Hi-Res Downloads, March 2025

Nearly 50 years outdated, guitarist Metheny’s solo debut of 1976 is a beautiful, intimate begin for a profession that has to this point produced greater than 50 albums. Performing right here on 6-and 12-string electrical guitar, Metheny was backed by his then-touring band consisting of the late, legendary Jaco Pastorius on bass and Free Spirits co-founder Bob Moses on drums. This is one for the kind of listener who adores the likes of Barney Kessel, Chet Atkins and even the extra fiery Al Di Meola, and who likes to zoom in on the performer inside the soundstage. The trio is unfold broad throughout the listening space, the openness including to an total impact of being in a small membership. Alternatively, in the event you favor to savour this in analogue type, there’s a deluxe vinyl version in ECM’s ‘Luminessence’ Series, with tip-on gatefold sleeve together with new photographs from the archive – one thing you don’t get with streams. KK

Sound Quality: 90%

Lab Report

Recorded in Dec ’75 at Tonstudio Bauer and subsequently digitised for CD and obtain, there’s nothing helpful above 30kHz (guitars to ~15kHz) however peaks are ‘pure’ at –0.8dB and –4.0dB and dynamic vary is sl. above common. PM

Avishai Cohen, Yonathan Avishai, Barak Mori, Ziv Ravitz
Ashes To Gold (88.2kHz/24-bit, WAV)
www.ecmrecords.com; ECM 2822

Not to be confused with the jazz bassist of the identical identify, this Israeli trumpeter has declared that Miles Davis impressed him, so Ashes To Gold calls to thoughts numerous ‘Miles-stones’. With a newly-composed five-part suite, it’s carried out by Cohen on trumpet, flugelhorn, and flute, Yonathan Avishai on piano, Barak Mori with double bass and Ziv Ravitz on drums, all within the south of France shortly after the occasions of seven Oct ’23. Described by ECM as Cohen’s response ‘to the turbulent spirit of a troubled time’, the music is variously mournful and indignant, however, I suppose, in the end uplifting. Following the suite is an intriguing efficiency of ‘Adagio Assai (from Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G main)’ and a bit composed by Cohen’s teenage daughter Amalia. Sonically, this has the texture of an early Nineteen Sixties jazz session – and that’s factor. KK

Sound Quality: 90%

Lab Report

This is a ‘quiet’ 88.2kHz file with good dynamic vary and pure peaks (–0.6dB to –3.3dB). Percussion exceeds 20kHz however there may be (monitor?) noise at 19kHz and ultrasonic spuriae on brass/piano feeds. Double bass is clear [black trace]! PM

MaskXSoul
Onegin (48kHz/24-bit, WAV)
www.denovali.com; Denovali DEN375

This debut album by worldwide group MaskxSoul goes deep into crossover jazz/classical territory, that includes the voice of Tatiana Selivanova (Vanilla Quartz), with Jason Kohnen of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, The Lovecraft Sextet and Mansur, and Dimitry El-Demerdashi (additionally of Mansur). Based on Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin, it’s an intriguing mixture of Eastern influences, dark-jazz and what the ensemble describes as ‘tsar-punk’, however firmly rooted in Russian classical traditions. It’s surprisingly affecting – or maybe simply unusual! – Selivanova’s voice fantastically rendered towards a shifting panorama of devices each acquainted and fewer so. There’s some deep idea happening right here, however even a floor pattern reveals it to be undeniably romantic, and in addition fantastically recorded. This is a charming set, though it in all probability takes a couple of listens earlier than it’s absolutely appreciated. AE

Sound Quality: 80%

Lab Report

All tracks (besides 1 & 7) are normalised to –0.2dB, so intersample clipping could happen on some DACs. Otherwise this 48kHz file – pity this isn’t 96kHz – presents barely under common dynamic vary however is freed from sampling/filter spuriae. PM

Daniel Pardo
Ese Momento (48kHz/24-bit, WAV)
www.danielpardo.com; self-released n/a cat no

Well, that is one thing of a discover: flautist Pardo comes along with long-time affiliate, arranger Sergio Pamies, to supply a smouldering set crossing the jazz/classical boundaries in a sequence of boleros and extra. The Czech National Philharmonic Orchestra joins in on 4 of the tracks, however for essentially the most half this album is all about Pardo’s flute, recorded in lush, shimmering type, backed by Pamies’ piano and a latin rhythm part, the tracks nearly glowing out of the audio system. The capacity of the performers is past query – even the duvet of the much-recorded ‘Bésame Mucho’ is handled to a dense, rhythm-driven association a great distance from the acquainted variations, multitracked flute assembly Shangó Dely’s percussion in a sound directly unusual and completely entertaining. But then that’s a reasonably good description of the entire of this album. AE

Sound Quality: 80%

Lab Report

Musical calibre however, all trks on this 48kHz recording are pushed proper as much as –0.1dB, inviting distortion on DACs with inadequate (dynamic) headroom. Analogue noise is just a bit larger than anticipated from a digital recording. PM

Vince Guaraldi
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (192kHz/24-bit, WAV)*
www.mendelsonproductions.com; Lee Mendelson Film Productions LM25BMV01

While I like Vince Guaraldi’s jazz scores for the Peanuts cartoon canon, of which he composed and carried out 18, this one from 1975 is among the many much less satisfying. The majority listed below are quick musical passages suited to particular person scenes quite than longer numbers akin to discovered on the gold commonplace of all his Peanuts scores, A Charlie Brown Christmas [HFN May ’23]. That mentioned, sound high quality isn’t the rationale to purchase it, but when that is approached like a chef’s sampling menu, you then received’t thoughts scrumptious style after scrumptious style. Released in 1976, the 12 months earlier than Guaraldi’s premature dying, it delivers smile after smile since you simply can’t assist picturing Snoopy, Charlie Brown and buddies – alongside Mickey Mouse and The Simpsons, absolutely essentially the most well-known characters in cartoon historical past. This providing provides 5 bonus tracks to the unique. KK

Sound Quality: 75%

Lab Report

Sadly, this isn’t the primary of those legacy Peanuts re-releases we’ve examined that appears like a 192kHz upsample of a 96kHz upsample of… a sub-CD res. file (MP3?) sourced from the analogue tape [HFN Dec ’23]. Bonus tracks are the identical. PM

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April 18, 2025 at 12:50AM