Here we have an absolute jazz classic. It’s probably the most famous of Oscar Peterson’s recorded works and, as the album’s title suggests, it’s a real crowd pleaser – a kind of ‘best of’ featuring ten hugely popular songs of the era. I’ve been listening to this album in various formats for several decades, since … More Oscar Peterson ‘We Get Requests’ – an Analogue Productions Ultra Tape
This one’s a real treat folks – an incredible album, on two sublime vinyl and tape formats. The album in question is Muddy Waters’ 1964 masterpiece, Folk Singer, which was originally released on Chess Records. This is another video review, so if you want to jump straight to it, just scroll down. Or, for a … More Analogue format ‘wars’: Muddy Waters on MOFI One-Step Ultradisc versus Analogue Productions Ultra Tape
I’m a sucker for a cello concerto. There’s something about them that gets me right in the heart and soul. The first one that really spoke to me was Dvorak’s, and I’ve had a soft spot for them ever since. Somehow, the prolonged sound of a cello seems to unravel the knots of everyday life … More Talking tape: Elgar’s Cello Concerto from Horch House, featuring Jacqueline du Pré
A while back I did a review of Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me on tape and, instead of penning the usual rambling blog, I rambled away ‘live’ on video instead. It was fun to do and people seemed to like it, so I thought I’d have another go for one of my latest purchases … More Talking tape: comparing John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme on ‘Ultra Tape’ from Analogue Productions with the mono vinyl version
What we have here are ‘two Schuberts’, two recordings on tape from Toronto-based UltraAnalogue Recordings: Rondo Brillant in B Minor and Grand Fantasy in C Major. Both were recorded at the same live performance, which took place in UltraAnalogue’s own premises. The artists are violinist Alena Baeva and Vadym Kholodenko, both winners of two of … More Discovering Alena Baeva with UltraAnalogue Recordings: part 4 – two Schuberts
The Austrian-based Horch House has a well-earned reputation for producing very high quality copy-master tapes directly from legendary analogue recordings. These recordings include classical works, jazz, blues and easy listening. Following meetings between Horch’s Volker Lange and Doris Kaempfert, the daughter of the well-known jazz and easy listening orchestra leader and composer Bert Kaempfert, Horch … More Neville Roberts on Bert Kaempfert’s ‘Bye Bye Blues’ from Horch House
by Neville Roberts A new tape with a difference from the British audiophile recording company Chasing The Dragon! Mike Valentine, the brains behind the Chasing The Dragon audiophile recording label, is frequently asked about the best way to record music and the differences between various recording techniques. Of course, he has his own definite views … More An “incredible” new tape with a difference: Chasing The Dragon allows listeners to compare recording techniques of Mendelssohn’s Octet
Over the past few years I’ve posted a handful of reviews and chats about various audiophile vinyl albums on my YouTube channel. I kept meaning to do the same for tape but each time I did a listening session, my notes would end up turning into a written review which I’d post in the usual … More Talking tape: a new series in which I do my rambling on video… on Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me from Analogue Productions
Stop press! I was just finishing off my review of International Phonograph Inc (IPI)’s Ravi Shankar Live in Luxembourg when an email from IPI landed in my inbox with an irresistible offer… a rare tape of great musicians that few will ever hear, and at a very reasonable price. Here are the details. Jimmy Smith … More New from International Phonograph Inc: Jimmy Smith Trio live in 1964
It’s been a real joy to watch the market for, and the availability of, music on tape expanding in recent years. The drivers of this expansion, as already discussed at length elsewhere on this blog, tend to fall into two main camps. First, there are the labels who are acquiring licences to issue master copies … More Hidden gems: Ravi Shankar Live in In Luxembourg from International Phonograph Inc
Dave Denyer: The Reel-to-Reel Rambler 