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SACD

Joe Walsh – So What (1974) [Audio Fidelity 2015] [SACD / Audio Fidelity – AFZ 214]

adminMarch 12, 2026 38 Views

Title: Joe Walsh – So What (1974) [Audio Fidelity 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Joe Walsh’s catalog by this point was two albums strong and of a consistently high quality. Despite a change of lineup for So What — a wide range of musicians is used, including the Eagles’ Don Henley — the sound is very similar to previous releases. A number of classic Walsh tracks are featured, including a more polished version of “Turn to Stone,” originally featured on his debut album, Barnstorm, in a somewhat more riotous style. “Help Me Thru the Night,” Walsh’s mellowest song to date, is helped along by some fine lead and backing vocals from the band. So What sees Walsh in top form as a guitarist. Most of the nine tracks feature solos of unquestionable quality in his usual rock style. The classic rock genre that the man so well defined with his earlier albums is present here throughout, and it is pulled off with the usual unparalleled Joe Walsh ability.

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1 min read

SACD

Joe Satriani – Strange Beautiful Music (2002) [SACD / Epic – ES 86294]

adminMarch 12, 2026 39 Views

Title: Joe Satriani – Strange Beautiful Music (2002)
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

What’s a guitar hero to do now that the masses prefer electronic beats and rap-metal to killer scale runs? Joe Satriani seeks that answer on Strange Beautiful Music. Satriani set himself apart from other would-be kings of the six-string in the 1980s by combining impeccable technique with great feel and pop hooks. With those qualities, he produced great guitar-driven albums like Surfing With the Alien and Flying in a Blue Dream. On his 2002 release, Satriani tries to make his music fresh by incorporating world music influences and a bit of techno flava. To his credit, he succeeds more than he fails. “Belly Dancer” combines straight-up rock riffs with Middle Eastern-twinged melodies and faster-than-sound runs up and down the fretboard. On “Oriental Melody,” Satch’s world music sensibility shines with the help of ping-pong delay and keyboards. He still has a knack for great hooks, too, as is evident on “New Last Jam,” which features a melody that bounces around in your head for days. But none of these tracks approach the pop brilliance of his Surfing With the Alien songs. In many ways, the experimental nature of songs like “What Breaks a Heart” hark back to his Not of This Earth release. But Strange Beautiful Music suffers from inconsistency. While the mix-and-match approach works on “Belly Dancer,” it can also result in the bland discontinuity of “Chords of Life,” which at times sounds like “All Along the Watchtower” and at others resembles scale and chord exercises from Yngwie Malmsteen — not an enticing combo. And “Starry Night,” while a nice ballad, feels like an attempt to rewrite his masterful ballad “Always With You, Always With Me”.

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2 min read

SACD

Joe Satriani – Engines Of Creation (2000) [SACD / Epic – ES 67860]

adminMarch 12, 2026 42 Views

Title: Joe Satriani – Engines Of Creation (2000)
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

With Crystal Planet, Joe Satriani made an effective return to his signature sound following the erratic blues-rock detour of Joe Satriani. For the follow-up to Crystal Planet, Satriani is once again exploring novel territory in an effort to keep his music fresh, and Engines of Creation is the biggest stylistic shift he’s made yet — to electronic music. Satriani’s guitar is still the focal point of the music, to be sure, but while his virtuosity is obvious, it’s often submerged in the new demands of this musical idiom. That isn’t a surprise either, given that Satriani is one of the few guitar shredders whose taste and musicality have never been in question. But fans who simply want to hear him rip through his typical jaw-dropping solos may be disappointed (even though, in the end, there are more than a few solos), as will those guitar fans who reflexively disdain all sounds electronic. Having defended it, though, Engines of Creation isn’t a total success. While the music is certainly influenced by techno and electronica, it probably won’t appeal to listeners coming from those arenas; overall, it simply isn’t as adventurous as much genuine electronica, avoiding complex backing rhythms or edgy sonic textures; nor is it as hypnotic, meandering or drifting aimlessly at times instead of moving into trancelike states of consciousness. Plus, Satriani’s songs are often more traditional than they may seem upon first listen; many of the compositions are based on repeated themes and riffs and standard rock-song structures, switching between recurring, identifiable sections rather than gradually building and unfolding. However, the album can also be quite inventive. Satriani has challenged himself to find ways of coaxing totally new sounds from his guitar, and he weaves them seamlessly into the futuristic electronic soundscapes. Moreover, his melodies and main themes have rarely been this angular and off-kilter, meaning that exploring this music has indeed helped Satriani refresh and re-imagine his signature sound. Even the pieces that aren’t ultimately that revolutionary are still intriguing, since very few musicians have the technical training and innate sense of musicality required to mine this territory. Overall, Engines of Creation is a brave and sporadically successful experiment, and it’s also a promising new direction for Satriani should he choose to continue this vein of exploration and take it out even farther.

