Tony Bennett – MTV Unplugged (1994) [1999, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Tony Bennett - MTV Unplugged (1994) [1999, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Tony Bennett – MTV Unplugged (1994) [1999, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD Rip | ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
Single Layer SACD | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.54 GB (ISO) + 1.18 GB (FLAC) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Columbia | EU | Cat#: CS 66214 | Genre: Big Band

Of course, Tony Bennett never was “plugged in,” so the concept here is redundant, but what the hell. It’s been a while since a Tony Bennett live album, and he’s always terrific in concert. Certainly, he is here, singing 22 pop standards, including many of his hits and many other songs he’s made his own. Elvis Costello and k.d. lang drop by, but they’re feeding off Bennett’s energy and star power, not the other way around. The album may be part of a successful marketing plan, but forget that and revel in the singing of a masterful song interpreter still, after 40 years, at the top of his game. Continue reading “Tony Bennett – MTV Unplugged (1994) [1999, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Billie Holiday – Lady In Satin (1958) [1995, MasterSound Remastered]

Billie Holiday - Lady In Satin (1958) [1995, MasterSound Remastered]

Billie Holiday – Lady In Satin (1958) [1995, MasterSound Remastered]
EAC Rip | FLAC Image + Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 464 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: MasterSound | US | Cat#: CK 53814 | Genre: Vocal Jazz

Lady in Satin is an album by jazz singer Billie Holiday released in 1958 on Columbia Records, catalogue CL 1157 in mono and CS 8048 in stereo. It is the penultimate album completed by the singer and last released in her lifetime (her final album, Billie Holiday, being recorded in March 1959 and released just after her death). The original album was produced by Irving Townsend, and engineered by Fred Plaut Continue reading “Billie Holiday – Lady In Satin (1958) [1995, MasterSound Remastered]”

Art Pepper – Promise Kept: The Complete Artists House Recordings (2019) {WEB, CD-Quality + Hi-Res}

Art Pepper - Promise Kept: The Complete Artists House Recordings (2019) {WEB, CD-Quality + Hi-Res}

Art Pepper – Promise Kept: The Complete Artists House Recordings (2019) {WEB, CD-Quality + Hi-Res}
WEB Download | CD-Quality / FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz | Hi-Res / FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 44.1kHz
Total Size: 2.16 GB (CD-Quality) + 3.90 GB (Hi-Res) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Omnivore Recordings | Genre: Jazz, Hard Bop

Producer Snyder had long wished to record Pepper, and to that end, booked him into a week at the Village Vanguard in New York. But the sax man was under contract to Contemporary Records, whose head Les Koenig opted to record the stint himself. Pepper, however, remained committed to recording for Snyder, the result of which was four albums recorded in 1979 and released in the ensuing years. Continue reading “Art Pepper – Promise Kept: The Complete Artists House Recordings (2019) {WEB, CD-Quality + Hi-Res}”

Steely Dan ‎- Countdown To Ecstasy (1973) [2014, Japan SHM-SACD, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Steely Dan ‎- Countdown To Ecstasy (1973) [2014, Japan SHM-SACD, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Steely Dan ‎- Countdown To Ecstasy (1973) [2014, Japan SHM-SACD, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD Rip | ISO @1bit/2.8224MHz, DSD64 | FLAC Tracks @24bit/88.2kHz | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 1.69 GB (ISO) + 856 MB (FLAC) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Universal | Japan | Cat#: UIGY-9566 | Genre: Jazz Rock, Pop Rock

Countdown to Ecstasy is the second studio album by the American rock band Steely Dan, released in July 1973 by ABC Records. It was recorded at Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado and at The Village Recorder in West Los Angeles, California. After the departure of vocalist David Palmer, the group recorded the album with Donald Fagen singing lead on all the songs. Continue reading “Steely Dan ‎- Countdown To Ecstasy (1973) [2014, Japan SHM-SACD, Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

VA – The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas (1968) [1999, DCC Remastered]

VA - The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas (1968) [1999, DCC Remastered]

VA – The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas (1968) [1999, DCC Remastered]
EAC Rip | FLAC Image + Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 199 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: DCC Compact Classics, USA | Cat#: ARZ-103-2 | Genre: Vocal Jazz

The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas is a 1968 Christmas album by Frank Sinatra and featuring his children, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Nancy Sinatra and Tina Sinatra. Continue reading “VA – The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas (1968) [1999, DCC Remastered]”

Frank Sinatra – The Voice (1955) [1994, MasterSound Remastered]

