LATEST ADDITIONS

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 28, 2020  |  13 comments
This previously unreleased March 9th 1959 session recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack home studio is a “must have” for Blue Note “completists”, especially for those with an affinity for car and plane crash videos. If you are just getting into the rich Blue Note catalog, your money is best spent elsewhere as this session, despite the stellar group, often sounds listless and forced. Grooves get glossed over in favor of speed.

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 27, 2020  |  26 comments
According to Accentus Music, which will release this 3 LP 45rpm direct-to-disc set, the 1,111 copies limit has no particular significance. It just seemed like a 'nice number'. The significance I see is that it will probably quickly sell out!

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 27, 2020  |  3 comments
Though today's Technics Direct Drive turntables are for audiophile not disco use, not surprisingly "Little Fwend"'s playful Norwegians wood name their specially designed for Technics turntables end-of-side arm lifter "Little Disco Fwend".

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 26, 2020  |  11 comments
Switzerland-based HiFiction, best known for its line of Thales tangential tracking pivoted tonearms and high-performance compact turntables recently announced a new, high technology cartridge line called X-quisite (in July of 2018 HiFiction announced its acquisition of EMT’s cartridge assets).

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 24, 2020  |  26 comments
The Emil Berliner Studios Direct-to-Disc recording team supervised by Rainer Maillard, responsible for the D2D Brucker 7th symphony with Bernard Haitink conducting the BPO, shipped its entire disc cutting system exactly one year ago to Bamberg, Germany (the first time the gear had left Berlin) to record for Accentus Music at Konzerthalle Bamberg, Joseph-Keilberth-Saal D2D at 45rpm Czech composer Bedřich Smetana’s symphonic cycle “Má vlast” (My Homeland), best known for including “Vitava” (“The Moldau”), with The Bamberg Symphony, conducted by its musical director Czech-born Jakub Hrůša.

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 24, 2020  |  8 comments
Suave, swinging and exuberant, Michael Weiss’s self-produced Soul Journey sounds something like a big band playing on a Blue Note Records date, but it’s really a small ensemble making like a big one thanks to Weiss’s deft, harmonically-rich, rhythmically neck-snapping arrangements and free-spirited yet tightly drawn, well-meshed performances by the three man veteran horn section of saxophonist Steve Wilson, trumpet and flugelhorn player Ryan Kisor and trombonist Steve Davis.

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 23, 2020  |  14 comments
Rhino will release on September 4th two new early Fleetwood Mac box sets: an 8 CD set Fleetwood Mac 1969-1974 that includes 7 studio albums plus an unreleased 1974 concert, and two versions of an all analog 4 LP+ 7" single set cut from the original master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 22, 2020  |  125 comments
Leaving aside for the moment the numbskulls who are so certain that A.C. power cords cannot possibly affect the sound of their audio systems that they can’t be bothered to actually listen for themselves—never mind that science is predicated upon observation— (plus of course they don’t believe anything they see, hear, taste, smell or touch unless it’s done under controlled “double-blind” conditions), there’s a big problem with heavy power cords: because of their heft, they often partially or sometimes fully pull out of the wall jack.

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 20, 2020  |  28 comments
Monday, July 20, 2020 (Asheville, NC) - A full circle revival is underway for Asheville, NC’s Citizen-Times building. Once home to the daily paper’s printing facility and offices, the historic site will soon be unveiled with a new identity as a boutique vinyl pressing plant, record store and bar/cafe (and a new name):Citizen Vinyl. Founded by veteran music producer Gar Ragland and supported by a dream team of industry professionals and craftsmen, Citizen Vinyl is slated to become North Carolina’s first on site pressing plant, though its mission goes beyond just manufacturing great quality records.

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 16, 2020  |  2 comments
Southern "New Age" is a new musical sub-genre for me, but if this is a typical example of it, y'all can be sure I'm on board. Luke Schneider coaxes from the 1967 emmons push-pull pedal steel guitar (named for the pedal steel guitar great, the late Buddy Emmons) cosmic otherworldly, uplifting heavenly sounds that instantly engage the head and message the heart.

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