I haven’t heard of Trunk Records. The Vocalion reissue of a few years ago is very good.
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The Vocation reissue of this was rather good. I can see that this new one comes with a flip-back sleeve, but I wonder what the cutting and pressing differences are, and the source.
Jonny Trunk has reissued some really interesting stuff over the years (started in 1996). Not least such diverse releases as the music from the Clangers and a tribute album to Mike Taylor.
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The vinyl revival has offered opportunities for a number of companies to start reissuing LPs, but it’s hard for us as consumers to establish how carefully they are being sourced and manufactured. Of course size of company is no guarantee given the MoFi scandal. The Trunk label must be professional given they have been going since 1996.
Can’t find any info on this Trunk pressing but I really like this record especially Ballad for Goa and Trunk have a decent reputation so for £25 or so I’ll take a chance especially as copies of the 2015 reissue no go for twice that.
I’ve got the feeling that Dutton Vocalion had access to a master tape copy held by session engineer, the late Adrian Kerridge, in his Lansdowne Studio archive, so the source for that one is impecable. It will be interesting to find out what Trunk have used (and I am a big fan of the label and its releases).
The Mike Taylor tribute album is really good. Denis Preston funded that one but sadly never issued it in his lifetime.
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Matthew Halsall - An Ever Changing View, Gondwana Records (2023)
A new record from Manchester’s supreme trumpeter Matthew Halsall. Pre ordered from Resident Records.
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I agree, there are a lot of obscure and dubious re issue labels out there making it increasingly blurred to distinguish the wheat and chaff.
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I find that completely hilarious. Its always been a source of amusement to me that (particularly on another well known forum) a group of people will be raving about the SQ of a given record whilst simultaneously asking if its a AAA mastering, which has always suggested to me that they cant really tell the difference.
Now it turns out, and proves the point in my view, that those golden eared sniffy audiophile analogue fundamentalists really cant tell the difference and have been unknowingly listening to digitally mastered recordings and enjoying them all the while and are now kicking off coz they’ve been caught with their pants down. 
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True words @Dreadatthecontrols
There are loads of normal priced records from major labels that sound fantastic. On the other hand it is pure joy to listen to an exceptional record with an extraordinary SQ and pressing. So sometimes it is a balancing act for a vinyl lover to stand between the music you love and the perfectionism of the medium.
Fortunately I only own one record from MoFi because it hasn’t convinced me though it is not a digital mastered one (afaik). Often it is better to buy a beloved one in a good condition. I found out that it is senseful to ground myself sometimes to the music I love. The hunt after the best pressing and SQ is also comparable with the upgradeitis in the technical side.
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The price of vinyl like everything else has gone up considerably as a non essential it’s then up to us to pay it or not.
As far as supposed ‘audiophile’ pressings go I’ve had just one in the past year that’s been a total p*** take and that was the recent Bob Marley welcome to Dubrock on P-Vine from Japan which sounded hideous.
I’m prepared to pay for exceptional releases like the recent Coltrane’s Sound on Rhino’s High Fidelity because in relative terms £50 doesn’t even get me a night out down the pub the record will give me years of pleasure.
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Really?
A round of drinks for me and my other half is on average £15 in Brighton & Hove sometimes as much £20.
I would never have described that as an “audiophile” pressing. If you know anything about the sourcing of that music you would know. JA music is my first love but there is very little I would describe as “audiophile” (if by audiophile you mean sourced from masters, purist transfers and top quality pressing) it has rarely been made that way, its all about the music, the message, not boring chin strokers to test their “hifi’s” listening for something they think no one else can hear
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Thats an obvious observation. More to the point I would say is whether the cost is justified.
I was discussing this yesterday with an aquaintance in the record business who explained in detail the costings of what might be regarded as a basic record vs a so called “audiophile” product. In a nutshell the manufacturing costs between a record retailing at £50 isnt proportionately that much greater (double) than that of a record retailing at £20 -£25.
Whats happening is that some companys are engaged in a race to the top to see how far they can go, and get away with, increasing prices.
Craft for example have likely seen the prices being asked for TP’s AS Series etc and thought we’ll have some of that. I’m also noticing represses of TP titles now nudging the £50 mark.
Of course, if sufficient punters out there will continue to pay artificially rising prices the conpanys will happily take your money. A case of some record companies wagging the “audiophiles” tail
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Ah, with the wife… yes…understood.
Thought you meant as Billy N.
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Even going out with a few mates is getting ridiculous £6 pints are becoming more and more common and a large G&T can quite often cost £10 or £12.
Hip Holland Hip - Various Artists, Modern Jazz in the Netherlands 1950-1970, Sdban Records (2023)
A really interesting double album of lesser known Jazz from Holland through the 1950’s - 1960’s.
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Kevin Figes & You Are Here - Seven for Lee / Green and Orange Night Park, My Only Desire Records (2023)
Mastered by and lacquer cut by Caspar Sutton-Jones @ Gearbox Studios.
This is the first 7” in My Only Desire Records’ Brit Jazz 45s series, which will see contemporary jazz acts record two ‘60s/’70s British jazz compositions apiece, presenting them afresh to new audiences.
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The next round of the new ECM Luminescence series coming up for delivery Friday, as well as the new Craft reissues of the Sonny Rollins two recordings for Contemporary Records (recorded by the great Roy DuNann).
I look forward to these both, even though I have older versions of all of them in my collection.
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