Mentioned on other boards, the RVG really does suck. Compressed to hell, even though better sources were used. The defunct Blue Note board said Cuscuna found the original session tapes of the live sets making up this live album, now a double-CD. Uncut with all the chatter and applause left in, it sounds like Van Gelder took this tape for his RVG and proceeded to squash the life out of it. No echo - the one good thing about RVG's, no added echo on any of them - but squeezing it to death renders that moot.
The old Blue Note CD's sound better. Most likely used Lp masters for these, probably dubbed from the session tape Cuscuna found. The tracks used for the original Lp released in the 1940's sounds fine, the additional tracks used from the double Lp follow-up in the 1970's not as good but still better than the RVG. A light touch of echo on the original Lp that's the PERFECT amount - the original session tapes were drier than the Mojave Desert, not a good kind of dry - but about two or three times as much on the 70's double Lp ping-ponged for 'stereo' sound.
If you have a burner and CoolEdit, you can take the tracks from the old CD, splice in the intros and applause from the RVG - tone them down in volume first - and use the music from the old CD's. To get rid of the stereo echo, you'll probably have to remove the channel with the 'delayed' echo on it and double the other channel, that will help a little bit.
Oh yeah, I don't know if it's the tape or the compression, bu there's more distortion and cracking up on the sound of the RVG remaster. The bass is a lot louder, strange because it's mono but it sounds like it was 'mixed up' more, though that can't be possible, but overall it's still worse.
Sonny Rollins - Night At The VIllage Vanguard on CD
The Vanguard release is widely considered to be Sonny's best live album, and a great one, too. If you love Sonny's trio recordings, you'll definitely love this one, it's wonderful. Absolutely free and imaginative, with his usual sense of humor. Very fun, and both rhythm sections are top notch - Elvin especially, he's got some smoking moments. Definitely worth it!