I started this thread to tell about my latest experience with Blue Coast Records, to clarify some questions with Cookie, give us the chance to occasionally discuss interesting topics with a pro like Cookie aside of Paul‘s posts, give Cookie a Chance to post some news and us to share Blue Coast recommendations with other forum folks.
So first my hot recommendations, as I’m not that much into quieter blues, folk, singer/songwriter and piano stuff, but a Jazznut :
That”s what I recently acquired. At first I saw that Cookie has Kai Eckhardt as an artist, who’s one of my favorite bass players since I know him from John McLaughlin albums with Trilok Gurtu. He’s fantastic there. So besides the “special event” Blue coast recording with a great slapping bass piece to play loud, I looked for further albums he’s part of. I found the two Valence project albums, which are somewhere between jazz fusion and Pop/Jazz. Listen to track 5 and 10 on “Heart drum” and track 1,2 and 7 of “Valence project”. Play “who do you love” and “pieces of the puzzle” loud and have fun! Great sound in your face and beat, and a wonderful firm deep bass especially on “I am Shiva‘ and „Who do you love”.
Then I listened to a flamenco recording of Jason McGuire. Man, if you want to own just one flamenco album, take this one! The soundstage is little bigger than in real life in my setup (he breathes a bit aside of his guitar but the guitar itself is captured gorgeously), and it sounds so good and dynamic (makes one rise it louder than an acoustic guitar usually is, it’s fun) and the guy really plays fantastic, highly recommended!
So now a further peak: imagine a guy playing a bassoon like a saxophone, looping on the one album and playing fusion on the other…I own some jazz albums with strange instruments…classical horn, tuba, harp…but a bassoon?? Man that’s real freakin’ cool and really played like a jazz instrument. Don’t know how he manages to have the breath/lip. He (Paul Hanson) plays great and great music really! I had to dry my eyes on the second track of the “special events” album when I played it at proper level and imagined to hear this live. Wow. Reminded me on a concert of Aliza Mustafe Zadeh looping her singing. Every jazz fan must have this album (even if it’s just for the few best tracks) and every jazz fusion fan the other one! If you meet him Cookie, tell him he moved one more with me 
Cookie, you make really gorgeous recordings! I wish you’d do more jazz or classical! I had a great listening session with live levels, your recordings make me turn volume up and have fun!
Now my questions to Cookie:
Your albums are available on two sites, your bluecoastmusic.com, which offers really great navigation/selection but no single buy of tracks as downloadnow.net does for the same albums. Why not enable single track buy on your site? But it’s great and simple to buy there just directly with PayPal quick buy without registration.
How is it possible to identify and search for albums aside of your own label, that you recorded and/or mastered?
Why do you offer albums (and how do you select them) that (so I assume due to the credits) have nothing to do with your own work (e.g. SFS albums or a Christian McBride etc.)?
Why don’t you integrate the information about the albums (technical info, artist info), given on your website, into a pdf you supply with the tracks? It’s a pity that after a buy, one has to repeatedly look them up online.
Keep on the great work!
