Played this again late last night and my other half who can detect even the smallest changes in pitch or my set up thought it sounded like Bill Evans was playing live in our living room.
1 Like
Sonny Rollins’ essential and legendary live trio album A Night At The Village Vanguard: The Complete Masters is added to Blue Note’s acclaimed audiophile vinyl series in Q1, mastered for the very first time from the original tapes. “As we began to prepare for this album, I made my customary call to Capitol tape vault archivist Jack Arenas to inquire about the analog master tapes. Naturally, I assumed there would be a set of Rudy Van Gelder assembled 15ips analog masters of all the material. Indeed, there was, but then Jack said something that caught my ear. ‘Now there are these other tapes, but they haven’t been assembled, and they are all recorded at 7.5ips.’ I sat straight up and probably looked a bit like the mind-blown emoji. With this issue of Sonny Rollins ‘A Night At The Village Vanguard: The Complete Masters’ we are finally able to hear the actual masters that were recorded that afternoon and evening.” — Joe Harley
Tracklist:
A1: Introduction
A2: Old Devil Moon
A3: Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
A4: Striver’s Row
B1: Sonnymoon For Two
B2: A Night In Tunisia
B3: I Can’t Get Started
C1: A Night In Tunisia (Evening Take)
C2: I’ve Got You Under My Skin
D1: Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (Alternate Take)
D2: What Is This Thing Called Love
E1: All The Things You Are
E2: Introduction
E3: Woody ‘N You
E4: Four
F1: I’ll Remember April
F2: Get Happy
F3: Get Happy (Short Version)
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3 x LP Tone Poet set just released …and on the way! 
10 Likes
2024 RSD release Marianne Faithfull“faithfull forever” remaster of a 1966 USA only release which was never released in the UK.
3 Likes
Amancio D’Silva – Reflections (The Romantic Guitar Of Amancio D’Silva, Decca/Lansdowne Series RSD (2024)
This is one RSD release I would have happily stood in line for but luckily I managed to order one online there are now lots of copies available for about the rrp I paid £30 inc p&p.
Remastered from the original tapes at Abbey Road no pressing plant details I’ll add that when I get it in my hands in the next couple of days. Not Amancio’s very best but still a cracking record produced by Denis Preston as part of the Lansdowne Series, originally released in 1971 this is the first vinyl reissue since then
The only downside is it is pressed on clear vinyl I would have preferred black but that’s a minor niggle.
2 Likes
Chet Baker - Leaving, Intercord (1980)
This has been on my wish list for many years finally managed to find a copy that wasn’t too extortionate. Features one of Chet’s very best vocal performances of ‘When I Fall in Love’ the title track ‘Leaving’ also sees Chet in cracking form.
Recorded live at Munich Studios, April, 1980.
3 Likes
I’m happy to report that this LP sounds superb. Aplomb with punch, dynamic swings, big soundstage - all rather delightful, and such a fun album.
Bjork - Homogenic (2016 reissue)
Steven Wilson - Harmonic Divergence (2024 RSD limited edition)
Clearly silver is the colour of the day with these two.
5 Likes
Released this Friday.
3 Likes
Just got mine - a success !
As the (very good) sleeve notes say, Amancio and Dennis Preston were doing a ‘Wes Montgomery/Creed Taylor’ but without the sales.
I bought a 2 LP set of Guns N’ Roses Greatest Hits, mainly to get their cover of The Stones’ track ‘Sympathy For The Devil’.
I was amused to see that the sides are not numbered A, B, C and D.
Instead we get G, N, F’N and R!
1 Like
How’s it sound? Can’t wait for mine.
Love Amancio a real hidden gem.
Sounds good to me - possibly a slight bit of sibilance but nothing serious. I do have an original and have not yet compared.
Wow that original is worth £300 - £500
I only discovered Amancio 2 or 3 years ago and straight away he resonated with me after travelling through India quite a bit. I now have all of his releases but unfortunately only reissues I’d love to own an original.
Cost me about £25 I think ! Over 20 years ago though.
Definitely a unique talent. The new Tony Higgins notes are great and tell his career story well. Turns out that Amancio was introduced to Dennis Preston by Jonathan Miller, who was a fan.
1 Like
Another Blue Note Tone Poet that came the other day, cleaned on the Degritter now and ready to play… 
6 Likes
