Woodinville, WA – Genesis Advanced Technologies and Merrill Audio Advanced Technologies co-sponsored the Friday Night entertainment for show goers at the inaugural Pacific Audiofest in 2022. We hired a local band-leader, Mr. Paul Sawtelle, to put a 17-piece big band together for a concert.
“This album was total serendipity,” said Genesis Chief Designer and CEO Gary Koh. “We got a couple of friends together to record the concert for ourselves and to give to the band members. Then the band knocked it out of the park. Everyone enjoyed it so much that we decided to hire the band again the next year.”
The recording chain was as simple as possible. Assembled by Dr Phillip Chance and Mr Ki Choi, it comprised a pair of vintage Neumann TLM50 microphones direct to 2-track tape on a Nagra IVs with QGB. The vocals were mixed in on some of the tracks with a Nagra VI. “When I first heard the recording on tape, I knew that we had to share it with other big band music lovers,” said Koh. “I managed to convince my partners at Hyper Analogue Production and Brilliance Music & Studios to finance the production. The sound and music is so good that we are releasing it as Volume 2 of the Hyper Music Reference Standard.”
The Paul Sawtelle Big Band Live at Pacific Audiofest is more than an album of music. It is a tribute to the times when swing was king and 17-piece bands were commonplace. The band that Paul led – the Kings of Swing – originated in 1944 at Seattle’s Cleveland High School and played through the war years at service clubs, USO dances and YMCAs. 36 pages of liner notes bring the history and story of the music together in a super-premium package.
Mr Bernie Grundman mastered the music with Koh in attendance in the studio. “We went to great lengths to preserve the absolute fidelity of the band’s performance,” said Mr Koh. “When I heard the first test pressings, I scrapped everything. It was done using the normal lacquer, father, mother, stamper, album process. I thought the sound didn’t meet my expectations. I had Bernie re-cut all the lacquers for a One Step production. 16 lacquers in total. Now, it’s sounding like the entire 17-piece band turned up in my living room.”
The album will be available on-line through Elusive Disc in the USA, and through various stores, dealers and distributors around the world. As a one-step release, it is limited to 3,000 copies with no re-press possible.
More information about the album is available at https://elusivedisc.com/the-paul-sawtelle-big-band-live-at-pacific-audio-fest-one-step-180g-45rpm-2lp/
More information on Genesis products is available at https://www.genesisloudspeakers.com/products
About Genesis Advanced Technologies
Genesis Advanced Technologies is a leading developer of high-performance loudspeaker and amplifier systems with a commitment to absolute fidelity™ in product, service and performance. Genesis develops loudspeaker systems, amplifiers and accessories for music lovers worldwide.
