AXPONA 2022 was definitely a super show. Was it a super spreader? Time will tell. Few attendees were masked, proof of vaccination wasn’t required, and crowds mingled as in pre-Covid days. I came “locked and loaded” with antibodies from having had Covid a few weeks before the show, picked up during a visit to the U.K. for the launch of SME’s new Model 60. I had the worst possible Covid variant: OmicronMQA. You get Covid and it unfolds in your body measles and peyronie’s disease. I've since recovered and everything's been straightened out.

Press release: April 26, 2022—RecordingTheMasters—the worldwide leader in reel-to-reel tape manufacturing—is set for the release of their latest cassette-only music series in conjunction withThinkIndie Distribution. The series of releases features a new full-length album from Patty Griffin comprised of demos and home recordings titled TAPE, alongside a number of reissues available on cassette for the first time ever: Built to Spill Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston, John Prine’s The Tree of Forgiveness, Suzanne Vega’s An Evening of New York Songs and Stories, Mother Nature’s SZNZ and Versus’ Ex Voto. The cassettes will be available at participating indie record stores beginning June 17.

In a press release today first reported by Variety of all places, record producer and analog fan T-Bone Burnett announced that he's just completed a special recording session with Bob Dylan that will be released in a new analog format he calls "Ionic Originals". Burnett claims it is "The first breakthrough in analogue sound reproduction in more than 70 years".

The State of Tennessee's recent press release makes clear that the state will soon emerge as the central hub of America's record pressing business.

Jazz historian, Resonance Records Co-President and tireless searcher for unreleased jazz treasures Zev Feldman in 2015 was searching the French Institut National de la audiovisual (INA) archives when he came upon the complete, never before released in their entirety, Albert Ayler’s 1970 ORTF 1970 Fondation Maeght Recordings, recorded by Radio France, using professional recording equipment—a completely different STEREO source for this material than the radio broadcast, parts of which had previously been issued.

For an artist who passed away at a relatively young age (51) Bill Evans left a rich and varied recorded legacy—more music on disc than even the most dedicated Evans fan could possibly consume, yet more rare and often precious gems continue to be discovered and released, particularly by Resonance Records, whose Co-President Zev Feldman is a huge Evans fan.

Pro-Jet just announced the new X-8 turntable that utilizes features found in the more costly Extension 9 and 10 models. In Europe the X-8 costs € 1,999 (incl. VAT). With Ortofon Quintet Blue € 2,299 (incl. VAT). In America the X-8 with Sumiko Rainier standard costs $2499. Read on!

Hagerman Audio Labs just announced the new $1,189.00 Archiver JFET Equalization Phonostage.