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Tag Archives: Audiophile Music

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Classic Chet Baker, Kevin Gray Remastered On RTI-Pressed Craft Recordings Vinyl (Part 2)

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

In part one of my exploration of the new Chet Baker vinyl reissues from Craft Recordings, I discussed the need for these still remarkably rare recordings to be offered again in high quality, audiophile-worthy editions. I also explored the album Chet Stereo in some detail, my favorite release of the series. In case you missed that first review, please click here to jump to it as there is some information there you may find interesting. 

Generally, these reissues are consistently quite beautiful — clean and rich, some delivering a nice sense of air around the music. The pressings are dead quiet, so there are no issues with quality controls that I can see/hear. Each of these albums are pressed in 180-gram vinyl at the respected RTI manufacturing plant. 

While I don’t have original pressings to compare these albums to, I suspect these new masters are a bit brighter than the 1958-59 editions (less compression used in in mastering, higher quality vinyl, audiophile grade pressing, etc.). In general these albums sound nice, a couple of them might even become demo discs for some of you.

Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner and Loewe

Listening to Chet Stereo, I realized that one of the things I like most about Chet Baker’s trumpet playing is his buttery lyricism which shines on slower paced tunes. His phrasing is masterful and I enjoy being able to relish every note. That said, Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner and Loewe is my second favorite among these reissues as it — in some ways — continues the cool West Coast vibe. Some of the connective glue to both albums is the presence of piano legend Bill Evans who anchors about half of this collection. While not all of the arrangements of the Lerner and Loewe classics from My Fair Lady are entirely to my liking — I prefer treatments by Oscar Peterson and Shelly Manne from that period — in general Chet’s playing is sublime throughout.  Having support from Zoot Sims and Pepper Adams on saxophones doesn’t hurt either.  

Chet In New York 

This is an interesting affair which at times approaches the fantastic (my third favorite in the series). A sweet set, here Chet is backed by a stellar rhythm sections featuring no less than Philly Joe Jones on drums and Paul Chambers on bass. True to the title and intent of the album, this pairs Baker — ‘the most notable of “cool” West Coast stars’ according to the liner notes — with  some of the best East Coast players of the period. Accordingly, this swinging set at times gets into some harder bop flavors and Baker rises to the occasion, no doubt. But I think he is in his sweet spot on the more laid back arrangements which inject a shot of East Coast energy beneath the chill West Coast vibe. Tracks like “Soft Winds” and “Blue Thoughts” are smokey and rich. Baker likewise finds that comfort zone on Miles Davis’ “Solar.” “Polka Dots & Moonbeams” has some beautiful soloing on it. 

It Could Happen To You – Chet Baker Sings

Don’t hate me folks, but I wanted to like this album more than I did (gasp! blasphemy!). I’m not a huge fan of Chet’s singing but I do love his Trumpet playing. However, on this album I did come to appreciate his very horn like “scat” vocalizing — it is at those points in the album that his voice comes alive and rings true to my ear. Sure his timing and phrasing is quite nice but I find his voice just a  a bit too clean for my tastes.

Its a little like the difference between Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan, with Sarah perhaps having a more raw technique but bringing out an — and this is just my opinion folks, not the gospel! — more street-wise jazz feel than Ella’s crisp precision. Or consider two singers which Chet’s voice reminds me of: June Christy and Chris Connor.

I find June has more swing and some of that Sarah-like sassiness in her interpretations as opposed to Chris’ coloring-within-the-lines approach. So Chet — for me at least — feels a bit more like a male Chris Connor. And for many of you that may be a good thing!

For me, I’d rather simply listen to his horn playing. Still, its nice to finally hear this album which is highly revered and does indeed sound great from a listening standpoint.

All four of these new releases are in high demand. In fact, many of the pre-orders seem to be sold out already! Check back at Amazon by clicking the links embedded in the titles here (above) or here.  Also check Craft Recording’s website in case they announce a repressing.  

If you have trouble finding these Craft Recordings reissues online, check with your favorite music stores. You can also find them streaming in 96 kHz, 24-bit MQA (click here) via Tidal and at 192 kHz, 24 Bit High Res via Qobuz (click here). 

World News

Classic Chet Baker, RTI-Pressed Kevin Gray Remastered Craft Recordings Vinyl (Part 1)

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

Before I get to the review portion of this exploration of the new remasters of classic albums by the legendary jazz musician Chet Baker, I thought it would be important to put the need for these reissues in perspective.

You see, my curiosity was peaked as to why these albums might be getting the analog, Kevin Gray Cohearant Audio mastering treatment here and now. There are several reasons, I suspect. The obvious one being that in 2019 these recordings were put into a boxed set with a bonus disc of outtakes and alternates from the period — so this is the first time those new remasters are available individually.

In keeping with similar reissue series from Universal Music and their Blue Note Tone Poet and Analog Productions imprints, these releases from Craft Recordings — the boutique audiophile arm of Concord Music which owns the catalogs of Riverside, Fantasy and Prestige Records among others — are albums which have achieved near legendary status among both jazz aficionados and audiophiles alike. 

And one resultant of that status is the reality that finding original pressings of these albums out in the wilds is next to impossible for all but the most fastidious of crate diggers.  I mean, I’ve been out there (pre Covid, at least) digging regularly and have only found a handful of good Chet Baker gems in the past 10 years (and almost none on the Riverside label). 

