Johathan Horwich's Reel To Reel Tapes

Jazzbo - Jonathan was on our last WBF dinner at RMAF and we all had a great time there - he shared with us a little more on his tape/musical production, I concur on the fact that the content and quality are amazing,( I have the four released titles from IFI a some others around).

I previously posted a thread about one of Jonathan's tapes and played one song from it with his permission.

Jonathan just sent me a tape to play at T.H.E. Newport Show next week.
He was making light of recording a group outside of his element called Cuddle Magic, they are a kinda folk... maybe new age amalgamation. That is about the best way I can describe it, I considered the fact that Jonathan, "Mr. Jazz" recorded it absolutely surprising.

However, I have to admit I love this music. He recorded 3 songs for me on the end of the tape and I have probably listened to these three songs 8 times in just two days and intend to listen again tonight! I guess my favorite song is called "Round and Round" and it actually has lyrics referring to a reel to reel in it. I will post the exact words tonight after I listen again, (and again).

This is really different music and it translates to tape wonderfully, great vocal harmonies and strange instruments groaning and whizzing around the soundstage, quite mesmerizing.
Congratulations to Jonathan for recording outside the main stream, (and send me the rest of that damn Cuddle Magic tape, I'm hooked.)

If anyone is going to T.H.E. Show Newport ask me to play Cuddle Magic, I look forward to hearing what people think of it.

Just dropped Jonathan an email. He participated here some time ago, but I think that he got his fingers burnt! Hopefully he'll come back and talk about his recording.

I've got some great Freebop from him - some of which I've demo'ed at shows. But the music is kinda esoteric, so not broad appeal. Cuddle Magic sounds like something that might get him more frequent air-play.

One of the things I love about Jonathan's tapes is the dynamic range he captures. For those of you that have tape decks with meters that still work, you can see your meters swing from -20 to +3. I think if you look closely you can see that on my Ampex 350s that are sitting under my turntable.

Thank you all for you kind comments. I'm sorry I'm so deficient when it comes to the forum. I love the forum and will try and be more present. A few points that may help--for all your knowledge and consideration. One of the members asked about portable recorders. Well I take my modified Studer 810 recorder for all two track recordings. I have a Pelican case for it and it is a great recorder since I had many of the audio path parts replaced. Pretty darn good. Playback is not so good but I don't need it for playback. Then for multi-mic recordings I have the Studer C-278. It has 8 tracks and was rebuilt from the ground up by the finest Tech I've encountered. It makes a mean recording. So you can bring "portable" Studers to a gig as I do it all the time. If I am recording digital I use the Nagra VI digital recorder and it is like a large book in size. Very easy to transport.

As to my tapes. Yes some are a bit avant. Part of my purpose is to introduce tape lovers to slightly more avant jazz. But as someone said, to me they are mainstream. But I just released Jeremy Kahn as mentioned here and that is completely traditional with famous songs. And it is a two mic job so has that natural space thing. And the Clare Fischer big band (I hate to call it that as it is really almost classical music at times) is very straight ahead. And then there is the Warne Marsh tape available only be emailing me directly. it has technical glitches in the recording but still sounds good and very live. And the improvisation is incredible and probably the finest I have on tape. Very straight ahead and traditional as heck. The Berman tape is multi mic and slightly avant/retro in sound.

Coming up is Cuddle Magic which for me was a departure as Greg said. It captivated me. Like avant hippie folk music. That will be out in less than two weeks. I adore it. That will be followed by a Chicago quartet which is slightly avant but wonderful musicians. You just have to get used to it and know you're hearing very fine playing and you're hearing it on the best medium. The vibes player on this Chicago Quartet is killer good and my favorite international player on vibes. Totally original.

Next is a two mic job again with just piano and we're recordings with with several different two mic set ups so people can hear the difference just mics make. The piano player is a friend, Mike Garson of whom David Bowie said he is the great rock and roll pianist of all time. But he plays jazz like the best. On the tape he will play all Monk tunes. Fabulous player. I love his playing. Very deep and dense at times.

And I have about 100 more masters including a Ravi Shankar I recorded (with two mics only) in a church in Luxembourg which Ravi said was the finest recording of him ever done. Lucky for me the playing is celestial. I've played it for three people all of whom said it was magical. I used a Levinson Studer ML5. Although Ravi asked me to record it, I am trying to clear it through his people but no answer after months of trying. I'll put it out with or without them on tape. I'll keep emailing them hoping they answer. But I won't let this sit much longer. It has been sitting some 30 years.

And lastly, my price will remain $150.00 per tape. I only charge more for direct copies off the actual master. I make a few of those and sell them for more. Most of my tape copies go like this: master, production master (getting the songs in order, etc.) and then copy of the production master to the customer. But where the customer wants, I make a copy right from the master for the extra bucks as per my site.

I think I covered it all. Thanks again to all of your for your interest.

Hello Jonathan...saw your name and just wanted to touch base and say hi. I trust your room is still serving you well! All the very best.

I look forward to hearing both releases! The Ravi has me particularly interested.

Bruce in PA

Jazzbo said:

Good evening Jonathan,

Thanks so much for responding. I do appreciate that, however, I just wanted to focus on the fact that you are responsible for some of the lowest prices for great sounding reel to reel tapes. I might add that the packaging is great as well. That really pleases me and I'm sure others as well. Please keep up the great work as well as the great music you've provided us. I am looking for your next tape releases soon. Thank you sir.

music lover

Click to expand...

Hey thanks so much for your kind words. I try to charge a reasonable price so people can really afford this incredible medium. I'll just keep putting out tape title after tape title which will cover more and more tastes. Cuddle Magic will hit a public I never work with usually. Hippie music. But very hip hippie music. Jazz had its own spat of fabulous hippie music, such as from the Charles Lloyd 60s group with Keith Jarrett, like "Love in" and Forest Flower Sunrise and Sunset at Monterey. Fabulous music but hippie music nonetheless. And sure enough Charles found himself and the group playing at the Filmore. But I've digressed.

CUDDLE MAGIC:
I will be playing Cuddle Magic at THE Show Newport in The Crystal Ballroom A on the main floor this weekend. I look forward to playing this to get people's reaction, I think it will be interesting.
For me the Cuddle Magic music is quite avant garde, it seems to change on a whim mid song and does keep you guessing and waiting for the next phase of the music. This is lots of fun, maybe because Jonathan's multi mic recording is so big and lively, he seemed to capture the big group in what comes off the tape as a huge soundstage with lots of activity, fun!
My two favorite songs on the tape Jonathan sent me are "First Hippie on the Moon" which starts with some wonderful haunting female vocals (kinda like Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance) and then all of a sudden turns to a fast pace almost jazz like beat that jumps wide left and right, it really shows that huge soundstage.
Also Round and Round, what can I say about this tune... to my ear it is just fantastic, great catchy tune and the harmonies by the group are quite mesmerizing. Once again these harmonies are spread across a huge soundstage probably the result of the multi mic recording.

My hat is off to Jonathan for recording outside the box, hope to hear many more such recordings. It goes to show that any type of music recorded "properly" on tape can be a revelation to hear.
Guess I am the first person to order the Cuddle Magic tape but I bet I won't be the last!!