180 Gram Vinyl Record
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Muddy Waters -Folk Singer
58,00 €Add to cartFollow along as writer/professor Wayne Goins explores the creation of Folk Singer, and leads a visual tour of the former Chess Records studios, here. There are a handful of landmark albums in any genre. In the blues, one of them is Muddy Waters' Folk Singer. It's been an audiophile staple for years. Originally released in 1964, Folk Singer was the only acoustic album Waters ever recorded, thus becoming the first and perhaps best blues concept album ever. Muddy of course started out playing acoustic blues in the Delta, and he's clearly very comfortable in this return to his roots, which was designed to appeal to the mid-1960s surge of interest in folk music. Muddy's supporting cast includes a very young Buddy Guy on guitar, Willie Dixon at the upright bass and Clifton James on drums. This recording has enormous presence with ample room for Muddy's booming voice to resonate. Praise for our 45 RPM edition of Folk Singer: "The Quality Record Pressing is drop-dead quiet-as silent as the best Japanese pressings from the late 1970s-and the amount of inner detail released is simply astonishing...the sound is sweet, liquid and free of harshness and edge. The dynamics are mind-boggling. When Muddy takes it up ten notches to emphasize a point it's positively explosive in a way the 33 1/3 version only suggests." Music = 9/10, Sound = 10/10! — Michael Fremer, musicangle.com. "How about a 45 RPM set from Analogue Productions' recently launched Quality Record Pressings Facility, mastered by Bernie Grundman, in a beautiful gatefold jacket with extra sessions shots? It's been ages since I've heard LP surfaces this quiet — as in dead quiet. The expense and effort that Chad Kassem and company put into this venture are immediately obvious. ... Making music together bring this recording to life as never before. It's by far the best sounding and most engaging version yet... analog lovers will be in hog heaven." — Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, May/June, Issue 223
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Oscar Peterson – We Get Requests
44,00 €Add to cartThis reissue delivers on so many levels, and is in every way better than my original 1960s-era vinyl pressing. The LP was mastered in stereo from the original analog tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP). The list price is $38.98, and it’s worth every penny." — Music = 9/11; Sound = 10/11 — Mark Smotroff, Analog Planet, Aug. 5, 2022. Read the entire review here. When Jim Davis started producing records at Verve, he changed the company's recording philosophy toward its most prolific instrumentalist. Where Norman Granz had produced countless Oscar Peterson albums dedicated to the popular song, Davis was more interested in making albums closer to how the Peterson trio sounded live. By then the Peterson trio with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen had been together for five years and performed like a well-oiled machine. Listeners here are treated to mostly pop songs of the day, including bossa nova tunes and film themes, and the treatments are fairly brief, with emphasis placed squarely on the melodies. Originally released in 1964.
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Eric Dolphy – Out There (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cartIn 1960, the free jazz pioneered by Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Horace Tapscott and a very few others was rejected by many musicians and most listeners. For the visionary saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist Eric Dolphy, it was simply new music fed by the mainstream, a logical extension of the jazz tradition. In Far Cry without leaving form behind, he incorporated the spirit of adventure and abandon with which free jazz at its best infused freshness into jazz. Recording with a pianoless quartet that used Ron Carter’s cello as the other melody instrument, Dolphy worked from chord patterns developed within structures that depart from ordinary 32-bar jazz and popular song forms. He used 30-bar, 35-bar and 18-bar structures, but he also observed standard practice with 12-bar blues, “Serene.” Dolphy’s speech-like improvisations and Carter’s bowed or plucked cello solos soar over the impeccable and responsive accompaniments of bassist George Duvivier and drummer Roy Haynes.