There have been many reissues of these albums over the years in varying quality and there are even “gray market” versions of some of these albums made from dubious sources and often using alternate artwork, yet charging full prices. So it is in the label’s and the fan’s best interest to issue a quality product to make sure people aren’t ripped off by unscrupulous marketers taking advantage of expired copyright laws overseas.

Accordingly, original pressings of Chet’s albums in Good to Near Mint condition go for quite a lot of coin on the collector’s marketplace. I spot checked what the titles in the new reissue series are going for at the time of this writing earlier this week, so click on any of the underlined titles in the next paragraph to jump to those pages for reference.

There were only three original Stereo pressings on Discogs  of Chet Baker In New York, selling for upwards of $250! Sellers of three Stereo copies of Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner & Loewe are asking for upwards of $125 each. There is one copy of Chet Stereo going for $136 — even the 1963 repressing of that album is asking upwards of $400!! The Monos are more abundant (six copies) yet very pricey!  Heck, the more recent 45 RPM two LP set of Chet from Analog Productions is going for upwards of $500!  The one Stereo copy of It Could Happen To You, Chet Baker Sings was going for nearly $600 and Mono copies ain’t cheap either!

So, yes there is clearly a need for these reissues for the rest of us who can’t afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a single rare original issue! All the pressings I have received for review are 180-gram, remastered at Cohearant Audio by Kevin Gray. The albums are all pressed at RTI and the packaging is exemplary with high quality, period accurate thick cardboard sleeves with pasted on artwork just like original copies (probably nicer than originals in some ways, actually). The black Stereo labels also seem accurate, only the serial numbers have inevitably changed.

And, how do they sound?  Generally, they are consistently quite beautiful — clean and rich, some delivering a nice sense of air around the music. The pressings are dead quiet, so there are no issues with quality controls that I can see/hear. While I don’t have original pressings to compare these albums to, I suspect they are a bit brighter than the 1958-59 editions (higher quality vinyl, audiophile grade pressing, less compression used in mastering, etc.).

Chet Stereo is my favorite of the batch with its lovely sound design which compliments this expressive music nicely. I like how the then-new Stereo reverb applied to Baker’s trumpet ricochet’s from one channel the other without feeling gimmicky. His horn playing works sympathetically with the band which on many cuts includes legends like Bill Evan on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar and Paul Chambers on bass. This album has classic oozing from every corner…

I did notice one curious reality, a detail likely of interest to those seeking a pristine presentations of the music. 

I had to listen to “It Never Entered My Mind” very closely many times to confirm whether what I was hearing was some sort of drop-out on the original magnetic tape at points or perhaps such clarity that it might be fluid gathering in Chet’s trumpet. Comparing the new reissue LP to versions on Qobuz and Tidal, I am leaning toward thinking it is physical wrinkle on the source tape used.  

Allow me a moment to be a wee bit obsessive about this while I offer some details…

On Qobuz, listen to this first version (click here) at around the 3:48 mark and you’ll hear the slightly garbled-wrinkled-tape sounding distortion similar to what I’m hearing on the new LP reissue. Yet, if you listen on another version also on Qobuz — click here, from the “Keepnews Collection” series — it does not have that anomaly.  There is a third version which sounds more clearly like a tape edit as it alters the sound stage for a moment (click here). There is a version with it on The Legendary Riverside Albums version (click here) streaming in 192 kHz, 24 bits. I suspect what I’m hearing is a physical tape edit wearing out, which happens over time.

For those of you on Tidal, compare this CD quality version (click here) with another containing the audible (likely) splice (click here). The Legendary Riverside Albums version streaming in 96 kHz  24-bit MQA format also has that anomaly (click here). 

Ok, thanks for indulging my obsessive audiophile-collector moment, but those of you who geek out on original pressings and getting the best audio quality may appreciate this microscopic focus.  

The question of course remains which tape source is the original? I would guess that the tapes with the audible splice — wrinkled or other wise — are probably the closest to the original. Just guessing, but I would suppose that perhaps later editions were digitally repaired. If any of you out there have further insights into this, please let us know in the comments below. 

Anyhow, Chet Stereo is a great album. Stay tuned as next week I’ll explore the other three albums in this fine reissue series, It Could Happen To You – Chet Baker Sings, Chet Baker In New York and Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner & Loewe.

World News

Bob Marley’s Songs Of Freedom Vinyl Boxed Set

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

So, you’ve played your beloved 1980s CD of Bob Marley’s Legend greatest hits to death. You even bought the deluxe expanded edition with a second CD of bonus tracks. And, fast forward to recent times when Legend was reissued on spiffy tri-colored vinyl, you bought that to play on your equally groovy 21st century turntable as you stepped up your sonic horizons and grew your LP collection. These are all good things. 

Still, you want to get some more Bob Marley music in your life on vinyl but are still not ready to buy all the albums or really know where to start. 

So, what do you do? 

Well, Songs of Freedom may be your smartest choice as it has been newly reissued on vinyl for the first time in nearly… ever!

In 1992, this four CD set was released celebrating Bob Marley’s life in music which was both highly anticipated and acclaimed at the time. Songs of Freedom was a great collection which gave the listener that exact deeper dive into Marley’s catalog all curated and contained in one distinct listening experience. It included rare mixes, previously unreleased live in studio recordings, demos and much more. 

Even if you were a deep Marley fan you needed to have that set.

