And speaking of how a system improves drum sounds, I recently installed a new power cable, powering my line stage preamp. The Audience Front Row Reserve has produced sq improvements that are still easy for me to hear even after roughly 60 hours. And drum sounds are far more tactile, dimensional, lively.
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Talk about being blown away… I have been moving my speakers further and further into the room and I moved them another six inchs in and about three inches closer together when I moved the sub next to the speaker. I also put bass traps in both corners behind the speakers. I found some of that magic Paul M talks about. I can’t stop listening and worry it won’t last, lol. I moved one bass trap that was in the corner across the room listening side to the corner the sub was in and this was when the magic happened. Just amazing
Red Hot Chili Peppers have some stuff I really like and at least one of their songs on my play list. Interesting info. You really know your music.
Yeah, when I was “dialing in” my speaker placement, it was amazing how just a few inches wider or narrower or a few mm in toe-in would change things. I guess with new equipment, I ought to re-evaluate the placement in case anything could be different.
Yeah, I do know a lot about music, but the older I’ve gotten, the more I realize I DON’T know. I was telling a friend recently that back when I was in high school, all my friends were big into music. It was before video games, so we’d get together, sit on a couch, face the stereo, and honestly LISTEN. It’s likely where the expression “STFU” came from. If someone asked, “have you heard the new Procul Harum album?” If you didn’t know who Procul Harum was, everyone would look at you and scream, “WHAT, you don’t know PROCUL HARUM? What rock have you been sleeping under.” So the right answer was “No, not yet,” then you’d go home and look in your brother’s Encyclopedia of Rock. But now with so many, and so many GOOD musicians, there’s literally no way anyone could keep up with it all, so I’ve grown OK with saying “No, never heard of them,” but I still feel a bit ashamed doing it.
Speaking of Procul Harum, I’m going this Thursday to a concert featuring Robin Trower, guitarist with PH, who turns 80 this year. I wonder if he’ll have a walker?
That seems true with everything, the more we learn about something the more we realize how little we know. People think becoming a black belt in martial arts means you’re a master but the real learning begins at BB. I had my fathers record collection and got teased in 6th grade art class for making a little banner of The Moody Blues 
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Oh man that would be a fun show. I like a lot of Trower’s stuff. Last concert I went to was Deep Purple and it was a great show. They had a new guitarist but his name escapes me.
I’ll have to take your word for it on earning a black belt. I actually tried Kung Fu when I was in junior high and failed at everything. Despite the fact my dad was a pretty tough hockey player from the UP, I have been a total wimp my whole life and damn proud of it. My wife has asked me, “So, if we were out and a guy came up and started harassing me, what would you do?” “Um, run?” I reply.
I saw Deep Purple when I was in high school! Also Grand Funk Railroad, Elton John, Edgar Winter, J. Geils Band, Jethro Tull, ZZ Top. I would never have told my friends that I also saw The Carpenters, David Gates & Bread, and John Denver. The best concert though was Gino Vannelli. It was amazingly well-produced, with about 15 musicians on stage, and the sound was incredible - you could hear the guy in the back playing a triangle (keeping with the percussion theme here). The only other live concert I heard that rivaled the sound at Gino was a performance at Atlanta’s Fox Theater by Allison Krauss. I can’t believe that little girl has such a huge voice. Another great sounding concert was the Avett Brothers at a small venue. Their harmonies would blow out the back wall.
The UP you say? A fellow Michigander? I’m downriver just outside Detroit. It’s best to avoid a fight if possible. Just too much to lose over someone else’s issues.
I’m a huge Tull fan and always wanted to see them live. A passion play is probably my favorite album of theirs. I like all you mention with the exception of Gino Vannelli. I’ll have to look him up. My first big rock concert was Alice cooper and the sound was terrible. I left with a headache. My favorite concert would be Rod Stewart. I wasn’t sitting in an ideal location for sound quality but what a great show. Metallica at pine knob was pretty awesome too. The crowd got so crazy Metallica threatened to end the show if people didn’t settle down. At one point most of the lawn was in the air.
I guess we should take this discussion private again, but I can’t remember how, so I guess I’ll need to say something about drums. My parents were from the UP, but got the heck out of there right before they had me in Iowa. They spent the rest of their lives thawing out in Iowa, Tennessee and North Carolina. We’d get up there every few years to visit relatives and I guess they never totally lost all their Youper blood.