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3 min read

SACD

Joe Pass – Virtuoso (1973) [Reissue 2002] [SACD / Pablo Records – PACD-2310-708-4]

adminMarch 12, 2026 44 Views

Title: Joe Pass – Virtuoso (1973) [Reissue 2002]
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

When Joe Pass recorded and released this first of his Virtuoso series of albums, he was 44 years old, and ready to reclaim his crown as king of jazz guitar after years of heroin abuse. As a solo artist playing only acoustic guitar in an amplified fusion era, the odds were stacked against him, but Pass boldly issued this, his most creative and improvisation-based work, to mass critical acclaim and widespread general public sales. The genius of Pass was that he was easily able to retain melodic lines of these standards while adding stretched-out, extrapolated thoughts on the top and bottom of the melodies. On every track, with each passing phrase, modified and extended line or poetic thought, Pass proves his unique style is better than all the rest. On the marvelous “Night & Day,” classical-flavored “Stella by Starlight” with no small influence of Andres Segovia, faster than the pounding precipitation and pain of “Here’s That Rainy Day,” or purely improvised “Cherokee,” Pass is at the top of his game. He occasionally concentrates more on the melody for the pensive “‘Round Midnight” or the fleet “All the Things You Are,” but meets any challenge during a masterful remake of “The Song Is You.” There can be no doubt as to the essential nature of this incredible recording, a top five item for any jazz guitarist, one of the great modern-day contemporary albums, and essential listening for any serious music lover — a must have item.

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2 min read

SACD

Joe McQueen & Friends – Ten At 86 (2006) [SACD / IsoMike – 55802 ]

adminMarch 12, 2026 37 Views

Title: Joe McQueen & Friends – Ten At 86 (2006)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Joe McQueen has been a professional jazz musician for over seventy years, turning ‘Pro’ at the tender age of sixteen. He was introduced to the saxophone a few years earlier by his cousin, Herschel Evans, who played in Count Basie’s band in the mid-1930s. Born in 1919 in Dallas, Texas, Joe was raised in Ardmore, Oklahoma, where he played tuba and then saxophone in the Ardmore High School band. Fast forward to 1945, when Joe and his wife, Thelma, were on the road as he was touring in a jazz band. While en-route from Las Vegas, the bandleader gambled away the troupe’s earnings, stranding them in Ogden, Utah. Joe and Thelma decided to stay in Ogden and McQueen reformed the band there. This turned out to be a serendipitous move because after WWII, Ogden, a major stop on the railroad between San Francisco and Kansas City, had become a hotspot for jazz music. Since settling in Ogden, McQueen has performed there with such jazz luminaries as Charlie Parker, Chet Baker (a fellow Oklahoman), Paul Gonzalez, Lester Young, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. Joe continued to tour in the region, playing in Idaho Falls with Hoagy Carmichael.