But that was the CD era and as far as I know Songs of Freedom never came out on vinyl in the United States (there was an eight-LP set in the UK and Jamaica, I think). Universal Music is aiming to rectify that situation with a new six-LP box set effectively re-creating most of that collection. Subtitled “The Island Years” the album begins in the middle of what would have been the second CD in the original collection and takes you through Marley’s classic years.

While you get most of the hits, and a lot of the rarities, the real appeal here is the larger sound potential capable vs. standard compact disc (you can find the CD set commonly these days on the used market). It is great hearing these rare 12-inch single mixes in fuller fidelity than the old CDs!

I’ve gone back to listen to parts of my original CD copy of Songs of Freedom and it actually sounded really quite good.  For example, comparing a track like the 12-inch mix of “Jammin’” the new LP delivers richer more natural, round sounding bass. When the song breaks down just to drums you can hear and feel more of the vibe and depth of the studio. The kick drum is more present on the vinyl version and the midranges are warmer, especially noticeable when you turn up the volume a bit…. 

The old CD set was originally issued as a limited edition book styled packaging – – mine is #237 in the numbered series!  The new vinyl version of Songs of Freedom re-creates most of the original look and feel, including liner notes, in fresh new large format LP-sized design. On the box itself it says that original tape sources were use to create this new vinyl edition wherever possible.

So at this point some of you must be thinking: “Great! Now I can get rid of my CD boxed set!”

Not so fast! 

The only problem with Songs of Freedom (at least on the surface) is that it omits the early material from Disc One and part of Disc Two in the original set. I’m not quite sure why they did this but hopefully that material will surface in some other collection down the line…

Honestly, it wasn’t that big a deal for me, especially since I do plan to keep my  Songs of Freedom CD set. Perhaps my only disappointment with the new vinyl incarnation is that we don’t get the lovely acoustic medley which includes “Guava Jelly” but even omission I can almost understand because it was a raw recording, a demo likely made on a cassette or other portable recorder (click here to listen on YouTube). For that reason alone I will keep my CD box set.   

For those of you into colored vinyl, there is a special edition of Songs of Freedom which you can get at Universal Music’s website (click here).

This is a fun collection. And my only problem with a set like Songs of Freedom is that it makes me want to get more Bob Marley music on vinyl — and I already have most of the regular albums! There is so much out there to explore.  

Songs of Freedom is the tip of the iceberg, ultimately…

World News

Tank & The Bangas’ Fine New Friend Goals EP

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

Before I get to the review of the new Tank & The Bangas’ release, I need to offer up a little “edjumacation” as I feel it might be necessary.

You see, in the past year I have had several younger vinyl enthusiasts ask me quite seriously: “What is an EP?” I was surprised initially but realize it is a legitimate question for those who have not been exposed to it before.  

So… an “EP” is an “extended play” vinyl record.  It offers more tracks than a “single” which — again, in old school vinyl terms — was typically two tracks, an A-side and a B-side.  The EP concept came about as something of a stop gap between album releases and also to offer something a bit more to fans who couldn’t afford to buy a whole album. Typically they had four tracks on them. 

Back in the 1960s, in the UK especially, EPs were a big thing, with The Beatles issuing quite a number of them, some with exclusive tracks. While the format never quite caught on in the US — Elvis Presley and some others tried them in the 1950s — the concept was repurposed in the late 70s and 80s with the emergence of the 12-inch single. It was a great place to put outtakes, alternate mixes and even unique remixes. Elvis Costello put out several three- and four-song EPs in the late 70s and early 80s, both in 7-inch and 12-inch formats.  Guided By Voices have put out numerous EPs over the years, some with six songs jammed onto a 7-inch disc! 

I hope that helps clarify things for some readers.  Now, on to the review…

The new release by New Orleans’ brilliant avant-soul-jazz-funk-hip-hop-rock-spoken-word band Tank & The Bangas is an “EP.” This new EP is longer than many with six songs. So it is almost as satisfying as a full new release.  So for the purposes of this review, I’ll just be calling it an “album.” In the ‘80s, this might have been called a “Mini-Album.” 

After the joy of their Green Balloon album a couple of years back — click here to read my review — it’s encouraging to see that the band is pushing forward on recording even in the face of the pandemic lockdown.  

Called Friend Goals, the new album is a study in people and their lives in the real world these days, offered up in a humorous yet poignant manner. On this record Tank & The Bangas collaborate with a number of special guests including (in no particular order) Duckworth, CHIKA, Phoelix, HaSizzle, Big Choo, Pell, Orleans Big and many others…

So the sound here is at once familiar yet also a little bit different because of the new voices mixed in, but that is all good.

The opening track is perhaps my favorite called “Fluff,” featuring a smooth chill-wave groove that brings you in immediately with an infectious-yet-restrained signature riff.  The song deals with people’s priorities in life, particularly someone living the non-stop party life but only ending up with “The drugs, the fantasy, the chasing of pleasures, You realize it never made it better.” 

“To Be Real” takes the chill party vibe out a bit more with a great title hook — “to be real, just being honest.” The vocals here just jump out at you in a good way and the rhythms have a slightly retro feel at points that work it for the tune…

“Self Care” revolves around a quirky riff played on what sounds like a detuned Koto-like sting instrument. This is supported by a haunting recorder (or wooden flute of some sort) line in a sort of call-and-response. The Pandemic-era sentiment here resonates strongly:  “I’m ready to get myself back.”

Inevitably, as on most Tank & The Bangas recordings they offer up some lyrical and musical levity on Friend Goals.  “TSA” a funny lament over all the seemingly random stuff people lose at the airport these days when trying to get through security.  “Mr. Insta” is a very 21st century ode to the powers that be at social media’s Instagram and the struggle to recover a hacked account. 

