Studio Masters

The Apocalypse Blues Revue – The Shape Of Blues To Come (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · September 29, 2018 · Comments off

The Apocalypse Blues Revue is coming back strong with this second album released by Provogue, The Shape Of Blues To Come. A rather dangerous music! Did the Florida-based American band sell their soul to the devil in exchange for such mastery of electric blues? The question can be raised. Made up of Shannon Larkin (drums), Brian Carpenter (bass), Ray Cerbone (vocals) and Tony Rombola (guitar), the quartet respects the essence of blues while still imposing their own style. Right from the first track, Open Spaces, the suspense is at its peak. A gong, followed by whispers, then a deep, wearisome singing, almost voodoo-esque. In 2016, the band had already taken this path down to the purgatory with their first eponymous album. Two years later, they venture towards hell itself, for a diabolical concert. Between metal and roots music, the Apocalypse Blues Revue is capable of composing around blues as well as moving away from it. With them, boredom is forbidden. Incendiary riffs, an energetic voice swinging on the chorus of Have You Heard?! and carried by Larkin’s rhythmic force… There’s nothing to envy to heaven! There is a Morrison vibe to To Hell With You, but in this case Jim would be dressed in a rather Goth style to announce the apocalypse and the quartet’s takeover. – Anna Coluthe

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John Coltrane – Trane: The Atlantic Collection (2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · September 22, 2018 · Comments off

What if John Coltrane’s Atlantic period was really his most exciting? After his great years under the Prestige and Blue Note banners, and before his fulminating recordings for Impulse!, the saxophonist would work for Ahmet Ertegun’s firm between 1959 and 1961. There, he would record four essential records which are held by some to be the quintessence of Coltrane’s art: Giant Steps (his first album made up exclusively of his own compositions) in 1960, Coltrane Jazz (his first collaboration with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones), My Favorite Things and Ol Coltrane(with Eric Dolphy), all three released in 1961. Although he was no longer signed with Atlantic, he would nevertheless release The Avant-Garde (where he was co-leader with Don Cherry), Coltrane Plays The Blues and Coltrane’s Sound. Nine numbers from this golden age have been selected for Trane: The Atlantic Collection. Remastered and available in Hi-Res 24-bit quality, for sure they represent 46 minutes of total genius, but it is difficult and frustrating to find oneself limited to this short selection, when the rest of albums count among the most essential pages in the history of jazz. With these records, the uniqueness of Coltrane finally breaks out into broad daylight. His style, which was unique at the time – technically and harmonically – literally moulded the canons of bop and proposed a totally different road to that being taken at the time by Miles Davis with Kind Of Blue, his angular brick of modal jazz. Upon its release, a large part of the jazzosphere was more than shocked by the complexity of the creations of Coltrane and his collaborators. Today, all the music presented in Trane: The Atlantic Collection has naturally passed into the pages of history. And re-listening to it, in the fine style in which it’s presented here, is an essential service that should be provided free to all on the NHS… (more…)

Jan Bartos – Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · September 16, 2018 · Comments off

Launching his Mozart debut recorded with the Czech Philharmonic and Jiří Bělohlávek (Supraphon 2017), Jan Bartoš drew to himself a lot of critical attention on an international scale. Those who reviewed the album especially appreciated his rare ability to combine thorough understanding both of the musical architecture and the deep emotionality of the works (a quality possessed also by the pianist’s tutors Ivan Moravec and Alfred Brendel). From the early “Haydn-like” Sonata No. 3 in C major to the highly dramatic “Appassionata” to the transcendent last Sonata No. 32 in C minor, which gives an impression of the composer parting with this world, the pianist facilitates to us the amazing integrity and colourfulness of Beethoven’s piano work. During the thirty years separating his first and last piano opus, the composer tried out numberless experiments, and yet some crucial themes come up again and again; the imprint of his unique musical DNA is discernible from his very first opuses. In the hands of Jan Bartoš, Beethoven whispers, sings and thunders. We encounter a world full of contrasts, an image whose colours remain impressed in our memory for a long time. (more…)

Johannes Brahms: The Symphonies – Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly (2014) [High Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-Ray Disc]

Studio Masters By admin · September 14, 2018 · Comments off

Сomposer: Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Artist: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly
Title: Brahms – The Symphonies
Genre: Classical, Romantic
Label: © Decca is a Universal Music Company
Release Date: 2013/22 Sep. 2014
Recorded: 2012-2013, Gewandhaus, Leipzig, Germany
Quality: Blu-ray Audio
Length: 03:53:59
Video: MPEG-4 AVC 4087 kbps / 1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: LPCM 2.0 / 96 kHz / 4608 kbps / 24-bit
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 2.0 / 96 kHz / 2608 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Embedded: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Size: 22.41 GB