Frank Sinatra - The Voice (1955) [1994, MasterSound  Remastered]

Frank Sinatra – The Voice (1955) [1994, MasterSound Remastered]
EAC Rip | FLAC Image + Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 255 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: MasterSound | US | Cat#: CK 64368 | Genre: Vocal Jazz

Most of the Sinatra recordings available during the 1950s consisted of his contemporary work for Capitol Records. But every so often his former label, Columbia Records, would get something together on LP from among his ’40s and early-’50s sides. The Voice was one of a handful of ’50s long-players showcasing the first phase of Sinatra’s solo career, and at the time it wowed listeners — the focus is on the ballads, and Continue reading “Frank Sinatra – The Voice (1955) [1994, MasterSound Remastered]”

Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club (1997) {CD + DVD-A + Hi-Res}

Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (1997) {CD + DVD-A + Hi-Res}

Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club (1997) {CD + DVD-A + Hi-Res}
EAC Rip | FLAC Image + Cue + Log
DVD-Audio | MPL (5.1 & 2.0 / 24bit / 96kHz) | AC-3 (5.1)
Hi-Res | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | Stereo & Multichannel
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 355 MB (CD) + 5.46 GB (DVD-A) + 4.54 GB (Hi-Res) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: World Circuit / Nonesuch | EU / USA | Cat#: WCD050 / 79478-9 | Genre: Jazz, Latin

Buena Vista Social Club is the debut album by the eponymous ensemble of Cuban musicians directed by Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder. It was recorded at Havana’s EGREM studios in March 1996 and released on September 16, 1997, on World Circuit. Despite its success, it remains the only standard studio album exclusively credited to the Buena Vista Social Club. Continue reading “Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club (1997) {CD + DVD-A + Hi-Res}”

The Count Basie Big Band – Basie Swings (2002) {DVD-Audio + Hi-Res}

The Count Basie Big Band - Basie Swings (2002) {DVD-Audio + Hi-Res}

The Count Basie Big Band – Basie Swings (2002) {DVD-Audio + Hi-Res}
DVD-Audio | MLP (5.1 / 24bit / 96kHz) | AC-3 (5.1)
Hi-Res | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | Multichannel
Covers Included
Total Size: 3.73 GB (DVD-A) + 3.39. GB (Hi-Res) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Denon | USA | Cat#: SVY 17154 | Genre: Big Band, Swing

This audio DVD features the Count Basie big band performing various songs from his career. While these performances are available elsewhere, collectors may be interested in the remastered sound. Continue reading “The Count Basie Big Band – Basie Swings (2002) {DVD-Audio + Hi-Res}”

George Benson – Songs And Stories (2009) [CD + DVD + Hi-Res]

George Benson - Songs And Stories (2009) [CD + DVD + Hi-Res]

George Benson – Songs And Stories (2009) [CD + DVD + Hi-Res]
EAC Rip | FLAC Tracks + Cue + Log
DVD | NTSC 16:9 (720×480) VBR | LPCM (2.0 / 24bit / 96kHz) | DTS (5.1 / 24bit / 96kHz) | AC-3 (5.1)
Hi-Res | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | Stereo & Multichannel
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 442 MB (CD) + 5.58 GB (DVD) + 4.76 GB (Hi-Res) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Concord Records | USA / Japan | Cat#: CCD-30364 / UCCO-1085 | Genre: Jazz, R&B

George Benson’s sound is so recognizable that, in its way, it’s quite comforting to hear his voice or his guitar come across on the radio or in a club. His recordings have been polished and extravagant in many cases, but there are those signature elements — his relaxed delivery and silky touch on the strings and his voice, as evocative as a cool breeze floating across a hot summer night. Songs and Stories doesn’t deviate from his formula a great deal, but it doesn’t have to. He’s chosen ten ubiquitous pop tunes from a variety of songwriters (and one by a relatively new kid on the block), and with the help of producers John Burk and Marcus Miller, he puts them across in fine style. Continue reading “George Benson – Songs And Stories (2009) [CD + DVD + Hi-Res]”

