Hi-Res Downloads

88.2kHz/24-bit, FLAC; Blue Note 00602547899392 (supplied by www.highresaudio.com)

Guitarist Cline says ‘I have been dreaming about, planning, and re-working my rather obsessive idea of this record for well over 25 years’, and hopes it ‘offers something of an update of the “mood music” idea and ideal, while celebrating and challenging our iconic notion of romance’. Fortunately this package, arranged and conducted by trumpeter Michael Leonhart – who also plays as part of the large ensemble featured – isn’t quite the slushfest that description might suggest. Instead, its combination of original pieces and arrangements both gives Cline’s guitar room to manoeuvre and manages to evoke the emotions intended, (albeit on the lush side at times, though well-served by an excellent Blue Note production job). Yes, the sound is occasionally a bit on the easy-listening side of neutral, but won’t test your speakers’ dynamics or trouble the neighbours. AE

Sound Quality: 80%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

While this production’s ~44kHz range is consistent with its 88.2kHz sample rate, and though much of the musical content appears in the <20kHz region, there is a considerable ‘clump’ of spuriae between 22kHz-32kHz on many tracks. PM