Mo’ Music!
Rick Gardner

The combination of lots of new toys to review and lots of new music to explore has forced me to modify my pattern of "tacking" what I listened to at the end of a specific review. So, here is some of what passed through my system during the Jena Labs and Essence Power equipment reviews. And, I ran out of room long before I could even get to my alternative stuff. I want to talk about some NEW forms like trip-hop and ambient stuff that disserves some attention from more audiophiles. Not all modern electronic music is ugly and aggressive. I am fascinated with the recording- studio-as-instrument and so are these folks.

Ah, well . . . perhaps in the next issue, if David can continue to put up with my crap.

I have always ranked the JVC Extended Resolution CD’s at the top of what can be accomplished with the current CD standard. With their updated II technology we see an incremental, but nonetheless appreciated improvement in sound quality. The estimable Mr. Taguchi (producer for all of the XR CD’s) was kind enough to include a sampler disc, which allows direct comparisons between the first and second generation XR technology, and the improvements are audible, if not particularly earth shattering.

Of particular interest for fans of this series is the fact that JVC of America does not distribute the entire XR catalog in the US. A significant number of titles are only released in Japan (there are some duplicate titles, but not many). These have been unavailable to consumers in the US until recently, but can now be purchased (sole source) from May Audio Marketing, 10524 Lexington Drive, Ste. 300, Knoxville, Tennessee (423) 966-8844.

I’ve seen variations in the prices for the domestic releases from the mid- to high $30.00 range. The imports are all $40.00. These are small run, highly labor intensive, labors of love and I think it is remarkable JVC is willing to go to all the trouble for what must be minor ducats for a giant company.

When I spoke with Mr. Taguchi he described the distribution for the domestic releases to be somewhat "fluid" since JVC was ending direct distribution in the US. Until further notice, availability will be primarily through specialty mail-order retailers.

Mastering and production are identical between the import and domestic releases and all are managed by the original Taguchi/Yoshida team. Other than the price, the only differences lie with packaging, and here the imports win hands-down. I appreciate the desire to make the package reflect the immense care taken in these recordings and I think the attempt to "mimic" their mostly analogue roots is cute . . . but the mini-record sleeve scheme used in the domestic releases is an unmitigated pain-in-the-ass. There is no way of getting the discs in and out while only touching the edges unless you have the fingers of a clock-maker or brain surgeon. The imports have the more traditional daisy-center, but they too feature such shallow finger indents, that corpulent American digits will still find the process of extraction frustrating, but less so than with the sleeves. The import cases are also a bit shorter than the domestics (which are lots bigger than the standard jewel case). This may be a factor for some depending upon how you store your discs storage. In either case, I would prefer less opulent packaging and a resultant price break.

This 1982 recording finds the venerable Ms. Vaughan backed by a stellar group (Joe Pass, Roland Hanna, et al) and firmly settled into jazz classics. The close-miked recording is very good for the most part, but suffers a bit when she horses up the volume on that wonderfully dusky, wet voice. Overall the sound quality is very good, and with Sarah getting the producer credits, presumably reflective of her tastes and choices at the height of her powers.

Surprisingly, there is a great sense of air and space in this vintage recording. Vibes are tough to record, especially in the upper registers. Rich harmonically, even though I am not a fan of mono, I was beguiled. The new BAT VK-50-SE (review forthcoming) proved to be especially adept in extracting every scintilla of air and life from this vintage recording without ever highlighting technical limitations.

Tiger is one of the most consistently interesting trumpet players working today. Curiously, in the liner notes for this disc, the writer pens that Tiger will "never be famous" . . . well, I suppose if having enormous talent and a unique voice are barriers to fame then . . . sure . . .

This work is a significant departure from his last release (an homage to mentor Louie Armstrong) and is based mostly on Tiger’s experiences in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck his family home of Kobe, Japan in 1995 (when Tiger was there visiting relatives). Spare, emotionally raw, stark but richly textured, this is a recording that requires frequent, contemplative visits. The recent (1998) recording is big, deep, wide and lush. Mastered "live" to 2-track the recording is flawless.