I loved Jethro Tull growing up, largely because I was big into classical music and it runs through so much of their stuff. Have you listened much to their live album “Bursting Out”? When I started getting back into higher-end audio, I saw it listed as one of the best-ever audiophile live albums. I listened to it again recently on vinyl and I like it, but don’t think it lives up to that level. I see that several of their albums have been remastered by Steven Wilson - are you familiar with him? He’s founder of the band Porcupine Tree, but has really made quite a name for himself remastering. His Gentle Giant remasters are incredible. Great drums. (whew, did it).
As for Gino Vannelli, he’s probably what you’d call a guilty pleasure. Very heavily produced and has a big romantic voice, but as far as overproduction and schmalz go, he’s really good. He brings in jazz and classical influences and writes all his own stuff. His biggest album was “Brother to Brother” which scored a few hits - a bit on the funky side, a bit disco in a few places, but I will say this - every album of his is GOOD AUDIO. He was an early act on A&M Records and always had great powerful sound. My favorite album of his was probably his least seller - “Yonder Tree” - not even on Qobuz or Apple Music. But it has some fantastic jazz and one of my favorite solos - hey - it’s percussion - did you hear that everyone? A tap-dancing solo by the late Gregory Hines. It really is a beautifully rendered thing. Here’s a YouTube version at least. The tap-dancing starts the song, but comes back toward the end and really adds a lot to the overall effect.
I experienced exactly what you described with a demo of @straightwire Stealth 2020 on the Gryphon Powerzone. It was like I upgraded my subwoofers and the subwoofers aren’t plugged into the Powerzone.
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I too was really into Jethro Tull, starting when “Benefit” caught my ear on its release and I went back from there. The Steve Wilson remixes are really good. . . I bought them all until the Christmas one. Don’t listen often any more, but the remasters are a good listen.
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OK Mr. Weed-wopper, I listened to “I Am An Indian” last night - found it for $10 on Bandcamp. Night before last I listened to their other album you linked to: " Soft Lights and Sweet Music: Clusone Trio Plays the Music of Irving Berlin (Qobuz / Apple Music). This is incredible stuff, both from a musical as well as audio perspective. Talk about stretching the envelope of sounds. But it’s also really really creative musically. For anyone not into “free” or avant-garde jazz, give this some time, especially the Irving Berlin stuff. I’m serious that their rendition of “White Christmas” might be the best I’ve ever heard, just because of its sonic creativity and phrasing. As for drums and percussion, my system had a lot of fun with these. The “Indian” recording was not quite as present as Irving Berlin, but it was also recorded live, which makes it harder to get that level of intimacy. Thanks again for a great recommendation.
Coincidentally, I just got my new PS Audio gear - new Stellar Gold DAC, PowerPlant 3 and AirLens and it will be fun to A - B compare some of these drum recordings.
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When I started getting further into serious audio, I read an article about AC power that really had an impact on my thinking. It stated that less impedance at no matter which voltage doesn’t just give more power to a note, it also allows your equipment to more quickly “recover” or “reset” from the note it just played. So when we’re talking about drums here, they are very taxing on a system - not just bass, but at all frequencies - so less impedance allows a whole sequence of notes to be more accurate.
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Glad you enjoyed the Clusone Trio/Clusone 3. Exploring innovative sounds and approaches can be fun.
BTW, think of it as emulating an Ella Fitzgerald scatting along a trumpet motif, wee-dee-WOP!
To cry you a song, from this album is one of my favorite Tull tunes.
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Yeah, I figured there was a jazz element in that handle. I’ve always been interested in scat-singing, but truthfully, there aren’t that many people who excel at it. Ella Fitzgerald, yes, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie. There’s a young singer Cyrille Aimee who does pretty well. I think one of the greatest scats I’ve ever heard is off the Clark Terry 1989 album Portraits (Chesky) - the tune “Finger Filibuster” (Not on Qobuz, but on Apple Music).
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One of my favorite masters of scat is the singer Giacomo Gates. He makes amazing choices and also imitates instruments in interesting ways.
A fun album. Forgot all about it. Agree regarding individuals that can effectively scat. It is a bit of an acquire taste.
Inspired by “Had to Cry Today” by Blind Faith.
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Never heard tell of no Giacomo Gates. Have to look him up.
Although not technically “scat,” (or drums for that matter, although there is some percussive imitation in there), I really love many of the things Bobby McFerrin has done, especially his “straight” jazz stuff. I have played his duet with Chick Corea of “Spain” (Qobuz / Apple Music) numerous times. Probably not really an “audiophile” recording, but great musicianship.
Gates is a very accomplished jazz singer, has been making music for many decades, and has released recordings since 1996.
I’m not a McFerrin fan myself, but we’re all different–I can recognize his talent, just don’t enjoy his work much at all.