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John Coltrane – Ballads
44,00 €Add to cart"(Ballads) is an album that will never go out of style and never be unwelcome on any jazz lover's turntable. ... I compared this Ryan K. Smith cut with an original pressing (so happy to have) and with the out of print double 45 RPM ORG Music version cut by Bernie Grundman aboutt a decade ago. ... Ryan's cut has his characteristic clarity and transparency all set against QRP's usual jet black backgrounds ... Ryan's new cut is a 100% top to bottom success and is easy to recommend." — Music = 11/11; Sound = 10/11 - Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. Read Fremer's entire review here. Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' new audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings. John Coltrane's immortal Impulse! records, A Love Supreme (1964) and Ballads (1963) both have drawn rave reviews since their original release. A.B. Spellman, former administrator for the National Endowment for the Arts, once described Ballads as "some of the most sensitive, heartfelt music that any lover ever sang on a horn." Put simply, most guys don't play the saxophone like John Coltrane. The intense passionate Coltrane interpretation of standards such as "All Or Nothing At All," "What's New," "It's Easy To Remember" and the Sinatra classic "Nancy (With The Laughing Face)" are the essence of Ballads. When asked why attempt such an undertaking, Coltrane replied "Variety." While it may have been a short detour by Trane before he exploded off into the nether regions of jazz music a few years later, it is still a fantastic document of one of the premier jazz groups of the 1960s. Recorded December 21, 1961 and September 18 & November 13, 1962 at Rudy Van Gelder Studios. "It's impossible to sleepwalk through tracks like "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "I Wish I Knew" and impart them with even a fraction of the emotional heft that the Quartet achieves. This is the type of jazz album in which the music just washes over the listener with it's restrained grace and beauty, and while it may not have the adventurousness that some listeners think Trane should have had each and every time he recorded, I'd say it shows off a side of him that only makes us appreciate his more bold and daring albums even more." — The Jazz Record
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Stevie Ray Vaughan – Couldn’t Stand The Weather
88,00 €Add to cartThe 45 RPM Analogue Productions reissue of Stevie Ray Vaughan's Couldn't Stand The Weather is so good, as are its 45 RPM companions — Texas Flood and Soul To Soul — that they truly represent what Gregg Geller, producer and A&R representative described as "the best replication of the master tapes to date." We've already brought you the 33 1/3 RPM box set Texas Hurricane featuring the greatest Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute ever reissued — six of Vaughan's most classic album titles remastered for ultimate blues and guitar fanatics. We've now taken the extra step and done 45 RPM versions of these three standout LPs. We've used the original 30 inches-per-second, half-inch analog master tapes for all of these albums. Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound cut the lacquers for the LPs using the ultimate VMS 80 cutting lathe. Gary Salstrom handled the plating and the vinyl was pressed of course at our Quality Record Pressings, maker of the world's finest-sounding LPs. Couldn’t Stand The Weather is the remarkable sophomore album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. It follows their critically acclaimed debut, Texas Flood. Incorporating the same winning formula of musicianship and songwriting, Couldn’t Stand The Weather cemented Vaughan’s place as one of music’s greatest. It is their first to earn gold certification and their first platinum-seller. It includes breathtaking renditions of Clark’s “Cold Shot” and Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child.” A staple on the Billboard charts, this definitive masterpiece received praise from Entertainment Weekly, Q, Down Beat and many others. There's not a link in this production chain that wasn't absolute first-rate. The absolute best that money can buy. But beyond that we've poured our passion into this project. Acoustic Sounds is a big fan of the blues and Stevie Ray Vaughan. It's a big dream come true to work on this project and to make these records sound and look the best they ever have.
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Joan Baez – Recently
58,00 €Show itemIn 1987, the "Madonna of Folk" returned to U.S. record shops with a vengeance, delivering here interpretations of songs by Dire Straits, Johnny Clegg, U2 and Peter Gabriel — performers, writes AllMusic, whose political consciousness had been formed by listening to old Joan Baez albums. We've taken a classic and kicked it up a notch. Several notches, in fact. This 200-gram stunner, pressed at Quality Record Pressings, was expertly remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Lacquer plating was by QRP's master technician Gary Salstrom, topped off by a heavy cardboard tip-on jacket from Stoughton Printing with vibrantly reproduced original artwork. How does it get any better? The title track from Recently is a stunning Joan Baez original, where she boldly answers ex-husband David Harris' downbeat memoir of the '60s, Dreams Die Hard, as well as other '80s revisionists. The track "Asimbognagna" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.
