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Remastered by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note Master Tapes!
The Definitive issue of this classic Blue Note title!

Featured as one of the 'Records to Die For' in the February 2011 issue of Stereophile!

THE SOUND:
Mono or Stereo? Rudy Van Gelder first began recording Blue Note sessions in stereo in March of  1957. From then until an October 30, 1958 Art Blakey session, Rudy simultaneously ran both mono and stereo  session tapes. The stereo presentation revealed more air, more detail and more sheer life than the mono.  The mono playback was a wonderful remembrance of the old LP we all knew and loved. The stereo playback  from the original masters was eerie. It was like going back in time to that day in Rudy’s studio. Quite  simply, the stereo masters revealed more of what it was like to be there that day. 

Why 45rpm? Simply...Because it sounds better! 180 gram pressings versus 200 gram? Music  Matters, Lt. uses 180 gram pressings for the simple reason that they believe 180 gram weight is more than  sufficient to provide a near perfect pressing. When Music Matters asked their friends at Record Technology  Inc. for their recommendation to achieve the highest possible quality pressings their answer was  unequivocal... go with 180 gram!

Upgrading Connnections at Acoustech! It goes without saying that there are many controversies and  debates in the perfectionist audio/LP collector market. But one area of near universal agreement is the  quality of mastering that emerges from Kevin Gray’s custom-built AcousTech Mastering studio in Camarillo,  CA. Kevin, along with Steve Hoffman, has provided many of the best sounding new and reissued albums on LP  during the last 5 or 6 years working outs of AcousTech.

THE JACKETS:
Music Matters Exclusive! Music Matters strongly feels that these Blue Note recordings deserve  nothing less than the finest graphic presentation. The Music Matters Definitive 45RPM Blue Note jackets  are designed to last a lifetime, using ultra-durable extra thick cardboard stock and thick, luxurious  lamination... quality you’ll be able to feel in your hand the moment you pick up one of these albums. In  addition, Music Matters has obtained exclusive access to a treasure trove of over 30,000 original Blue  Note session photos from Mosaic Images for use in this series. The gatefold opens to display these session  photos in stunning high resolution - four times sharper than original Blue Note jacket photos.

THE REVIEWS:
Hear what Michael Fremer, Wayne Garcia and others are saying about the Blue Note Definitive 45rpm Reissue  Series from Music Matters, Ltd:
"They’re BIG and open and definitely work in stereo because they’re not hard left/right stereo. The  cymbals are so "chimey" and the skins so open! Even Rudy's typical boxy piano isn't too bad. These are  going to be really good....!!!! (Real time reaction after hearing his first test pressing of Horace  Parlan’s Speakin’ My Piece LP.)" - Michael Fremer, Stereophile Magazine

"I’ve heard a lot of Blue Note originals and myriad reissues over the years, but based on the sample  test pressings heard so far, none—and I mean none—convey the intensity of living, breathing music-making  the way the Music Matter’s Blue Note series does. The sense of air, texture, and dynamic pop in these  grooves is astonishing." - Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound

"Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers “The Big Beat” and Horace Parlan, “Speakin’ My Piece.” And if this is  any indication of what’s to come, I advise you to get on the list now, before this collection is sold  out." - Albert Porter, www.positive-feedback.com

"The Music Matters 45s have all immediacy and add a free-flowing naturalness that is surprising at  first but very easy to get used to." - Marc Mickelson, www.soundstage.com

If the title of "Mr. Blue Note" had been given out to a performer,  tenor-saxophonist Hank Mobley would have been its recipient. Mobley's smooth  tone and style defined the hard bop era. He put plenty of emotion and intensity  into every note he played. During 1955-70, Blue Note's greatest years, Mobley  led 25 Blue Note albums and appeared as a sideman on many others. Soul Station,  a quartet gem from 1960, is unusual in that Mobley is the only horn, heading a  group also including pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art  Blakey; needless to say, a stellar rhythm section! 

This album features Hank  Mobley at the peak of his powers, taking lengthy solos full of passion and  drive. His four originals include his most famous composition, "This I Dig Of  You”, which he squeezes for every ounce of its expressive power. Hank plays with  heartbreaking lyricism on "If I Should Lose You". If proof were ever needed of  Hank Mobley's greatness, Soul Station is perfect evidence.

Features:
• Remastered from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note Master Tapes!
• Remastered by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at Acoustech
• Cut at 45rpm for Better Sound!
• Pressed on two 180 gram Virgin Vinyl LPs by RTI
• Ultra-Durable, Extra Thick Album Jackets
• Gatefold Album with Session Photos in stunning High Resolution

Musicians:
Hank Mobley, tenor saxophone
Wynton Kelly, piano
Paul Chambers, bass
Art Blakey, drums

Selections:
1. Remember
2. This I Dig of You
3. Dig Dis
4. Split Feelin's
5. Soul Station
6. If I Should Lose You

"The albums are being cut at 45 RPM for maximum quality by Kevin Gray and me using our full ANALOG disk cutting system; most studios cannot even cut vinyl in 100% true analog anymore (they convert to digital first) but we can. The original Rudy Van Gelder engineered stereophonic session tapes are used when we master these gems. The sound quality is amazing on our test cuts. Like from heaven. First totally uncompressed versions of these jazz classics that I’ve ever heard and trust me, you will be impressed; they sound like no other releases of this music."

"The sound is lifelike, the horns are in the room with you. Our non-invasive mastering insures the true breath of life on these original Van Gelder session tapes is transferred to the virgin vinyl with absolute authenticity. It is like hearing these BLUE NOTE masterpieces for the first time and that is NO exaggeration. When we heard the first lacquer acetate playback from our first mastering session I thought Joe Harley was going to pee in his pants he was so excited. Actually we all were; after 50 years of many lackluster and some downright bad sounding versions of these albums, hearing the real deal is a humbling experience, even for us hardened music veterans. You will be able to listen to the music exactly like we did..." - Steve Hoffman