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SACD

Eric Clapton – 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2010] [SACD / Polydor – UIGY-9024]

adminNovember 26, 2025 55 Views

Title: Eric Clapton – 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2010]
Genre: Rock, Blues Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players) and the 2010 DSD remastering. DSD Transferred by Hitoshi Takiguchi. 461 Ocean Boulevard is Eric Clapton’s second studio solo album, arriving after his side project of Derek and the Dominos and a long struggle with heroin addiction. Although there are some new reggae influences, the album doesn’t sound all that different from the rock, pop, blues, country, and R&B amalgam of Eric Clapton. However, 461 Ocean Boulevard is a tighter, more focused outing that enables Clapton to stretch out instrumentally. Furthermore, the pop concessions on the album — the sleek production, the concise running times — don’t detract from the rootsy origins of the material, whether it’s Johnny Otis’ “Willie and the Hand Jive,” the traditional blues “Motherless Children,” Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” or Clapton’s emotional original “Let It Grow.” With its relaxed, friendly atmosphere and strong bluesy roots, 461 Ocean Boulevard set the template for Clapton’s ’70s albums. Though he tried hard to make an album exactly like it, he never quite managed to replicate its charms.

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2 min read

SACD

Eric Bibb – Rainbow People (1977) [Reissue 2009] [SACD / Opus 3 – CD 7723]

adminNovember 26, 2025 56 Views

Title: Eric Bibb – Rainbow People (1977) [Reissue 2009]
Genre: Blues
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

“Rainbow People” means more than just an LP. It’s Eric Bibb’s debut album, gathering of friends and musical ideas that go together and express one thing above all; the joy of knowing each other. Hearing the sounds of jazz, blues, African, Latin-American and classical music on the same album is a naturally good thing – a kind of rainbow. Eric Bibb grew up in New York City, surrounded by a plethora of cultural variety from Leadbelly to Villa-Lobos wafting in from the radio and the streets. By the time little Bibb got his first guitar, his father, the eminent Leon Bibb, was making the rounds as a respected folk singer. Leon removed Eric from school in favor of packing him along to rehearsals, where he consorted with the likes of Judy Collins, Odetta, Bob Dylan, Earl Robinson and many others.

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1 min read

SACD

Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur – Sisters & Brothers (2004) [SACD / Telarc Surround – SACD-63588]

adminNovember 26, 2025 59 Views

Title: Eric Bibb, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur – Sisters & Brothers (2004)
Genre: Blues
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

As its title implies, this is a spiritually based collaboration from three distinct — even disparate — yet surprisingly harmonious voices. Mostly, but not entirely acoustic, the trio of rootsy singers trade lead vocals on smooth jazz/blues (“Bessie’s Dream”), folk-blues (“Good Stuff”), Delta blues (“Rolling Log”), gospel (an a cappella version of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Rock Daniel”), and combinations of those genres. On paper it sounds scattershot, but in actuality this is a thoughtfully paced combination of styles, united by three affecting voices. Eric Bibb’s smoother Keb’ Mo’ approach meshes surprisingly well with Rory Block’s more penetrating Delta croon and Maria Muldaur’s sassy, sexy, throaty growl. Covers of Jimmy Reed’s “Little Rain” and Bob Dylan’s “Gotta Serve Somebody” with Bibb taking lead, and Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me” (Muldaur and Block) show the disc’s wide stylistic range. A musical seminar in how diverse types of music interbreed and influence each other, all three singers are in the moment with nobody commanding the spotlight for long. The barrelhouse honky tonk piano blues of Block’s “Travelin’ Woman Blues” incorporates both Muldaur’s and Block’s singing in the album’s most convincing duet. Only a few songs such as the closing title track feature all three voices, and the album might have benefited from more instances where they all contribute. But the vocalist’s exuberance soars from the grooves and creates a lively yet relaxed vibe that’s contagious and often thrilling. The result is a cohesive, soulful, and powerful disc that will hopefully inspire listeners to find more material from each of its headliners.

