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SACD

Colin Linden – Big Mouth (2001) [Reissue 2003] [SACD / Accord Music Group – S6001]

adminAugust 29, 2025 254 Views

Title: Colin Linden – Big Mouth (2001) [Reissue 2003]
Genre: Blues, Country, Folk
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Canadian singer/songwriter Colin Linden has been delivering his own blues-oriented rock since the early ’70s. One fine thing about his “Big Mouth”: It is not a collection of 15 tracks, with the best two or three at the beginning. The quality is consistent throughout – there are no real clunkers and some of the best tunes are at the middle and end. If you are a listener who lets a disc fade into the background after a track or two, you’ll want to start this one in the middle now and then.
This disc from Canadian Colin Linden returns to the more acoustic feel of his earlier recordings. It is still plugged in and he uses many of the same players from his last two discs, yet it is still a subtler disc that maintains the fiery intensity for which he is known. His songwriting remains strong here, and he either wrote or co-wrote 14 of the 15 songs presented here. He is more than ably backed here by his longtime substantial band of Gary Craig, John Dymond, and Richard Bell. Their work is highlighted by special guests/friends Bruce Cockburn, Keb’ Mo’, Lee Roy Parnell, and Lucinda Williams. It is just a sheer delight to hear Linden and Lucinda Williams play off each other on this unadulterated romp, “Don’t Tell Me.” On this disc he displays his full range of influences in a total synthesis, from the electric and acoustic blues work across and through the highways of the Continent to the Nashville twang that is infiltrating his sound. Make no mistake, this is a substantial, honest disc that is sustained and heightened by Linden’s voice and guitars, with the wonderful collaboration of John Whynot.

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SACD

Sir Colin Davis, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks – Tchaikovsky & Dvorak: Serenades for Strings (1988) [Japan 2017] [SACD / Esoteric Company – ESSD-90179]

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Title: Sir Colin Davis, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks – Tchaikovsky & Dvorak: Serenades for Strings (1988) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Sir Colin Davis conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for performances of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade For Strings in C major and Dvorak’s Serenade For Strings in E major. This reissue series of classical music masterpieces by Esoteric has attracted a lot of attention, both for its uncompromising commitment to recreating the original master sound. This series marks the first hybrid SACD release of historical recording selections that have been mainstays of the catalog since their initial release.

These performances are among the two or three best currently available of this familiar music. Colin Davis gets superb, finely colored playing from his Bavarian string section, with excellent, balanced ensemble. Not merely satisfied to present yet another recording of these thrice-familiar masterpieces, Davis gets inside the music in every phrase, seeing it in a clear, classical way, wholly consistent with both composers intentions. The Romantic flame is still there, but burning with a tight, jem-like fire which lights up form, motific development, and inner lines in a natural, balanced way. This should satisfy both classicist and Romantic in a way many other performances cannot. Fellow Brit Neville Marriner recorded equally fine performances of these pieces, but Davis’s somewhat larger string ensemble, especially when it’s so well recorded, has its points, too. This is another great recording which should stay in the active catalog.

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SACD

Sir Colin Davis, Academy Of Saint Martin In The Fields – Purcell: Dido & Aeneas (1970) [Reissue 2016] [SACD / PentaTone – PTC 5186 230]

adminAugust 29, 2025 220 Views

Title: Sir Colin Davis, Academy Of Saint Martin In The Fields – Purcell: Dido & Aeneas (1970) [Reissue 2016]
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

When Henry Purcell wrote his one and only opera “Dido and Aeneas” in the second half of the seventeenth century, there was no existing opera tradition in England. With a libretto based on Virgil’s Aeneid and its music stylistically close to and derived from the typically English ‘Masque’ form, Purcell created a monumental baroque opera. On this 1970 multi-channel Philips Classics recording, Dido is interpreted by soprano Josephine Veasey. The Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the John Alldis choir are conducted by Sir Colin Davis. The recording has been remastered in 2015 and is now re-released in Pentatones’s Remastered Classics series, which finally gives it the chance to expose its magnificent sound quality.

