Jenna Mammina – Close Your Eyes (2016)
DSD256 (.dsf) 1 bit/11,2 MHz | Time – 44:00 minutes | 6,93 GB
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/192 kHz | Time – 44:00 minutes | 1,69 GB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Artwork: Front cover | Source: BlueCoastMusic
“Close Your Eyes” is a sort of “Best Of” album, comprising tracks taken from different recordings that made by Jenna Mammina going back about ten years. Mostly these are recorded to 2″ analog tape, although a couple were recorded directly to DSD. For “Close Your Eyes” the original tapes were remastered to DSD256 using the very latest Pyramix equipment. The results are quite astonishing. Most tracks comprise Jenna on vocals, backed by Bass, Drums, Keyboards, and assorted other instruments including Guitar, Soprano Sax, and Accordion.
Read more
Jeff Beck – Blow By Blow (1975/2001)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 00:44:34 minutes | 1,75 GB | Genre: Rock
Official Digital Download – Source: AcousticSounds | Booklet, Front Cover | © Sony
DSD file created by Gus Skinas from the original Sony Super Audio CD cutting masters.
When Jeff Beck announced that he was working on an all-instrumental album, few but his legion of guitar fans could have predicted the far-reaching impact of this pivotal jazz-rock fusion album. Teamed with the Beatles’ ex-producer George Martin, Beck singlehandedly created a new subtext for rock & roll. With his virtuosity and taste at an all-time peak, Beck let loose with such unforgettable tracks as the Roy Buchanan-inspired “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers” and the percolating “Freeway Jam.” This is one of rock’s great instrumental works.
Jason Roebke Quartet – Shimmering (2012/2016)
DSF Stereo DSD128, 1 bit/5,6 MHz | Time – 32:38 minutes | 2,17 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: nativeDSDmusic | Booklet, Front Cover | © International Phonograph/High Definition Tape Transfers
Performed on December 18th of 2012 in Chicago, this performance was recorded directly to an 8 track Studer recorder. This great ensemble of world class players features Chicago-style modern jazz at its best (Jason Roebke, bass; Mike Reed, drums; Jason Adasiewicz, vibes; and Keefe Jackson, tenor sax.) Although the jazz is avant, it is also quite lyrical and captivating to listen to on tape. One customer said he had never heard better sounding vibes than on this tape. A handmade stereo mic was used on the vibes; and a hand assembled Telefunken 251e was used on the tenor sax.
Read more
John Abercrombie, Eddie Gomez, Gene Jackson – Structures (2006)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 60:02 minutes | Scans included | 2,72 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,15 GB
Features 2.0 Stereo and 5.0 multichannel surround sound | Chesky Records # SACD 317
This inspired trio session was recorded with the musicians sharing a single microphone, making for a particularly intimate listening experience. Guitarist John Abercrombie has never sounded better, displaying the subtle lyricism that is only one facet of his musical personality, while bassist Eddie Gómez is his usual fluid self and drummer Gene Jackson adds a soft touch, frequently sticking to brushes. Gómez opens the tasty “The Touch of Your Lips” with a warm arco solo, switching back to pizzicato as the trio gains steam. Their hushed interpretation of “Moon and Sand” is stunning, as is the understated bossa nova setting of Cole Porter’s “Everything I Love.” Their arrangement of Bill Evans’ ballad “Turn Out the Stars” (which Gómez undoubtedly played hundreds of times during his 11-plus-year tenure with the pianist) is more straight-ahead and less dramatic than its composer’s conception, though no less enticing. Originals by Abercrombie and Gómez also prove to be excellent vehicles for the trio’s musical explorations. Highly recommended.