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2 min read

SACD

Eric Bibb & Needed Time – Spirit And The Blues (1999) [Reissue 2002] [SACD / Opus 3 – CD 19421]

adminNovember 26, 2025 51 Views

Title: Eric Bibb & Needed Time – Spirit And The Blues (1999) [Reissue 2002]
Genre: Blues
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Eric Bibb and Needed Time’s Spirit & The Blues is a real odyssey of Eric’s music. Here we find everything from Mississippi blues to spirituals, ballads, country and even reggae – sometimes with an almost electrified swing, but guaranteed unplugged in the finest Opus 3 tradition.

Spirit and the Blues is a funky folk-blues delight: a bubbling pot of authentic bottleneck spirituals and memorable hum-alongs, especially for hardcore Deacons fans. Bibb blends the muddy-river vocal style of Delta gospel and the drive of white vagabond balladeers like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Choice cuts “Lonesome Valley” and “Satisfied Mind” are gorgeous understated revisits of neglected gems; “Where I Shall Be” is a meditative adaption of an old field prayer recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson. Bibb’s fingerpicking technique engages the “micro-melodies” happening between melody and bassline, skillfully accompanied by the harmonica-wielding Rev. Dan Smith on “Keep Goin’ On” and the traded leads with Göran Wennerbrandt’s steel-bodied National Style “O” on “Lonesome Valley.” Bibb’s songs successfully trade visits with gospel as well as sassy, lazy blues tunes about sex and old-fashioned romance, as in “Braggin,” also a favorite cut. A modern and beautifully mixed record, graced with spirit and a real timelessness factor.

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2 min read

SACD

Eric Bibb And Needed Time – Good Stuff (1997) [Reissue 2001] [SACD / Opus 3 – CD 19623]

adminNovember 26, 2025 63 Views

Title: Eric Bibb And Needed Time – Good Stuff (1997) [Reissue 2001]
Genre: Blues
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Eric Bibb’s Good Stuff, is a clever fusion of contemporary folk and classic country-blues and classic gospel that emphasizes the guitarist’s skill at fusing genres, as well as his flair for writing solid bluesy songs. Not all of the material really catches hold, but it all shows promise, and the very best moments on the record confirm that he’s one of the more intriguing new bluesmen in the late ’90s.

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1 min read

SACD

Eric Bibb – Blues, Ballads & Work Songs (2011) [SACD / Opus 3 – CD 22111]

adminNovember 26, 2025 57 Views

Title: Eric Bibb – Blues, Ballads & Work Songs (2011)
Genre: Blues
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

This new CD from the great Eric Bibb is one of the very best-sounding guitar recordings I have ever heard.” the audiophile voice Klassiker von Dave Von Ronk, Leadbelly, Alan Lomax usw. interpretiert er ganz vorzüglich auf einer Baritongitarre sowie sieben- und zwölfsaitigen Modellen. Die SACD-Spur gibt all das wunderbar natürlich wieder.” (Stereo, November 2011) Durch den warmen, glasklaren Sound lässt sich sein Spiel auf diversen überwiegend akustischen Instrumenten ganz intensiv genießen. Schöner noch ist seine volle, wahnsinnig seelenvolle Stimme – die durch die vielen Jahre auf der Bühne langsam, aber sicher etwas aufgerauter klingt.” bluesnews #68 12 / 2011 Eine Platte für die Ewigkeit!” (Stereo Phono Sonderheft 1 / 2012)

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1 min read

SACD

Eric Alexander Trio – Just One Of Those Things (2016) [Japan] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD-188]

adminNovember 24, 2025 44 Views

Title: Eric Alexander Trio – Just One Of Those Things (2016) [Japan]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Eric Alexander has had many opportunities to record as a leader for several different labels, though producer Tetsuo Hara, owner of the Japanese label Venus, has become a huge fan, recording him almost any time he travels to New York City. This is another superb outing by Eric Alexander on a freewheeling trio to compile a nine-track full of jazz’s favorite staples from John Coltrane, Cole Porter and many more! There’s a new sort of edge in Eric’s horn, sided with the sublime work of Dezron Douglas on bass and Neal Smith on drums, which he displays throughout the set with a new great sense of spirituality. Well recommended!

