Blue Note in Japan

Last Updated: November 14, 2023: 

(audio source of Japanese analogue and digital reissues)

Interest in American modern jazz has flourished in Japan, which is home to avid collectors of vintage pressings, especially Blue Note. Much original vinyl is found in Tokyo’s record stores and online sellers, such as Tokyo’s Disk Union, seen below, their current wall of Blue Note and Prestige originals.

Disk Union maintain a team of specialist buyers who regularly trawl US and European premium jazz records auctions on Ebay.  Some observers have suggested that as much as three quarters of US collectable jazz records today is located in Japan.

Back in the 1970s when America’s interest in modern jazz was waning, there remained continued enthusiasm in Japan.  Over the following decades, much of the Blue Note catalogue would be reissued in Japan, through licensing agreements with local record manufacturers and distributors. Between 1966 and 1977, Blue Note titles were re-issued by EMI-Toshiba. Between 1977-83, titles were reissued by King Records. Finally, after 1983, EMI/Capitol moved licensing back to their own subsidiary in Japan, Toshiba-EMI , which relationship continues to this day.

Many of these Japanese reissues, themselves thirty to fifty years old, flowed to American and European collectors, to whom they offer a reasonable quality affordable vinyl of otherwise unaffordable and rare titles (and some material released only in Japan). Original trophy titles, however, often flowed in the opposite direction.

Blue Note audio source of Japanese reissues – analogue and digital

 Van Gelder original tapes were mostly Scotch brand 111 1/4″ tape running at 15 ips,  the RVG gold standard. Back in the late ’60s Toshiba Japan would have been sent an  1:1 flat copy tape of the original Van Gelder recording, possibly accompanied by Rudy’s mastering notes for each title. Mastering notes would  detail low and high frequency cut-off points, for example below 45Hz (mostly rumble) and above 12,000 kHz (some acoustic instruments generate up to 120,000kHz !), compression ratio to limit any extremes in volume in the original recording session),  and any required EQ boost in frequencies eg at 5,000 kHz where much of the front-line instruments focus.

The same set of Blue Note copy tapes are the most likely source of all Japanese Blue Note remasters over several decades, both vinyl and digital. They are after all a 1st generation copy. Certainly they would be the source of the Toshiba and King vinyl reissues, and then CD editions which commenced in 1985, sampled at 16 bit/ 44.1 kHz (red book) Between 1997-2009 Van Gelder was brought in to remaster the so-called RVG Editions at higher  24 bit/ 96 kHz resolution , and later still, around 2014 onwards, SHM-CD was produced at higher still 24 bit/ 192 kHz – the latter commonly the source of many more modern reissues.

 Whilst the recording session copy tape remained the common source for all analogue and digital reissues, Japanese reissue project engineers had some latitude in mastering and cutting dynamics and stereo spread, with the result that some sound better than others to different listener’s ears, according to the character of their audio systems and personal listening history. The only consensus in this hotly contested topic is that each title has to be considered individually. Where there is no consensus is that RVG vintage original vinyl sounds best, which I know to be a fact {;-] hehe.

Join in the fun on the Hoffman Forum back in 2011 Read only.

Superior Engineering Quality in Japan?

Though famed for their engineering quality, Japanese reissues are often sonically more restrained, lacking the punch of Blue Note originals. Some excuse this, argue originals were cut hot to compensate for the primitive record players of the day.  I argue the opposite. The more modern quiet cut fails to recover impact by just turning up the volume. Hot is good, captures more attack and decay, and atmospheric ambience. 

In the late 70s and early 80s, Japanese pressings were arguably superior to the US domestic product of the time (especially Manhattan DMM). Toshiba vinyl reissues from the ’90s to the present day are not of the same quality as earlier vintage Toshiba, on which their reputation rests. The skills and resources to cut high quality vinyl remasters largely disappeared, as the industry focussed on the compact disc, enhanced digital formats and low resolution files for streaming services.

I have some Japanese vinyl reissues from 10- to 20 years ago which are simply LPCM files created for CD, transferred to vinyl (boasting “24 bit by RVG” on vinyl!). They sound much like listening to CD, the victim of cutting and boosting audio-bottox, missing top frequencies.  Japanese collectors rightly have a preference for vintage original US Blue Note pressings and have been prepared to pay the premium demanded. Me too.

