Analogue

Mastered from the original analog tapes By George Marino at Sterling Sound. An audiophile dream set; the best that Elvis has ever sounded! Includes every one of the King's all-time greatest singles.

Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound from the original master tapes to vinyl and PCM. The very fact that America's biggest jazz label called one of their albums quite simply Ella and Louis indicates that we are talking about something very special here. And surely enough has been said - "Satchmo" and the grande dame of jazz certainly need no further introduction. In the '50s just the mere mention of their forenames was enough to light up the eyes of jazz fans. A glance at the track list reveals that tranquility rules the day: wild stomps and improvised scats will neither be sought nor missed. Of prime importance to the jazz ballad is a feeling of "letting oneself drift" in the inspiration which gushes forth from the minds of genial American songwriters. This is no contest - for the artists all pursue a common goal with extreme sensitiveness. The background combo, made up of first-class musicians and led by Oscar Peterson, performs with great concentration and almost obtrusive unobtrusiveness.

This LP for Prestige helped establish alto sax giant McLean on the jazz scene. He was joined by trumpeter Donald Byrd (who shines with the altoist on Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation”) and tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley (also bopping hard on the tune), in a date solidified by McLean’s rhythm section: Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass and Arthur Taylor on drums. McLean also plays ballads, including Waldron’s sublime tune “Abstraction.” Writing in the original notes, Ira Gitler said, ”Jackie McLean is musically coming of age. His playing, out of Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins, has become a personalized, more individual voice in 1956 and he has not lost any of the basic emotion, swinging qualities that help his style live up to the second syllable of his last name so well.” Hybrid Mono SACD for sale individually and as part of Analogue Productions’ Prestige Mono Series. Mini "old style" gatefold jacket packaging.

A perpetual favorite among Jackie McLean’s earlier recordings, Lights Out finds the hard-swinging young alto saxophonist in 1956 still very much under the wing of Charlie Parker, who had died less than a year earlier. Yet McLean was beginning to find ways out of the seductive artistic security of Bird imitations. For one thing, he was experimenting with tonal variations. For another, he was working with Charles Mingus, and Mingus’s genius as a leader included forcing musicians to look deeply into their most cherished stylistic practices. The McLean of Lights Out is the hot young bebopper with a slightly acid edge to his sound and a solid blues foundation under everything he played. McLean and trumpeter Donald Byrd occasionally engage in the "pecking" technique of mutual improvisation they developed as members of the George Wallington Quintet. Hybrid Mono SACD for sale individually and as part of Analogue Productions’ Prestige Mono Series. Mini "old style" gatefold jacket packaging.

Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound from the original master tapes to vinyl and PCM. There isn't much one can say about an album whose title is Ella And Louis Again. The "again" obviously means they've already done one album together and beyond that, what can you say about two people like Ella and Louis? I doubt that there's anyone today who loves music, who doesn't know Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. The backing, with the Oscar Peterson Trio and Louis Bellson substituting for Buddy Rich, remains, as in the first album, quiet, discreet, swinging.

Blue & Sentimental is an album by American saxophonist Ike Quebec recorded in 1961 and released on the Blue Note label. The album features a sparse quartet of Quebec (occasionally doubling on piano), guitarist Grant Green, and a rhythm section of Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The album features some rare rhythm guitar accompaniment by Green, who was more typically a soloist. The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awarded the album 5 stars and calling it "a superbly sensuous blend of lusty blues swagger and achingly romantic ballads… a quiet, sorely underrated masterpiece".

Remastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog tape. Recorded in 1976 with the legendary George Martin as producer (The Beatles), both reprise their magic from Beck's Blow By Blow with an awesome array of jazz-rock-funk fusion, which is often sited as one of this genres finest recordings. This time for the eight incredible tracks, Jeff brings back the great Max Middleton on keys and Richard Bailey on drums, as well as new additions and future mainstay keyboardist Jan Hammer and the power drums of Michael Narada Walden, plus bassist Wilbur Bascomb. With legendary tracks such as Charles Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," and Jan Hammer's "Blue Wind," Wired soon became a radio and retail staple which has truly endured and stood the test of time. Rightfully so, this album continues to inspire and influence a whole new generation of guitar players and music lovers worldwide.

Steppenwolf have become synonymous with their huge Harley ridin'-hit, "Born to be Wild", although in reality, their success was far broader, with sales totaling more than 25 million units worldwide. Now their eponymous debut album originally released in 1968 is back and on Hybrid SACD, stunning audiophiles everywhere — courtesy of Analogue Productions! Their history is littered with a succession of band members, substance abuse issues and several break-ups and reformations, but Steppenwolf endures.

Otis Redding's third album presents his talent unfettered, his direction clear and his confidence emboldened, with fully half the songs representing a reach that extended his musical grasp. More than a quarter of this album is given over to Redding's version of songs by Sam Cooke, his idol, who had died the previous December. Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul is considered by many critics to be Redding's first great album. Recorded in April and July of 1965, it was released September 15th of that same year. The styles of Cooke and Redding couldn't have been more different; Cooke smooth and sure, Redding raw and pleading. But Redding's versions of "Shake" and "A Change Is Gonna Come" show how Cooke's sound and message helped shape Redding's Southern soul sound. Redding's singing reaches a new level of expressiveness with this as well as with covers of B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby" and the Motown hit "My Girl." This great album receives the full Analogue Productions reissue treatment here, starting with Kevin Gray's remaster from the original analogue tapes.