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1 min read

SACD

Eric Alexander Quartet – Sunday In New York (2005) [Japan 2015] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD-105]

adminNovember 24, 2025 47 Views

Title: Eric Alexander Quartet – Sunday In New York (2005) [Japan 2015]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Since finishing second to Joshua Redman in the Thelonious Monk Institute’s tenor sax competition, Eric Alexander has built an impressive discography as a leader, while also drawing a lot of attention in both the U.S. and Japan. This Venus release, recorded in 2005 and one of the last sessions by pianist John Hicks (who died just over a year later), primarily focuses on standards, with the exception of Hicks’ tense hard bop vehicle ‘Avotcja.’ A loping treatment of ‘Sunday in New York’ is a solid opener, conveying the image of a brisk walk in Central Park on a cool autumn day.

Alexander’s driving arrangement of ‘Dearly Beloved’ and the lush, slowly savored duet with Hicks of ‘Like Someone in Love’ are obvious highlights. He also revives the unjustly obscure ‘My Girl Is Just Enough Woman for Me’ in swinging fashion. The hard-charging setting of ‘Alone Together’ shows the influence of Dexter Gordon, while the gorgeous interpretation of ‘My Romance’ is the perfect wrap to an outstanding date. Bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth, two of New York City’s most in-demand players and regular collaborators with Alexander, provide strong support throughout the recording.

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2 min read

SACD

Eric Alexander Quartet – Recado Bossa Nova (2014) [Japan 2015] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD-63]

adminNovember 24, 2025 49 Views

Title: Eric Alexander Quartet – Recado Bossa Nova (2014) [Japan 2015]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

The big star on the Japanese Venus Records’ roster and one of the top tenor saxophonists of his generation, Eric Alexander’s latest release is a Latin jazz album. Leading his regular quartet consisting of the powerful Harold Mabern on piano, Nat Reeves on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums, Alexander blows his powerful horn on the bossa nova and Cuban rhythms.

Eric Alexander has appeared on record as a leader, sideman, producer, and composer. By now, he has lost count of how many albums feature his playing; he guesses 60 or 70. He has earned praise from critics and, even more important, established his own voice within the bebop tradition. Influenced heavily by John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon and George Coleman, Alexander has worked with many notable jazz musicians, including Chicago pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Joseph Farnsworth, and guitarist Pat Martino. He has also recorded and toured extensively with the sextet One for All.

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1 min read

SACD

Eric Alexander Quartet – My Favorite Things (2007) [Japan 2015] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD-91]

adminNovember 24, 2025 45 Views

Title: Eric Alexander Quartet – My Favorite Things (2007) [Japan 2015]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

This release from Eric Alexander is a notable one. Venus Records asked the readers of Swing Journal what they would like to hear Alexander play. From that long list of requested songs, Alexander selected the tunes included on My Favorite Things. Many of the selections are well-known jazz tracks heavily associated with tenor saxophone giants of the past. Some of them include “Sugar” by Stanley Turrentine, “Airegin” by Sonny Rollins, and “My Favorite Things” and “Lazy Bird” made famous by John Coltrane. Alexander confronts this challenging task with the confidence of an expert musician. He makes every performance his own with his strong, warm tone and unique phrasings — all while paying respect to the great tenor saxophonists. The quartet flew to Tokyo and recorded the entire album in just one day. Once again, Alexander proves that he is one of the greatest tenor saxophonists today. This album is another excellent offering to the music world.

Eric Alexander is in top form throughout this 2007 quartet session with some of his favorite bandmates, including David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth, all four of whom are members of the group One for All and regular participants on the Manhattan jazz scene in clubs and studios. The big-toned tenor saxophonist covers a lot of bases, including several standards, works by jazz greats (all tenor players), and a bossa nova. Though John Coltrane has been an obvious influence on some earlier recordings, he has developed his own sound, blending ideas from past artists with his own. The rhapsodic treatment of “Stella by Starlight” is one highlight, and while he opts for the famous Coltrane modal setting of “My Favorite Things,” he doesn’t linger in getting to the conclusion of its theme. His turbocharged take of Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin” is fueled by his fiery rhythm section, while Hazeltine’s soulful, lush accompaniment is the perfect backdrop for the leader in the moving “Lover Man.” Another fine date by Eric Alexander, one of the best saxophonists of his generation.

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2 min read