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2 min read

SACD

Joel Frahm Quartet – Caminhos Cruzados (2010) [Japan 2016] [SACD / Venus Records – VHJD-35]

adminMarch 12, 2026 44 Views

Title: Joel Frahm Quartet – Caminhos Cruzados (2010) [Japan 2016]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Joel Frahm is New York-based saxophonist and recording artist. This album features “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”, “Early Autumn” and other love songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Bossa Nova’s famous songs romantically and sentimentally tells jazz’s attractive tenor saxophone. Wisconsin-born Joel Frahm practiced piano and bassoon in his youth, but in grade 8, chose tenor saxophone as his principal horn. He went on to play in the high school jazz band, later publically performing with quartet formed by one of those bandmates. He formally studied music in New York. Pianist Cyrus Chestnut began playing at his church at age 6 and by age 9 was studying classical music at the Peabody Institute. Since age 30, he has spawned several albums and has performed alongside the likes of Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight. Bassist Dezron Douglas, born in Connecticut, didn’t start out as a jazz fan, relishing in the lyrics and tunes of R&B stars, including Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross. It was in college that he decided to harness his loyalty to rhythm and blues and combine it with the smooth moves of jazz to create a style all his own. He is now a music teacher. Rio de Janeiro-born Drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has been playing drums since he was 12, and by age 15 was performing with some of the most experienced musicians in Brazil. In 1975, Mr. Da Fonseca moved to New York where his career flourished playing in various ensembles and conducting workshops in Japan and Europe. He is also the author of the instructional book and tape set Brazilian Rhythms for Drumset.

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2 min read

SACD

Joe Jackson – Body And Soul (1984) [Reissue 2020] [SACD / Intervention Records – IR-SCD4]

adminMarch 12, 2026 30 Views

Title: Joe Jackson – Body And Soul (1984) [Reissue 2020]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Body and Soul is an album by Joe Jackson, released in March 1984. The album was Jackson’s seventh studio album, and his first fully digital project. Body and Soul is a landmark recording as well, being an early digital recording captured on a 32-track 3M system in New York City’s Masonic Lodge. The vast reverberant space of the hall is beautifully drawn, and yet Joe and the band sound positively explosive. Body and Soul is remastered to DSD by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. The results are amazing! Body and Soul has never sounded so fullbodied. In addition to the wonderful ambience of the Masonic Lodge, the imaging is more three-dimensional and holographic than ever.

Body and Soul has Joe Jackson playing both hot- and cool-styled jazz songs, getting some worthy help from producer David Kershenbaum, who also lent Jackson a hand on his I’m the Man album. This is Jackson at his smoothest, from the fragility of “Not Here Not Now” to the earnestness of “Be My Number Two.” While both this song and “Happy Ending” charted fairly low in the U.K., the explosive “You Can’t Get What You Want” went to number 15 in the United States, thanks to the brilliant horn work and colorful jazz-pop mingling of all the other instruments, not to mention Jackson’s suave singing. But the album’s energy isn’t spent entirely on one track. “Cha Cha Loco,” “Losaida,” and the cheery yet stylish “Go for It” carry Jackson’s snazzy persona and enthusiasm even further, laying claim to how comfortable he really is at playing this style of music. Sometimes sounding preserved and entertaining in the same light, Body and Soul uses some of the character of 1982’s Night and Day album, but instead of splitting up the music into mild jazz, pop, and modern R&B, he decided to tackle one of the genres wholeheartedly, and in doing so he came up with a truly impeccable release.

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2 min read

SACD

Joe Chambers – Urban Grooves (2002) [Reissue 2005] [SACD / Eighty-Eight’s – VRCL 18803]

adminMarch 12, 2026 31 Views

Title: Joe Chambers – Urban Grooves (2002) [Reissue 2005]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Chambers’ latest release, Urban Groove, is about as good as it gets. An energizing set of standards and originals performed with the likes of Eric Reed, Gary Bartz, and Rufus Reid, Chambers is in top form, showing off his amazing technique not only on drums, but also vibes and marimba. Still, Chambers is careful not to pull too much attention away from his sidemen. Gary Bartz is electrifying throughout, and Eric Reed shines on piano.

