Jazz for aficionados
I think PWJ nailed it. When stereo was new some recording engineers got it, and some did not. I often wondered, what were they thinking. Let's put Sonny on the left by himself, and the bass and drums on the right, so they can really hear what Sonny's doing. Obviously, they had ideas other than live music as a goal. |
Some engineers set the groups up as they would normally appear on stage in a live performance, then miked from an appropriate distance that would approximate a good audience seating position in hopes of recreating the soundstage. It could be done both ways, but there are plenty of convincing recordings out there besides Van Gelder's (don't get me wrong - he was the best). I remember listening to Coltrane on "So What?" (recording engineer Fred Plaut) imaged about 8 feet in front of me, near dead center, on a friend's tube-driven Magneplanars. Similarly, there are plenty of live recordings out there with remarkable placements of the players to the left, center and right. Part of the issue is often the imaging quality of one's home set-up and where the sweet spot is. |
I always like to look at this list, as it is compiled from the top 10 recordings from a much larger list of reviewers. This year it is 148 reviewers. Then, you can click on any of the 148 reviewers and see their individual lists. https://www.npr.org/2021/01/14/956649529/2020-best-jazz-albums-critics-poll |
Today's Listen: Allen Toussaint -- THE BRIGHT MISSISSIPPI Excellent Packaging. Excellent recording. Recorded 2008. Nonsuch Label. egyptian fantasy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlifDYDUuHI st james infirmary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdZcU4SniIc west end blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcPsgMa74Lk bright mississippi (monk is monk, even in Nawlin's) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCHddHp8OAw long, long journey (Toussaint on vocals) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkSlStHxyPA Cheers |
