Hi-Res Downloads

Stanley Cowell Trio
Illusion Suite (96kHz/24-bit, WAV)
www.ecmrecords.com; ECM 1026

Some readers will be younger than this recording, made in November 1972 at Sound Ideas Studio, New York. Nevertheless, it’s a tribute to both producer Manfred Eicher and engineer George Klabin, plus the meticulous care with which ECM converts its old analogue tapes into hi-res digital files, that this release comes up vibrant and polished more than a half century later. Opening gently with a glowing view of Cowell’s piano on 'Maimoun', the album soon hits its groove as bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Jimmy Hopps join the fray. By time we reach the third track, 'Cal Massey', the trio’s playing hard and fast, Clarke laying down slick runs on the upright as Hopps backs off to give him space, and then the piano and drum surge back in to drive a hard bop style. The exemplary recording quality brings out all three performers with a wonderful ‘could have been recorded yesterday’ freshness. AE

Sound Quality: 90%

Lab Report

The practical ~20kHz bandwidth and 70dB S/N ratio of this original 1973 analogue tape recording is faithfully captured by ECM’s 96kHz/24-bit encoding. Dynamic range is better than most ‘direct digital’ recordings! PM

Tomasz Stanko Quartet
September Night (48kHz/24-bit, WAV)
www.ecmrecords.com; ECM 2650

As ‘does what it says on the tin’ titles go, this one is bang on the money. September Night sees trumpeter Stanko recorded vibrantly live in Munich in Sept ’09 with his trusted sidesmen: pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz, and drummer Michal Miskiewicz. But the quartet is much more than star performer and backing band as each member, including Stanko, is willing to yield to the others. There are times when the ‘headline name’ is playing just like a member of the group, as on 'Song For Sarah' or the appropriately named 'Elegant Place'. Then again, tracks like 'Euferila', with opening bass solo presaging a flat-out drive with Stanko’s trumpet soaring (but never dominating), and the improvised 'Kaetano', show the four musicians demonstrating the kind of ‘road-tested’ closeness and musical sympathy that’s only achieved through long acquaintance. AE

Sound Quality: 85%

Lab Report

This may only be a 48kHz download, with inherent limitations on the bandwidth of trumpet and percussion, but the dynamic range is enormous [esp. trk 4]! Peaks settle out at between –8dB to –1dB and there are no alias or other artefacts. PM

Roxana Amed
Unánime (48kHz/24-bit, FLAC)
https://roxana-amed.com; Sony Music Latin 19658748082

This is one of those recordings that frustrates somewhat: without a doubt Amed is a major talent, with a rich, lustrous contralto voice well suited to the Latin-flavoured music here. And the comprehensive team of musicians assembled to showcase her vocal talents is undoubtedly impressive, able to drive the rhythms smartly and create everything from a subtle piano accompaniment to an enthusiastic big band sound. Against all this Amed ably displays her vocal gymnastics, as she swings from warmth in her lower register to soaring high notes. So why does it frustrate? Well, I constantly found myself wanting the recording to break loose and fly... What sounds intimate with the downbeat numbers can all too easily become overly dense and even messy when things get rather busier, the music lacking some openness and punch. AE

Sound Quality: 80%

Lab Report

Normalised between –0.3dB to –0.4dB but with less than 2 bits between the RMS and peak levels, dynamic range is below average. HF noise is fractionally high (a tube mic at Criteria Studios perhaps?) but otherwise ‘clean’. PM

Avram Fefer Quartet
Juba Lee (88.2kHz/32-bit, WAV)
https://cleanfeed-records.com; Clean Feed Records CF601CD

On this release from Portuguese-based label Clean Feed, veteran saxophonist Fefer is joined by regular bandmates Eric Revis on bass and drummer Chad Taylor, here with the addition of guitarist Marc Ribot. Fefer plays a warm, lush tenor for the first few tracks, then switches to the more upfront alto for the title track, the ballad 'Love Is In The Air' and 'Gemini Time', this last with shades of Ornette Coleman. And to cement his multi-instrumental ability, he duets on bass clarinet with Ribot on the closing 'Sweet 15 (For G.T.)', a quietly reflective tribute to his late friend Greg Tate. Clearly this is a personal project for Fefer, and it swings from the exuberant to the intimate – the whole ambience of that closing track being markedly different from what has gone before. My only regret is that the sound throughout hasn’t a bit more clout and freedom of breath. AE

Sound Quality: 75%

Lab Report

Although the tracks peak from –0.9dB to –3.5dB, overall dynamic range is sadly below average. The 88.2kHz sample rate is correct, but note spurious, if inaudible, tone at ~40kHz (not on trk 9 which looks like a separate recording). PM

The Veils
Asphodels (96kHz/24-bit, WAV)
www.theveils.com; V2 Records/Universal n/a cat. no.

Almost all you need to know about this album is in the title, the asphodel being a lily-like flower found in the fields of the dead in Greek mythology. This isn’t going to be a cheery set from Finn Andrews’ band, being recorded live to tape over five days at Roundhead Studios in New Zealand, and with themes encompassing love, death and existential dread. Jolly, huh? And to match the mood of the songs – with nine of them, it’s relentlessly gothic and introspective – the sound here is dark and dense, with little light creeping into the mix. It’s not helped by the level being continuously up at the 0.0dB digital limit, leaving no scope for dynamic shading and possibly putting some DACs into momentary clipping. Also, as PM notes in his Lab Report [below], the sourcing of these tracks looks to be mixed, to say the least. Perhaps it helps to be in the wrong mood…? AE

Sound Quality: 70%

Lab Report

Technically, this is something of a ‘mixed bag’ – all tracks are slammed into the 0.0dB digital endstops; trks 3, 5, 7, 8 look to be upsamples from 48kHz; trks 4, 6, 9 have excessive noise [black spectrum]; trks 1-2 are sub-CD bandwidth [green]. PM