Art Of Noise – Daft (1986) [Reissue 2003] [SACD / ZTT – ZTT184SACD]

Art Of Noise - Daft (1986) [Reissue 2003]

Title: Art Of Noise – Daft (1986) [Reissue 2003]
Genre: Electronic
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Daft, a compilation of Art of Noise’s early work, combines the LP Who’s Afraid of the Art of Noise? (with an extended “Snapshot” from the Japanese version), tracks from the Into Battle with the Art of Noise EP, and two “Moments in Love” remixes, offering a comprehensive overview of the group’s Trevor Horn-era before their ZTT label split. Re-released on Super Audio CD in 2003, this album outshines the official Best Of compilation, showcasing Horn’s stellar production and Anne Dudley’s compelling arrangements, which sound remarkably advanced and timeless. Highlights include the lush, elegant “Moments in Love” reworkings, with “(Three Fingers Of) Love” featuring quirky sound effects, while the liner notes by Otto Flake add a playful, possibly satirical jab at the band’s later incarnation. This essential collection delivers a vibrant hour of music, perfect for Art of Noise newcomers.

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1 min read

Arnie Somogyi’s Ambulance – Accident And Insurgency (2007) [SACD / Linn Records – AKD 306]

Arnie Somogyi's Ambulance - Accident And Insurgency (2007)

Title: Arnie Somogyi’s Ambulance – Accident And Insurgency (2007)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Arnie Somogyi’s Ambulance, featuring five of the UK’s most dynamic young jazz musicians and U.S. trumpet legend Eddie Henderson, delivers a vibrant debut album, Accident and Insurgency, nominated for ‘Album of the Year’ at the 2008 BBC Jazz Awards and ‘Best Ensemble’ at the UK Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Recorded in a single four-hour live session in 2007, the album captures the band’s raw energy, blending traditional jazz improvisation with modern electronic techniques and Suffolk-inspired soundscapes from their 2006 Snape Maltings residency. Tracks like “Walking Wounded” and “Captain Courageous” evoke Aldeburgh’s seascapes with tidal cymbal washes, birdsong electronics, and Tim Lapthorn’s trickling piano, while Paul Booth’s saxophones add power. Eddie Henderson’s gleaming trumpet, influenced by his time with Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi sextet, shines in complex time signatures and the Miles Davis-like muted tenderness of “Tumbledown,” though “Solace” and “Adrift” feel less gripping. This elegant, imaginative album merges forceful jazz grooves with atmospheric innovation, making it a standout in contemporary jazz.

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2 min read

Arnett Cobb – Party Time (1959) [APO Remaster 2018] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CPRJ 7165 SA]

Arnett Cobb - Party Time (1959) [APO Remaster 2018]

Title: Arnett Cobb – Party Time (1959) [APO Remaster 2018]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Arnett Cobb, the “Wild Man of the Tenor Sax” known for his uninhibited style, recorded Party Time in 1959 for Prestige, part of Analogue Productions’ audiophile reissue series featuring 25 of Rudy Van Gelder’s finest recordings. After a debilitating 1957-1958 auto accident, Cobb made a triumphant return with three 1959 Prestige albums, Party Time standing out as the only one with him as the sole horn, backed by pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Wendell Marshall, drummer Art Taylor, and Ray Barretto on conga. His tough yet versatile tenor shines on tracks like “When My Dreamboat Comes Home,” “Blues in the Closet,” and a reimagined “Flying Home,” making this the definitive Cobb album of the era and a highly recommended gem for jazz enthusiasts.

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1 min read

Various Artists – Jazz At The Pawnshop (1976/2006) [30 Anniversary Edition] [SACD / Proprius – PRSACD 7879]

Various Artists - Jazz At The Pawnshop (1976/2006) [30 Anniversary Edition]

Title: Various Artists – Jazz At The Pawnshop (1976/2006) [30 Anniversary Edition]
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Jazz at the Pawnshop, a legendary 1976 live recording from Stockholm’s Pawnshop club, captures Arne Domnérus (alto saxophone and clarinet), Bengt Hallberg (piano), Lars Erstrand (vibraphone), Georg Riedel (bass), and Egil Johansen (drums) delivering vibrant swing standards reminiscent of Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. Recorded by Gert Palmcrantz using revolutionary techniques, this three-disc SACD, released for the album’s 30th anniversary, compiles the complete sessions with full documentation and photos, presenting the music in pristine digital audio. Domnérus, praised by Charlie Parker, leads alongside Hallberg, who impressed Stan Getz with his effortless key shifts, and Sweden’s finest rhythm section, performing beloved tracks like “In a Mellow Tone,” “Mood Indigo,” “High Life,” and “Take Five.” This definitive release of a critically acclaimed audiophile classic offers a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience.

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1 min read

Arne Domnérus & Gustav Sjökvist – Antiphone Blues (1976+1994) [SACD 2001] [SACD / First Impression Music – FIM SACD 050]

Arne Domnérus & Gustav Sjökvist - Antiphone Blues (1976+1994) [SACD 2001]

Title: Arne Domnérus & Gustav Sjökvist – Antiphone Blues (1976+1994) [SACD 2001]
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Maestro Arne Domnerus plays classical and spiritual pieces. All tracks have been mastered using HDCD technology. The first eleven songs were recorded at Spanga Chuch in 1976, the last songs were recorded in Stockholm’s Cathedral, Sweden. Recording engineer: Gert Palmcrantz. Remastered by Paul Stubblebine. Released on SACD on 2001 by First Impression Music (FIMSACD-050).

