Amend and his band dive into a selection of the greatest 1960s jazz tunes and popular favorites, including “The Girl From Ipanema,” “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” “The Look of Love,” and others, recorded in high-resolution Pure DSD audio
January 15, 2025 – Octave Records is thrilled to present their latest release, Jazz Classics: 1960s from pianist Tom Amend. It’s a follow up to Jazz Classics: 1950s, one of Octave’s most popular albums, and features Amend and his quintet taking a deep dive into jazz classics and pop standards like “The Girl From Ipanema,” “My Favorite Things,” Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” “The Look of Love” and others. It’s one of Octave Records’ finest high-resolution recordings.
Jazz Classics: 1960s features Tom Amend on piano and Hammond B3 organ, along with Nate Miller on trumpet, Taylor Clay playing tenor sax, Gonzalo Teppa on bass, and Braxton Kahn at the drums. The quintet imparts a depth to songs they’re intimately familiar with, and like any great group of jazz players, they honor the material while offering a fresh perspective. The sound matches the music perfectly, with remarkable clarity, dynamic shadings, and presence. Jazz Classics: 1960s is recorded with a warmth that hearkens back to the iconic sound of 1960s recordings, yet with modern-day spaciousness, detail and refinement.
The Pure DSD 256 recording captures the rich textures of each instrument, utilizing a Gefell UM 930 and AKG C214 condenser mics, along with Beyer Dynamic mics for the snare and kick drum. The album was recorded with Octave Records’ custom-built Pyramix-based 16-channel DSD 256 setup. Jazz Classics: 1960s was recorded, mixed and produced by Paul McGowan, with Terri McGowan and Jessica Carson assisting in the recording and production duties, and mastered by Gus Skinas.
Jazz Classics: 1960s leads off with Lee Morgan’s up-tempo “Something Cute,” and right away listeners know they’ll be treated to some classic jazz blowing and incredible sound, from the bite of the trumpet to the body and presence of the sax, piano and rhythm section. The main melody is stated by trumpeter Nate Miller and saxophonist Taylor Clay before the players launch into intense improvisations. Next up is the all-time favorite “The Girl From Ipanema,” and the quintet rides into a flowing samba feel, with Miller, Amend and Clay taking turns on expanding the song with confident musical statements. “Jean de Fleur,” originally recorded by guitarist Grant Green, pays tribute to the original with its unstoppable groove, powered by the bass and drums of Gonzalo Teppa and Braxton Kahn.
Next is a beautiful rendition of “The Shadow of Your Smile,” and the instrumental textures are sumptuous. The band then shifts into the walking-bass swing of Duke Pearson’s “New Girl,” absolutely nailing the classic jazz feel. Charles Mingus’ “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” opens with a bowed bass and sparse piano chords before the trumpet and sax state the main theme, and Miller and Clay take incisive solo turns.
It would be impossible to play “My Favorite Things” without tipping the hat to John Coltrane’s legendary version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein song, and the band captures the spirit of the sax master while adding their own distinctive musical statements. Jazz Classics: 1960s rounds out the set with Wayne Shorter’s pensive ballad, “Fall,” a roaring, fast-paced version of Joe Henderson’s “A Shade of Jade,” and a relaxed rendition of “The Look of Love,” featuring tasteful muted trumpet playing from Nate Miller, and Tom Amend weaving his piano and organ lines in and out of the musical mix.
Jazz Classics: 1960s features Octave’s premium gold disc formulation, and the disc is playable on any SACD, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player. It also has a high-resolution DSD layer that is accessible by using any SACD player or a PS Audio SACD transport. In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download, including DSD 256, DSD 128, DSD 64, and DSDDirect Mastered 352.8 kHz/24-bit, 176.2 kHz/24-bit, 88.2 kHz/24-bit, and 44.1 kHz/24-bit PCM. (SRP: $29 – $39, depending on format.)
If you’re a member of the media and would like Jazz Classics: 1960s for review, please contact Frank Doris at [email protected] or 631-645-5668.
About PS Audio
Celebrating 50 years of bringing music to life, PS Audio has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in manufacturing innovative, high-value, leading-edge audio products. Located in Boulder, Colorado at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, PS Audio’s staff of talented designers, engineers, production and support people build each product to deliver extraordinary performance and musical satisfaction. The company’s wide range of award-winning products include the all-in-one Sprout100 integrated amplifier, audio components, power regenerators and power conditioners.
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