Blue Chamber Quartet – Children’s Songs (2009) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Blue Chamber Quartet - Children's Songs (2009) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Blue Chamber Quartet – Children’s Songs (2009) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD Rip | ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz | Stereo & Multichannel
Hybrid SACD | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.46 GB (ISO) + 1.96 GB (FLAC Mch) + 820 MB (FLAC Stereo) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Stockfisch Records | Switzerland | Cat#: SFR 357.4067.2 | Genre: Jazz

word of warning: the notes to this CD may detract from the lovely music it contains. German ensemble Blue Chamber Quartet commissioned journalist Cathrin Kahlweit to write a brief essay for each of the work’s 20 movements, first-person vignettes describing the lives of children in 20 countries that seemingly have no discernable relationship to Corea’s gentle, sophisticated miniatures. Continue reading “Blue Chamber Quartet – Children’s Songs (2009) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Arnie Somogyi’s Ambulance – Accident And Insurgency (2007) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Arnie Somogyi's Ambulance - Accident And Insurgency (2007) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Arnie Somogyi’s Ambulance – Accident And Insurgency (2007) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD Rip | ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz | FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz | Stereo & Multichannel
Hybrid SACD | Scans Included
Total Size: 3.16 GB (ISO) + 2.66 GB (FLAC Mch) + 998 MB (FLAC Mch) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Linn Records | EU | Cat#: AKD 306 | Genre: Jazz

The Hungarian bassist Arnie Somogyi, a long-time luminary of the British contemporary scene, recently formed an alliance with the US doctor-turned-jazzman Eddie Henderson, this cemented with an appearance ar Ronnie Scott’s and this recording. Much of the music performed here by Somogyi’s Ambulance band emerged during a musical development residency at the Snape Maltings, with Henderson added for a May 2006 tour and for this 2007 recording. Continue reading “Arnie Somogyi’s Ambulance – Accident And Insurgency (2007) [Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Rosemary Clooney And Duke Ellington And His Orchestra – Blue Rose (1956) {1991, MFSL Remastered}

Rosemary Clooney And Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - Blue Rose (1956) {1991, MFSL Remastered}

Rosemary Clooney And Duke Ellington And His Orchestra – Blue Rose (1956) {1991, MFSL Remastered}
EAC Rip | FLAC Tracks + Cue + Log | Photos Only
Total Size: 189 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: MFSL | USA | Cat#: MFCD 850 | Genre: Jazz

Rosemary Clooney may have seemed to be a surprising choice to be featured with Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, but this collaboration is extremely successful in spite of the fact that Clooney was unable to join the band in the studio due to complications of a very difficult pregnancy. The solution was for the band to record the music (after Billy Strayhorn made the first of several trips to Los Angeles to consult with her). The results are stunning and not in the least bit canned, due to the professionalism of all parties involved and a stellar engineering of the separately recorded tracks. Continue reading “Rosemary Clooney And Duke Ellington And His Orchestra – Blue Rose (1956) {1991, MFSL Remastered}”

Sarah Vaughan – A Time In My Life (1971) {1987, MFSL Remastered}

Sarah Vaughan - A Time In My Life (1971) {1987, MFSL Remastered}

Sarah Vaughan – A Time In My Life (1971) {1987, MFSL Remastered}
XLD Rip | FLAC Tracks+ Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 198 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: MFSL | USA | Cat#: MFCD 855 | Genre: Vocal Jazz

Sarah Vaughan brings an almost chameleon-like presence to this album, which encompasses a decidedly — almost defiantly — contemporary repertory. Her gospel approach to “Imagine” could only have delighted John Lennon at the time, while for “Inner City Blues” she embraces a fiercely soulful jazz approach, the horn accompaniment in particular romping over the tune as much as she does. Continue reading “Sarah Vaughan – A Time In My Life (1971) {1987, MFSL Remastered}”

Sarah Vaughan – The Complete Sarah Vaughan Live In Japan (1973) [1987, MFSL Remastered]

Sarah Vaughan - The Complete Sarah Vaughan Live In Japan (1973) [1987, MFSL Remastered]

Sarah Vaughan – The Complete Sarah Vaughan Live In Japan (1973)
[1987, MFSL Remastered]

XLD Rip | 2xCD | FLAC Tracks + Cue + Log | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 569 MB | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: MFSL | USA | Cat#: MFCD 2-844 | Genre: Vocal Jazz

This two-CD set contains all of the music that Sarah Vaughan recorded during her Tokyo concert for Mainstream. The 49-year-old singer is heard at the height of her powers, really digging into the standards and making magic out of such numbers as “Poor,” “‘Round Midnight,” “Willow Weep,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Summertime,” and “Bye Bye Blackbird.” This two-fer (which finds Sassy accompanied by pianist Carl Schroeder, bassist John Gianelli, and drummer Jimmy Cobb) gives one a definitive look at the brilliant (and sometimes miraculous) singer. Continue reading “Sarah Vaughan – The Complete Sarah Vaughan Live In Japan (1973) [1987, MFSL Remastered]”