening - and Q re RTI inners sleeves.
Submitted by Happy Will on Thu, 2022-05-12 03:59
Well, my copy arrived about 30 mins ago, and I have just opened the shrink wrap and…
The record cover has a corner ding - looks like from before or being put into the outer box.
Yet of more concern is the record was rather dusty and on one side there looks like 3 sleeve insertion scuffs from record edge towards the label, which are quite visible in sunlight. I haven’t played it yet - I’ll wait till this evening - but Something Else from the Ornette Box had similar marks and sounded - and I am still waiting for a replacement to arrive 10 days or so after contacting Craft. Is it the pimples on the inside of the RTI inner sleeves that is part of the problem?
buckaroo
Submitted by buckaroo on Thu, 2022-05-12 21:13
I got mine two days ago. Very dirty! About a dozen play throughs on each side to get it clean. Using GrooveWasher and Carbon brush on the album and Disc Dr. on the stylus. JEEZ! Never have I had such a dirty album!!!
Once cleaned there are spots that MD's trumpet sounds strident. There are also spots where the ride cymbal is crisp and "icepick" like. Contacted Craft but no exchange detail has transpired yet. I wonder if the newer vinyl formula attracts dust in an increased manner. I have watched a YouTube review and read comments elsewhere that some find it "crispy" sounding.
I also wonder if some debris is baked on to the vinyl and not coming off with record cleaning. Hard to believe Bernie G. would let a remaster out with such poor sound on the trumpet and cymbals. Also hard to believe RTI would let dirty records go undetected. My sense is it is a mechanical issue rather than a "mastering decision" issue...but what do I know. I bought the hype and maybe just got a lemon.
The older digital recordings do reveal some areas being strident. Certainly the best copies of this title do not have the sonic superiority of Kind Of Blue.
buckaroo
Submitted by buckaroo on Thu, 2022-05-19 14:28
Just a follow up. I received a replacement copy from Craft. This replacement is flat and perfectly clean. Sounds much better than the original copy that I received. Craft was very receptive to my concern and I must say that I am impressed with their customer service.
Just left a comment above
Submitted by volvic on Fri, 2022-05-20 07:23
Mine was not shiny and clean either, and I passed it through the VPI, but there are still pops on different tracks as I listen on Side 1. For this kind of money this should be dead quiet and it clearly isn't. Hopefully they offer a better copy but never again. Chad's for less than half are far better value.
More aggravation
Submitted by volvic on Fri, 2022-05-20 11:49
Get this, they just emailed me and asked me to video with my phone, the problematic track and send it to them so we can proceed. Told them to send me a packing label and just issue a refund. Never in my 20 years of bying online have I ever been asked to video a sonic defect. I've sent photos in the past only because I chose to but this is on another level. Bye Craft, nice knowing ya!
This is now a standard practice
Submitted by Rashers on Mon, 2022-05-30 01:59
I have received a number of defective records from Vinyl Me Please - 2 defective Mars Volta records, and warped versions of "Sinatra at the Sands." Initially it irritated me - do they not trust their customers? You email the company, they ask for a video, you send them the video and a new copy arrives. I now have no issue with this - if I returned a record to a local store they would do the same (and they don't ask you to send it back). I have seen "defective" versions of said records on sale on Discogs and ebay, and a copy of this version of "Relaxin'" on discogs (without the cover or box - suggesting that the seller is hawking a defective copy that was replaced).
Maybe they do but,
Submitted by volvic on Wed, 2022-06-01 12:25
Acoustic Sounds, Blue Note and DG have never asked me to do this, some do ask for a detailed description of the item which I am most happy to include, I've even provided photos. But to sit and video a warp, or a pop then reduce it to a manageable size for them to decide whether or not they will accept it is not a seller I am willing to deal with in the future. I returned it and got my money back, never again from these guys. I frankly don't care if others play this game and then pawn off their defective records, I don't feel I have to jump through hoops to prove something is subpar.
I recently decided to take a
Submitted by johninator on Mon, 2024-11-04 00:54
I recently decided to take a boat trip to https://aktis.yachts/en/crete for an unforgettable vacation. While sailing around the stunning Greek islands, I listened to my favorite tunes on vinyl records. Good music promotes relaxation and adventure. The right soundtrack can turn any trip into an unforgettable escape. What's on your playlist for your next vacation?
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