JOHN COLTRANE BLUE TRAIN REEL TO REEL REVIEW

In this reel-to-reel review, Alan McIntosh takes a listen to John Coltrane’s Blue Train at 15IPS on a 10.5” 2-track reel with CCIR EQ on Hemiolia Records.

It did seem almost impossible –  highly unlikely at least – to me that, even with recent expansions of Master copy tapes entering the market, the “holy grail” works of Coltrane, Davis, and Mingus would see the light of day on this format.

Astoundingly – and truly wonderfully – the seemingly impossible has happened and the Hemiolia Records company of Italy has clearly used some sort of arcane knowledge and struck some deals with dark deities to gain the license and access to produce Blue Train, Kind of Blue, and Ah Umm on Master copy,15ips, 2 track reels! Even as I write this I still l can’t quite believe it.

For any jazz fan, and for many who are not, John Coltrane’s name stands 1000 feet tall as a master of the saxophone in the modern jazz era of the mid and late fifties and through the Bop and Modal periods of the 60’s before his sad passing in 1967. Blue Train stands as the go-to Coltrane album for many who want to know “what all the fuss is about” or as audiophiles have heard that he is a must-listen and choose it for its renown as a superb recording (while other recordings like Giant Steps and a Love Supreme tend to follow soon after to truly understand Coltrane’s method)

Blue Train has had many pressings, repressing’s, re-mastering and special editions including only recently the special editions of mono and stereo vinyl released as part Blue Notes Tone Poet series, mastered at RTI by the highly skilled Kevin Gray. I have a few copies including this latest Mono remaster which is wonderful (I use a very capable Miyajima Kotetu true mono cartridge mounted on an Origin live Zephyr arm and Calypso Mk IV turntable for playback). Why tell you all this? Well.. really it’s for comparison I guess, but also it’s because I have to remind myself to not buy any more versions… it is getting silly!

Before we get into how it sounds I would be doing Hemiolia a distinct disservice if I didn’t comment (at length) about how this recording is presented. If you think a glossy gatefold Blue Note vinyl cover or a Mofi One Step box is nice, then you’re going to have to reset your benchmark somewhat with this.

Arriving via DHL I open the well-protected shipping box to find the thick, heavy cardboard cover box. The iconic Blue Train artwork as expected is on the front with a Hemiolia records banner and a note that this Stereo edition has been mastered by their resident Creative Director and Sound Engineer Pietro Benini. Each box also carries a hologram authenticity tag including a unique serial number. This authenticity is further documented inside the box in a lovely certificate describing the 4 all analogue phases of mastering (Duplication of the original master, mixing/editing where required, mastering, final duplication), a statement that the original master tape was verified, date of purchase and hand signed by a Hemiola signatory.

I pause here – all of the above, along with information on their website, the press coverage, and quality of the package are important – why? Well.. a lot of tapes are floating around these days, but it’s very hard to know what is genuine and what is not. “Provenance” matters! Especially with this material and at the costs to procure it. There is a number (but not many) of reputable production houses and certifications, and serial numbers go a long way to satisfying me of the genuine nature of these productions. Confident this is the real deal I can enjoy it to the full.

Blue Train is supplied across two 10.5” ¼”, 2 Track reels, to accommodate (without cut) the almost 43 mins running time. Each reel is from what I can tell high quality aluminium and beautifully finished in burnt orange, with the album lettering, Hemiolia branding, and tape number applied on top to give a slightly raised profile. This extra detail of colour and embossed lettering does certainly set them apart from most productions who often use standard silver reels with a sticker affixed by the label/producer. Handling these tapes does feel rather special. The media itself is RTM (Recording The Masters) SM900 tape and these are CCIR EQ.

Internally the super quality finish continues with each reel held on a separate hub made from (it appears) a light wood, carved with the Hemiolia logo. Cover artwork and liner notes (as you would see on the LP) are provided on a lovely gatefold card as well as a detailed technical sheet covering information about the recording medium itself including the leader tape labels and the machines used for playback and recording (Otari MTR-15’s). This card also carries the reminder that the tapes are supplied “Tails Out” as you would expect, but if you are new to reels this means you load on the right and rewind to the left before playing.

When you add together the price of the physical media (tape itself is roughly €80 per tape), the coating, embossing, wooden carved hubs, box, artwork, seals, and certification never mind the (let’s not forget) incredible and costly to license (I’m sure) music, it’s not hard to see why these tapes are approaching €700 to purchase.

But what about the music, Alan? I’m getting to that never fear!