Read more
Lara St. John, Marie-Pierre Langlamet – Bach: Sonatas (2012)
SACD ISO: 3,23 GB (Stereo + MCH DSD) | FLAC @ 24bit/88.2kHz: 1,14 GB | Full Artwork: 268 MB
Label/Cat#: Ancalagon # ANC 139 | Country/Year: UK 2012 | 5% Rec. Info
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque
Review by Blair Sanderson
While it is common to hear the violin sonatas and the flute sonatas of J.S. Bach performed with harpsichord accompaniment, it is unusual to find a recording where the same music has been transcribed for violin and harp. For their 2012 release on Ancalagon, violinist Lara St. John and harpist Marie-Pierre Langlamet played the sonatas BWV 1014, 1016, 1020, 1030 and the Siciliana from BWV 1031, following a practice that Bach and other composers employed in the Baroque era (i.e., by adapting the music to the available musicians). As novel as these violin and harp arrangements may seem, the results are quite pleasing and easy to adjust to, despite the obvious fact that the modern pedal harp wasn’t developed until the 19th century, which makes its use in Bach as anachronistic as a Steinway grand piano. Yet there is an equally obvious advantage in using the harp, because its volume and resonance are a good match with the violin, and the updated instrumentation makes the performances feel creative and intellectually involving because expectations are switched and the music is reimagined. St. John’s playing is thoughtful and nuanced, though her expressive inflections include a slightly bent intonation that is sometimes in conflict with the harp’s strict tuning; furthermore, Langlamet’s tone is consistently lush and rounded, which might disconcert listeners who miss the secco quality of a harpsichord. But aside from these points, this is a refereshing take on Bach that shows some rethinking of the issues of historically informed practices of versus modern performances and shows there are more than just two ways to interpret the music. allmusicguide
Read more
Angela Hewitt – Bach: Fantasia & Fugue In A Minor, Aria Variata etc. (2004)
SACD ISO: 2,86 GB (Stereo + MCH DSD) | FLAC @ 24bit/88.2kHz: 1077 MB | Full Artwork | 3% Rec. Info
Label/Cat#: Hyperion Records # SACDA67499 | Country/Year: UK 2004
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque
Review by James Leonard
At the best of times under the best of circumstances, Glenn Gould was compelling, but the rest of the time, he was just nuts. Nope, when it comes to the question of who the greatest Canadian Bach pianist is, the answer is Angela Hewitt, just like when it comes to the question of who the great living Bach pianist is, the answer is Angela Hewitt. In her series of recordings of the keyboard works of Bach for Hyperion, Hewitt’s brilliant virtuosity, lively intelligence, and deep musicianship have defined what it means to play Bach on the piano at the turn of the second millennium. Even in this the last volume of the series containing some of his least-known works, Hewitt is not playing “the last and the least” but, as she remarks in his notes, the best of the rest. While not the best known of Bach’s works, they are, at least in Hewitt’s hands, supreme works of musical craft and sublime works of spiritual beauty. From the pair of Fantasias and Fugues in A minor that open and close the program through the dolorous Variations alla Maniera Italiana to the exquisite pair of chorale preludes, Hewitt has assembled her program with taste and sensitivity. Hewitt’s performances here are as fine as those of the rest of her series, as serious, as witty, as virtuosic, as lucid, and as lovely as the rest of her Bach recordings. And Hyperion’s sound captures Hewitt’s performances in sound as clear and warm as the rest of their wonderful recordings.
Read more
Artur Rubinstein, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner – Brahms: Piano concerto No. 1 (1955/2005)
SACD ISO (2.0): 765 MB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 840 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Red Seal “Living Stereo” # 82876-66378-2 RE1 | Country/Year: US 2005, 1955
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic
Artur Rubinstein’s elegant 1954 recording of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor with Fritz Reiner & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is a bona fide classic from the earliest days of stereo; this sumptuous album has been available for decades & has earned a permanent place in RCA’s catalog. It reappears here in the SACD format & sounds cleaner & more detailed than ever before; yet the advanced technology only goes so far & this disc may disappoint audiophiles. Because RCA has carefully preserved its Living Stereo master tapes, it is relatively easy to reproduce them through DSD & render a terrific ADD version. However, the original 2-channel tracks have not been altered for multichannel systems, so the sound comes only from the front channels on the left & right. In essence, this is glorified stereo with remarkable presence — one feels quite close to Rubinstein, & the CSO seems only feet away — but there is no additional surround sound depth. For the sake of authenticity, this is just as well, & Rubinstein & Reiner at least are not misrepresented through creative engineering. One may regret, however, that this SACD has no bonus tracks & find that it offers less value than other titles in the line.
Read more
Joe Beck and Ali Ryerson – Alto (1997) [Reissue 1999]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 51:52 minutes | Scans included | 2,08 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 997 MB
The renowned guitarist Joe Beck together with premier jazz flutist Ali Ryerson have teamed to create a remarkably accessible new sound by pairing alto flute & a unique new guitar approach with compelling arrangements that emphasize beauty & melody. Percussionist Steve Davis joins Beck & Ryerson on half of the pop, jazz, & folk standards. Alto is the 1st commercial recording captured with Sony & Philip’s Direct Stream Digital (DSD) technology…
Read more
Joao Gilberto – Joao Gilberto (1973) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 49:52 minutes | Scans included | 2,02 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,01 GB
This release is Joao Gilberto stripped down nearly to his bare essentials — his voice, guitar and the extremely spare drumming of Sonny Carr — and he’s just as mesmerizing as he’s ever been on records. The whole record is about the rhythmic clashes and dovetailings of a singer and his guitar, pitched at extremely low levels of volume yet generating volumes of drive without seeming to breathe hard. Dig the insistent way in which “Falsa Baiana” and Gilberto Gil’s marathon rhythm machine “Eu Vim Da Bahia” ride the waves of the bossa nova groove, or how Gilberto delivers one of the best renditions of Jobim’s “Aguas de Marco” — quietly relentless and to-the-point. Three of the tracks eschew words altogether — gentle syllables and/or Gilberto’s insistent guitar tell the entire story — and the final selection, “Izaura,” belatedly adds a female voice (Miucha) in the left speaker. Though recorded in a New Jersey studio — the engineer, surprisingly enough, is Wendy Carlos, the electronic music pioneer of Switched-On Bach fame — this addictive release originates from PolyGram Brazil.
