Oh yeah, I’m pretty familiar with everything he’s done. And for that image of the back cover, I used a jpg Google image file from that exact Invervention Records SACD. But being a graphic designer, I had to change things to be consistent with the A&M back cover. The front is the real deal from my iPhone.
So which 1974 Nonesuch album? Yeah, I know, I should look in the Classical section… hey, just remembered a great story. In 1983 - just before that Joe Jackson album came out - I had a job managing the Classical Room at Camelot Records & Tapes in Charlotte, NC (that album was probably in my inventory). The room was isolated from the rest of the store, so classical lovers could shop without having to listen to Madonna or The Pretenders blaring in that huge cave of a store. I was working there when Michael Jackson’s (no relation to Joe) Thriller album came out. When we had our next staff meeting I reported that sales in the Classical Room had jumped up like never before when Thriller came out. The guy managing our new video rental area reported the same thing. Sales of Beethoven and Debussy went up because of Thriller? What? So guess who drove all those tweens to the store to get Thrilled? Guess what those parents did while their kids were standing in line, to avoid having to listen to Thriller blaring in that huge cave of a store?
The Nonesuch album, if you haven’t looked already, was George Crumb’s Makrokosmos Vol.1, a piece with a score written, I’m told, in a spiral. Whether that’s literally true, and the cover image isn’t just an artistic impression of the work, I don’t know. The recording is astonishing, but the music is so odd it put me off Crumb until my brother introduced me to his Haunted Lanscape, a recording I’ve raved about here, for both music and sonics. I’ve always viewed the Nonesuch Makrokosmos and their Percussion Music album from about the same era as two sides of a sonic coin.
Oh my God. When I was in college, I worked in radio and there was a volunteer there who had more hobbies and interests than anyone I’ve ever met. He was in his 30s, and then attended the college and got a degree in physics. He was an amateur astronomer and a member of a very active astronomy club in Charlotte, NC. I was talking to him about some of the early Greek philosophers and their interests in music as related to astronomy and other sciences so he got me to do a talk to the group about Music of the Spheres, and I used that George Crumb piece to illustrate. I don’t remember it being THAT out-there, but I’ve always loved modern music, avant-garde free jazz, etc. One of my best friends (still is), son of one of my music professors in college, went to the University of Pennsylvania because Crumb was there, but he ended up dropping out of the music program.
Since I just retired, I’m making more room for classical in my listening. I see that this recording has also been issued digitally - Qobuz link (apparently they forgot to include “Tapiola”). Do you think the vinyl pressing is better or do you think it’s good either way? My vinyl setup is on the medium side of audiophile, so I’m not sure I’d benefit THAT much if it’s a very subtle difference.
I don’t know. There’s a huge difference in the quality of the analog and digital sides of my system. So if I compared recordings as such, my system would likely be the biggest factor.
That said, I can’t imagine Decca going thru the expense and labor to produce this AAA recording and then transfer it to a file. In my opinion–just a guess–the version on Qobuz is probably not the same.
I know I’m not part of this conversation, but I’ll just say in response to @RonP’s comment, I’ve never known a classical label, especially one as prominent as Decca, to reuse album art for different recordings. I know that sounds too flimsy to hang a hat on, but I’ve just never seen it done. My best guess is it’s the same recording of the same performance, and given that it’s a hi-res file, any difference in perceived SQ would likely be down to the respective performance qualities of your analog and digital chains.
But not being fully into classical audiophilia yet, I have no idea which labels tend to do a better job remastering to digital. I guess there’s always that “listening” thing I could try out!
Although this won’t qualify as “some of hte best sounding recordings I’ve ever heard” I have realized lately that these are astonishing recordings (and fantastic masterings) of live in a jazz club 1953 performances, and the music is just. .. well I don’t know how to describe it, it fascinates and delights me as someone who has played piano, bass and guitar yet nowhere near the level of these gentlemen.
I have the cd set, have not heard the vinyl.
Art Tatum “Jewels In The Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings” Resonance Records
Thanks Ron - what a fantastic article. Did I read the whole thing? Are you kidding? People in the comments below it remarked how long it was. But now that I’m retired, I guess I have an excuse to read it. But I did read the section on its recording and sound, and like the rest of the article, it’s beautifully written (and extensive). So I think you’ve sold me on buying this in vinyl - my guess is that the mastering to CD is good too, but I might as well consider this a good test for my turntable.
Just ordered this. The cheapest, and probably most beneficial to the cause, is from the Decca US store - even better than Amazon (tired of supporting that Bezos guy). Quite a bit better than what I could find (pure anal) on eBay. But I guess part of it is that it’s brand new.