Following his 2011 landmark Beethoven symphonic cycle, Riccardo Chailly and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra return with new recordings of the complete Brahms symphonies as well as other orchestral works including overtures and the Haydn Variations.
The collection also features world premieres of two orchestrated piano intermezzi, and the nine Liebeslieder waltzes, the original first performance version of the Andante from Symphony No. 1 and the even rarer revised opening of the Fourth Symphony.
Since recording the Brahms symphonies 25 years ago, Chailly’s approach is radically rethought, re-examining the scores and the recorded interpretations of an earlier generation of conductors to bring a fresh, new and dramatic reading.

“For most listeners’ purposes, Riccardo Chailly’s set of Johannes Brahms’ four symphonies will seem standard-issue, with respectable and uncontroversial interpretations from an esteemed conductor, and rich and resonant performances by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Even in the choice of filler pieces, the set includes the three orchestral works that are usually packaged with the symphonies: the Tragic Overture, the Haydn Variations, and the Academic Festival Overture. However, this set offers welcome suprises and extra value for the purchase. Two orchestral arrangements of the Interludes, Opp. 116 and 117 for piano, are included, along with instrumental versions of a handful of Liebeslieder Waltzes and three of the orchestrated Hungarian Dances, which may be incentives to listeners who are looking for a little more. Also included are Brahms’ original version of the Andante of the First Symphony and the alternate opening of the Fourth. But no one should invest in a set solely on the basis of these extras, however unusual they may be. Since first recording the cycle with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, where he offered a rather heavy-handed modern take on the symphonies, Chailly has gone back to an older, more historically informed style of playing Brahms that was familiar to conductors of the early 20th century. The music is lighter and more transparent, so in some ways, his recordings are sometimes reminiscent of classic performances by Bruno Walter, George Szell, and other revered conductors. For traditionalists, this is a fine set to own, especially if a fresh digital recording is needed.” –Blair Sanderson, AllMusic (more…)

Various Artists – A Love Affair: The Music Of Ivan Lins (2000/2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · September 4, 2018 · Comments off

Telarc Records recently put out a compilation disc honoring the Brazilian songwriter Ivan Lins. Titled A Love Affair, it features some of America’s biggest pop and jazz names, including Sting, Dianne Reeves, Vanessa Williams, and Chaka Khan. Producing and directing the affair is keyboardist Jason Miles, the brains behind Telarc’s recent Weather Report tribute. While the record, and Lins’s music generally, tends toward “smooth jazz” at times, many of the tracks grab you with their irresistible melodic lilt and harmonic movement. Vanessa Williams’s version of “Love Dance” is a knockout, and Dianne Reeves’s delectable “Sweet Presence” is also a keeper. Lins has a gift; that much is undeniable.

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The Allman Brothers Band – Cream of the Crop 2003 (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · September 1, 2018 · Comments off

The Allman Brothers Band will issue Peach Picks: Cream Of The Crop 2003 on May 16 via the group’s Peach Records imprint. Warren Haynes served as supervising producer for the collection of 36 tracks recorded by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band between July 25 – August 10, 2003.

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James Blake – The Colour In Anything (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · August 17, 2018 · Comments off

GRAMMY Award-nominated artist James Blake’s third full-length album, “The Colour In Anything”. Among its 17 tracks, the record features the recently revealed songs “Modern Soul” and “Timeless”— both initially featured on his BBC Radio 1 Residency show. In addition, it includes “I Need a Forest Fire” [feat. Bon Iver] and “Radio Silence.” In addition to the Bon Iver feature, Frank Ocean and Rick Rubin also contributed to The Colour In Anything as co-writer and co-producer, respectively.

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Marcin Wasilewski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz & Michal Miskiewicz – January (2008) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · August 16, 2018 · Comments off

“January” is a strong musical statement from a still-young band with a long history already behind it, and an album with an exceptionally wide-ranging programme – all of it played with assurance, purpose and focus. The disc reconfirms that the trio of Marcin Wasilewski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz and Michal Miskiewicz is one of the most outstanding contemporary jazz groups. (more…)

Jorge Vazquez – Pasional (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · August 12, 2018 · Comments off

Two years after the release of his debut album “Así!”, Jorge Vázquez presents “PASIONAL”, his new album. It participates the Nahuel Pennisi from Varelense and musicians of the stature of Daniel “Pipi” Piazzolla. Jorge Vázquez, owner of a remarkable voice, shines singing masterpieces of popular song such as “On this gray afternoon”, “Serenade of quiet love”, “Amnesia”, “I want to see you one more time”, among others.