Read more
Joanna Wang – Start From Here (2008)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 74:19 minutes | Scans included | 1,35 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,51 GB
Folk / Jazz / Pop | Sony Music Taiwan # 88697309282
Joanna Wang (Chinese: 王若琳; pinyin: Wáng Ruòlín) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, and her debum album, “Start from Here”, received mostly positive reviews and commercial success, with reached No.1 in Taiwan and has been popular throughout Southeast Asia.
Read more
Joanna (Wang) & 王若琳 – The Adult Storybook (2009)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 65:52 minutes | Scans included | 1,21 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,36 GB
Pop / Jazz / Soul | Sony Music Taiwan # 88697572022
Joanna & 王若琳 is the second studio album by Joanna Wang. The album’s title includes Wang’s English and Chinese names, thereby reflecting the duality of the singer and the songwriter. The original set comprises two discs, given two separate titles: the first, also titled Joanna & 王若琳; disc 2 is titled The Adult Storybook, under the name “New Tokyo Terror”. This disc, was released in Hong Kong only, features a mixed variant of both disc’s titles.
Read more
Jimmy Witherspoon – Big Blues (1981) [Reissue 2004]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 69:11 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 4,14 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 1,42 GB
Features Stereo & Multichannel Surround Sound / JSP Records # JSP5101 | Genre: Blues
One of the great urban blues/jazz singers of the post World War II period, Jimmy Witherspoon (1923-1997) recorded prolifically until contracting throat cancer in the 1980s. This delightful set was laid down in a London studio in June 1981, before he fell ill, when he was still roaring like a lion. Three members of his backing combo – Peter King (sax), Mike Carr (keyboards) and Jim Mullen (guitar) – were top-flight British jazz musicians perfectly in tune with the singer’s needs, while drummer Harold Smith was an American then living in Europe. They’re joined by one of Spoon’s contemporaries, tenor saxist Hal ‘Cornbread’ Singer, whose career path resembles the singer’s in its fascinating R&B/Jazz duality.
Read more
Jimmy Smith – Back At The Chicken Shack (1960) [Analogue Productions Remaster 2011]
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DSD64 Stereo > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 43:42 minutes | Scans included | 1,37 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 951 MB
Heres the fabulous Jimmy Smith playing Hammond B3 & driving a top notch band along. The title track is drenched in the blues, & after the theme statement Smith plays a superb 2.5 mins solo. Then of course there is Kenny Burrell on Guitar & Stanley Turrentine on Tenor Sax who are no slouches themselves. On “When I grow too old to dream” Jimmy Smith lets Turrentine take the 1st solo & after a subtle start to his Sax solo he builds up quite a head of steam. After a short Smith solo Turrentine is back for more with another solo. Its that sort of album. I’m guessing that they were having great fun in the studio when they recorded this. The rest of the album maintains the same high standard of the 1st 2 tracks. The album was recorded in 1960 &, of course, has another of those classic Blue Note album covers. The original sleeve notes by Ira Gitler give plenty of background information on the album including how the album cover came about. This great recording was cited in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Read more
Jimmy Scott And The Jazz Expressions – All Of Me (2004)
Pio BDP-80FD Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 >1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Front+Back | 2.50 GB
FLAC tracks 2.0 24bit/88.2 kHz | Front+Back | 1.26 GB
Jimmy Scott, was an American jazz vocalist famous for his high countertenor voice and his sensitivity on ballads and love songs. Lionel Hampton gave him the nickname “Little Jimmy Scott” because he looked young and was short and of slight build. His phrasing made him a favorite of artists including Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Frankie Valli, Dinah Washington, and Nancy Wilson.
Read more
Jimmy Reed – Jimmy Reed At Carnegie Hall (1961) [Audio Fidelity 2004]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 63:10 minutes | Scans included | 2,54 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 1,01 GB
Mastered by Stephen Hoffman | Audio Fidelity # AFZ-020
In several respects, this is a very strange album, though the music isn’t strange at all and is in fact quite typical vintage Jimmy Reed. First, despite what the title might lead you to believe, this is not a live recording; all 23 of the tracks were done in the studio. Not only that, they weren’t even performed at New York’s famed venue Carnegie Hall, although producer Calvin Carter would later claim they were; instead, everything was cut elsewhere.
Read more