Hi-Res Downloads

This month we review and test releases from: Sun Ra Arkestra; Janine Jansen and Klaus Mäkelä; Arild Andersen; Trondheim Jazz Orchestra & Espen Berg; and Michael Dease

Sun Ra Arkestra
Lights On A Satellite (96kHz/24-bit, WAV)
www.inandout-records.com; In+Out Records IOR 77158-2

As abstract as any force in jazz, Sun Ra was either a genius, an acquired taste, or an irritant. But since so much of his oeuvre is melodic, accessible, and conventional – unlike, say, Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz – I find myself savouring it even when the man himself isn’t present. The maths on this brand-new album attest to its timelessness. Sun Ra died in 1993, his sax sideman Marshall Allen has been leading the Arkestra since Sun Ra’s passing, Allen turned 100 on the 25th of May 2024, and 21 days later, on June 16th, he was in Studio A at New York’s Power Station to record this tribute to his own life’s work – keeping the Sun Ra legacy alive. Look elsewhere for remakes of the weirder material, eg, NRBQ’s Interstellar, for this embraces big band, bebop, cool, and there’s even some swinging vocals. And would you believe ‘Way Down Yonder In New Orleans’? Sonically? It’s almost as lush as heavyweight vinyl. KK

Sound Quality: 90%

Lab Report

This busy recording is normalised to a high-ish –1.1dBFs and possesses a good dynamic range. The ~48kHz bandwidth afforded by 96kHz sampling is well used by the instruments here, though note the spurious 40kHz tone. PM

Jansen, Mäkelä, Oslo Philharmonic
Sibelius/Prokofiev Violin Concertos (96kHz/24-bit, WAV)
decca.com; Decca 485 4748

Recorded in one session in the Oslo Konserthus back in the summer of 2023, this fabulous set sees Dutch violinist Janine Jansen partnering with the Oslo Philharmonic under Klaus Mäkelä to deliver fresh, crisp takes on these two popular concertos. This is Jansen’s first concerto recording for almost a decade, and she approaches the works with wonderful freshness, the engineers capturing all the colours of her 1715 Stradivarius. It’s a technical tour de force, enhanced by the organic interplay with Mäkelä’s orchestra, the two perfectly balanced and creating dramatic, emotional performances. This is a set to grab the listener by the ears from the opening bars of the Sibelius, and hold the attention all the way through to the brief, jewel-like ‘Water Drops’ which closes the performances. It’s a delight from start to finish, and the sound is exemplary. AE

Sound Quality: 90%

Lab Report

This is a very clean, contemporary digital recording, free of spuriae and with sufficient (~48kHz) bandwidth to capture the upper harmonics of the Shumsky-Rode Stradivarius violin. Dynamic range is good but peaks are high at 0dBFs. PM

Arild Andersen
Landloper (96kHz/24-bit, WAV)
www.ecmrecords.com; ECM 2826

Despite the upsampling [see Lab Report], this is a fine solo outing by veteran ECM label bassist Andersen, recorded live in ’20 in front of a very well-behaved, attentive audience at Oslo’s Victoria National Jazz Scene. Anderson uses electronic loops generated live to fill out the sound of his instrument, captured gorgeously with all its depth and resonance intact. It’s a short but sweet recital, full of growling low notes and clever interpretations – including the nightingale that sung in Berkeley Square – and while, by its very nature, almost a mono sound with the bass front and centre, there’s still a subtle sense of space and ambience here to fill out the soundstage. This will show off not just the extension of your hi-fi system, but also its resolution and timbral ability low down, while the music itself is different enough to make the short running time fly by. AE

Sound Quality: 80%

Lab Report

Here’s a rare escapee from ECM’s typically watertight net – a 48kHz file (44.1kHz, trk 1) that’s been upsampled to 96kHz. However, the ~24kHz bandwidth is fine for double bass, dynamic range is good and peaks are held back to –1.5dBFs. PM

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra & Espen Berg
Maetrix (96kHz/24-bit, WAV)
odinrecords.bandcamp.com; Odin Records ODINCD9595

Not sure if a 14-piece outfit qualifies as a ‘big band’, but this ensemble recalls that venerable genre of 1930-1950, only dragged into the 21st century. As such, there’s a feel not unlike another august genre from the past, when rock music embraced the likes of the Dorseys and Ellington with the brass-rich interludes of Blood Sweat & Tears, the Buckinghams, and Chicago circa-1970. The relief is that this is mainly joyous rather than ponderous, while the title makes reference to the film of the same name, minus the ‘e’. The link? The listener can choose which of the assorted moods to listen to, rather than treat it as a linear event. But then that’s how track selection empowers us! Whatever, it’s a nice- rather than spectacular-sounding album that won’t terrify those who were weaned on audiophile jazz. KK

Sound Quality: 80%

Lab Report

Every track here is normalised to a high –0.3dBFs and yet the peak-to-RMS is typically no more than 12-15dB, so dynamic range is merely ‘average’. This is a genuine 96kHz file, but note the ultrasonic spuriae [black spectrum]. PM

Michael Dease
Grove’s Groove (44.1kHz/24-bit, WAV)
www.lecoqrecords.com; Le Coq Records n/a cat. no.

Multi-instrumentalist Dease is backed here by a septet exploring a multitude of sub-genres including bebop and swing; he’s on baritone sax rather than his usual bass trombone. With funky percussion and brass tending toward the lower reaches, this is a bass-focussed recording, with more mass than you’d expect of a relatively small-ish group. If anything, it recalls the intimacy of late-1950s quartets and quintets. The watch collector in me was drawn to ‘Seiko Time’ (I do hope the manufacturer is aware it’s been so honoured) with its seductive Latin rhythms; I was expecting homage to Japanese jazzers like Sadao Watanabe, but was not disappointed. Like Maetrix [see left], the feel varies from vintage to contemporary, the title track sounding like an interlude from The Pink Panther, while ‘Broadway’ delivers exactly what the title promises. Classy. KK

Sound Quality: 87%

Lab Report

Another modern release and another digital file normalised to within 0.1dB of full scale, so intersample clipping is a real possibility with some DACs [HFN Dec ’24]. Peak-to-RMS signal levels are just ~10dB so dynamic range is below average. PM