Throughout all the six songs on Friend Goals the quality of Tank’s vocals and the strong sense of melody makes this music sink its earworm hooks deeply in your brain. Couple that with some great grooves and you’ve got an instant winner.

The standard weight pink vinyl version of Friend Goals that I bought from Tank & The Bangas’ website is quiet and well centered. This is a fine sounding fun release that feels just right for this moment in time and will keep us happy until their next full length album is ready. Can’t wait to see them perform live again soon!

World News

Grooving With The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio on Vinyl and Qobuz / Tidal Streams

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

When considering a new artist in a category that has been arguably played to death over the years, one may give pause to think: do I really need to go there?

However when I first heard The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio on the fine  new compilation from Colemine Records that I reviewed earlier this month (click here) I had to check them out. I have to admit, I was initially a bit excited I’d (ahem) discovered something fresh before everyone else. 

Well, not quite everyone, it seems… From the band’s website: “Since its humble beginnings in May, 2015, the trio has issued two Billboard-charting albums and a 45; toured nationally and internationally, and performed on live at Upstream Music Festival broadcast by KEXP that garnered over 7 million views.”

Well, I guess I’m better a little late to the party than never!

But seriously folks, the notion of an organ driven instrumental collaboration is not exactly a new thing, echoing back to the ‘60s when artists like Brother Jack McDuff, Jimmy Smith, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Shirley Scott were popular and often collaborated with other musicians such as George Benson and Wes Montgomery. 

In more recent times, the great Medeski Martin & Wood collaborated a number of times with John Scofield.  And of course there were organ-guitar hits in the rock and soul world, notably Booker T & The MGs (ie. “Green Onions”) and the great grooves of The Meters (“Cissy Strut”).  And we can’t forget that James Brown put out several instrumental albums featuring his organ playing.

So, mash all that influence up with a decidedly harder edge (definitely closer to the Meters vibe) and you’ll get an idea of what The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio is cooking up. These folks have found their own sweet little corner of this good vibe instrumental soul jazz / acid jazz niche.

On their new second studio album— called I Told You So — there aren’t really any big surprises but that isn’t a bad thing. It is all about the tunes and the grooves and this album has many greats in that regard.

The album is just so enjoyable I’ve played it over many times already and it only gets better, each spin revealing new layers. They do a sweet cover of Wham’s “Careless Whisper,” but other than that they are crafting their own originals.

Sonically, the album sounds terrific with a rich, earthy vibe to the recording.  Guitarist Jimmy James’ sound oozes with big — at times seriously badass overdriven — amplifier tones. 

I don’t know if I Told You So was made digitally or in the analog realm but I’m not especially concerned one way or another — I’m not hearing any harshness and overall the album sounds real nice.  The lower end and mid range is sweet while the high-end is crisp and natural sounding. Grant Schroff’s drums are full bodied and organic. No gimmickry here.  

I got my hands on one of the opaque pink vinyl limited editions of I Told You So and happily it is a great pressing — well centered and quiet. There is a red vinyl version out there as well for those of you who get into the colored vinyl thing.

It’s no accident at the cover for I Told You So seems to mirror the design aesthetics of vintage 1960s Blue Note jazz releases. The bold yellow and black vibe of Colemine’s label on this release echoes the classic early Prestige Records “fireworks” design from the late ’50s and early ’60s.

This is fun stuff, folks: groovy grooves you can dance, walk, drive, work and even just sit and listen to. You can’t beat that sort of flexibility when it comes to a listening experience. The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio albums seem to sell out pretty quickly at stores from what I’ve seen so far, so you should jump on them soon if you want to grab a copy.

You can also find I Told You So streaming on Tidal and Qobuz and both versions sound fine. The Qobuz version is streaming in 24-bit, 44.1 kHz Hi Res form so it has something of an edge over the 16-bit Tidal stream, but both are fine and will let you get an idea of what this fine band sounds like. 

I am looking forward to digging down into The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio‘s other releases soon.

World News

The Band’s Stage Fright 50th Anniversary Boxed Set, Pt. 2: Surround Sound Blu-ray & CD

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

In Part One of my review of the new super-deluxe edition of The Band’s 1970 release called Stage Fright, we explored the new Stereo remix of the album including the dramatic restoration of the original track listing as first envisioned by the band. If you missed that review, please click here to jump to it. 

The Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary features not only a 180-gram vinyl LP of the new mix album but also a well designed and great sounding — if simple — Blu-ray Disc containing the album and their 1970 Royal Albert Hall concert mixed into 5.1 surround sound. 

Stage Fright : The Surround Mix

For the purposes of this review I listened to The Band’s new Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary surround sound mix via the DTS-HD Master Audio version on the included Blu-ray Disc. A Dolby TrueHD option is also included which sounds fine but I find it less distinctive in terms of discrete channel detailing. There is also a high resolution LPCM Stereo version included. All of the versions sound excellent overall, presented in 96 kHz, 24-bit fidelity offering a nice balance between crisp highs, firm mid-ranges and more resonant lows without losing the fact that it was at its root a recording made in 1970.   

The new 5.1 mix is gently immersive and very effective at creating a sense of the room the group was playing in while recording the album. The band is largely presented forward facing while the surround channels are used for selective overdubs and room ambiance. For example, on “W.S. Walcott Medicine Show,” the horn section fills up the room largely from behind, blending neatly at times when the solo saxophone takes center stage from the front.  

