Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges – Back to Back (Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues) [Stereo] (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series Edition)

(AAA) — Lacquers cut from the original analog master tapes by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. Originally mastered for and released by Classic Records in 1995.

New for 2024!

Acoustic Sounds Series reissues from Verve/Universal Music Enterprises!

Monthly releases highlighting the world's most historic and best jazz records!

Mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tapes

180-gram LPs pressed at Quality Record Pressings!

Stoughton Printing gatefold old-style tip-on jackets

Series supervised by Chad Kassem CEO of Acoustic Sounds

This is among the finest Ellington small group sides. The predominantly blues repertoire is the perfect setting for Sweets and Hodges to open out, with Duke getting a simpler, but no less forceful rhythm section backing than he did in his own band, notes Jazzwise. Hodges does some of the most soulful playing of his career here.

Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings.

(Above description from AcousticSounds.com)