ith little fanfare, Blue Note Records rolled out dozens of its classic titles on Ultra High Quality CD (UHQCD), all as part of the label's 85th anniversary, which occurred in 2024. Blue Note Japan issued the first of these titles, which could be ordered through CDJapan. The Japanese discs sold out quickly, and early in 2025 Blue Note began releasing titles for sale in the US. They have now released nearly a hundred titles. UHQCD is a trade name of Japanese company Memory-Tech, which claims that its disc-manufacturing process, developed in 2015, produces a Red Book CD with significantly improved sound compared to conventional CDs. Conventional disc manufacturing uses injection molding to form pits of data in polycarbonate that is melted and then injected into a metal stamper. Memory-Tech claims that polycarbonate cannot accurately replicate all the detail of the stamper because of its high viscosity. Memory Tech’s technique replaces the polycarbonate layer with photopolymers that have a lower viscosity and can more closely trace the fine detail of the stamper.
The UHQCD titles Blue Note has released in the US are not limited editions and are available directly from the Blue Note store. Significantly, at $21.98, the price point of these Blue Note releases is lower than that of most other premium CD offerings. Whether that price survives the coming wave of tariffs remains to be seen. Part of the savings may stem from the choice of packaging and artwork. UHQCDs come in two versions. The most expensive UHQCDs feature a full wraparound plastic obi strip surrounding the CD jewel case. In addition, the most expensive UHQCDs feature a solid green-colored top surface reserved for labeling, with only the faintest white print identifying the title and musician. This is said to improve sound because the reading of the laser may be affected by the labeled surface of the CD. Some less expensive UHQCDs titles were issued with a much smaller paper obi strip and traditional CD labels. Blue Note’s series foregoes the minimalist green CD labeling; each disc has Blue Note's traditional blue-and-white logo.
My experience with various UHQCDs has backed up Memory-Tech's claims, including many of the most popular John Coltrane albums and the occasional title from Deutsche Grammophon. The downside is that the UHQCD manufacturing process is more expensive than traditional CD manufacturing and results in a more expensive product. Also, titles are limited and disappear quickly. You had to stay on top of the release schedule by frequent visits to CDJapan to score a UHQCD of a sought-after title. And, of course, the price of shipping to the US only added to the already high price of the discs. These new reissues are made from the masters Kevin Gray of Cohearant Audio prepared for Blue Note’s Classic and Tone Poet LP series. He runs a parallel 24-bit/96kHz digital capture whenever mastering for LP. Other attempts have been made to bring the Blue Note catalogue to digital. Audio Wave, a company run by Bob Bantz of Elusive Disc, issued a couple dozen Blue Note titles (still available for $29.99) between 2009 and 2023 using JVC XRCD24 methods, Alan Yoshida handling the mastering and Joe Harley the series curating. Analogue Productions released a couple dozen Blue Note titles in hybrid SACD format, priced at $30, although many of the titles have been marked down. And there have been plenty of titles issued on SHM SACD, but, in addition to high cost and low availability, they are SACD only with no hybrid layer. I selected a couple of the latest titles to start: Herbie Hancock’s Empyrean Isles [Blue Note UDCQ-9633] and Grant Green’s Green Street [Blue Note UDCQ-9652]. Both were released in Blue Note's Classic vinyl series in 2023, and the UHQCD versions derive from those masterings. Miles Davis's “second” great quintet rhythm section -- Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams -- along with Freddie Hubbard, is the all-star cast that places Empyrean Isles among the crown jewels of the Blue Note catalogue. Four of the six tunes are hard bop with Hancock’s signature soulful groove intertwined. The last cut of the album, "Dolphin Dance," stretches out into more experimental territory. Much of the credit for the album's success must go to Hubbard, whose solos fit well with the group’s vaunted synergy. While Green Street is not the masterpiece that Empyrean Isles is, it is among Grant Green’s best albums for Blue Note, and that is saying a lot. Green fronts a trio with bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Dave Bailey. Green recorded ten albums for Blue Note, always with a star-studded group, but this is among my favorite ensembles. Be forewarned, however: at a couple points Green plays a recurring riff that seems to be timed to one rotation of a 33rpm LP, and you may fear your record is skipping until you remember that it’s a CD and not an LP. That oddity aside, this is a splendid example of a guitar trio, with each player a standout. How does the sound of these new UHQCD versions stack up against that of earlier digital versions? The earliest CD releases of Blue Note titles, by parent company Capitol, were consistently disappointing -- thin-sounding with limited dynamics. Those characteristics applied across the board to Blue Note digital product, whether of the Connoisseur series, the RVG series or a plethora of Japanese reissues. When the Audio Wave series came along, it was a revelation. The XRCD24 discs left those earlier editions in the dust sonically, taking over “king of the hill” status among the silver-disc contenders. These new UHQCD releases redefine the hill. While there is not yet enough overlap in the various series to make direct comparisons of the same title in all the CD iterations possible, there are more than enough titles in each of the digital formats to draw some solid conclusions. Rudy Van Gelder recorded virtually every title, so comparing those recorded in the same year provides a consistent sound. Analogue Productions SACDs are certainly a step up from the digital releases from Blue Note’s parent company. I thought the Audio Wave XRCDs were a big step up in sound quality, but in comparison to these new UHQCD versions, the Audio Wave discs seem somewhat romanticized to my ear. If you are a Koetsu fan, these might be your go-to versions of Blue Note CDs, but the UHQCDs sound more neutral, more nuanced, and more dynamic than any other silver discs of the same music. Compared to vinyl versions, including the earlier Music
Matters and the current Blue Note Classic and Tone Poet pressings, these HDCD versions
come remarkably close. The exceptional sound and relatively low price make this series a
serious alternative to those who don't embrace vinyl. For those who do, the gap in sound
quality has become small indeed. |