Rich, lustrous sonics, with even some light-hearted moments (Someone Lovelier Than You) this classic recording is enormously enjoyable.

New Import JVC XRCD II Releases

John Coltrane – Soultrane

The sonics on this disc are slightly superior to Settin’ the Pace. This is such a revered work among aficionados, it hardly needs additional comment.

I gotta admit, Sonny Rollins is my kind of saxophone player. This is a stunningly immediate recording, belying its advanced age. His rich, harmonic style is wonderfully highlighted by a recording that sounds as fresh as if it were recorded this very day.

Knocks me out! This disc is defined in my mind by the second cut, "You Don’t Know What Love is." Darkly romantic, film-noir foggy streets with trench-coated, tormented souls lingering under lampposts . . . wonderfully rich, 3-D sonics. You gotta have this one.

My association with Mobile Fidelity products goes back to their beginnings, with vinyl releases like Stormy Weekend (Mystic Moods), Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town (Emmylou Harris), Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd), Touch (John Klemmer) and many others . . . vinyl I still play on a weekly basis. When CD’s killed mainstream vinyl Mofi hung on for a while, but eventually had to choose between embracing the new medium or dissolution. Thankfully, they chose to change with the times and continued their reissues on "gold disc" CD’s. While there has been considerable debate about the absolute merits of alternative CD materials (JVC, for example, asserts that careful testing reveals no inherent sonic advantages of alternative materials to the standard aluminum disc), even casual listening reveals the advantages of the care taken by Mofi in their reissue process.

The GAIN II process (well covered in these pages by our estimable editor) represents both an improvement in Mofi’s products, but just as importantly a bridge between the current digital technology and the soon-to-be-released Sony Super CD format (said by many to be clearly superior to DVD as an audio-only format).

The only real competitor to the Mofi releases (because they specialize primarily in re-releases of "mainstream" pop and rock recordings) are the DCC gold discs.

Mobile Fidelity Ultradiscs are generally available in larger or specialty retail stores for $25.00 to $28.00 dollars, and are also readily available from a variety of mail order houses (often with good discounts). In Portland I can typically find a good assortment of used discs in the $15.00 to $17.00 range, making them an excellent buy.

Three relatively newer releases are worthy of note.

Tom is one of the most enduring voices in pop/rock music. Firmly rooted in the 60’s (straight-ahead rock band with Byrd-like twelve string ambiance), he has managed to keep his music in front of the American public, despite the dissolution of the Heartbreakers and epic struggles with the evil forces that administer the music business. Full Moon Fever is one of his most popular post-Heartbreakers efforts. In direct comparison with the original CD, the Mofi reissue is noticeably more open, detailed and three-dimensional. Make no mistake, this is not a great recording. One of the things I have always liked about Mofi, is that while they take great care to extract the best from the master tape, they will put the music first before sonics. If you are a fan and frustrated by the thin, two-dimensional sound of the original release, this disc will give you lots of pleasure. But . . . if you are expecting sonic nirvana . . . you may want to look elsewhere.

Some have carped about the sound of the original recording, but hey . . . I heard them live and, narcotics aside . . . THIS is what they sounded like! This live recording has a lot more depth than their studio releases. And let’s face it, a few exceptions aside, bands in the 60’s weren’t exactly all about slickly produced performances. Hell, I remember seeing a Buffalo Springfield concert that was no more formal or planned out than a garage band having a drunken practice session. This is a charming disc . . . a full-on psychedelic blast!

Not all of the work from this extraordinary duo has held up over time. Frankly, some of it is embarrassingly naïve. Bookends contains some of their most sophisticated and emotionally touching work (America, Overs, Old Friends). Except for the most recent release of a boxed set, the digital reissues of their works have been uniformly horrible. This one is absolutely marvelous. A must have!