Levon Helms’ drums are very present, also front and center, and they sound terrific. This mix grows on you nicely, making you feel like you are there in the theater with the group. And given that the live playhouse stage feel was part of the original intention of the album concept (according to the liner notes), in that light I feel this surround sound mix is a strong success on all fronts. 

The Live Royal Albert Hall Concert

Included with Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary is a live concert recorded at the end of The Band’s 1971 European tour at the Royal Albert Hall in London.  EMI recorded the concert on a four track machine it brought into the venue. It is so fortuitous that this show was preserved. According to Robertson’s notes in the booklet, the tour found the group performing at the top of its game and this show really reflects that notion. 

Here they present a powerful 20 song set including a healthy dose of then-new material from the Stage Fright album. Consider how confident they were to open the show with a double whammy of then new songs “The Shape I’m In” and “Time To Kill” before playing familiar fan favorites like “The Weight.” 

They perform about 3/4 of their smash hit second album (the self-titled, brown covered one).  Given the simpler method of recording this concert, the producers wisely also kept the 5.1 mix quite simple. It is basically a Stereo spread across the front left-center-right channels with concert venue time-delay ambiance filling the room via the surround channels. It sounds extremely welcoming and enveloping — I found the 5.1 mix of the Royal Albert Hall concert a much more satisfying way to enjoy this excellent recording compared with the plain Stereo mix option that is also on the Blu-ray Disc. 

Robertson calls this one of their best performances in the liner notes and I can’t help but agree. The Band is clearly on a mission here.  

The CDs. The 45 and Other Things

Both the restored album and the live concert are included on standard CDs in the Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary set. These are handy for mobile use if you still have a car CD player or if you don’t feel like playing the Blu-ray or the vinyl LP.  But, of the three options, it is the least appealing sonics wise. It is perfectly fine as CDs go, don’t get me wrong, but the Blu-ray sounds better and the vinyl sounds warmer still.  

There are, however, some bonus tracks exclusive to the CDs which you’ll want to hear: acoustic rehearsals in a hotel room in Calgary while on tour! This is total fly on the wall stuff, things we were never supposed to hear. And, how wonderful it is to hear these legendary musicians work their way through their own songs and  nuggest like Huey “Piano” Smith’s classic “Rockin’ Pneumonia and The Boogie Woogie Flu.” They may be relatively LoFi recordings but they are no doubt special so you’ll want to hear this. 

In the Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary set you also get a reproduction of a rare Spanish picture sleeve and 45 RPM single featuring “Time To Kill” backed with “The Shape I’m In.” This is a very cool bonus for serious fans as finding original copies of rarities like this is difficult, at least here in the USA (there are some up on Discogs).  

Also in the boxed set are a set of lovely art prints with original photograph of The Band from the period. Suitable for framing, these images underscore the instantly iconic stature this group had at the time.

Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary is a great collection and if you are fan of the group and this album you need to hear it.  I would go so far as to call it an essential set given the way it showcases the music in such a positive new light.  Seriously, as far as I’m concerned this is like getting a brand new Band album to enjoy so in its own way this may well be my favorite deluxe edition from The Band thus far. 

Bravo!

World News

The Band’s Stage Fright 50th Anniversary Boxed Set, Pt. 1: Vinyl

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

The new super-deluxe edition of The Band’s 1970 release called Stage Fright is both a celebration of the original album and an opportunity to present the music in a better light than it has received in the past. The original edition was engineered and mixed (respectively) by no less than Todd Rundgren and Glyn Johns, so it stands to reason that it was a pretty good sounding album.

Except for people like me and Robbie Robertson who didn’t connect with the mix…

Honestly folks, I never quite knew what bothered me about Stage Fright but compared to the glory of their second eponymously titled album especially, the original presentation of Stage Fright has always left me unsatisfied for some reason. 

But when I read Robbie’s opening liner notes to the new Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary collection, I had one of those big “ah hah” moments! In short: the track listing issued on the original album was not the first — and ultimately desired — version of the album and the band was not involved with the final album mix as they were on tour at the time!  

As the lone surviving creative writing member of The Band, Robbie Robertson saw this as an opportunity to re-cast the album in its original form. He addresses all this in the opening paragraphs of the booklet that comes with the Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary set.  

Apparently the decision to put Levon Helm’s “Strawberry Wine” and Richard Manuel’s “Sleeping” up front was designed to encourage them as song writers. But that wasn’t necessarily the best thing for the album’s pacing and vibe ultimately as it starts up with a loose rocker and then slams into a dramatic and beautiful farewell song.

Stage Fright was recorded on a small vintage play house stage in Woodstock, New York. Originally The Band wanted to to make a live recording but they could not get permission from the local community to do a concert there, so they ended up recording the album there in a live remote studio scenario.The original lineup of the tracks was going to proceed more akin to how a live performance might have. 

Now, please stop to pause for a moment and reflect on The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band — that record which loosely proceeds like a show by an imaginary band opens with a welcoming overture of-a-sort before diving into the heart of the album. 

Likewise, Stage Fright now opens with the driving “W.S. Walcott Medicine Show” followed by the one-two punch of “The Shape I’m In.”  More or less. Side Two is now Side One, as it follows with the three songs which closed the old version of the album, “Daniel and the Sacred Harp,” “Stage Fright” and “The Rumor.”  Opening Side Two with the “Time To Kill” and “Just Another Whistle Stop” packs a wallop and sets the stage for Richard Manuel’s haunting“Sleeping” which closes the album on a beautiful, if a bit ominous, note. 

