Jazz at the Pawn Shop album seems frequently mentioned in US hi-fi circles. What is it? Should I know about it? Should I buy it? Should I avoid it?

thanks

Dr J

"Should I avoid it?"
It depends what you are looking for. If you want a great Jazz record then I would say no. If you want a very well recorded Jazz record then yes. Essentially it's an OK performance that has been recorded beautifully.

Nos and yesses are mixed up in my reply above, d'oh! I need more sleep.

It was an HiFi icon in the early 90's! Good recording.

Early 80's I think.

It was recorded live in a Jazz Club/Bar place called 'Stampen' in Stockholm's old town. Late 1976. Rega imported and distributed it for a while, which is probably when it became 'well known' in the UK.

Because it's live in front of drinking Swedes you can hear lots of glasses clinking in the background, some people like this.

Rega also imported some less accessible albums on the same label, I remember something involving a sax and church organ, perhaps it was a bad dream.

Paul

Naturally, the vinyl of this is well out front of the digital counterpart

Then again, I've heard the vinyl on a tricked out LP12 and I have NOT heard the CD on anything better than a CD3.

So...

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

Perhaps if it was called Jizz at the porn shop it may have sold better.

quote:

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Originally posted by Paul Ranson:
Early 80's I think.

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Yes Paul, you are definitly right it was recorded in Dec 1976. And digitaly remastered in 1996.
A cousin of my introduced me to the record in 1992-3, I can't believe it has been that long that seemed like it was yesterday, oh well!
Regards Mat

[This message was edited by Mat Bon 0013 on WEDNESDAY 26 March 2003 at 18:00.]

Dr. J.:

In the late 80s and early 90s, every US high-end dealer used this bit of musical pap to demonstrate the traditional hi-end values (transparency, articulation, imagings, natural dynamics, etc.). In musical terms, I seem to recall that the album was rather dreadful.

My advice would be to avoid this recording. If you want well-recorded jazz, get almost any of the Rudy Van Gelder re-mastered Blue Note CDs or any of the JVC-XRCDs instead. They offer generally excellent sound, and superb music.

Good listening,

Swarm

quote:

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Originally posted by Swarm:
Dr. J.:

In the late 80s and early 90s, every US high-end dealer used this bit of musical pap to demonstrate the traditional hi-end values (transparency, articulation, imagings, natural dynamics, etc.). In musical terms, I seem to recall that the album was rather dreadful.

My advice would be to avoid this recording. If you want well-recorded jazz, get almost any of the Rudy Van Gelder re-mastered Blue Note CDs or any of the JVC-XRCDs instead. They offer generally excellent sound, and superb music.

Good listening,

Swarm

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Jazz At The Pawnshop is actually available on XRCD. The first track "Limehouse Blues" is very impressive as an example of a good recording, worth buying as such, but I would concur that it is somewhat lacking in the music department... the rest of it is dire IMO

"Murphy was an optimist"

Don't buy it, even as an example of something well-recorded. It's worthless tosh, and there are far too many great jazz records demanding to be heard to bother with it, IMO.

-- Ian

Dr J,

The disk was issued by the Swedish label PROPRIUS, renown for various excellent recordings - some actually enjoy "cult-status" in Europe.
It was sold as LP originally and afterwards as different sets of CDs .
http://www.proprius.com/

Enjoy it & Regards

Urs

Art Dudley wrote a recent article in Stereophile called "music to die from" which was an attack on industry standard "Audiophile quality" recordings of no musical quality whatsoever.

Jazz at the Pawnshop was top of the (s)hit-list. Aqvoid like the plague.

On a brighter note I recently bought Bill Cunliffe live at Bernies - Piano Trio on Blue Note, which is A+ for music and recording quality. Well worth risking £15 on.

Colin Lorenson

As a Swede I feeling ashamed that we have produced such HiFi demo crap as not only JATPS but also "Tiden bara gar" on Opus 3. If we do a rough estimate on how many times they together have been played in the HiFi shops around the world and compare that to the fact that there is only 8 million Swedes in the world, doubtless we must be the most HiFi obsessed people in the world!

And to prove it, I have both records, on vinyl as well as on CD! I will now go and hang myself...

JohanR

But Johan, you also gave us Sahara Hotnights

Anyway, I will be forever grateful for Sweden's greatest export - Henryk Larsson.

Johan:

Is the great "Tex" Johanson a Swede? Now there is a man who knows how to play.

Swarm

Bhoyo,other good swedish bands: "The Soundtrack of Our Lives", "Kent" (sings in swedish but are great), Thomas Rusiak. Greatest export: Peter Forsberg, not Henke Larsson.

Swarm, Tex's ancestors were swedish I've been told.

Bjorne:

I'd never heard of Mr Forsberg. I'm sure he's great, but I doubt if he could play for Celtic!

Thanks for the musical tips. I'll try to check them out.

Bhoyo

Bhoyo, Forsberg plays in NHL, icehockey u know , the nationalsport of Sweden.

Promise you don't tell anyone, okay?

I listened to JATPS last night. It DOES sound superb and the music IS quite boring. On the other hand, all Jazz is boring to me.

JohanR