In which hi-fi journalist Neville Roberts reports on jazz singer Lyn Stanley’s latest release, mastered by none other than the great Bernie Grundman…
Another set of copy-master tapes from the LA-based, internationally-acclaimed jazz singer Lyn Stanley arrived on my doorstep in December 2023. These tapes were the pre-production set of tapes for her latest album entitled ‘Black Dress Ballads’ and labelled with Bernie Grundman’s labels. The album is a collection of jazz standards that have been recorded at several locations within the US.
The album will also be available as three audiophile 45rpm LPs and the set of tapes that arrived were the ones used to cut the triple LP lacquers – each tape corresponding to one side of an LP, so six tapes in all. However, the complete album will fit onto four tapes and the copy-master tapes will be supplied as a set of four tapes. The tapes are made to order and created directly from Bernie Grundman’s mastering board. They are supplied on ATR 762m high-output, low-noise recording tape on blue metal spools and in plastic storage boxes. Stanley is also offering the tapes for sale individually.
The album is a selection of 22 songs, mostly taken from Lyn Stanley’s past albums. All of the tracks have been remastered by Grundman in order to create a cohesive album of romantic ballads. Evidently, this was quite a challenge due to the varying number of musicians and the different recording engineers and recording technology involved in producing the various tracks. However, Grundman has done a superb job as the entire album really flows beautifully together and the romantic mood is well maintained throughout. Quite apart from the lovely music, the recording quality is fantastic. The soundstage – which has Stanley’s sultry vocals in front of the musicians – is both wide and deep.
The album opens with Billie Holiday’s final song ‘Don’t Explain’, which Holiday co-wrote in 1946. It sets the mood of the album perfectly, and Stanley’s rich interpretation of this jazz classic invites you to listen to the whole collection of music on the album. The tracks are as follows:
- Don’t Explain
- You’ve Changed
- The Man I Love (new release big band version with strings)
- The Nearness of You
- Blue Moon
- That Old Feeling
- Teach Me Tonight
- Embraceable You
- Something
- Fever
- In a Sentimental Mood
- It’s Impossible
- Body and Soul
- The Island
- I Concentrate On You
- Since I Fell For You
- Smile
- You Go To My Head
- My Foolish Heart
- It’s Magic
- I’ll Be Seeing You
- Misty
Another track worthy of note is a wonderful rendition of the well-known ‘The Man I Love’ with music by George Gershwin and lyrics written by his brother Ira Gershwin. Somehow Stanley imparts a lovely freshness to this popular song and the quality of the recording on this new big-band release really draws you in to the performance.
Looking down the track listing, there is the Rodgers and Hart ballad classic from 1934, ‘Blue Moon’, which first featured on Stanley’s ‘Live at Studio A’ album and includes applause and words from Stanley at the end. ‘Fever’ opens with the unmistakable drum and finger-snapping rhythm, and when Stanley’s vocals kick in they are beautifully accompanied on the piano that maintains the flow of this song perfectly.
The subsequent tracks are all equally delightful to listen to and they certainly live up to Stanley’s aim of an involving collection of classic romantic ballads, each sung with Stanley’s unique twist. The album concludes with the well-known 1954 classic ‘Misty’, which once again is splendidly interpreted by Stanley.
It really is a superb collection of audiophile quality tapes and the music will be a delight to the ears of all lovers of sultry jazz.
The copy-master tapes of the album, which are all made to order, can be purchased directly from Lyn Stanley by contacting her directly at atmusicllc@gmail.com
Alternatively, you can click on the relevant QR codes below to order. The complete album of four ¼-inch 15IPS 2-track tapes with IEC equalisation on 10.5-inch metal spools costs $1,400 (code on the right), or the tapes are also available separately for $375 (code on the left).
Dave Denyer: The Reel-to-Reel Rambler 