Stage Fright was never my favorite album by The Band for numerous reasons, many of which I could never put my finger on. Now I realize that the album never flowed well, and it didn’t draw me in, especially when compared to the prior release. So as soon as I heard the new running order for the album I loved it immediately — all of a sudden the song cycle is making a lot more sense. 

In the booklet included in the set, Robertson also reminds fans that the original album will always be there for them to listen to and enjoy – it is not going away! But if you too were unsatisfied with the old version of Stage Fright, this new version may well be a revelation. 

I think it is wonderful and for me it has made me completely re-consider this album. I’ll put it this way: now it feels like a strong and worthy successor to their 1969 breakthrough, The Band. 

The new Stereo remix is also quite a revelation. This is not just a remaster of the old mix.

Robertson wisely decided to remix the entire album from scratch while they had this opportunity to create something new. He hired legendary engineer Bob Clearmountain to work with him and the results are quite spectacular. Suddenly, Stage Fright sounds finished with a beautiful rich sparkle worthy of being a successor to their game changing second album from 1969 (which I reviewed a couple years ago, click here). 

The high end on Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary is noticeably brighter and crisp without feeling artificial. The low end is richer and rounder, expanding bassist Rick Danko’s work to more beautiful sonic pastures On the original version at times it sounded like the bass guitar was recorded in a tissue box. On this new edition the bass is richer and more open, seeming to capture more of the essence of the room where it was recorded.  

Levon Helms’ drums also sound much more alive and vibrant on the new mix.  His kick drum is much more distinct and the drums in general sound punchy, not like they are in a box. The cymbals are much clearer and they decay beautifully. There is a wonderful sense of detailing going on here. 

Listen on the title track how (I assume) Levon Helm drops out his drums during the solo supporting it with the most sparse of percussion and leaving space for him to drive home the song to the final chorus. Truly, its an orchestral drum performance delivered here and now this craft is much more audible than before.

Robbie’s guitars sound fuller with much amplifier tone coming through the mix. The acoustic instrumentation on “Daniel And The Sacred Heart” is gorgeous – rich strumming acoustic and slide guitars, harpsichord, violin, accordions are all now extremely present and resonant.  The electric guitars on “Time To Kill” are just pure rockin’ joy. 

So combining the new mix and the new track running order, I consider Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary effectively a new album that recasts the music in its most positive light.

And that is a very good thing, indeed because there are some tremendous songs here which became the basis of The Band’s legacy.

The new vinyl pressing, by the way, is excellent. It is pressed on perfectly centered and dead quiet 180-gram black vinyl and comes housed in an audiophile grade lined inner sleeve. So, no problems there. 

In part two of my review of The Band’s Stage Fright – 50th Anniversary, I will explore the Blu-ray disc included in the set which contains the whole album mixed into 5.1 surround sound. It also includes a fantastic concert recorded at The Royal Albert Hall in London, England.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow…

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Classic Rick Derringer SACD Rocks In Quadraphonic Sound

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

In 1973 guitarist, producer and songwriter Rick Derringer issued an album, his first solo release that in its own way helped define the 1970s era of guitar hero rock ‘n’ roll. Called All American Boy, the album was a powerhouse of great song writing with Derringer in the driver seat on many of the instruments as well as sharing production chores with legendary producer Bill Szymczyk (The James Gang, Joe Walsh, Eagles, etc.). 

For teenagers of a certain age in 1973 All American Boy was an essential as it included his then big hit “Rock ‘n’ Roll Hoochie coo.” Unbeknownst to many of us, however, the album was also issued in short-lived Quadraphonic (aka “Quad”) form on multi- channel 8-Track cartridges and long playing vinyl records. Given the failure of the platform, most of us never got to hear those dedicated four channel mixes.  I learned about the Quads years later but have always wanted to hear what they sounded like… 

Fast forward to a month or so back in early 2021 when I learned about a company in England that has been diligently — and officially — getting the rights to re-issue the Quad mixes of rare albums from that period on SACDs! 

I ordered some right away (click here to read my review of the Quad mix of Carlos Santana and Alice Coltrane’s Illuminations album).

As a fan of Rick Derringer’s music since my early teens, I had to order Dutton Vocalion’s Quad SACD of All American Boy and I am not disappointed. It is a wonderful listen. 

Most of the core band is happily centered in the front channels which makes sense given it is pretty much a traditional four-piece rock band kind of scenario. The surround channels are used for overdubbed guitar solos, back-up vocals and even orchestral strings.

The original producers did a really nice job on this release, delivering a nice sense of room ambience even though it’s “just” a four speaker mix.  

It’s worth noting that some Quad mixes from back in the day could be “gimmicky” – that is, having effect swirling around the room or not necessarily natural placement of instruments. Personally I genuinely like some of those mixes however I can understand why some people do not. The good news for those of you who fall into that latter category is this is one of those non-gimmicky Quad mixes that just works. Because of these production choices, the music doesn’t fall apart or get any less rocking because of the expanded separation.

One of the other nice things about this Quad SACD of All American Boy is that Dutton Vocalion did not try to “modernize” or enhance the sound when remastering.  So the recording sounds pretty much like what the the album should sound like, regardless of whether listening in Quadraphonic or Stereo. 