Perhaps the main advantage of vintage Japanese Blue Note reissues is the care which Japanese owners took of their records: home hi-fi with light tracking weight cartridges rather than America’s ’50s-60s radiograms with their heavy weight tone arms and worn stylus, unstable portable record players, and careless handling. However, they do not sound anywhere as good to my ears; your ears may vary. 

In 2011-14 the format war turned full circle with the giant Tokyo Disc Union – US joint venture, the DBLP series, reissuing many Blue Note titles in mono, exclusively for the  Japanese collector,  through Disc Union stores in Japan, much sought after by US audiophiles!

Latest information shared by Kevin Gray, the DBLP Series is not as some claim, from the original tapes. They are sourced in Japan from hi-res 24 bit/192kHz digital files, supplied pre-mastered to Kevin Gray for cutting the acetates and pressing at QRP. Unlike Kevin’s Tone Poet and Vinyl Classics, these are mixed to mono, an interesting twist.

 

JAPANESE BLUE NOTE VINTAGE VINYL REISSUES

1.  First Toshiba-EMI Era (1966-77) – LNJ and NR series

a. White label promo

Note – at foot of jacket – trademarks under authorisation of United Artists

In 1976-7 the Blue Note and Liberty trademarks belonged to United Artists, who licensed Toshiba-EMI to use them in Japan. These mid-’70s EMI-Toshiba pressings, the LNJ and NR series, should not be confused with the later Toshiba reissues from 1983 onwards, which date from the time when Blue Note came under the ownership of EMI/Capitol.

1b.  Commercial release label (1966-77) NR 8000 series

“TOSHIBA MUSICAL INDUSTRIES LTD.” (later Toshiba-EMI Ltd. reason unknown)

1c. LNJ 8000 series

“TOSHIBA-EMI LTD”

Instead of adopting a facsimile of the original Blue Note edition label (as did King and later Toshiba), the early EMI-Toshiba series used an anachronistic ” A DIVISION OF LIBERTY RECORDS, INC.” text where the Blue Note address would normally be.

The reissue transfer quality is outstanding on the few I have.

1d: LNJ 7000 series

An example below of United Artists using Toshiba-EMI as a vehicle to release other United Artists-owned recordings in Japan, on Blue Note labels – in this case  Art Pepper’s Modern Art.

This Pepper recording was made originally in Hollywood in 1953 for the Intro label, one of a suite of jazz sub-labels owned by the Meisner brothers  Aladdin records. The Meisners sold Aladdin to Imperial Records around 1961. Imperial was bought by Liberty Records in 1964, who two years later went on to buy Blue Note Records. In 1968 Liberty Records (including its Blue Note and Imperial catalogue) was acquired by a financial conglomerate, Transamerica, who also owned United Artists Records. In the early ’70s, Transamerica consolidated all their record companies holdings under United Artists leadership. So Art’s Intro recording was published in Japan by EMI-Toshiba under United Artists license using UA-owned Blue Note and Liberty trademarks. Simples!

2.  King Records, Tokyo, Japan (1977-83) GXK, GXF, K18 and K23 series

Further reference:   http://microgroove.jp/bluenote-jpn/

In 1977 the financially pressured United Artists Music and Record Group moved its Japanese licensing programme from EMI-Toshiba to King Records. This included not only Blue Note recordings, but also other material that had come into possession of United Artists, such as Transition, Jazz West, and Pacific Jazz.

King kicked off with a bulk reissue programme of the Blue Note Catalogue starting the GXK 8000 series, 150 titles which included around 50 mono titles from the Blue Note 1500 series – mono indicated by an M suffix – GXK (M).  Titles recorded originally to two-track were issued in Stereo. King issued few if any choice of format, just either mono or stereo. King also commenced a different catalogue letter prefix and number  series: GXF 3000 

King then gave titles from the GXF 3000 series a second reissue, returning to the prefix GXK, recommencing where the earlier series stopped, from GXK 8151. This must have made sense to someone at the time if not me.

Around 1980 through to 1983, another new Series commenced, the K18P 9000 series, followed by K23. This era was marked by thematic collections, for example, guitar albums, piano albums, special celebratory releases such as the ” Special Replica 15 ” series, previously unpublished material, such as its “First World Appearance” and “Unissued Masters” series, some of which eventually appeared in the UA Blue Note LT series (always worth checking).

