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Not a lot needs be said about this classic Concord recording. Forget formats, you just need this album in one form or another - though the reissued LP sounds best followed by this SACD, both by Groove Note. This stereo only hybrid SACD offers the work of the great bassist Ray Brown (Oscar Peterson’s choice for bassist in his groups), the wonderful Gene Harris on piano (remember The Three Sounds on Blue Note?) and drummer Gerryck King. It also features guest appearances on one tune by saxophonist Red Holloway and guitarist Emily Remler. The tunes are jazz standards for the most part with one Billy Strayhorn number and one original by Brown (the tune with Holloway and Remler). The musicianship is outstanding, as you could have probably predicted - Brown was rarely if ever part of a poor set. But it’s the sonics, especially of the Groove Note LP and this SACD that really sets this album apart. It gives the word superb new meaning. Through my system as now configured I feel like I have the group in front of me, live. No wonder we call our stereos time machines. I simply can’t recommend this album highly enough. #SACD #jazz #music #highresolution #album #digital #audio#highend #audiophile #audiophilerecording https://www.instagram.com/p/BnL8k1zjyMz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=eetpermgckws

Stereo Bud Powell LP’s are fairly rare. Stereo Bud Powell LP’s that contain music that is representative of Bud’s unique gifts are as rare as hens teeth. Finding clean, mint copies of these records is both frustrating and expensive. But damn, when you do find one, the results are most definitely worth the effort. I used to own the plain jane Columbia release of this album, “Portrait Of Thelonious.” But one day I stumbled across this Columbia Special Collectors Series copy of this LP. And lo and behold it was truly mint (the vinyl that is, the cover is a strong VG+). I’ve heard new audiophile pressings that aren’t this clean and quiet. Here, with this LP, I get Bud dancing over his keyboard in the left/center channel and Kenny Clarke and Pierre Michelot coming from the right/center. No, in not mono, it’s most definitely stereo. There’s a sense of space and soundstage that mono can’t offer. Together they present a unique look at the music of Powell’s dear friend and mentor Thelonious Monk (together with a few other cuts that stimulated Powell on this day. Powell takes the same care with Monk’s tunes that Monk himself always showed to the music of other composers he chose to interpret. Yet, the playing is pure Powell. Clarke (on drums) and Michelot (on bass) combine with Powell to be the perfect vehicle with which to allow Powell to find his footing and preform at his peak (a rare feat this late in his career as his illnesses usually got the better of him and his recording output at this time was spotty at best.) It saddens me that in this day and age of high quality reissues of great jazz recordings, Bud Powell is woefully underrepresented. This album would be one to get one of the better reissue companies to license and remaster, it’s that good. Until then, I at least, can enjoy this wonderful music in almost digital cleanliness. Most highly recommended if you can find a copy worthy of this great man and his music. #LP #record #recordcollection #jazz #music #BudPowel #stereo #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinyllover #vinylrecords #audio #highend #audiophile #audiophilerecording #audiophilepressing

While most jazzophiles have heard of (and probably heard) “ Undercurrent”, the first meeting of pianist Bill Evans and guitarist Jim Hall, far fewer know of the second album these two collaborated on - “Intermodulation.” Recorded in 1966 by Rudy Van Gelder for Creed Taylor (then with Verve Records), this album picks right up where “Undercurrents” left off. Just the two artists, both of whom are/were understated in their outlook on jazz. Thus making these albums rather good (to put it mildly). They were both all about space, especially the space between the notes. Both understood that you could say fully as much by not filling up space with unneeded notes, so they played off each other, feed each other, nurtured each other during these sessions. You might not think, given the dispositions and styles of these two, that “Intermodulation” would be a system workout disc, but this LP (and my copy is a mint Japanese pressing) really does ask quite a bit out of ones system. Can it reproduce space? Can it reproduce size, like a full piano AND a hollow bodied electric guitar in their true proportions? Can it keep both time yet still hold the flow? If so, you, like my system allows me too, are going to get a real kick out of this follow-up to Evans/Hall’s first meeting. “Intermodulation” is fully as good, fully as enjoyable, fully as expressive as the first LP. It’s a great way to start ones Sunday (as I’m doing) or to close out a late night listening session. Most highly recommended. #LP #Album #albumcover #albumcoverart #record #recordcollection #recordporn #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylporn #vinylrecords #jazz #music #stereo #audio #audiophile #audiophilerecording #audiophilepressing #highend #analog

have a review of the album below posted on my Facebook page: Aural Musings. Check it out and please, "like" the page if you haven't already. https://www.facebook.com/JohnMauriceCrossettIii/ #LP #analog #record #recordcollection #album #albumcover #stereo #jazz #music #jazzvinyl #vinyl #vinyladdict #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #audio #audiophile #audiophilepressing #audiophilerecording #highend

