Pure Dsd

Bassist Lonnie Plaxico is perhaps best known for his associations with Greg Osby & M-Base, & for being the long-time bassist for Cassandra Wilson. He was the leader of several recordings made for the now static Muse label in the '80s & '90s. On January 29, 2003, Plaxico was leading an energetically funky sextet at New York City's Jazz Standard.

Live to 2 track, contemporary electric/acoustic rock! Recorded with an almost jazz approach with lots of room for experimentation & improvisation. Featuring great instrumental solos & awesome sonics, Sajko’s “Page” deserves a listen! Fans of classic rock like Zappa, Cream, John Hiatt & King Crimson will dig this one.

Lars Erstrand was a Swedish vibraphonist. Being rooted in the golden Swing era, Erstrand's playing is much influenced by the style of Lionel Hampton. "Lars Estrand Sessions" featuring Bob Barnard, Danny Moss & Roy Williams. Recorded over 3 sessions in 1994 and 1995 this release includes 13 well known jazz classics including "Don't Take your Love From Me", "Afternoon in Paris" and "Struttin' with Some Barbecue". Lars dazzles on the vibraphone and is accompanied by the talented Kjell Ohman, Ronnie Gardiner, Arne Wihelmsson and Jan Lundgren.

What they have done through the years could be considered a tribute to the Chicago Jazz era and, in many ways, a recreation of the music of Clarence Williams. Both Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet are, of course, also among the important musicians who have inspired this band. No other band has so consistently made the Classic Jazz from this time - 1920 to 1930 - so alive and really revived it in such an authentic and positive way!

In 2000, you would have been hard-pressed to find a more lowdown blues-oriented recording than singer/guitarist Doug MacLeod's Whose Truth, Whose Lies?, which should appeal to anyone who likes his/her blues dark, shadowy, and moody. This isn't an album that tries to win you over with slickness; whether MacLeod is going electric or acoustic, he obviously identifies with the simplicity and honesty that characterized the country blues artists of the '30s and '40s. Not that Whose Truth, Whose Lies? sounds like a recording from that time. MacLeod's lyrics obviously aren't pre-World War II lyrics, and he has been influenced by soul, rock, and folk as well as country and urban blues. Not everything on this superb album adheres to a 12-bar format, and some of the tunes fall into the folk category. But even when he is getting into a folk or R&B groove, MacLeod can always be counted on to provide a wealth of blues feeling. Whose Truth, Whose Lies? may not be the work of a purist, but it is certainly compelling.

The Swedish Jazz Kings third Opus 3 release is a swinging tribute to Louis Armstrong. Concentrating on a period when Louis was revolutionizing the shape of jazz music, this album contains many tunes from Armstrong's early repertoire. The sound, as captured by the talented Opus 3 engineers, is even more stunning on SACD. Highly Recommended.

Emi Fujita (藤田恵美) is a Japanese singer. She debuted as a singer with her husband Ryuji Fujita as the duo Le Couple. Their 1st album was released in 1994. Fujita made her solo debut in 2001. Her series of "Camomile" albums are covers of popular western songs. Several of her solo albums have charted in Japan, including Camomile Best Audio, which reached #27 on the Oricon chart and is a 'best of' her Camomile series. She has also found some success in Southeast Asia.

In what we believe is a very harmonic and enjoyable mix, Opus 3 offers a selection from their albums of music ranging from Blues, Jazz, World Music and Classical. Stimulating possibilities are made available on SACD's and pure DSD.

Following the success of Die Schöpfung (The Creation), which had swiftly gained popularity throughout Europe, Haydn’s librettist Baron Gottfried van Swieten suggested another project, based on James Thomson’s pastoral epic, The Seasons. One of Haydn’s last major works, Die Jahreszeiten depicts the yearly cycle of life in the countryside through the eyes of three peasants, providing us with music of thrilling vitality and creativity.