TINA BROOKS - TRUE BLUE - EX+ Original LP

$

1,688

Artist: Tina Brooks

Title: TRUE BLUE

Catalog Number: Blue Note 4041

Original, Mono Recording

Here it is!  The Holy Grail of Blue Note collectibles — Tina Brooks’ TRUE BLUE.  Tina Brooks output as a recording artist was miniscule, and sadly so, but he really got it right on this Blue Note date.  Tina Brooks tenor saxophone, teamed with ‘hard bop’ masters, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Duke Jordan on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums, created one of the true classics of the genre.  This is ‘hard bop’ at its best!


This is an original, first pressing; has the 43 West 61st St., New York 23 address on the back cover; 47 West 63rd St., NYC on both labels; Matrices: BN-LP.4041-A/BN-LP.4041-B; RVG also stamped in runoff space; 33 1/3 Microgroove Recording also on both labels.

Album Tracks:
Side One:
Good Old Soul
Up Tight’s Creek
Theme For Doris

Side Two:
True Blue
Miss Hazel
Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You

This LP was given to me by an old Swedish gentleman when I lived in Stockholm.  He was a recording engineer and promoter who was rumoured to have helped bring the Beatles over on their first tour of Sweden.  He owned a shop where he sold vintage hi-fi equipment and he had his private collection of records in the back room.  I struck up a friendship with him and during one of our many conversations about music, politics and hi-fi, he gave me his entire collection; most of which had never seen a turntable—these records were in pristine condition.  I couldn’t have been more appreciative; I truly miss my friend and the great conversations we used to have in his shop.

Now for the record: 
Vynil:  Hardly ever played; no groove wear whatsoever; no warping; no scratches; almost completely silent background—even in the quietist of passages.  I would professionally grade this record as EX+.  I received this record in M- condition and I have only played it twice, as I recorded it on a Revox A77 MKII and have only played the tape since then.  The LP has been professionally cleaned on a Loricraft PRC-4 and is pristine.

Cover: Beautiful, clean cover;  clear, stable, undamaged spine; thick, heavy cardboard sleeve with absolutely no tears, seam rips or bends; the white back cover is clean with hardly any yellowing—amazing for a 47 year old LP; it does however, have cellotape residue on the opening edge—as some old imports to Sweden were sealed by the distributor in this manner—and a tiny bit of cellotape on the upper, right-hand corner of the back cover (see photo); because of the cellotape, and nothing else, I will downgrade the cover from EX to EX-.

Labels: Side One has an odd smear to the blue ink—I received it this way and don’t know if it came from the factory in this condition or if it was done later; Side Two is absolutely perfect.

Play Grade: Glorious, full-bodied monophonic sound portrays Rudy Van Gelder’s engineering genius perfectly; silent background with absolutely no distortion whatsoever; dynamics are superb, again, with absolutely no distortion; a beautiful, lush recording in perfect conditon. 

My System; Turntable: Nottingham Analogue Hyperspace Deck; Tonearm: Origin Live Illustrious MK II; Cartridge: Shelter 901; Amplification: Cary SLAM-100 Monoblocks; Phono Preamp: Art Audio Vinyl One; Line Preamp: Supratek Chardonnay; Loudspeakers: QUAD ESL-63 USA Monitors.  

Overall I would rate this as a superb example of this fine recording—you will never need to upgrade after owning this copy.

Good luck bidding and I am happy to answer any questions or send more photos.