King Records Collectability

Tokyo dealers who specialise in selling Japanese Blue Note pressings say King are becoming hard to find, originating from a dwindling numbers Japanese collections. For a number of Blue Note artists – whose records are both extremely rare and expensive, like Hank Mobley, Sonny Clark and Lee Morgan, – the cash-strapped vintage vinyl lover should look to King as the preferred alternative, alongside Liberty/First Toshiba-EMI Era, though the most satisfying audio presentation can vary from title to title. Realistically, Japanese pressings are not collectable in the same way as original Blue Note: collector lust demands that such things be scarce and unobtainable.

King OBI

Each King series had its own distinctive obi (“sash”) probably more informative to the Japanese-speaker, however many obis were lost or discarded over the passage of time.

King Blue Note Series Collections

1977 “Immortal Masterpiece Selection” Series

1977-1980   ” Blue Note Masterpiece Selection 150 ” Series

1978 “Unissued   Masters” Series

1979 “Jazz   Guitar Album” Series

1979 “Jazz   Piano Trio Masterpiece Collection”

1979-1980   “World First Appearance” Series

1980-1981   “Unissued Masters Series Part 1”,

1980-1981   “Unissued Masters Series, Part 2

1981 “Blue   Note Collectors’ Item” Series

1982 “Blue Note   Special”

1983 “Blue Note Masterpiece Vol.1, 2, 3 and 4

1983   ” Blue Note Masterpiece Special Replica 15 ” Series

Miscellaneous King   Special Issues

The final series of reissues released in 1983, well into the period of EMI ownership, was King’s “Blue Note Masterpiece series” (not to be confused with the earlier 150 titles  called “Masterpiece 150 “), consisting of around seventy five  titles, with fifteen singled out for the Special Replica 15 series,  the crème of the Blue Note catalogue given replica vintage packaging – and a 30% price premium.

King Factory Sample Test Pressing

“Factory Sample” is what the three Japanese letter stamp means, I am reliably informed. Japanese is like a foreign language to me. I can see the first letter is a drawing of a factory, with a long approach road leading up to it where the top executives can park their company cars. The middle character represents a set of scales weighted to one side, indicating weighing and critically judging differences.  The last character seems to represent a batch production run of boxed products. There, you didn’t know I could read Japanese did you, or it illustrates the fearsome but fallacious power of post-hoc reasoning.

King Record Co., classic cream/blue label , test pressing stamp, P 1977, one of the first King reissues starting with the earliest 12″ 1500 series BLP 1501.

King Test Pressing 2 – conventional “promo” white label, date unknown

Speed  with r.p.m., no royalty collection logo (Jaspac) or © copyright/manufacture date, presumed early

King Test Pressing 3

P 1981, JASRAC royalty collection agency logo, speed 33 1/3.

Available from Ebay sellers in Japan priced mostly between $50 and $100, the  white label are thought to be more desirable because of the probability of being among the first pressings off the stampers in production, though with reissues, this is a less important than with originals.

King pressings are rarely disappointing, and carry a slight collector price premium over the later 1980’s Toshiba-EMI pressings. Claimed by some enthusiasts to be the best pressings originating from Japan, and preferred to United Artists own US reissues. I should emphasise I don’t consider any of them the equal of either original pre-1966 Blue Note or the first wave of Liberty/NY Blue Notes.

It has been said these pressings were made from masters created by a Japanese engineer flown to the US and given access to the Blue Note vaults and original tapes. It is most probable that Japan was sent copy tapes, as was custom and practice in all other branches of the music industry. Truth is the first casualty in the fog of making money.

2.2 King Records, mono 47 West 63rd facsimile label (1977)

2.3 King Records stereo 47 West 63rd facsimile label (1980)

2.4 King Special Masterpiece Replica 15 Series

In 1983, as part of their swan-song Masterpiece series, King released a special limited edition of 15 of  Blue Note’s most desirable titles. Though a number of series called “Masterpiece” were issued, Masterpiece Replica 15  stands out. They claim to be perfect replicas: no Japanese markings, pressed on ultra heavy vinyl, with the suggestion they “match of original Blue Note sonically”

The replica  exhibits all the usual King pressing plant symbols. It looks like a standard production run, albeit on thicker vinyl, which has no effect on the sound. I would hazard nothing has been done with the sound except a generous sprinkling of marketing hype (like King could say to the engineers: Hey guys, special job! Make this one sound better than usual, you know, “like the original”) If only! As with all King pressings, the audio quality is OK but falls short of the original pressing. My one Replica has actually a rather dull and wooden sound, actually worse than most of my Kings.

The King “replica” label (above left) original (right): missed replica opportunity – no ear. Also lack of colour fidelity, excess yellow to create a cream tint results in blue tilted towards cyan/green.

