Blue Train

Does any jazz lover not have a copy of Blue Train? Coltrane’s only Blue Note session as a leader is one of the most iconic jazz titles in existence. I’ve owned several copies for decades and still recall pining after, and eventually buying an original displayed on the wall of a local record shop, crossing a price barrier that sent me headlong into a lifetime of record collecting. Like Kind Of Blue, Coltrane’s classic has been reissued in audiophile form many times over. Classic Records had its way with Blue Train several times over. Analogue Productions released the album in a two LP deluxe 45-RPM version that seemed destined to become the last version you would need, and then followed up with an SACD and later a DSD download. Blue Note released what it called an “enhanced” CD with two alternate tracks. Now, Music Matters has kicked off its latest venture, a 33-RPM series of 25 titles from Blue Note — the best of the best — with a new Blue Train. The first thing you notice is that this is mono, made on a significantly improved mastering chain at Music Matters. It’s a stunning version and easily gives chase to any complaints about buying the same music again. The sound is stunning. This version goes to the head of the class.