To that, the Stereo “layer” of the album sounds terrific as well, perhaps a bit brighter than my original LP.

Some of my favorite tracks on the Quad SACD of All American Boy include the desperate “Jump Jump Jump” with its epic guitar solo, haunting piano and jazzy-bluesy cinematic touches. I’ve always loved the near jazz fusion vibe of the instrumental track “Time Warp” and the Quad version does not disappoint. 

Speaking of jazz fusion I must highlight one of the happy surprises on this disc you actually get two albums for the price of one, a very nice deal, indeed. Included on this album is Rick Derringer’s second release from 1975 called Spring Fever. Although it didn’t do quite as well as that the1973 debut, it is still a terrific album that rocks hard when it needs to yet has a remarkable diversity of pop songs, ballads even blues jams.

“But what’s the connection to jazz fusion?” You may be asking

Well I was pleasantly surprised (albeit, bittersweetly, given the recent turn of events) to read in the liner notes a detail that I completely overlooked all these years. At the end of side one (on the original vinyl LP version) is a song called ”Rock,” a leftover track from the All American Boy sessions that was completed by none other than Chick Corea (RIP)!

Chick lays down some quite awesome and rocking synthesizer lines in a duel with Derringer’s guitar work. On its own, this song is a pretty basic prototypical “arena rock” stomper with a crowd-pleasing hook and chorus revolving around the title phrase. Yet, with Chick Corea’s synthesizer textures,  this song is elevated to another level that makes it really quite interesting and fun! I think it is also one of the rare instances where Corea actually plays straight ahead rock. 

Let us know in the comments section below if you know of any other sessions he did in the rock realm…

Spring Fever also has a fun reggae-fied cover of The McCoys classic 1965 smash hit “Hang On Sloopy” which — in case you didn’t know — was Rick Derringer’s original band! Yes, he was one of the founding members of The McCoys which soon became Johnny Winter’s back up in the early 70s. This trajectory ultimately led to Derringer’s solo career as a producer and multi instrumentalist.

Kudos again to David Zimmerman for his liner notes which are concise yet offer quite a compelling back-story as to what went into the making of these records. And kudos to Dutton Vocalion for a job well done delivering another ‘70s rock classic in Quadraphonic sound that most of had never had a chance to hear before.

Proof, that Quad can rock!

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Santana / Coltrane Collaboration Shines On Quadraphonic SACD

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

Unless you happen to follow uber-niche enthusiast forums on the Internet, chances are you haven’t heard about a somewhat new series of seemingly officially authorized reissues of original “Quadraphonic” (aka “Quad”) recordings from the 1970s.  These recordings were issued on long playing Quad vinyl records and / or 8-track tape cartridges back in the day, formats which never really caught on in a mass market sense. So, I think it is a fair guess that the majority of people never really got to hear the full discrete quad mixes.   

I didn’t know about the relatively new reissue series until recently when, in fact, I was reminded by Facebook that I hadn’t been to a particular audiophile-type forum I’d joined years earlier. It had seemingly stopped notifying me along the way of new posts so, it faded from my daily view. The information superhighway is a busy place, kids…

Fast forward, after I started participating in said forum again with some related posts I noticed a few folks talking about latest SACDs they’d ordered from a company called Dutton Vocalion out of England. Tracking down the website, I was far too tempted to do a lot of research and just went ahead and took a chance on ordering some titles. 

Amazingly, they arrived in the mail rather quickly! And, generally, I’ve been pleased. Not all of them are perfect, details which I’ll call out as necessary in future reviews. But, overall, it is great to finally officially be able to enjoy some of these rare mixes in a high quality modern disc format that can still be played over a home theater system with minimal hassle.  

You do of course need a surround sound system equipped with a disc player that can support multi-layer SACDs. These being pretty much straight transfers of the original Quadraphonic mixdown tapes, you will only hear the music coming through your front and rear, right and left channels. Unless indicated otherwise there is no information in the center channel nor in the subwoofer. 

The first SACD in this reissue series that I’ve been exploring is a 1974 collaboration between Carlos Santana and Alice Coltrane called Illuminations.  I have owned and enjoyed this spiritually inclined and mostly instrumental album on vinyl for a number of years but the Quadraphonic mix has been a revelation.  

With the music opened up into the room across the four channels, I find it much easier to immerse myself into the welcoming warmth of this powerful music which Devadip Carlos Santana and Turiya Alice Coltrane created. While the mix is discrete, the overall effect is more like a deep enveloping sonic hug.  For the most part Carlos and the band are in the front channels while Alice Coltrane’s Harp and orchestral parts flow in from the rear. The effect is spectacular and rich, especially when you are sitting in the sweet spot of your listening area.  There are lovely moments when Santana’s Guitar seems to flow into Coltrane’s Harp and orchestra in a dance above you in the middle on the room.

The liner notes in the Illuminations SACD — by David Zimmerman — are particularly enlightening for this modest fan of Santana’s music. I have long appreciated his early albums and the multitude of side projects which came out in parallel with that first run of albums (Caravansarai being my favorite, in case you are wondering). This release trajectory was admittedly a bit perplexing at the time, what with side projects appearing — successfully so, mind you! — with the likes of John McLaughlin and Buddy Miles. 

It turns out that Santana was grappling with some serious business related problems — that is, band member drug problems were affecting his business as a band-leader and music maker. It is a fascinating story which I won’t try to summarize here (you should buy the physical SACD to hear the music and read it yourself) but I will say that it was a process of an artist regaining control of his art and the future of his career. So all these side projects make much more sense now in the grand scheme of things.