Recorded in 1957, in Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack NJ studio and then released in January 1958, Blue Train sees Coltrane (tenor Sax) bring together an absolutely stellar group of modern jazz players. My favourite Trumpet man Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller on Trombone, the wonderful Kenny Drew on piano (Undercurrent is one of my favourite Drew albums and a must-hear if you have not), the master of bass Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones on Drums. The latter two are also well known for work with Mile Davis.

4 of the tracks are originals by Coltrane with I’m Old Fashioned being an older track penned by Jerome Kern in ’42 for the film You Were Never Lovelier and suggested to Coltrane by a friend. From the very off, the title track Blue Train reminds us all why he, and this work, is so revered.

A deep, moody, bluesy sax opening, handled with the grace and control that only Coltrane can muster just envelopes you – and immediately it’s clear just how special this recording on tape is. The “realness” – the immediacy, depth, and clarity of what I’m hearing, the sheer presence is just astounding. Sublime is a word lots use (albeit few understand its origins) but it’s a great word to sum up this experience. I’m now on my third or fourth play through and every time is like the first. As the track journeys Morgan enters with trademark energy and punch, and I’m just rapt.

By the next track Moments Notice, I’m already disconnected from “listening” to the tape and am just immersed in the music and sit, I’m sure, with a rather goofy grin just enjoying every note and phrase, every solo break and call, every percussive element – not only is this a seminal album, but Hemiolia has offered up a seminal sonic experience in my opinion. The transparency and honesty of the recording is incredible. The energy is infectious.

Onto tape 2 and Locomotion crashes into the room with Jones quickly followed by the fully up-tempo riffs of Coltrane, percussion, and bass driving us along at pace this is no sit back and drift off track this is a foot thumping finger clicking classic presented as if it was yesterday and not over half a century ago! Morgan and Fuller doing their darndest to get us up and moving!

By the time we are through I’m Old Fashioned with its bluesy ballad style, Coltrane taking it in hand and guiding it to its conclusion with feeling and a deft, if delicate, command of his sax, Chambers, Drew, and Jones playing undercurrent and Morgan and Fuller adding romance and impact – the openness and freedom of the music to breathe is presented in spades. What becomes evident the more you listen (and re-listen as I have done) is how much space is provided for the players. As soft ballad notes decay it’s akin to snow melting away – gradual, organic as if there is no limit to the dynamics – nothing is “quantized” or truncated here.

Lazy Bird brings us to an all too soon close but does so with witty up-tempo playfulness across percussion and bass, balanced with Fuller’s soulfulness, Morgan’s energy and assertive command on Trumpet, and, of course, John’s traversing, slashing at time times, frenetic Saxophone, all taking us to the end of what has been an incredible audio journey… but not before Kenny Drew reminds everyone just how incredible a piano man he is and Chambers bowing hard and dark on that bass!

I can really only sum this tape up by saying this – Blue Train is an incredible album that can be overlooked when choosing what to listen to at home simply because it is so “common” but it’s one that needs to be heard often in my opinion. This tape of it by Hemiolia takes it to new heights. Personally, I feel it opens the door to the past more than any recording I own (that said the Tone Poet is frankly superb and it’s no “also ran”). I am not going to make any grand definitive statements acclaiming one format as the “be all and end all”, every listener will choose that for themselves (and rightly so), but emotionally this work, on this format has hit me harder and stayed with me longer than any other.

The cost, of course, has to be factored in – Master copy tapes are, unless you are a hedge fund manager or an energy company exec, pretty eye-watering to buy, but on balance and when materials and packaging are considered, the care and skill used to create an all-analogue copy, and of course and perhaps most importantly the base music itself – for me it’s a fair price. I hovered over the buy button for a few days trying to convince myself before hitting it and I’m very glad I did. So glad in fact, I have just hit the buy button on Mile Davis’s Kind Of Blue from Hemiolia (talk about lots of versions!).

If you love John Coltrane, Jazz, or simply want to hear an incredibly well-recorded, mastered, and produced piece of music in all its naked glory – and have the capability to play 15” IPS, 2 Track – this is one that has to be on your wish list!

John Coltrane – Blue Train 15ips/38cms is available direct from Hemiolia records on either CCIR or NAB (7 days preparation time) equalisation for €696 + shipping. At this time Hemiolia is unable to ship this product to the US.

Track listings and timing (across both tapes).

Blue Train 10:43

Moment’s Notice 09:09

Locomotion 07:14

I’m Old Fashioned 07:59

Lazy Bird 07:06

Total running time 42:11

Alan McIntosh