In 2016, multichannel recording is regarded by classical listeners as state of the art, and some of the finest recordings available have been released in the hybrid SACD format. In 1970, quadraphonic recording was the most advanced technology, and Philips was one of the leading labels developing the process, as shown by this historic recording of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. This early English opera may not seem like a practical demonstration piece for showing off the depth, wide frequency range, and clarity of Philips’ quadraphonic recording, or, for that matter, PentaTone’s multichannel remastering, considering the rather monochrome sound of strings and continuo. However, Colin Davis and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields delivered with extraordinary energy and precision, and the cast – featuring Josephine Veasey as Dido, John Shirley-Quirk as Aeneas, and Helen Donath as Belinda – sang with crisp diction, beautiful tone, and powerful presence. The spaciousness of the recording is most evident whenever the John Alldis Choir enters with its vigorous choruses, and the dramatic contrasts with the soloists highlight the effectiveness of the innovative microphone placement. Newcomers to this opera may skip ahead to Dido’s famous aria, When I am laid in earth, but because the opera runs less than an hour, the recording deserves a full hearing to reveal its excellence as a performance and as an important artifact from the early days of audiophile sound. Highly recommended.

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SACD

Coleman Hawkins – Supreme Jazz (2006) [SACD / Supreme Jazz – 223275-207]

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Title: Coleman Hawkins – Supreme Jazz (2006)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Coleman Randolph Hawkins, nicknamed Hawk and sometimes “Bean”, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. One of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument, as Joachim E. Berendt explained: “there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn”. While Hawkins is strongly associated with the swing music and big band era, he had a role in the development of bebop in the 1940s.

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SACD

Coleman Hawkins – Coleman Hawkins And Confreres (1958) [Analogue Productions 2012] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CVRJ 6110 SA]

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Title: Coleman Hawkins – Coleman Hawkins And Confreres (1958) [Analogue Productions 2012]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

This unique 1958 recording is a collaboration between Coleman Hawkins and the Oscar Peterson Trio. Hawkins’s voluminous, supple tenor sax sound, which had a great influence on the styles of musicians ranging from Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins up to Joe Lovano, is best heard on Honey Flower. The album features Ben Webster on tenor sax, Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on double bass and drummers Alvin Stoller and Mickey Sheen.

Ben Webster had long before passed through the ranks of imitator, then pupil and finally master. His ‘college attendance,’ as one might put it, in the Duke Ellington Orchestra gave him a sureness of expression in his great showpieces and he also learned to hold his own against such musical giants as Paul Gonsalves and Jimmy Hamilton. ‘Hawk’ was able to thoroughly enjoy his fame in numerous Jazz At The Philharmonic concerts given all over the world, where, of course, he had to assert himself against many other saxophone players. Two such JATP ensembles are to be found on the Confrères LP. The relaxed atmosphere is particularly noticeable in the title ‘Sunday’ in which Roy Eldridge comes into the limelight with a brilliant solo. And just listen to George Buvivier’s marvelous bass playing (in ‘Nabab!’) where he certainly has no reason to hide in the shadow thrown by Ray Brown. Coleman Hawkins’ voluminous, supple sound which had a great influence on the styles of musicians ranging from Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins up to Joe Lovano, is best heard after Roy’s solo in ‘Honey Flower.’ The rhythm section blends together in fine rapport. This is a healthy example of uncluttered, uncomplexed, and unneurotic jazz blowing by as worthy a company of musicians as could be desired.

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SACD

Cowboy Junkies – Whites Off Earth Now (1986) [MFSL 2006] [SACD / Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – UDSACD 4010]

adminAugust 29, 2025 207 Views

Title: Cowboy Junkies – Whites Off Earth Now (1986) [MFSL 2006]
Genre: Alternative Rock, Country, Folk
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Although it didn’t originally have anything to do with their sound, the Cowboy Junkies’ name wound up seeming pretty accurate: their music was grounded in traditional country, blues, and folk, yet drifted along in a sleepy, narcotic haze that clearly bore the stamp of the Velvet Underground. Featuring only one original song, the Cowboy Junkies’ debut, Whites Off Earth Now!!, captures the band forming their own sound through covers, including songs by Robert Johnson and Bruce Springsteen. It’s not as captivating as their later releases, but it’s fascinating to hear their signature country-on-valium sound develop. Margo Timmins sings beautifully.