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John Coltrane – Standard Coltrane (Stereo)
58,00 €Add to cart“The title could not have been more accurate. By 1962, Coltrane’s leadership role was undeniable; he was a standard-bearer of musical commitment, and intense, bold exploration. As well, all four tunes on the album were truly ‘standards’: 32-bar tunes originally crafted for Broadway or Hollywood projects, adopted by jazz instrumentalists to interpret and explore. There’s another meaning to be gleaned from the album’s title. In 1958, when Coltrane recorded the tracks, he often favored melodies that had attained popularity during his teen years—familiar and unfamiliar alike—all in a search to find new structures and fresh inspiration. This indeed was standard Coltrane—in ’58, and well into the ’60s.” — All Music Guide
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Billie Holiday – Songs For Distingue Lovers
44,00 €Add to cartIt is undeniable that Billie Holiday's singing changed in her later years. Her voice darkened and shifted to a lower range. Her economy of means distilled her sound to its expressive essence — a kind of heightened speech. The classic LP Songs For Distingue Lovers has also deepened and become burnished with time. Maybe it's that still-arresting word, "distingue"; maybe it's that iconic, tinted image of Lady Day on the cover. But now that legendary LP, with the singer's best studio work of the Fifties, is available through the Acoustic Sounds Series. Originally released in 1957. Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings.
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Charles Mingus – Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
44,00 €Show item"The album features the two sides of Mingus' compositional genius: the beautiful balladry that I always feel has a bit of a film-noir feel to it, alongside those joyous upbeat numbers that are filled with an organized chaos that categorizes much of the bassist's best work. ... Throw in the fact that it also features Jaki Byard (who is just phenomenal on this recording and remains criminally underrated), Booker Ervin, Dannie Richmond and Eric Dolphy and you have some of Mingus' finest sidemen driving his compositions to the fantastical places they seemed preordained to go. ... Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus is a record that has more than stood the test of time and is an everlasting testament to the talents of Mingus and the players who had the ability to follow his musical vision." — The Jazz Record Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus was Charles Mingus' last major studio recording of the 1960s (the solo Mingus Plays Piano would also be released the same year in 1964) and it's a real treasure in the great jazz bassist's discography Two of the tracks ("Celia" and "I X Love") were recorded at the sessions for The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady, while the rest were laid down eight months later with a group that included Booker Ervin, Eric Dolphy and Jaki Byard (Byard also played on the two earlier tracks). Both sessions featured groups of 11 players, all of whom were in top form in performing Mingus' notoriously complex compositions, writes jazzrecord.com. All but two tracks on Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus were re-interpretations of songs from the bassist's earlier catalog, only "Celia" rates as a new original number, and "Mood Indigo" is a cover of the famous tune by Mingus's hero Duke Ellington. If you happen to have lost your Mingus decoder ring, the remaining tracks correlate to their past counterparts as such: "II B.S." = "Haitian Fight Song" "I X Love" = "Nouroog" "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" = "Better Git It In Yo' Soul" "Theme For Lester Young" = "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" "Hora Decubitus" = "E's Flat Ah's Flat Too" For Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus Mingus collaborated with arranger/orchestrator Bob Hammer to score the music for the large ensemble of brass and saxophones. Recorded January 20 and September 20, 1963 in New York City. Musicians: On A2 & A3: Charles Mingus - Bass, Piano Jerome Richardson - Baritone Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute Dick Hafer - Tenor Sax, Flute Charlie Mariano - Alto Sax Rolf Ericson - Trumpet Richard Williams - Trumpet Quentin Jackson - Trombone Don Butterfield - Contrabass Trombone, Tuba Jay Berliner - Guitar Jaki Byard - Piano Dannie Richmond - Drums On A2, A4, B1, B2, & B3 Charles Mingus - Bass Dick Hafer - Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet Jerome Richardson - Baritone Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute Booker Ervin - Tenor Sax Eric Dolphy - Alto Sax, Flute Eddie Preston - Trumpet Richard Williams - Trumpet Britt Woodman - Trombone Don Butterfield - Tuba Jaki Byard - Piano Walter Perkins - Drums
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Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins – Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins
44,00 €Add to cart"One of the great Ellington albums, one of the great Hawkins albums and one of the great albums of the 1960s." — The New York Times Even though Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins had both been well-known jazzmen since the early 1920s and continued to be successful until their deaths, their only recorded encounter was the LP Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (Impulse AS-26), taped in 1962 and presented here in its entirety. Hawkins had been an admirer of Duke Ellington's music for at least 35 years at this point and Ellington had suggested they record together at least 20 years prior to their actual meeting in 1962. Although it would have been preferable to hear the tenor sax great performing with the full orchestra, his meeting with Ellington and an all-star group taken out of the big band does feature such greats as Ray Nance on cornet and violin, trombonist Lawrence Brown, altoist Johnny Hodges, and baritonist Harry Carney. High points include an exuberant "The Jeep Is Jumpin'," an interesting remake of "Mood Indigo," and a few new Ellington pieces. This delightful music is recommended in one form or another. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on August 18, 1962 and released in February 1963 by Impulse! Records. Musicians: Coleman Hawkins, tenor sax Duke Ellington, piano Ray Nance, cornet and violin Johnny Hodges, alto sax Harry Carney, baritone sax and bass clarinet Aaron Bell, bass Sam Woodyard, drums
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Coleman Hawkins – Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster
44,00 €Add to cartAs critic Nat Hentoff makes clear, Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster were larger than life. Formidable, even forbidding presences, they revealed a depth of feeling in their playing that spoke of their vast life experiences, as great writers or painters speak through their work. Recorded in 1957. Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings. Musicians: Coleman Hawkins, tenor saxophone Ben Webster, tenor saxophone Ray Brown, bass Herb Ellis, guitar Oscar Peterson, piano Alvin Stoller, drums
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Duke Ellington & John Coltrane – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
44,00 €Show itemThe classic 1962 album Duke Ellington & John Coltrane introduces the rising jazz saxophone innovator performing with the long-established piano institution Duke Ellington. "Perhaps looking to renew his inspiration or maybe simply wanting to broaden his horizons, Duke Ellington began a string of collaborations in the second half of his career — whereas before that, his own band was stimulus enough. Whatever the reason, almost all of his collaborations succeeded at high levels, although none of his shared sessions are more intriguing on the surface than this 1962 date with the preeminent sax star of the day. "In reality, the record amounts to 'Coltrane Plays Ellington' (plus one Coltrane original) because the tenor man is the whole show — and what a show it is. Only Coltrane could be as 'fiercely tender,' and there's no better forum for his sensitive side than the music of Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, who contributes the album's true vertex, 'My Little Brown Book.' The rhythm section alternates between Duke's and Trane's, each adding a different texture to the proceedings. Ellington is wise enough to appreciate the nature of the session, and he is quite content to feed chords in service of the young master--proving the old master's open mind and good taste. Hearing Coltrane seize 'In a Sentimental Mood' is thanks enough." — Marc Greilsamer At a gathering of Ellington band alumni organized by Jazz at Lincoln Center, bassist John Lamb recalled the sessions for Duke Ellington & John Coltrane: "There was no music on that whole date. Nobody had a chart. We came in and we were standing there, waiting to see what would happen. 'Trane would go and sit on the piano bench with Duke. They didn't talk, but Duke would be singing ... and 'Trane would go ... Then, after they did that for a few minutes, they got up. 'Trane would go to his microphone, Duke would start playing, and the rhythm section, we had to do for ourselves, you know. That's it. He didn't even tell you the key. He could communicate without words, and 'Trane could hear it." On "Take the Coltrane," the two play in a quartet of Coltrane's bandmates of the day, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones (Ellington men Lamb and drummer Sam Woodyard also played on the album). — JazzIz Magazine Recorded on September 26, 1962 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
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John Coltrane – ‘Live’ At The Village Vanguard