The liner notes for Urban Grooves describe Joe Chambers as “a good jazz drummer.” Actually, he’s more than good; he’s an excellent jazz drummer who also knows his way around the vibraphone and the marimba. Not every album that Chambers has appeared on is great, but his skills as a musician certainly are. One thing Chambers isn’t, however, is a terribly forceful drummer; he knows when to hold back. Chambers doesn’t have quite as gentle a touch as Shelly Manne, but he isn’t as aggressive as Art Blakey or Art Taylor either. Recorded in March 2002 – when Chambers was three months away from his 60th birthday – Urban Grooves underscores his intuitive, insightful nature. This acoustic-oriented post-bop date finds Chambers leading an all-star quintet that boasts Gary Bartz on alto and soprano sax, Eric Reed on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Bobby Sanabria on percussion – and Chambers, true to form, knows exactly what to play when one of his colleagues takes a solo. When Bartz or Reed is stretching out, Chambers is never the least bit intrusive – he’s always sympathetic, encouraging, and helpful rather than heavy-handed. In fact, Urban Grooves is the opposite of heavy-handed; the performances tend to be on the introspective side whether the group is embracing “Sid’s Ahead” (one of Miles Davis’ lesser-known compositions), Marcus Miller’s “Portia,” or Chambers’ own material. The CD’s least introspective track is “Afreeka,” an exuberant Chambers piece that incorporates Caribbean, African, and Latin elements. But most of the time, a reflective mood defines Urban Grooves, which falls short of exceptional but is a pleasing, solid demonstration of Chambers’ skills as both a drummer and a vibist/marimba player.

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2 min read

SACD

Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends (1969) [Audio Fidelity 2015] [SACD / Audio Fidelity – AFZ 209]

adminMarch 12, 2026 29 Views

Title: Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends (1969) [Audio Fidelity 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Joe Cocker’s debut album holds up extraordinarily well across four decades, the singer’s performance bolstered by some very sharp playing, not only by his established sideman/collaborator Chris Stainton, but also some top-notch session musicians, among them drummer Clem Cattini, Steve Winwood on organ, and guitarists Jimmy Page and Albert Lee, all sitting in. It’s Cocker’s voice, a soulful rasp of an instrument backed up by Madeline Bell, Sunny Weetman and Rossetta Hightower that carries this album and makes “Change in Louise,” “Feeling Alright,” “Just Like a Woman,” “I Shall Be Released,” and even “Bye Bye Blackbird” into profound listening experiences. But the surprises in the arrangements, tempo, and approaches taken help make this an exceptional album. Tracks like “Just Like a Woman,” with its soaring gospel organ above a lean textured acoustic and light electric accompaniment, and the guitar-dominated rendition of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” – the formal debut of the Grease Band on record – all help make this an exceptional listening experience. The 1999 A&M reissue not only includes new notes and audiophile-quality sound, but also a pair of bonus tracks, the previously unanthologized B-sides “The New Age of Lily” and “Something Coming On,” deserved better than the obscurity in which they previously dwelt.

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2 min read

SACD

Joe Cocker – Joe Cocker (1969) [Audio Fidelity 2017] [SACD / Audio Fidelity – AFZ 249]

adminMarch 12, 2026 31 Views

Title: Joe Cocker – Joe Cocker (1969) [Audio Fidelity 2017]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Joe Cocker’s first three A&M albums form the bedrock of a career that spans over three decades. While Cocker certainly wasn’t always in top form during this stretch – thanks to alcohol problems and questionable comeback moves in the ’80s and ’90s – his early records did inform the classic pub rock sound later credited to proto-punk figures like Graham Parker and Brinsley Schwarz. On those early records, Cocker mixed elements of late-’60s English blues revival recordings (John Mayall, et al.) with the more contemporary sounds of soul and pop; a sound fused in no small part by producer and arranger Leon Russell, whose gumbo mix figures prominently on this eponymous release and the infamous Mad Dogs & Englishmen live set. Russell’s sophisticated swamp blues aesthetic is felt directly with versions of his gospel ballad “Hello, Little Friend” and Beatles-inspired bit of New Orleans pop – and one of Cocker’s biggest hits – “Delta Lady.” Following up on the huge success of an earlier cover of “With a Little Help From My Friends,” Cocker mines more Beatles gold with very respectable renditions of “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” and “Something.” And rounding out this impressive set are equally astute takes on Dylan’s “Dear Landlord,” Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on the Wire,” and John Sebastian’s “Darling Be Home Soon.” Throughout, Cocker gets superb support from his regular backing group of the time, the Grease Band. A fine introduction to the singer’s classic, late-’60s and early-’70s period.

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2 min read