The subscription based vinyl-only jazz label Newvelle Records, which just finished production of its fourth season's recorded offerings (the first title, Noah Preminger's Preminger Plays Preminger shipped last week), held a special event a the label's "home base" studio: EastSide Sound in NYC today, March 23rd.
Here's a double dose for AnalogPlanet readers (and YouTube viewers) who like "unboxing videos": AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer unboxes the not yet released Analogue Productions UHQR Clarity Vinyl mono issue of Jimi Hendrix's classic "Axis: Bold As Love" and the second edition of the deluxe "Blue Note Review" box #2"—this one a tribute to jazz drummers, particularly Art Blakey.
A shared love of music especially when engraved in vinyl forged a friendship between Michael Fremer and Malachi Lui. Later they found out both also love to cook and the youngster has a sophisticated palate (not surprising). So they decided to cook something together when Malachi next visited, which was last week.
Here's a one camera edited video of the two cooking, talking music, records and sound. Oh, yes, and some politics to which some may object.
In a modern high-performance audio system running out of A.C. jacks is easy, especially if you have only a single-ganged wall jack. But even with a dual jack you’ve only got four-plug A.C. access. So, what’s the solution? If you believe in power conditioning (which is hardly controversial since every recording studio in the world does, though some audio fools don’t), you can add additional jacks with one of those.
In late December AnalogPlanet paid a long overdue visit to Manley Labs' Chino, California headquarters. "Long overdue" because the last visit was at least fifteen years ago—before you could record a factory tour in high-definition.
An elderly gentleman wearing a pair of high tech digital hearing aids accompanied his wife to a kennel club meeting at my home a few years ago. He had little interest in the dog doings upstairs so I invited him downstairs into my listening room. It allowed me to conduct an experiment of sorts. Did he like music? Yes. Had he ever heard or seen a big high performance audio rig? No, he hadn’t. Would he like to hear some music on it? Yes he would: jazz or classical. I obliged, curious to find out what exactly he heard listening through digital hearing aids to a high-resolution audio system. The look on his face told me he was hearing plenty.
Last Sunday while back on the east coast AnalogPlanet’s Malachi Lui paid a visit. We hadn’t seen each other since late July so it was great catching up in person. We spent much of the time together comparing multiple copies of Axis: Bold As Love including a preliminary pressing of the upcoming Analogue Productions UHQR 200 gram vinyl edition in both mono and stereo mixes housed in a not quite finalized version of the exquisite packaging. I shot an impromptu video of the opinionated Mr. Lui fully expressing his opinion to AP’s Chad Kassem. When I suggested that we post the video on AnalogPlanet both Kassem and Lui said “OK” so please watch it below. Lui insisted on writing an intro to the Experience experience, which you’ll find directly below this.—Ed.
AnalogPlanet recently posted 3 96/24 "John Wesley Harding" files recorded from original, Sony Legacy and Mobile Fidelity mono records and asked readers to weigh in on what they heard and which they preferred (if any).
A New Zealand-based reader recently emailed asking if Mobile Fidelity's double 45rpm monophonic Bob Dylan reissues were "worth the money". He added that he was a big Bob Dylan fan.
79 year old Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, unknown to most in the audience, puts on a fiery, funky and fierce standing ovation hour-long performance on the first night of Chad Kassem's "Blues at the Crossroads" Blues Festival Friday October 26th.
This performance by 85 year old Blues legend Bobby Rush is the first in a series of videos shot at this year's "Blues at the Crossroads Blues festival at Blue Heaven Studios in Salina, Kansas. Blue Heaven Studios and the festival are part of Acoustic Sounds' Chad Kassem's music empire.
In a July 2nd story, we announced four new costly arms from SAT(Swedish Analog Technologies): two models each available in 9" and 12" versions. The least expensive of the four, the LM-09 was reviewed in the just shipped October, 2018 Stereophile.
Members of the European press plus AnalogPlanet.com editor Michael Fremer and The Absolute Sound’s Julie Mullins were invited to the launch of two new Marantz limited edition products celebrating the 40th anniversary of legendary Marantz “Brand Ambassador” Ken Ishiwata’s association with the company. The event was held inside famed Concertgabouw rather than at Marantz’s Eindhoven, Netherlands European headquarters.
The “KI” stands for Ken Ishiwata, and ruby is the gemstone associated with 40th anniversaries. Each of the products is limited to 1000 and are considered “collector’s items”. For those who don’t know Ken Ishiwata or the nature of his Marantz relationship, this video will provide the answers. Ken says it’s the first time he’s discussed the history.