King Japan-only editions, Lee Morgan All-star Sextet

Perhaps this is something more of us would like to play – if we knew where to get it. Lee Morgan, Sonny Clark, Grant Green feature heavily on the agenda of Japanese jazz enthusiasts. It’s enough to make you want to move to Japan. Note catalogue number 83023 is pure local invention.

2.5. King facsimile  UAMRG blue label

A dozen or so Blue Note titles were reissued with facsimile United Artists Blue label/white b, no irony intended, as the blue label is not considered collectable today.

Note addition of not one but two guitarists to the ensemble. Musical jazz fusion waves.

3. Toshiba-EMI second era, 1983 to the present day

A change of Blue Note ownership in the US around 1980, change of licensee in Japan, out goes King, in comes captive subsidiary Toshiba-EMI.

As new owners of the Blue Note catalogue, Capitol Records parent EMI saw Japan as a still vibrant jazz market for Blue Note, and its Japanese subsidiary, Toshiba-EMI embarked on a reissue programme to match that of King Records a decade earlier, methodically reissuing the whole catalogue at the rate of about two titles a week.

This “conveyor-belt” production line lacked individual attention to detail in engineering, played safe with gain, resulting in quiet, average transfers, lacking the punch and sonic full spectrum of originals. The source was certainly copy tapes, perhaps second generation, some years older now, and suspicion points to solid-state equipment in the manufacturing chain. Whatever the reason, speculation, the results are reserved slightly veiled sonics missing the sparkle and presence of originals.

Though often not as dynamic as King reissues, later Toshiba EMI reissues are generally preferable to later US Capitol Manhattan and French Pathe Marconi reissues, though none stand up well against original Blue Note or Liberty. Lowering the record arm, their silent vinyl can itself be a pleasure after listening to hours of clicks and pops on well-used American vinyl.

Modern Toshiba (manufactured after 1994) are not the “legendary quality” of the pressings of its early years. From the mid-90s onwards solid-state equipment and digital production methods took their toll. Van Gelder was brought into remaster recordings for CD (not for vinyl!)

By the opening years of the following decade industry cynicism plumbed new depths, with examples of CD files, brick-wall filtered, copied onto Toshiba vinyl, resulting in sonically empty pressings.

Much of the Blue Note catalogue has been released two or three times in Japan, and it is always advisable to check the year of manufacture of any particular issue. Earlier editions are generally preferable to later ones. The word “audiophile” should be treated with great scepticism. 

4. Japanese modern replicas

Ateliers Sawano, Tokyo, lead a wave of hyper-authentic replicas, complete with heavy cardboard sleeves, artwork printed with antique presses, even manufactured with Deep Groove, and I am told, a Plastylite cursive “P”.

Claims are made that the records are mastered from the original tapes, though that is true of every record. One Sawano I bought I sent back as the quality was shocking. Not from original tapes, it had been cloned from old vinyl with some electronic trickery to remove the surface defects.

To my mind a copy is still a copy, however good a copy, it is not the real deal. However if you want Mobley 1568 or some Cool Struttin’ you might feel the compromise is worth considering.

Love the 47 West 63rd address and no INC or R, but oh that deep groove looks like its been cut into the vinyl instead of pressed, with the result the label has been pierced and torn by the sharp edge of the groove.

Not ones to give up, the Sawano brothers now produce replicas which claim to have been from the original master tapes. How they came to have access to them remains unclear, and a cynic might remark that every issue or reissue is derived from the original master tapes, just not mastered directly from the original tapes.

5. Blue Note Premium Vinyl Reissue Series (2011-4)

The brainchild of Tokyo-based record retailer Disk Union and EMI Music Japan, limited editions of 1,000, all mono, pressed on 200gm vinyl. Jackets of heavy card and frame construction with cover lamination, vinyl featurig “authentic” reproduction of original features, such as flat edge and deep groove. 

Despite the claim these editions were “from the original master tapes”, Kevin Gray, who cut the acetates at Cohearent, admits he did so from 24 bit/ 192 KHz hi-res digital files,  pre-mastered from tapes they hold in Japan, not from the original tapes. Interview with Kevin at 50:40 – 

The 60 titles include the pick of  albums by some of the legends of the genre, such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Bud Powell and Art Blakey. (Full listing below)

Full listing (62 titles – source: Discogs entries)

These are believed to have been sold only in Japan, and are very sought after because unlike their US counterparts (Music Matters etc) these are mono instead of stereo. I have never seen or heard one so I cannot comment on sonic qualities, but they have many supporters in online forums. Listing below includes original Blue Note catalogue number for reference.