Overall, I am very happy with this SACD of Devadip Carlos Santana and Turiya Alice Coltrane’s Illuminations.  The remastered Stereo mix on the disc sounds very much like my original 1974-era vinyl LP copy of the album. Coltrane’s orchestrations are  appropriately rich with a certain just-bright-enough sparkle.

Santana’s guitar tone comes across rich, round and heartfelt, with a McLaughlin-esque fire appearing when needed, mostly on “Angel Of Sunlight.”

When the band kicks in — which includes jazz legends like Jack DeJohnette on Drums and Dave Holland on Bass — the result is simply mesmerizing. 

But really, the Quadraphonic mix of Illuminations is really what this disc is all about and you’ll want to give yourself the time to close your eyes and float away with the music on this one. 

I am very happy that Illuminations is one of my first SACDs from Dutton Vocalion. It is a refreshingly simple but affordably-priced package that puts the these Quad mixes within reach of most anyone who owns a home theater system. 

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Hasaan Ibn Ali’s Metaphysics Renews Focus On A Lost Jazz Great

Posted on by Mark Smotroff

Before I could write this review of the fascinating new archival release from Omnivore Recordings by legendary-but-lost-to-the-ages jazz pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali, I had to do some research listening.  Like many of you, I’d never heard of this artist who only had the opportunity to release one album in the mid 1960s, made with no less than Max Roach(!), issued on Atlantic Records. 

That album — called The Max Roach Trio Featuring The Legendary Hasaan Ibn Ali — has indeed gone down into the stuff of legend and rarity, as has his ultimately tragic drug-related, music-business-casualty back story.  I’ve been listening to CD-quality streams of this album on Qobuz (click here) and Tidal (click here) and it is indeed a fine session. No doubt, his was a sort of still-then-fresh approach to the piano akin to Thelonious Monk.  Yet, Ali has his own thing going on here and I find his inherent playfulness quite appealing.  

This is apparent right from the start of the album on the rollicking “Three-Four vs. Six-Eight Four-Four Ways” which delivers exactly what the title says: music first in 3/4 time, then switching up to 6/8 and into 4/4 before cycling back to 3/4.  These days, this sort of time play is fairly common. Back in 1965, it was still fairly new conceptually, at least as popular-leaning recordings went. 

Digging into this new archival Hasaan Ibn Ali release from Omnivore Recordings called Metaphysics, I was taken with the shear beauty and passion of the music. While that first album with Max Roach is wonderful, this previously unreleased sophomore album would likely have been the first one credited solely to the artist. Playing with his own band, they sound like a unit here.  

Propelled by Kalil Madi on drums (The Three Sounds, Billie Holiday, Mongo Santamaria, etc.) and Art Davis again on bass (Monk, Dizzy, Coltrane, Roach, etc.) the group is rounded out by a soaring Odeon Pope on saxophone. It is worth pointing out that this was Pope’s first recording at age 26 and he helps to lift the session into that special space which feels timeless and classic.  He went onto a prolific career including 22 years with Max Roach as well as a multitude of other notable projects. 

“Atlantic Ones” is a catchy driving opener. “Viceroy” has a sweet and immediately hooky melody which in a simpler arrangement could be transformed into a soothing lounge jazz piece for soaking up stiff drinks late nights at the bar.  

The title track “Metaphysics” is a smoker with some incredible connectivity between Ali and bassist Davis showcased. I love how at points it sounds like the piano and bass are floating in the air above the drummer’s pulse as they stretch and dance around the constraints of keeping strict time. “True Train” is no doubt a tribute to Coltrane and it is remarkable because, if you really didn’t know the music too well you might well think it is in fact a Coltrane tune, albeit from his late ‘50s ascent to stardom. 

There are some terrific details in the liner notes by producer Al Sukoenig and Coltrane authority Lewis Porter so be sure to get one of the physical versions of Metaphysics.  

That said, the CD I’ve been listening to sounds remarkably good. Metaphysics was restored and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Michael Graves from a tape copy of long-lost reference acetates of the sessions. It sounds very good with no apparent drop-outs of note, and just a hint of distortion here and there (perhaps from tape saturation or wear on the acetate copy). There is a nice sense of the studio vibe surrounding the band in this Monaural recording.

As I got into Metaphysics I had to pause to think about what might have been had life been different for this artist who never really got a chance to shine in the limelight (which you will read about in the liner notes to the new album).  What might have happened had he become a success like Monk (who himself suffered for decades before the public caught up with him)? Would more pianists have moved in his direction? Would we have had more sheets-of-sound players like Don Pullen emerging in the 70s?  

Imagine the possible collaborations with Mingus and Miles. Imagine a duets album with Monk — if they didn’t kill each other it might have turned out a brilliant pairing, a literal wall of piano sound!

In 1965, had these recordings been issued, they would have fit neatly between cracks of where Coltrane was going and some of the free jazz folks. Today, it still sounds fresh. While it is not as accessible as something like Dave Brubeck’s Time Out, I think it this recording would have found its audience especially among fans of the likes of Monk, Mingus and Max Roach.

Most important for me is that I’m hearing melodies and tunes happening and an unerring sense of swinging — and as Duke Ellington might have said — madly!  

It is a shame what happened to Mr. Ali but at least his music is getting a long overdue return to the spotlight. RIP Hasaan Ibn Ali. May your music live on for eternity.  

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