Tangent offers a unique take on songs by contemporary artists, played by an adept piano jazz trio in extraordinary Pure DSD high-resolution sound
July 17, 2025 – Jazz musicians have always adapted the songs of the day to a jazz style and feel. With Octave Records’ latest, Tangent, pianist Charles Blenzig and his trio have taken songs by artists like D’Angelo, Radiohead, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and others and given them an entirely new flavor, with jazz, hip-hop, Latin, R&B and less-categorizable musical influences. As always, Octave’s Pure DSD high-resolution recording process captures the virtuosity of the musicians with stunning clarity and musical realism.
Charles Blenzig is a veteran pianist who slips effortlessly between musical styles while keeping his signature sound. On Tangent he plays piano, synthesizers, keyboards, melodica and percussion and is joined by Hunter Roberts on acoustic and electric bass, and JJ Mazza (Duble) – who was 19 at the time of the recording – on acoustic and electronic drums.
Blenzig has been musical director for Gato Barbieri and Michael Franks, and before moving to Colorado was part of the New York jazz scene for more than 35 years, leading after-hours jams at the Blue Note and performing with the Gil Evans Orchestra and a who’s who of jazz greats. He is also a long-time educator and now leads ensembles for the Colorado Conservatory of Jazz Arts (CCJA).
For Tangent, Blenzig wanted something new and personal. “The art is to take a pop tune and arrange it to where it's a new entity, a new piece.” Blenzig noted.
Tangent was recorded at Animal Lane studios in Lyons, Colorado and mixed at eTown Hall in Boulder, CO by Jay Elliott, with Giselle Collazo as assistant recording and mixing engineer. The album was produced by Charles Blenzig and mastered by Gus Skinas. It was recorded and mixed in DSD on a Sonoma system. The sound is dynamic and present, with up-close intimacy in an inviting sound space. Tangent was recorded mostly live by the trio, with keyboard and other overdubs added to round out the sound.
The album leads off with Mary J. Blige’s “Share My World,” a relaxed-tempo adaptation of the song, with the piano carrying the melody to sympathetic accompaniment by Roberts and Mazza and lush synthesizer and organ pads. Beyoncé’s “Smash Into You” keeps the tempo and even the key of the original, and builds upon the vocal melody with lush chord changes and a soaring outro synth solo.
“The Hills” is just one example of the music of Tangent taking a song to unexpected territory, in this case adapting the processed electronics and vocals of The Weeknd’s original into…a sweet jazz ballad with piano and organ. It works brilliantly, as does the transformation of Rhianna’s hip-hop-flavored “Umbrella” into a slow-burning piano-based instrumental, and Imagine Dragons’ “Demons” from a pounding rock anthem into a pensive, swinging jazz piece.
Blenzig and the band turn the straight-four pulse of Taylor Swift’s “This Love” on its head, into a Latin-flavored instrumental with vocal accents that would not have been out of place on a Sergio Mendes record. Perhaps the most unusual transformation of all is taking Ed Sheeran’s vocal-and-acoustic guitar ballad “The A Team” and bending it into a grooving jazz trio improvisation. The album closes with “Spanish Joint,” keeping the irresistible rhythm of D’Angelo’s original while the piano explores the melody and takes it into something musically beyond.
Here's the full track listing for Tangent:
“Share My World” (Mary J. Blige)
“Smash Into You” (Beyoncé)
“The Hills” (The Weeknd)
“Umbrella” (Rihanna)
“Demons” (Imagine Dragons)
“The A Team” (Ed Sheeran)
“Knives Out” (Radiohead)
“This Love” (Taylor Swift)
“Spanish Joint” (D’Angelo)
Tangent 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 512, 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.)
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. www.psaudio.com
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