Simpler Times is Yarlung’s first album to make its debut in DSD. Before the tape release, before the CD, before vinyl and before all other high resolution digital formats. Sophisticated Lady jazz quartet is also the first jazz group with whom Yarlung has collaborated on a recording, so this is a double debut.
Simpler Times follows Sophisticated Lady’s highly acclaimed self-titled debut album, from executive producer John Pruit:
Sophisticated Lady jazz quartet pays homage to the Great Tradition of American jazz but most of their repertoire is written by members of the quartet. Simpler Times celebrates these original tunes, especially those by the great Gary Wicks, our bass player. Unlike the majority of contemporary jazz recordings, which are carefully and surgically perfected in postproduction, this album remains raw and fresh. These tracks are complete takes, “live to tape,” without editing. The music on this recording is how Sophisticated Lady plays without the help of digital magic. The quartet rehearsed and performed some of these tracks before our recording but at least half are the first time through; the quartet discussed the tunes and who would take what solo in which order but without rehearsal. I wanted the intensity of raw improvisation. This is possible when superb musicians tackle new material together, listening carefully to each other and playing as a single organism. Some melodies, I played for them on the piano right before our take and the quartet improvised from there. Music cannot get fresher than this.
Yarlung makes recordings in concert halls, not studios. Our albums capture the sound of our musicians playing in real acoustic spaces. Yarlung recorded this album directly to two tracks of RMGI 468 analog tape running at 15 ips, with no mixer. We used the Hapi converter and Pyramix software from Merging Technologies in Switzerland to make these transfers to DSD. Our sincere thanks to The International Rectifier for making this project possible.
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 00:32:09
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | YAR65006DSD1 |
| Qualities | DSD 512 fs, DSD 256 fs, DSD 128 fs, DSD 64 fs, DXD 24 Bit, FLAC 192 kHz, FLAC 96 kHz |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Mastering Engineer | Steve Hoffman, Bob Attiyeh |
| Microphones | AKG C24, C12 |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Producer | Bob Attiyeh |
| Producer's Note | Yarlung makes recordings in concert halls, not studios. Our albums capture the sound of our musicians playing in real acoustic spaces. Yarlung recorded this album directly to two tracks of RMGI 468 analog tape running at 15 ips, with no mixer. We used the Hapi converter and Pyramix software from Merging Technologies in Switzerland to make these transfers to DSD. Our sincere thanks to The International Rectifier for making this project possible. |
| Recording Engineer | Bob Attiyeh, Jacob Horowitz |
| Recording location | Brain and Creativity Institute Cammelleri Hall, University of Soutern California |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | DSD256 |
| Release Date | January 9, 2015 |
Press reviews
Record Collector News
“Look out Brubeck, Sophisticated Lady’s remarkable debut should perhaps be re-titled TAKE ONE. Why? Each tune was captured in one take! The 60+ minute CD also celebrates Yarlung’s audiophile venture into JAZZ with a splatter of Chet Baker’s seductive, kicked-back Californication daubed with a drizzle of Miles at his mellowest. No matter how busy your day, an evening spin through this one will definitely move your mood.”
Los Angeles Jazz Scene
“The Sophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet’s debut recording should be of great interest to fans of forward-looking straight ahead jazz. Each of the four musicians is excellent both as soloists and in ensembles, the music that they perform ranges from melodic versions of standards to lyrical originals and freer explorations, and their subtle playing keeps one guessing. This CD is well worth exploring and I certainly recommend it.”
The Absolute Sound
“More jazz records should be like Sophisticated Lady Quartet—relaxed yet focused, tradition-based yet modern, elegant yet conveying a sure sense of swing. The recording is so pure that you almost feel as if you’re eavesdropping on four musicians who seem completely in their element while performing, in a one-take environment, a set that’s evenly split between previously rehearsed arrangements and performances where they had one chance to turn a composition into a memorable piece of music. No splicing or editing here—just a live-in-the-studio recording where the mood, playing and sonics are so solid that that jazz lovers will wish that the mostly-classical label Yarlung wandered over to this side of the street more often.”
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