Closing out my night with this classic SACD from the Fantasy vaults of old Concord Records featuring Herb Ellis and Joe Pass called "Seven, Come Eleven." Great jazz guitar work from Ellis and Pass, and superb support from bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jake Hanna. The Magneplanar 1.7i' loudspeakers and AudioQuest Oak speaker cables make this album sound better than it ever has. The fingers on guitar and bass strings are vividly realistic. And the cymbal work is crisp and clean. It sounds, with me sitting here in the dark, as if the four musicians are alive and in my listening room. I'm in heaven! #SACD #digital #jazz #music #sound #audio #audiophile #audiophilerecording #highend #stereo

Time to give the Rowland, Oppo, @_audioquest_, Magneplanar system a real workout. I’ve yet to discover a better test for system resolution than playing Dead Can Dance. I picked their Mo-Fi issued SACD “Spleen And Ideal” as my choice this morning. The Rowland of course can handle anything the Oppo sends to it and resolve it wonderfully. But I was interested in what would happen to the music when it left the Continuum S2 and the signal flowed down the AudioQuest Oak speaker cables to the Magneplanar 1.7i’s. I spent some time last night after work tweaking the speaker placement and I have to report that it was time well spent. The sound stage now stretches from wall to wall and with good depth. The Maggie’s get the space thing intrinsic in this music down pat. But I’m most impressed by their ability to separate each musical line so I can follow it it will. And if you’re familiar with Dead Can Dance you know how dense their music is. One thing this system now does better than ever is envelope me in the sonic landscape. That and the space and bloom of each instrument and voice. While Dead Can Dance is most certainly an acquired taste, it’s one well worth the time and effort as there truly is no band quite like them. A sonic and aural masterpiece. Highly, very highly recommended. #SACD #rock #newage #worldmusic #digital #stereo #DeadCanDance #album #albumcover #audio #audiophile #audiophilepressing #audiophilerecording #highend

What could be finer that to listen to two great jazz musicians play a tribute to another? Absolutely nothing when those two are Duke Ellington and Ray Brown. On "This One's For Blanton" we get Ellington on piano and Brown on bass alone, just the pair, no other interference from anyone. Thus we get to hear far more clearly just how good a jazz pianist Ellington truly was (Ellington never sought the spotlight for his work behind the keyboard so an album like this is a godsend) as well as hearing Brown's bass work more clearly. I don't own a US original pressing of this title, mine is a Spanish issue, but I can't help thinking it won't sound that much better than the one I have. Ellington' piano is full sized in both image and sound, and Brown's acoustic bass is obviously a large wooden instrument. I can close my minds eye and almost "see" the two of them across my listening room. A truly wonderful jazz album that, in one form or another, belongs in any music lovers collection. I can't recommend this album highly enough. #LP #album #albumcover #record #recordcollection #analog #vinyl #vinyladdict #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #jazz #music #audio #audiophile #audiophilerecording #stereo

Continuing on with Classic Records reissues of Blue Note titles, I remembered I have this one, Kenny Burrell' "Blue Lights." Couldn't pass this LP up when it came out since Burrell is joined, on three of the four tracks, by my favorite tenor sax player, Tina Brooks. This is Vol. 1 of two records, and Burrell is joined here by a number of different players, but for me, it was the tracks with Brooks that held the most appeal. On those tracks it's Burrell, Brooks, Louis Smith, Junior Cook, Duke Jordan/Bobby Timmons, Sam Jones and Art Blakey. Not a bad little group wouldn't you say? How's the music? Like you'd have to ask? It's superb of course. Given the line up, you'd expect no less. And the sound, despite the left/right recording captured by Rudy Van Gelder, is clear and concise. Bass is deep but defined. Drums snap, crackle and pop. The horns have bite and definition. And Burrell's guitar is warm, detailed and clean. Like all Classic LP's, this one too is long OOP. But track down a copy and revel in some great late night jazz played by a group of master musicians in a relaxed setting. Very highly recommended. #LP #record #recordcollection #album #albumcover #analog #vinyl #vinyladdict #vinylrecords #vinylcollector #vinylcollection #stereo #audio #audiophile #audiophilepressing #audiophilerecording #highend