Many great jazz musicians recorded for Blue Note, but the man responsible for the quality of label’s recordings – their high dynamic and tonal range and lifelike presence – was sound engineer, Rudy Van Gelder. It was his recording equipment, choice and placement of microphones, the work at the mixing desk, the selection and rejection of takes, and the active supervision of the whole recording process from monitoring the dials through to cutting of the master lacquer, that created the “Blue Note sound”.
Van Gelder always sought to be at the forefront of recording technology – the Scully lathe he used for cutting lacquer masters was the first to feature variable pitch/depth control to optimise groove-width and loudness. He deployed the newest Neumann/ Telefunken U-47 condenser microphone, which he had specially modified for use very close to instruments. His recordings were made on the latest Ampex tape recorders.
Blue Note made the switch to 12" LPs late in 1955. The Modern Jazz Series continued with the following 12" LPs. Many of these were issued in both monaural versions (BLP series) and stereo versions (BST 81500 series), sometimes in electronically rechanneled stereo. In certain cases, the stereo versions of recordings from 1957 onwards only appeared many years later. Beginning in 1956 with BLP 1509, Reid Miles designed most of the Blue Note LP covers. The 1500 series has been systematically reissued by Toshiba-EMI in Japan ("Blue Note Works 1500" series, 20-bit 88.2 kHz CDs); the catalog numbers are TOCJ-1501, etc.
BN.1531- Fats Navarro- 1953- The Fabulous Fats Navarro Vol.1
BN.1532- Fats Navarro- 1953- The Fabulous Fats Navarro Vol.2
BN.1533- Johnny Griffin- 1956- Introducing Johnny Griffin {RVG Remaster}
BN.1534- Paul Chambers- 1956- Whims Of Chambers
BN.1535- Kenny Dorham- 1955- Afro-Cuban {RVG Remaster}
BN.1536- J.R. Monterose- 1956- J.R. Monterose {RVG Remaster}
BN.1537- Lou Donaldson- 1954- Quartet Quintet Sextet
BN.1538- Lee Morgan- 1956- Lee Morgan Indeed! {RVG Remaster}
BN.1539- Horace Silver- 1956- Six Pieces Of Silver {RVG Remaster}
BN.1540- Hank Mobley- 1956- With Donald Byrd & Lee Morgan
Guitarist Al Di Meola first
rose to prominence as a blazing jazz fusion artist before his playing
matured and he began to conquer other styles, such as acoustic Latin
music. Born on July 22, 1954 in Jersey City, New Jersey, Di Meola
briefly studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston during the
early '70s before accepting a job replacing guitarist Bill Connors in
fusion trailblazers Return to Forever (a group that also included
monster instrumentalists keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley
Clarke, and drummer Lenny White) in 1974. It was with Di Meola that
Return to Forever enjoyed their greatest commercial success, as such
releases as 1974's Where Have I Known Before, 1975's No Mystery, and
1976's Romantic Warrior cracked the U.S. Top 40 before Di Meola jumped
ship to launch a solo career.
