Master Music 2013 Audiophile Vocal

Showcase is a test/reference sampler for people interested in music and serious High Fidelity and who wants to test or enjoy good HiFi equipment with a carefully made selection of acoustic music, World, Folk, Blues, Jazz and Classical music in a harmonic mixture - from the latest Opus 3 Records releases.

On "Smash", her debut on Concord Jazz, Patricia Barber reconfirms her unique position in modern music as a jazz triple-threat – imaginative pianist, dazzling vocalist and brilliant composer. Smash features a dozen new Barber originals that showcase her genius as a singer-songwriter. The album delves into familiar subjects including themes of love and loss. Barber’s chilling vocals and intellect outshine many if not all her contemporaries. Barber’s majestic craft lies in the compelling and empathetic words she sets to music. Barber reunites with long-time recording engineer Jim Anderson. The album is an audiophile dream.

There are a handful of landmark albums in any genre. In the blues, one of them is Muddy Waters' "Folk Singer". Originally released in 1964, "Folk Singer" was the only acoustic album Waters ever recorded, thus becoming the first and perhaps best blues concept album ever. Now, "Folk Singer", which includes fellow blues greats Buddy Guy and Willie Dixon backing up Waters, is being re-released in an expanded version that features two bonus tracks recorded during the two 1964 sessions that followed those for the album - "The Same Thing" and "You Can't Lose What You Never Had". Muddy Waters was the king of electric Chicago blues, but on Folk Singer he proved to be, simply, one of the greats of 20th century music.

Yuko Mabuchi started playing classical piano at age 4, in her hometown of Fukui, Japan.