Your decision as to whether you need the second volume in the 1950s trilogy of recorded collaborations between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong — October 1957’s Ella And Louis Again — may depend on how much of a fan you are of the Great American Songbook and vocal jazz in general. Read on to see if this 180g 2LP offering from Verve and Acoustic Sounds whets the audiophile palate. . .

Yesterday, I spoke at length on the phone with Robert Hagemann of Acoustic Signature, the notable German manufacturer of top-tier turntables, tonearms, cartridges, phono preamps, record clamps, and other related accessories. Read on to learn more about the ins and outs regarding the scope of and philosophy behind all the NEO series entries in Acoustic Signature’s turntable and tonearm product offerings, and which of the company’s ’tables we’re likely to review next. . .

BMG isn’t messing around with this one — and neither are we. To wit: The late, great singer/songwriter Jim Croce’s benchmark April 1972 album You Don’t Mess Around With Jim is getting properly feted with a 50th anniversary 180g 1LP release on November 25. Read on to find out all the operational details. . .

About the prize:

The Hana EH cartridge is a high-output moving coil (MC) cartridge that comes in a moss-green body, weighs 5g, and houses a cross-coil generator. The synthetic elliptical stylus is mounted to an aluminum cantilever. Specs for the Hana EH include a vertical tracking force of 2g, trackability of 70µm/2g, and suggested load impedance of >47kƱ. The Hana EH is also plug-and-play-compatible with MM phono stages found in integrated amplifiers and A/V receivers.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment about your favorite record shop on this post (feel free to tell us the name of your favorite record store/vinyl shop, where it is located, and why you love shopping for vinyl there!). Click on the picture above for details on how to enter.

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

John Coltrane’s landmark lone album for Blue Note Records, January 1958’s Blue Train, is an acknowledged jazz classic that has only grown in stature over the years. In fact, the album is so highly revered and so popular that demand for original 1950s pressings have escalated on the collector’s market, putting those editions essentially out of reach for most consumers. Fortunately, the good folks behind Blue Note’s Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue series have crafted not one but two releases to celebrate the 65th anniversary of this most beloved Trane album — namely, separate 180g 1LP mono and 180g 2LP stereo editions. This likely raises a slight dilemma for some of us as to which version of we should buy. Read on to find out if one, or both versions are worth obtaining. . .

Unlike household names like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock, respected drummer Idris Muhammad is perhaps not all that well-known to most mainstream jazz music fans. Luckily, the good folks at Vinyl Me Please — working in conjunction with Craft Recordings’ Jazz Dispensary series — have just released a quite fine, RTI-pressed, Kevin Gray-remastered-and-lacquer-cut 180g 1LP reissue of Muhammad’s rare second solo album made for Prestige Records, 1971’s Peace and Rhythm. Read on to find our why you need to get your hands (and ears) on this long-lost limited-edition soul jazz classic. . .

Admirers of Hagerman Audio Labs’ Bugle series of phono preamps have plenty to trumpet about these days, as the company’s fourth-generation Bugle MC is now available. What’s changed, and what’s been upgraded in this 4th-gen unit? Read on to find out what’s what. . .

The Beach Boys sailed into quite a creatively fruitful period in 1972, and a new 180g 5LP+1EP box set dubbed Sail On Sailor - 1972 — slated to be released on November 18 via Capitol/UMe — captures the gist of their labors during such a key transitional year in the band’s history. In addition to the linchpin bookend releases Carl And The Passions – “So Tough” and Holland, this 105-track collection also includes 80 unreleased outtakes, live recordings, demos, alternate versions, alternate mixes, instrumentals, and a cappella tracks. Read on, reader to find out everything that lies within this historical Beach Boys collection. . .

We’ve been talking about Pink Floyd’s Animals 2018 Remix LP for a few months now, and we’ve finally gotten copies in hand to spin on the AnalogPlanet reviewing turntable. How good does this new Animals 180g LP sound, you ask? Read on to find out what Mark Smotroff finds — as in, what’s truly great, and what’s not-so-great — in his in-depth review. . .

Thorens has a longstanding history of turntable excellence. Does the company’s new TD 1500 ’table continue to uphold that mantle? Read Ken Micallef’s review to find out if the belt-driven, suspended subchassis TD 1500 is up to spec. . .