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1 min read

SACD

Cowboy Junkies – The Trinity Session (1988) [Analogue Productions 2016] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CAPP 072 SA]

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Title: Cowboy Junkies – The Trinity Session (1988) [Analogue Productions 2016]
Genre: Folk, Folk Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Who says you can’t make a great record in one day — or night, as the case may be? The Trinity Session was recorded in one night using one microphone, a DAT recorder, and the wonderful acoustics of the Holy Trinity in Toronto. Interestingly, it’s the album that broke the Cowboy Junkies in the United States for their version of “Sweet Jane,” which included the lost verse. It’s far from the best cut here, though. There are other covers, such as Margo Timmins’ a cappella read of the traditional “Mining for Gold,” a heroin-slow version of Hank Williams’ classic “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Dreaming My Dreams With You” (canonized by Waylon Jennings), and a radical take of the Patsy Cline classic “Walkin’ After Midnight” that closes the disc. Those few who had heard the band’s previous album, Whites Off Earth Now!!, were aware that, along with Low, the Cowboy Junkies were the only band at the time capable of playing slower than Neil Young and Crazy Horse — and without the ear-threatening volume. The Timmins family — Margo, guitarist and songwriter Michael, drummer Peter, and backing vocalist and guitarist John — along with bassist Alan Anton and a few pals playing pedal steel, accordion, and harmonica, paced everything to crawl.

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SACD

Cowboy Junkies – Open (2001) [Reissue 2002] [SACD / Latent Recordings, Zoë Records – 01143-1020-6]

adminAugust 29, 2025 225 Views

Title: Cowboy Junkies – Open (2001) [Reissue 2002]
Genre: Alternative Rock, Country, Folk
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Cowboy Junkies have a sound, a vibe. There’s no denying it. You can tell it’s them within a few notes and each successive record seems to pick up right where the last one left off. Some, like The Trinity Sessions, are dark, moody, and mellow, like being coated in honey and draped in velvet. Others, take Pale Sun, Crescent Moon for example, seem downright energetic in comparison. Open is more in line with the first batch, though it has moments of near-enthusiastic revelry. With Alan Anton’s plump (rather than phat) basslines, Peter Timmins’ laid-back drumming, and Michael Timmins’ dirty guitars to ride on, Margo Timmins contributes her trademark sensual, yet understated vocal performances. The whole gang sounds as good as ever. And, although he may be called a songwriter, Michael Timmins is more a true poet with musical inclinations. Full of wonder and romance, fear and passion, Open is simply the next chapter in his sublime book of heartfelt verse. The compassionate tenderness of “Thousand Year Prayer” contrasts nicely with the harmonica and feedback duel of “Dragging Hooks.” And darn if “I’m So Open” doesn’t bounce right along on a little groove. They’ve got it all here. If nothing else, this band is one of the most consistent around. Though album sales may not always reflect it, they continually deliver strong records that refuse to be faulted for anything other than being non-mainstream.

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SACD

Counting Crows – August And Everything After (1993) [Analogue Productions Remaster 2013] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CAPP 24528 SA]

adminAugust 29, 2025 212 Views

Title: Counting Crows – August And Everything After (1993) [Analogue Productions Remaster 2013]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

When the prevailing guitar jingle of “Mr. Jones” cascaded over radio in the early ’90s, it was a sure sign that the Counting Crows were a musical force to be reckoned with. Their debut album, August and Everything After, burst at the seams with both dominant pop harmonies and rich, hearty ballads, all thanks to lead singer Adam Duritz. The lone guitar work of “Mr. Jones” coupled with the sweet, in-front pull of Duritz’s voice kicked off the album in full force. The starkly beautiful and lonely sounding “Round Here” captured the band’s honest yet subtle talent for singing ballads, while “Omaha” is lyrically reminiscent of a Springsteen tune. The fusion of hauntingly smooth vocals with such instruments as the Hammond B-3 organ and the accordion pumped new life into the music scene, and their brisk sound catapulted them into stardom. On “Rain King,” the piano takes over as its aloof flair dances behind Duritz with elegant crispness. The slower-paced “Raining in Baltimore” paints a perfectly gray picture and illustrates the band’s ease at conveying mood by eliminating the tempo. Most of the songs here engage in overly contagious hooks that won’t go away, making for a solid bunch of tunes. Containing the perfect portions of instrumental and vocal conglomeration, the Counting Crows showed off their appealing sound to its full extent with their very first album.

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2 min read

SACD

Count Basie – Supreme Jazz (2006) [SACD / Supreme Jazz – 223258-207]

adminAugust 29, 2025 196 Views

Title: Count Basie – Supreme Jazz (2006)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

William James “Count” Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two “split” tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. Many musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry “Sweets” Edison and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams. Count Basie introduced several generations of listeners to the Big Band sound and left an influential catalog.

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