This has long been my favorite by the sad-faced Canadian singer-song writer. I know every word on every song and I have listened to this album on every significant system I have ever owned. I am also a big fan of the DCC series. The music, by-and-large, is well chosen and the materials are sensible and useful (even including photographs of the original Reprise LP label). The outer cover sleeves are also a nice touch.

In direct comparison with the original LP, the Simply Vinyl reissue LP and the original CD, this new offering by DCC is virtually indistinguishable from the re-issue vinyl and clearly superior to the originals (and yes . . . I did find an early Reprise issue of the original LP). Liquid and airy, with nary a trace of the occasional hardness that marred the original this is a noteworthy addition to the DCC catalog.

Over the years I have found Alligator records to be a completely reliable source for the best of what’s happening in blues (after all, what can you say about a label that had the good sense to sign Koko Taylor?). From Albert Collins to Omar and Howlers you can feast on the widest range of cream-of-the-crop blues artists and never leave the label . . . how many record companies can say that?

I know I have whined to the point of annoyance about having problems getting product for review . . . not so with these folks. They responded quickly with a complete publicity package for several artists and a nice mix of their recent offerings.

This two disc set is an absolutely delicious romp through twenty-five years of recording the best blues artists extant. From the roots-oriented Corey Harris (no stranger to those of us in Portland) to classics like Charlie Musselwhite this set delivers consistent pleasure. Of course there are the variations in sonics one would expect for a compilation spanning this length of time, but overall the sound runs from very good to superb. This is an important set and even if you have some of the tunes, chances are very slim you have them all.

My lovely wife is the blues addict of the two of us and specializes in finding new artists by what they look like (go figure) and it is a strategy that works. She took a look at the cover of this CD and said, "Oh my, this is going to be good." Spot on.

This traditional recording is the real thing (think Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee), all brittle six string, essence-of-mule imbued vocals . . . and a harp that will leave the taste of crunchy fried okra and hot vinegar seasoning in your mouth. John Cephas’s (vocals and guitar) written commentary on each song is a simple delight. Sonics are great in this minimalist recording, immediate and lively. This disc will put a smile on your face and a tap in your toes.

This is big city, smoky bar, electrified blues, skirling Hammond organ AND piano, jazz-driven guitar work and silky, sophisticated vocals. But make no mistake, these guys can rock and shuffle with the best of them. This is the newest release from a well established California group with at least seven current titles available, spanning a fifteen year period. You just gotta dance to this one. Sonics are first rate.

Dreadlocks bedecked Corey Harris, a Colorado native who graduated from Bates College, is a unique voice in contemporary blues music, and an enchanting live performer. There is a natural tendency to encapsulate this artist with the "roots" appellation and it is certainly a valid simplification, but a simplification nonetheless. It doesn’t credit his original song-writing and surprising rhythmic twists and turns. This most recent work finds Corey exploring even more African-based pre-blues forms and integrating them effortlessly into blues music that is, at the same time, comforting familiar and remarkably fresh and challenging. The sonics are fine; the music completely addictive.

Black Top Records is a New Orleans based label, distributed by Alligator. This is the first I have heard of their products and I am impressed. Blues recordings for audiophiles, this is a minimally over-dubbed live to two-track recording and sounds wonderfully natural. As the title aptly suggests, this is swing-driven "blues." While Omar’s voice has never really done it for me, the quality of musicianship is first rate and the sonics are stunning.

This is the second of the Black Top samples Alligator sent and a real winner. Gary is a competent vocalist and an absolute monster harpist (even though he looks like a white-bread accountant). This is a work that appeals primarily at the intellectual (appreciation for his artistry with the harp) rather than at the emotional level. While I was not drawn in emotionally, I had a great time with this disc and with repeated listening find Mr. Primich to be one of the best harp players I have heard, period. As with the Omar disc, the sonics are stellar.

Well, that’s it for now . . . stay tuned for more on the BAT VK-50 SE preamp, and some romps into non-audiophile musical territory!

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