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Focusyear Band – After This (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · August 11, 2018 · Comments off

A Jazz scholarship which allows you to completely focus on music for a whole year without existence pressure, free from academic curricula, credits and exams, in an international band consisting of the most talented musicians and accompanied by globally outstanding personalities from the Jazz scene: This dream has become reality at a place which is globally unique to the world of Jazz – The Jazzcampus of the Musikhochschule/FHNW in Basel.

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Cuarteto Casals – Beethoven: Inventions 1 (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · August 8, 2018 · Comments off

Launching its complete cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets, the Cuarteto Casals presents this first installment featuring initial examples of the genre from each of the three key periods in the composer’s career: his formative years, the so called ‘heroic’ middle period, and that of his artistic maturity. The ingenious juxtaposition shows how much his superhuman quest for perfection enriched a compositional language of breathtaking originality in tandem with a depth of expression without precedent in this genre, of which Beethoven is the uncontested master.

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Bruce Springsteen – 1996-11-08 St. Rose of Lima Gymnasium, Freehold, NJ (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · August 7, 2018 · Comments off

This memorable homecoming stop on the Tom Joad tour sees Springsteen return to Freehold and his parochial school, St. Rose of Lima. Joined by special guests Patti Scialfa and Soozie Tyrell, Bruce reminisces and tears up the set list for nine tour debuts, including “The River,” “Two Hearts” “Racing in the Street,” a rare “When You’re Alone” and the only tour performances of “Open All Night,” “Used Cars” and “My Hometown.” The show wraps with “Freehold,” an uproarious paean penned for the occasion.

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38 Special – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (1981/2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · August 7, 2018 · Comments off

“Building on the bandmembers’ own personal accomplishments that came from the Rockin’ Into the Night album, .38 Special released an even stronger bunch of songs a year later with Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. Focusing on the same Southern-based rock & roll formula, the efforts from Southern Boys contain a little more guitar zing while complementing the band’s ability to produce marketable radio music. “Hold on Loosely,” with its smooth vocal stride, managed to peak at number 27 in April of 1981, giving .38 Special its first Top 40 single, and the title track, “Honky Tonk Dancer,” and “Back Alley Sally” keep a homespun flavor alive and well, indicating that the band’s Southern roots haven’t been dismissed completely. Even though the bulk of the tracks lean toward .38 Special’s rootin’-tootin’ good-time persona, tracks such as “Fantasy Girl” and “First Time Around” reveal a stronger regard for producing catchy and approachable rock & roll tunes. It’s on Wild-Eyed Southern Boys that .38 Special seemed more confident, harnessing a distinct guitar rock sound that enabled the group to distinguish itself from other FM rock bands. Cracking the Top 20 on the album charts and eventually reaching platinum status, Wild-Eyed Southern Boys marked the onset of the band’s success throughout the course of the decade.” (Mike DeGagne, AMG)

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Daniel Clarke Bouchards – Scenes d’enfants (2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · August 3, 2018 · Comments off

At just 13 years old, the Québécois pianist Daniel Clarke Bouchard is already a sensation on the Montréal music scene. ATMA Classique presents Scènes d’enfants, his tailor-made debut solo recording, featuring music by Mendelssohn, Debussy, Haydn and Chopin. The hugely talented Clarke Bouchard is also a jazz enthusiast and joins his mentor — jazz great, Oliver Jones — on two jazz-inspired tracks performed on two pianos: an improvisation on Mozart’s Ah vous dirai-je maman variations, and Claude Léveillée’s Grande valse fofolle, a piece the two performed live at the 2012 Francofolies de Montréal.

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John Williams – Star Wars: The Ultimate Digital Collection (2015) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · July 25, 2018 · Comments off

John Williams – Star Wars: The Ultimate Digital Collection (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 06:56:23 minutes | 8,10 GB | Genre: Soundtrack
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source:HDTracks| © Sony Classical

The most acclaimed and enduring film music in Hollywood history, the original soundtracks of Star Wars Episodes I-VI will be reissued by Sony Classical. All composed by the legendary five-time Oscar®-winning composer, John Williams, this unique collection is being reissued after the latest chapter in the saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters.

Star Wars: The Ultimate Digital Collection features a bundle of the six original soundtracks available for the first time as high definition downloads (192kHz/24bit & 96kHz/24bit). (more…)