44,00 €Add to cart"I listened to both sides of the Coltane VV LP. The s/n ratio on these superb pressings makes the music come alive like never before. I've listened to this album in so many forms: original vinyl, the first MCA reissues, also the MCA vinyl with the awful green labels. The way this album was mastered, the state-of-the-art pressings makes you realize that RVG actually did a superb job in capturing the on-stage magic of these live sessions. I never really thought that before! Congrats to Chad Kassem and all the team" — Tom Schnabel, Emeritus Producer, KCRW's Rhythm Planet "Two new Coltrane reissues on vinyl, from the partnership of Universal Music and Acoustic Sounds typify the breadth of (Coltrane's) range and the depths of his explorations. ... The sound quality of both, engineered by Rudy Van Gelder and mastered by Ryan Smith, is very good, with caveats. Vanguard is from a second LP master; the original tapes vanished long ago. ... This reissue lacks the full warmth and air of the original pressing, but good luck finding one. This is much better than any other reissue." — Fred Kaplan, Stereophile, April 2022 "If you get a chance to compare an original A-10 with this reissue you'll appreciate how fine this reissue sounds but you'll also hear greater texture to Coltrane's horn(s), far more 'room sound,' and especially cymbal 'ring'. The original is 'you are there' great, in part thanks to RVG's dozen microphone mixing, but you know what? If you never get to hear the original this reissue is 'you are there' great too." — Music = 11/11; Sound = 9/11 — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Fremer's full review, click here. Sax virtuoso John Coltrane "Live" at the Village Vanguard (Impulse! AS-10), was Trane's first official "live" album. Coltrane is joined here on two tunes by the wonderful Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet, plus veteran sidemen McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison & Reggie Workman alternating on bass. Right after the Village dates, Trane and Dolphy would embark on a successful European tour. Recorded live at the Village Vanguard, New York, November 2 & 3, 1961 Musicians: John Coltrane, tenor and soprano sax Eric Dolphy, bass clarinet on 1 & 5 only McCoy Tyner, piano Reggie Workman, bass on 1, 2, 5 & 6 Jimmy Garrison, bass on 3-5 Elvin Jones, drums
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Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong – Ella & Louis Again
44,00 €Add to cartThis new reissue of Ella And Louis Again is a much-needed solution for audiophile-leaning jazz fans the world over. If you’ve ever gone looking for original pressings of this record, you know that it is hard to find in any condition. ... The two 'Ella And Louis Again' LPs in the set I’m reviewing here are thick, dark, quiet, and, most importantly (for me, at least), well-centered. Ryan K. Smith’s disc mastering is once again excellent, delivering a clean and punchy vinyl playback experience while sounding true to the release’s era." — Music = 10/11; Sound = 9/11 - Mark Smotroff, AnalogPlanet.com. Producer Norman Granz had a stroke of genius when he signed the jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to his Verve label. The duo that critics have called "A match made in heaven," take to the microphone here for a repeat on Ella And Louis Again, the sequel to 1956's acclaimed Ella and Louis. Ella's voice — radiant, warm, sweet as honey, and Louis' gritty, gravelly, croon formed a sound rife with commercial success. The sequel album was backed by the Oscar Peterson trio, with Louie Bellson replacing Buddy Rich on the drums. The 10-track album had seven tracks with solo singing and three duet tracks. Ella and Louis Again stood out from their first album and subsequent album Porgy and Bess. It focused more on the artist's voices rather than Louis' trumpet solos on Ella and Louis and didn't have a big band like the one featured in Porgy and Bess. This focus truly brought the voices of the two icons center stage, where they were able to perform in perfect black and white contrast. The Oscar Peterson trio did not go unnoticed, however. They were mentioned as a "solid rhythm section" by Alex Henderson at AllMusic. Ella and Louis Again will rein down in history as being an important piece to what could be considered the most iconic jazz trilogy of all time. Originally released in 1957. Musicians: Louis Armstrong, trumpet, vocals Ella Fitzgerald, vocals Louie Bellson, drums Ray Brown, bass Herb Ellis, guitar Oscar Peterson, piano
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Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson – Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (Remastered)
44,00 €Add to cart"Recorded in July and October of 1957 by Verve's house recording engineer Val Valentin, the album was released in mono in 1959, followed shortly thereafter by a stereo release. This reissue comes from Universal Music, who have retained Acoustic Sounds to select titles, master and press them. Despite the mono cover and labels, it is in stereo. It has some of the attributes of early stereo. Armstrong is in the middle with piano in the left channel, bass, and guitar in the right channel. However, unlike many stereo recordings of the 1950s, the three channels are well blended, and there are no vast gaps of air between the soloist and instruments. Indeed, the presentation is far superior to my original mono copy which sounds flat and uninvolving by comparison. It is not as great sounding as the Ella collaboration albums, as Armstrong stands too close to the