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1 min read

Armand Amar – Le Premier Cri: The First Cry (Original Soundtrack) [2007] [SACD / Naïve – K 1628]

Armand Amar - Le Premier Cri: The First Cry (Soundtrack) [2007]

Title: Armand Amar – Le Premier Cri: The First Cry (Original Soundtrack) [2007]
Genre: Soundtrack
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

This SACD is the sountrack of a French documentary which observes the miracle of child birth from the perspective of different cultures – including American, French, Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese, African and Russian.

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1 min read

Aretha Franklin – Aretha’s Gold (1969) [MFSL 2014] [SACD / Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – UDSACD 2142]

Aretha Franklin - Aretha's Gold (1969) [MFSL 2014]

Title: Aretha Franklin – Aretha’s Gold (1969) [MFSL 2014]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Aretha’s Gold, the first compilation of Aretha Franklin’s 1967-1968 Atlantic Records successes, features 14 tracks, including nine Top 10 hits like “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)” and “I Say A Little Prayer,” which solidified her as the Queen of Soul and defined soul music. Recorded with producer Jerry Wexler and the Muscle Shoals studio band, Franklin unleashed a bold, expressive artistry previously restrained at Columbia, creating a historic two-year run. Mastered from original tapes, Mobile Fidelity’s hybrid SACD delivers these seminal tracks with audiophile-grade sonics, revealing the full depth, clarity, and emotional power of Franklin’s voice, crowned by Rolling Stone as the greatest of all time. This collectible release enhances her timeless classics with stunning dynamics and restored balance, offering a fresh perspective on her unparalleled technique and expressiveness.

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1 min read

Archie Shepp Quartet – Deja Vu (2001) [Japan 2003] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD-13]

Archie Shepp Quartet - Deja Vu (2001) [Japan 2003]

Title: Archie Shepp Quartet – Deja Vu (2001) [Japan 2003]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

In his 2001 album, also known as French Ballads in Japan, Archie Shepp, typically known for his fiery avant-garde jazz, delivers a remarkably restrained and emotive set of French songs and France-associated ballads, recorded with a stellar rhythm section featuring Harold Mabern on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums. Following his successful late-1990s Venus Records releases, Shepp, a long-time France resident, performs rhapsodic pieces like Michel Legrand and Sidney Bechet compositions, “Les Feuilles Mortes” (Autumn Leaves), and “Sous Le Ciel De Paris,” culminating with his original “Deja Vu.” His sweet, romantic renditions carry deep emotion without saccharine sentimentality, creating riveting tension, while upbeat tracks like “L’Ame Des Poetes” and “April in Paris” showcase a relaxed, playful side, making this a compelling addition to his discography.

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1 min read

Arcadi Volodos – Volodos In Vienna (2009) [SACD / Sony Classical – 88697636922]

Arcadi Volodos - Volodos In Vienna (2009)

Title: Arcadi Volodos – Volodos In Vienna (2009)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Arcadi Volodos, celebrated since his 1997 debut as a keyboard genius, delivers a mesmerizing recital at Vienna’s Musikvereinsaal, showcasing his unmatched virtuosity, poetic timing, and vivid storytelling through a program of Scriabin, Ravel, and Schumann’s Waldszenen. His commanding yet painless technique shines in Liszt’s Dante Sonata, maintaining structural clarity amid fiery intensity, while his Ravel waltzes balance warmth and neoclassical bite, rivaling Casadesus’ classic reading. Volodos’ Scriabin interpretations, from the sensuous Danse languide to the cataclysmic Seventh Sonata, outshine even Hamelin and Pletnev with their incense-laden edge. In Waldszenen, his narrative genius crafts rapt wonder in “Einsame blumen” and poignant restraint in “Abschied,” matching the artistry of Richter and Pires. Encores, including a restrained Bach/Vivaldi Sicilienne and a glorious Tchaikovsky song transcription, are sublime, with Sony’s engineering capturing every nuance of Volodos’ velvety yet steely sound in the live acoustics, making this a pinnacle of piano artistry.

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1 min read

Arcadi Volodos, Berliner Philharmoniker, Seiji Ozawa – Works by Tchaikovsky & Rachmaninoff (2003) [SACD / Sony Classical – SH 93067]

Arcadi Volodos, Berliner Philharmoniker, Seiji Ozawa - Works by Tchaikovsky & Rachmaninoff (2003)

Title: Arcadi Volodos, Berliner Philharmoniker, Seiji Ozawa – Works by Tchaikovsky & Rachmaninoff (2003)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Arcadi Volodos delivers a strikingly revisionist 2003 recording of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23, with the Berlin Philharmonic under Seiji Ozawa, eschewing the expected high-powered romanticism for a delicate, crystal-clear interpretation that emphasizes emotional depth in quiet moments and subtle tempo variations, aligning with the lighter pianos of Tchaikovsky’s era. Known for his virtuosic Liszt performances and complex transcriptions, Volodos avoids bombast, navigating technical challenges with effortless clarity and breathing new life into the concerto’s modulations and arcs. The album’s seven Rachmaninov encores showcase his formidable technique with a fuller, more expansive fragrance, displaying a lightness and finesse that complement the concerto’s restrained approach. Sony’s exceptional engineering in the Berlin Philharmonie captures every detail of Volodos’ passagework, making this a highly recommended recording for those seeking a fresh take on this iconic concerto.

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1 min read