Genesis Launch Party

[garylkoh]

A CD that Keith brought in had all of us fascinated. It's locally produced in Seattle. James Ehnes - Homage.

This is a CD/DVD set that had James Ehnes playing violins and violas from the Fulton Collection. This is one of the most important private collections of instruments in the world - with Stradivari, Guarneri, da Solo, and Guadgnini. We played several tracks, as well as an excerpt from Bruch's Scottish Fantasy played on nine violins ranging from the 1698 Guarneri, through 8 Stradivari. A landmark recording with great performances.

If anybody's curious as to the different sounds of various violins, this album is a must-have.

[garylkoh]

Four albums from my collection that I know the audience started searching out for the moment the side finished. Sorry, but I waited a couple of days so that the guys who were there could get the albums first.

1) Bill Cunliffe Trio - Live at Bernie's. Groove Note GRV1009-1DD. While thousands of albums have been mastered at Bernie Grundman's studio, this was the first to have been actually recorded there, and direct to disc at 45rpm. They moved in a 9foot Hamburg Steinway into the hallway outside the control room. In the liner notes, Bill Cunliffe says "When we heard the playbacks, we all flipped. These were the warmest, and most natural sounding recordings of a trio we had ever experienced."



2) Jacintha - Here's to Ben. Groove Note GRV1001-1. This is the album that probably started Jacintha's (my fellow Singaporean and my sister's classmate in school) international reputation. It was recorded live to 2-track direct and mastered by Bernie Grundman direct to his tube driven Sculley lathe. We played The Look of Love from the 45rpm bonus LP from the original first pressing. The FIM XRCD2 is good, but the original was great!



3) Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio - Misty. Cisco TBM-30-45. The 45rpm 180gm super vinyl re-issue mastered and cut at the JVC Mastering Center and pressed by RTI is IMO better than the original pressing. The raw detail and dynamics of the piano on this first recording is better than on Midnight Sugar. Strangely, the LPs have lower noise and tape hiss than the SACDs.



4) Because the first three are practically "unobtainium", I played a "sleeper". Johnny Adams - Sings Doc Pomus - The Real Me. Analogue Productions APP 028. This was introduced to me by Touraj - the owner of Roksan - and I've been playing it constantly since for the heartfelt feeling that Adams can put into his voice. This last album is still easily available at Acoustic Sounds, and it's CHEAP! Get it before other audiophiles find out

[nerdorama]

Thanks again, Gary. It was a fun evening.

Here are a couple of CD's that I brought and which we sampled.





John

[Joe Pittman]

Hi John,
I really enjoyed the "OrientOccident" CD by Jordi Savall. As I mensioned, a similar album I recommend is "Calamus, The Splendour of Al-Andalus" on MA Records M026A. This Arab-Andalusian music of the 12th to 15th centuries is really great music.
Joe

[garylkoh]

John & Joe,

welcome to the What's Best Forum! Glad to see you here. Explore the rest of the site as there's lots of great conversations always going on.

[Bruce B]

John & Joe,

welcome to the What's Best Forum! Glad to see you here. Explore the rest of the site as there's lots of great conversations always going on.

PNWAS in full force!

[garylkoh]

For many of us that day, the stand-out digital played was Linda Ronstadt and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra disc. But this wasn't just any CD - it was an FIM Ultimate Disc (and I don't think that there are any more available).

Here's one on eBay.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Linda-Ronstadt-W...ht_3074wt_1139

Elusive Disc still has some in stock (but not the Ultimate Disc)

http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=LIMPA046

[garylkoh]

Thanks again, Gary. It was a fun evening.

Here are a couple of CD's that I brought and which we sampled.

John

Another CD brought in by John that I thought was outstanding was Frank Vignola - 100 years of Django. If you (like me) like the music of Django Reinhardt, this is another must-have CD. Vignola plays often at the local Jazz Alley, so catch him live there too.

[garylkoh]

An album brought in by Gil was Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown - Jazz Track 948 - sounded REALLY good. I don't know if the one on Amazon is the same 180gm pressing, but that was the only vinyl I managed to find and buy. I bought the second last one. There's one left in stock (2:30pm pst).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ZB4RFDXBDVZV6D

[flez007]

Great tunes, I have not heard them all so my shopping list keeps growing faster than my wallet!

Gary - whenever you feel you want to try your amps with an awful-sensitivity rating, I am in!