microphone, adding some modest overload at points. The mastering, by Ryan Smith of Sterling Sound, adds sparkle and texture which are missing with the original. The 180-gram pressing is beautifully flat and quiet — an outstanding musical performance with improved sound — just what a reissue should provide." Recording = 8/10; Music = 9/10 - Dennis D. Davis, Hi-Fi +, Issue 189 Please note: This recording does include some vocal parts that will sound sibilant when played by some cartridges. This is not a pressing defect. It is in the recording. Michael Fremer of Analog Planet described it this way: "Unfortunately, Armstrong sings too close to the microphone and on a few vocal punctuations oversaturates the tape, which produces some genuinely nasty, though fleeting distortion (it's not mistracking)." (https://www.analogplanet.com/content/louis-armstrong-meets-oscar-peterson-%C2%A0-and-love-mutual) "The 1959 session Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson is a result of Verve founder Norman Granz’s desire to bring together musicians from different backgrounds. (He produced the Jazz at the Philharmonic jam sessions.) Oscar Peterson, he believed, could fit in anywhere. Although this LP isn’t my favorite Armstrong from the period, Granz (whose name in the original notes is misspelled 'Grans') makes his point. The twelve ballads recorded here include numbers Armstrong had never previously recorded. The emphasis is on Armstrong’s vocals. When he takes a trumpet solo, he sounds almost polite, as if unwilling to burst the bubble of the recording studio. Peterson is garrulous as usual, but doesn’t offer the kind of robust counterweight Armstrong is used to with his All Stars. There are no blues, but the songs are top notch. The record begins with 'That Old Feeling.' When Armstrong starts to sing, all is forgiven. He is just there, startlingly present. He’s my favorite male jazz singer: I even like the way he clears his throat on 'Let’s Fall in Love.'" — Michael Ullman, The Arts Fuse, Sept. 24, 2020. Read the entire review here. "Louis, then in his mid ‘50s, and the all-star backing band cover a dozen familiar tunes including 'That Old Feeling,' 'Let's Fall In Love' (in which Louis takes a solo an octave up from what's expected), 'Just One of Those Things,' and 'What's New.' ... (this is a) thoroughly enjoyable and otherwise well-recorded Armstrong set. Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson provides a guaranteed emotional pick-up in genuinely dreary times. The sealed review copy was perfectly pressed at QRP and 100% silent, with the super-black backgrounds that QRP manages when all goes well in their presses." — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. Read the entire review here. "In the second reissue of the Acoustic Sound Series, Universal Music Group has done a stellar job in re-mastering Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson to 180-gram vinyl. The new mix (Ryan Smith/Sterling Sound) is especially appealing. Armstrong's edgy vocal tonality is more smooth and fluent, centered directly. Instrumentation never overshadows the singing. A hi-gloss gatefold packaging and upgraded protective sleeve underscore the superior quality of this series. (Chad Kassem/Acoustic Sounds)." — 4.5/5 stars / Robbie Gerson, Audiophile Audition, Aug. 12, 2020. Read the entire review here. Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' new audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series will launch July 31, 2020 with inaugural releases — the sensational collaborations, Stan Getz and João Gilberto's landmark Getz/Gilberto (1964) and the remarkable Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (1959). Utilizing the skills of the top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings, all titles will be mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases will be supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world's largest source for audiophile recordings. The Acoustic Sounds series will feature two releases a month highlighting a different storied label spanning Verve/UMe's extraordinarily rich archive. To begin with, the series will largely focus on some of the most popular albums from the ‘50s and ‘60s in their unmatched catalog. The July releases will celebrate two of Verve's most beloved albums, the aforementioned Getz/Gilberto and Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson, and will be followed in August by John Coltrane's immortal Impulse! records, A Love Supreme (1964) and Ballads (1963). Two of Nina Simone's legendary Phillips albums I Put A Spell On You (1965) and Pastel Blues (1965) will come in September which will be succeeded in October by two from the EmArcy Records vault: Sarah Vaughan's self-titled 1954 album, the vocal great's sole collaboration with influential trumpeter Clifford Brown, who is also represented alongside pioneering drummer Max Roach on the hard bop classic, Study In Brown (1955). November will spotlight Decca Records with the iconic Peggy Lee's first album, Black Coffee (1956), and composer George Russell's important New York, N.Y. (1959) performed by an all-star orchestra that