Hot Stamper Pressings of The Three Available Now
Reviews and Commentaries for The Three
There are two takes for the Direct Disc, the second of which is terrible and the first of which can be found with Hot Stamper sound.
The second take is so bad I simply cannot stand to listen to it anymore, no matter how good the sound is. And most of the direct disc copies do not sound all that good anyway, truth be told.
The only combination of music and sound that makes any sense to us here at Better Records is take 1 of the direct disc, the 45 RPM from tape, and the 33 from that same tape, which is the version that is found on the Inner City label.
The Inner City LPs are exceptionally difficult to find in quiet condition on flat vinyl. I can’t tell you how many I run across that are noisy and warped. I used to buy them off eBay but I got so many bad ones I finally just gave up and threw in the towel.
I could go on for days about the sound of this album and how much I like the music, but for now I’m going to let our previous commentary suffice. Believe me, you have probably never heard a record like this in your life, it’s that good.
Let’s Talk Energy
This is a quality no one seems to be writing about, other than us of course, but what could possibly be more important? On this record, the more energetic copies took the player’s performances to a level beyond all expectations. It is positively SHOCKING how lively and dynamic this record is. I know of no other recording with this combination of sonic and musical energy. It is sui generis, in a league of its own.
Ne Plus Ultra Piano Trio
This is without a doubt my favorite piano trio record of all time.
Joe Sample, Shelly Manne and Ray Brown only made one album together, this one, recorded direct to disc right here in Los Angeles for Eastwind in the Seventies. Joe Sample for once in his life found himself in a real Class A trio, and happily for jazz fans around the world he rose to the occasion. Actually it was more like an epiphany, as this is the one piano trio album I put in a class by itself. All three of The Three are giving us the best they’ve got on this November day in 1975.
When it comes to small combo piano jazz, there is none better.
Further Reading
- New to the blog? Start here
- Record collecting for audiophiles – 45 RPM pressings
- Record collecting for audiophiles – audiophile pressings
- Record collecting for audiophiles – direct to disc recordings
- Record collecting for audiophiles – Japanese pressings
- Record collecting for audiophiles – a guide to understanding the fundamentals
Early in my days of coming to terms with the truth of the fact that no two records sound alike, I bought a copy of this record, having learned about it from your site. It sounded okay to me, but there was a deep scratch on side 2 that the discogs seller hadn’t disclosed. I returned it and bought another copy on discogs for about the same cost. It sounded so much better, and so qualitatively different from the first one, I was convinced from then out that different records can sound different. I haven’t listened to it in a while now, but given how much my gear and my ears have improved, I might get a lot more out of it now.
Play it! It’s one of the best records ever made!