Icon

Store

Icon

Collections

All Analogue Productions LP's
All ORG Original Recordings Group LP's
All Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab LP's
All Impex Records LP's
All ORG Music LP's
All Deep Jazz Reality LP's
All Venus Records LP's
All Reference Recordings LP's
All MPS Records LP's
All Groove Note LP's

Helen Merrill LP 180 Gram Vinyl Mono Kevin Gray Cohearent Audio Analogue Productions QRP 2020 USA

Helen Merrill LP 180 Gram Vinyl Mono Kevin Gray Cohearent Audio Analogue Productions QRP 2020 USA Maximize
Artist: Helen Merrill
Title: Helen Merrill
Catalog Number: APJ 127 / MG-36006
Label: EmArcy
Reissued by: Analogue Productions
Barcode: 753088012716
Original release year: 1955
Reissue year: 2020
Number of discs: 1
Revolutions per minute: 33⅓ rpm
Disc size: 12"
Vinyl Weight Grade: 180gr
Limited Edition: Yes
Total Item Weight: 485gr
Pressing country: USA
For Market Release in: USA
Added to catalog on: May 26, 2020
Note: Never eligible for any further discounts
Vinyl Gourmet Club: No


Stock

Unit Price: 44,63 €

Reference: AP33J127GF

Availability: In Stock & Ready to Ship




 

Helen Merrill attributed her childhood musical influence to her mother's singing. Truth is, she didn't wait long herself to make a mark as a teenage jazz ingénue, following-up with the notable self-titled LP you have in your hands, newly remastered and cut by Kevin Gray from the Original Mono Analog Master Tapes, pressed at QRP and reissued by Analogue Productions.

 

 

  • Limited Edition
  • 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl
  • Pressed at Quality Record Pressings, QRP USA
  • Mastered From The Original Master Tapes (Mono)
  • Cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio
  • Deluxe Gatefold Cover

 

 

Recorded by Bob Fine and produced and arranged by Quincy Jones when he was just 21-years-old, Helen Merrill's notable 1955 self-titled debut finds her backed by among others, trumpeter Clifford Brown and bassist/cellist Oscar Pettiford. The success of the straight-ahead bop affair prompted Mercury to sign her for an additional four-album contract. Merrill's career continued with recordings and concerts throughout six decades, until the early 2000s. Her emotional, sensual vocal performances, particularly this engaging debut, stand as testament to her immense talent.


A rare record with original copies selling for more than $1,000, Helen Merrill arrives here newly remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio and plated and pressed to 200-gram vinyl LP by Quality Record Pressings, supervised by plating expert and general manager Gary Salstrom. No less than an old-style, tip-on Stoughton Printing gatefold jacket would suffice for such a phenomenal-sounding reissue. Rare photographs inside the gatefold originally appeared as sleeve art for the 7-inch singles recorded and released in conjunction with the original 1955 album.


"I confess my ignorance of jazz singer Helen Merrill — or so it was until a couple of weeks ago, when Chad Kassem of Acoustic Sounds sent me a test pressing of his forthcoming reissue of her eponymous 1955 debut LP (EmArcy MG 36006/Analogue Productions AAPJ 127). To say I was impressed is an understatement. The album was recorded in December of 1954 by the legendary Bob Fine, at Fine Sound Inc., 711 5th Avenue in New York. Merrill, then only 24, was backed by a combo that included Clifford Brown on trumpet, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and pianist Jimmy Jones, with arrangements by Quincy Jones — himself a mere 21 years old at the time. The mono sound is on the (pleasantly) dry side and very forward, with taut-sounding drums and bass and an intimate vocal sound that at times comes close to being overly sibilant but never quite carries out the threat. Merrill's intonation isn't always spot-on (as in the intro to 'Yesterdays'), but there's something about her voice — an odd combination of breathy innocence and husky-toned experience that pulls me in time after time. (In 'Don't Explain,' she intones the word quiet in a manner that could launch any number of ships.) And Clifford Brown's trumpet is, as one might expect, perfect. Prices for the original mono LP reach into four-figure territory, so news of an affordable reissue is very good news indeed. Torch on." — Art Dudley, Stereophile, March 2020


Helen Merrill was born in New York City on July 21, 1930. Her professional career began at the age of 15 when, after singing at theatres and winning amateur contests, she landed a job as vocalist with Reggie Charles' Band. Merrill made her recording debut in 1952 when she sang "A Cigarette For Company" with the Earl Hines Band; the song was released on the D'Oro label, created specifically to record Hines' band with Merrill. The session was also notable for including vocalist Etta Jones, who was in Hines' band at the time. Merrill was later signed by Mercury Records to their EmArcy label. Helen Merrill is her debut studio album, backed by among others, trumpeter Clifford Brown and bassist/cellist Oscar Pettiford. The legendary Quincy Jones produced and arranged the album when he was just 21-years-old!


The success of Helen Merrill prompted Mercury to sign her for an additional four-album contract. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow gave Helen Merrill 4 1/2 stars. "The music is essentially straight-ahead bop, yet the seven standards ... are uplifted by the presence of Merrill (in top form) and Brown." Her success associated Merrill with the first generation of bebop jazz musicians.


Merrill's career continued with recordings and concerts throughout six decades, until the early 2000s. Her emotional, sensual vocal performances, particularly this engaging debut, stand as testament to her immense talent.

 

 

Musicians:


Quincy Jones, producer & arranger
Helen Merrill, vocals
Cliford Brown, trumpet
Danny Banks, flute
Jimmy Jones, piano
Barry Galbraith, guitar
Milt Hinton / Oscar Pettiford, bass
Bobby Donaldson / Osie Johnson, drums

 

Track Listing:

 

01. Don't Explain
02. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
03. What's New
04. Falling In Love With Love
05. Yesterdays
06. Born To Be Blue
07. 'S Wonderful

 

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com

 

 

 

popup_thump popup_thump

 

 


Icon

Search

 

Impex 1STEP VR900-Supreme Vinyl
Blue Note Records 80th Anniversary
Acoustic Sounds Series
Collection: Analogue Productions UHQR
Edition: MoFi UltraDisc One-Step UD1S
Icon

Contact us

Phone: +351 96 777 5919 Chamada para rede móvel nacional

Icon

Secure Payment

PayPal