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This will be the best sounding digital reissue of Kind of Blue in your collection. There. I said it. No waffling around. This reissue is stunningly good. If you don't run and get it NOW, you will kick yourself for not having done so sooner once you finally hear it. Miles Davis - Kind of... Read More »

This issue of Notes on Recent Finds includes a mix of recordings found at NativeDSD. Several albums are from the quite remarkable Sono Luminus label, whose recordings (by engineer Daniel Shores) are supremely good. I've written about their albums in other articles. I'm including three more here. Also included is a delightful new recording from... Read More »

Time for another article about recent finds that I think you may enjoy. These are once again albums from HDTT and this time they're all jazz—hope you don't mind. Many are Pure DSD256 transfers, so the sound quality is pure, clean and transparent. You'll find my earlier Notes on Recent Finds article HERE. Today we're... Read More »

The following is an interview with recording engineer Bert van der Wolf, chief recording engineer, producer and founder of Northstar Recording Services, many of whose wonderful recordings have been reviewed at Positive Feedback (see list of reviews HERE). He records frequently for the Challenge Classics label whose DSD64 releases are available through NativeDSD (see HERE).... Read More »

Bert van der Wolf is one of the best recording engineers in the business today. His recordings have only gotten better and better over the years as he's been able to incorporate into his recording chain the latest developments in high end technology. I've written many times in these pages about various of his recordings... Read More »

You may have gathered that I greatly enjoy the marvelous recordings released by Gonzalo Noqué on his Eudora Records label. Recently I've been thoroughly engaged by four utterly delightful albums which I describe below in greater detail. As with virtually all releases from Eudora, these are in Pure DSD256, the sound is utterly transparent, and... Read More »

The Bruckner symphonies cycle from Jaap van Zweden and the North Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, as recorded by Bert van der Wolf, is a superb accomplishment. It deserves a home in the music libraries of all music lovers—particularly those of us who value Bruckner. Bruckner Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, 6, and 8, Jaap van Zweden, The... Read More »

Hurray for those obsessed by the pursuit of sonic excellence! Octave Records, founded by Paul McGowan of PS Audio, is an exemplar of compulsion for audio excellence in studio recorded music. And they are giving us much to celebrate. Octave Records was founded in 2019 in Boulder, Colorado, as a subsidiary of PS Audio. It... Read More »

Some recordings are highlights of our music culture and are loved by generations. Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall, 1961, is such a recording. It is a remarkable tribute to a great artist performing at the top of her game. And, in this newly restored and remastered release from HDTT, it sounds better than it ever... Read More »

Eric Vloeimans' music-making has captured me. I admit it happily. His innovative, cheerful explorations are refreshing, fun, interesting, and challenging, all at a go. No ruts here, no plodding along roads well-traveled by others. Listening to one of his albums is like finding fresh horizons. Oliver's Cinema, Eric Vloeimans, Tuur Florizoone, Jörg Brinkmann. Buzz, Northstar... Read More »

Hendrik Andriessen (1892-1981) is not so nearly as well known outside his home country of The Netherlands as he should be. His was a towering musical intellect, ever inventive, ever challenging. These chamber works composed early his career (in the 1930s) are a treasure. Hendrik Andriessen Works for Cello, Violin & Piano, Amsterdam Bridge Ensemble.... Read More »

I've long enjoyed The Baltimore Consort's many recordings on CD for the Dorian label. It is such a delight to find that they continue to record new albums for Sono Luminus, now in high resolution. Lively, fun, music performed on gut strings and natural woods, what a joy to hear. The Baltimore Consort - The... Read More »

This recording by La Sfera Armoniosa of several works by the less-than-well-known composer, Willem de Fesch, is a treasure. The music is fully comparable to the best output from the Baroque. It is sophisticated, it shimmers. It is at least as colorful, playful, and inventive as that of his contemporaries. And it is beautifully performed... Read More »

Waltz for Debby is one of the great jazz albums. And we've had a lot of reissues. But, none of the digital reissues match the sound of this terrific Pure DSD256 release from HDTT. If this is one of your favorite albums, as it is mine, you should run, not walk, to get this new... Read More »

Maya Fridman's album, Reið (translated as "Journey"), is an album of such emotional complexity and depth of meaning that it requires multiple listening sessions to begin to absorb. I've long savored its complexity and the soundscapes Maya creates within it. The album is tremendously rewarding; it compels one's full attention.  REIÐ, Maya Fridman. TRPTK 2019... Read More »

As I've commented before, Bob Witrak's High Definition Tape Transfers catalog is like walking into a treasure house of wonderful recordings, some classics, some little known, some new. I regularly discover recordings that I'm delighted to add to my music library. Unfortunately, a separate article on each recording I would recommend is just not practical.... Read More »

A superb reissue of Mingus' The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady from HDTT in DSD256 that retains all the natural rawness and energy that makes this album special. This is a must have acquisition for any jazz library. The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus. HDTT 1963, 2022 (DSD256, DXD) HERE... Read More »

James Gaffigan and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra deliver a very fine Prokofiev symphonies cycle. Collectively, these performances present a consistent and insightful look into Prokofiev's symphonic music, all exceedingly well executed. And all are recorded in the finest, most natural, sound quality one can find. The Symphonies of Sergei Prokofiev, James Gaffigan, Netherlands Radio... Read More »

A thoroughly engaging and well-spent hour with this delightfully articulate guitarist. Enno Voorhorst is a master of subtle grace, dynamic drive, and brilliant technique. But, he never allows his huge technique to overshadow his musically compelling communication of nuance and emotion. 840 - Enno Voorhorst, guitar. Cobra Records 2022 (Pure DSD256). HERE In this album,... Read More »