includes Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Art Farmer and Milt Hinton, among others. All titles and exact release dates are listed below. Additional titles will be announced as the series progresses. "We are excited to launch our Acoustic Sounds series," said Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO of UMe. "Verve and UMe have one of the richest jazz catalogs ever recorded and our goal is to give vinyl and music lovers the best possible versions of classic albums. The Acoustic Sounds series is designed to appeal to today's most discriminating fans, and those discovering this treasured legacy for the first time, looking for the very finest in both artistic content and audio quality." "We're very honored to have Verve and UME partnering with us to create what we believe will be the highest quality reissues of some of the world's greatest jazz albums. Each step in our production process — from title selection to mastering, pressing and packaging — is designed to meet the highest standards, and we want everyone who hears these albums to feel the love and hard work we put into everything we do," Kassem said. "We've long had a great relationship with UME, pressing classic titles at our Quality Record Pressings from many of their highest-profile artists. We look forward to strengthening that partnership even further with these reissues from Verve, home of the world's largest jazz catalog." Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson is a brilliant undertaking in which Verve's legendary "house pianist" encountered one of jazz's most revered giants. A significant part of Peterson's genius was his ability to be an exceptional pianist and leader, while also being a perfect accompanist when the circumstance demands... and in a situation like this, to be both. Armstrong is not only recognized as one of the most innovative, singular, fascinating and beloved artists of the 20th century, but also one of the most generous in the way he embraced and stimulated his collaborators. Backed by the Oscar Peterson Trio — bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, and augmented by frequent fourth member Louis Bellson on drums — these peerless heavyweights created an album that is utterly compelling, radiantly jubilant and consummate in artistry. The musicians provided the setting for the jewel that is Pops, with Peterson perfectly embellishing every phrase Armstrong sings or plays. The focus here is primarily upon his totally personal and thoroughly captivating vocal style, with his occasional trumpet solos limited in all but one case to a single chorus. Essentially culled from the Great American Song Book — Cole Porter, the Gershwins and Harold Arlen among the songwriters — the pieces range from poignant ballads and blues to effusive easy-grooved swing. Each song is an exquisitely crafted gem that will warm the heart and enrich the soul.
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Ray Charles – Genius + Soul = Jazz
44,00 €Add to cart"Genius + Soul = Jazz is a winner, now sounding better than ever. I like this reissue so much I'll probably not play my original again since it isn't in quite as nice condition. In fact, I'm not sure if I really need to even keep my original in the collection at this point given the quality of this reissue. And that is probably the best complement I can offer." — Mark Smotroff, Audiophile Review, May 17, 2021. Read the entire review here. Ray Charles was best known for his work in the idioms of R&B, rock 'n' roll and even successful forays into country. But he also recorded influential jazz albums, including the groundbreaking Genius + Soul = Jazz originally released in 1961. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, in late 1960, Genius + Soul = Jazz was produced by Creed Taylor and includes arrangements by Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns. Ray Charles played the organ with three vocals ("I've Got News For You," "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town" and "One Mint Julep") and band members included members of the Count Basie Orchestra: Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Billy Mitchell, Frank Wess, Freddie Green and Sonny Payne among others. The record ascended to the No. 4 spot on Billboard's pop album chart and spawned the very first singles on Impulse. "I've Got News For You" rose to No. 8 R&B and No. 66 on the Hot 100. In addition, Charles' version of "One Mint Julep" charted No. 1 R&B and No. 8 pop and his rendition of the blues standard "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town" reached No. 25 R&B and No. 84 pop. Although Basie himself does not appear on the album, the Count was a major model as Charles assembled a full-scale, working orchestra. Basie also influenced his use of organ in a jazz context, and Charles was happy to record at the Van Gelder studio, where Jimmy Smith had recorded his classic Blue Note albums. Truly, as Dick Katz wrote in his original January 1961 liner notes, "The combination here of rare talent plus uncommon craftsmanship has produced a record that showcases the timeless quality an innate taste that is uniquely that of Ray Charles."