DBLP-001	Kenny Dorham	Round Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia	1524
DBLP-002	Lee Morgan	Indeed!	1538
DBLP-003	John Coltrane	Blue Train	1577
DBLP-004	Hank Mobley	Soul Station	4031
DBLP-005	Herbie Hancock	Maiden Voyage	4195
DBLP-006	Clifford Brown	Memorial Album	1526
DBLP-007	Sonny Clark	Cool Struttin’	1588
DBLP-008	The Amazing Bud Powell*	Volume 5  The Scene Changes	4009
DBLP-009	Jackie McLean	Swing, Swang, Swingin’	4024
DBLP-010	Wayne Shorter	Juju	4182
DBLP-011	Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims	Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims	1530
DBLP-012	Lou Donaldson	Blues Walk	1593
DBLP-013	Sonny Rollins	Newk’s Time	4001
DBLP-014	Kenny Drew	Undercurrent ‎	4059
DBLP-015	Joe Henderson	In ‘N Out	4166
DBLP-016	Thad Jones	Detroit New York Junction	1513
DBLP-017	Hank Mobley	Hank Mobley	1568
DBLP-018	Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers*	Moanin’	4003
DBLP-019	Duke Pearson	Profile	4022
DBLP-020	Grant Green	Idle Moments	4154
DBLP-021	Johnny Griffin	Introducing Johnny Griffin	1533
DBLP-022	Cannonball Adderley	Somethin’ Else	1595
DBLP-023	Donald Byrd	Off To The Races	4007
DBLP-024	Horace Parlan	Movin’ and Groovin’	4028
DBLP-025	Kenny Burrell	Midnight Blue	4123
DBLP-026	Kenny Dorham	Afro Cuban	1535
DBLP-027	Lee Morgan	Volume 2	1541
DBLP-028	Sonny Clark Trio	Trio	1579
DBLP-029	Sonny Red	Out Of The Blue	4032
DBLP-030	Hank Mobley	Dippin’	4209
DBLP-031	Miles Davis	Miles Davis, Volume 1	1501
DBLP-032	Miles Davis	Miles Davis, Volume 2	1502
DBLP-033	Bud Powell	The Amazing Bud Powell, Volume 1	1503
DBLP-034	Bud Powell	The Amazing Bud Powell, Volume 2	1504
DBLP-035	Art Blakey Quintet	A Night At Birdland, Volume 1	1521
DBLP-036	Art Blakey Quintet	A Night At Birdland, Volume 2	1522
DBLP-037	Thad Jones	The Magnificent Thad Jones	1527
DBLP-038	Sonny Rollins	Sonny Rollins	1542
DBLP-039	Walter Davis Jr.	Davis Cup	4018
DBLP-040	Tina Brooks	True Blue	4041
DBLP-041	Joe Henderson	Page One	4140
DBLP-042	J.R. Monterose	J. R. Monterose	1536
DBLP-043	Lee Morgan	Volume 3	1557
DBLP-044	Hank Mobley – Lee Morgan	Peckin’ Time	1574
DBLP-045	Freddie Hubbard	Open Sesame	4040
DBLP-046	Eric Dolphy	Out To Lunch	4163
DBLP-047	Sonny Clark	Cool Struttin’	1588
DBLP-048	Tina Brooks	Back To The Tracks	4052
DBLP-049	Wayne Shorter	Night Dreamer	4173
DBLP-050	Wayne Shorter	Speak No Evil	4194
DBLP-051	Wayne Shorter	Adam’s Apple	4232
DBLP-052	Hank Mobley	Quintet	1564
DBLP-053	Sonny Rollins	A Night at the Village Vanguard	1581
DBLP-054	Lee Morgan	Candy	1590
DBLP-055	Duke Jordan	Flight To Jordan	4046
DBLP-056	Dexter Gordon	Our Man In Paris	4146
DBLP-057	Jutta Hipp	At the Hickory House, Volume 1	1515
DBLP-058	Jutta Hipp	At the Hickory House, Volume 2	1516
DBLP-059	Horace Silver Quintet*	Six Pieces of Silver	1539
DBLP-060	Paul Chambers Quartet	Bass On Top	1569
DBLP-061	Horace Parlan	Us Three	4037
DBLP-062	Hank Mobley	Roll Call	4058

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