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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Andrew Hill's Passing Ships  Sure to Please, Both Musically and Sonically
Michael Fremer  |  May 30, 2021
Some people collect Tone Poet Blue Note reissues the way some people amass baseball cards. I know more than a few Tone Poet enthusiasts who, after buying one, had a Bert Lahr Lay’s potato chip moment and couldn’t stop buying them—at least until they encountered the late pianist/composer/arranger Andrew Hill’s Blue Note debut Black Fire (ST-84151/B0029975-01).

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
AudioNautes Reissues Chesky Classic O Magnum Mysterium
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 19, 2020
What better time than now for the all-analog resurrection of this Chesky classic? Easter is three weeks away (though “Oh Great Mystery” is really about Christmas) and home lock down in a dreary time is here now.

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Bach Starker Suites For Unaccompanied Cello Complete Is The Perfect Self-Quarantining Companion
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 03, 2020
What better time than during a period of self-isolation and social distancing could there be to explore Bach’s “Suites For Unaccompanied Cello”? Arguably, there’s no finer recorded performances than the ones Janos Starker performed for Mercury Records April 15 and 17, 1963, September 7-8, 1965 and December 21-22, 1965 (though some may prefer other performances by Casals, Rostropovich, Yo-Yo-Ma, etc.). I'm not here to argue with you. The finest version of these historic recordings, is without a doubt, this latest one from Analogue Productions and the sound is unassailable.

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
BBC Late Junction Sessions: "Unpopular Music"
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 03, 2018
Step away from your predictable audiophile fare and consider this double 45rpm LP set from the U.K.'s Gearbox Records of artists you've mostly never heard of playing music you've probably never heard either.

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AAA VinylNews
Bernie Grundman Cuts Lacquers For Vanessa Fernandez's "When the Levee Breaks"
Michael Fremer  |  Feb 04, 2016
Lacquer cutting began Wednesday, Feb. 3rd for When the Levee Breaks Vanessa Fernandez's sophomore "triple A" Groove Note album.

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AAA Vinyl
Bernstein's "Rhapsody in Blue"/ "An American In Paris" Sourced From Three Track Master
Michael Fremer  |  May 11, 2016
Taking a break from High End Munich coverage of which there's a lot more, brings me to Analog Spark's recent reissue of Bernstein Conducts Rhapsody in Blue/American In Paris (Columbia MS 6091).

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Big Star's #1 Record  Gets Five Stars From Our Newest Contributor
Nathan Zeller  |  Oct 11, 2020
We find ourselves during the ongoing pandemic abstaining from pleasurable activities like hanging out on the street. Listening to the 1970’s power pop group Big Star will one day help ease the way back to that once taken for granted lifestyle.

Discovering older musical acts like Big Star is for a child of the 21st century like me mostly a matter of pure luck. I happened upon Big Star’s song “Thirteen” on an episode of “That ‘70’s Show” airing on Netflix. That tune, a captivating piece of tender musical perfection, led me to discover Big Star the group and boy, am I thankful for that!

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Bill Evans Trio '64  Brought A Light Touch to a Dark Time
Michael Fremer  |  Oct 01, 2021
The gentle, introspective Bill Evans Trio of The Village Vanguard sessions that produced Sunday At the Village Vanguard and Waltz For Debby yielded two years later to the somewhat more rhythmically assertive trio heard on this December 18th, 1963 Webster Hall recording released early in 1964.

The late bassist Scott LaFaro’s friend Gary Peacock replaced him in the trio with Paul Motian continuing on drums. Though no less cerebral and harmonically tuned in than was LaFaro, Peacock brought to the group a faster, more aggressive rhythmic style punctuated with nimble staccato runs. More tapping of the toes and less tugging at the heart.

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Bill Evans Trio’s Masterful Final Studio Recording, 1961’s Explorations, Receives a Most Excellent AAA 180g 1LP Small Batch Treatment
Mark Smotroff  |  May 09, 2025

Explorations, the 1961 second and final studio release by the classic first Bill Evans Trio featuring piano maestro Bill Evans, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian, is remarkable on many levels. Craft Recordings’ recent, late-2024-released Small Batch AAA 180g 1LP edition of this influential, highly sought after jazz classic is sure to be appreciated by jazz aficionados and audiophiles alike who have been searching for as definitive a pressing as possible. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why this Small Batch Explorations LP is well worth your time and money. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Bill Evans Trio’s Seminal 1961 Live Album Sunday at the Village Vanguard Shines on New 180g All-Analog Cohearent Audio-Mastered, RTI-Pressed 1LP Edition From Craft Recordings
Mark Smotroff  |  Dec 08, 2023

It’s almost an impossible task trying to “review” an iconic album like Bill Evans Trio’s October 1961 live masterpiece, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, but a new 180g 1LP edition under Craft Recordings’ revival of the Original Jazz Classics series umbrella is most definitely worth a closer look — and listen. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why this AAA edition of an all-time jazz classic belongs in your collection. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Blood, Sweat & Tears "Bloodlines" Box Set From Analogue Productions
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 22, 2017
BS&T fans fall into 4 camps: the 1st which prefers the Al Kooper led original group and the album Child is Father to the Man, the 2nd that prefers only the second eponymously titled album, which was the group's most popular, the 3rd camp that loves the first two albums and the 4th camp that loves all of the group's albums. This box is definitely for them.

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Blue Note "Tone Poet" Series Launches With Wayne Shorter's "Etcetera"
Michael Fremer  |  Feb 21, 2019
Blue Note's new "Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series" is part of the company's 80th anniversary celebration. Wayne Shorter's Etcetera is the first release in the series. Joe Harley, well known among audiophiles for his work with AudioQuest both as a press liaison (among other tasks) and especially for the series of all-analog AudioQuest LPs he produced back when vinyl was "dead", "hand picked" these "Tone Poet" titles and oversaw their production.

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AAA VinylNews
Blue Note Announces Round Trip: Ornette Coleman On Blue Note : First Ever "Tone Poet" Vinyl Box Set
Michael Fremer  |  Dec 07, 2021
Coming January 28th: a 6 LP all-analog 180g "Tone Poet"vinyl box set containing all six 1960s Blue Note Ornette Coleman albums including his five as a leader (the two volume At The 'Golden Circle' Stockholm (1965), The Empty Foxhole (1966), New York Is Now! (1968), and Love Call (1968)—as well as Coleman's lone sideman appearances on saxophonist Jackie McLean's New And Old Gospel (1967).

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AAA VinylNews
Blue Note Announces Classic Vinyl Reissue Series
Michael Fremer  |  Oct 23, 2020
(Blue Note Press Release): OCTOBER 23, 2020—We’re proud to present the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, a continuation of our acclaimed Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series which was launched in celebration of our 80th anniversary in 2019. The Classic Series will once again feature all-analog 180g vinyl pressings in standard packaging that are mastered by Kevin Gray directly from the original master tapes and manufactured at Optimal in Germany.

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AAA VinylNews
Blue Note Announces Classic Vinyl Reissue Series Titles
Michael Fremer  |  Sep 23, 2021
Blue Note today announced an extensive list of upcoming Classic Vinyl Reissue Series titles launching October 1st, 2021 through April 15th, 2022. All reissues mastered by Kevin Gray cut directly from the original analog master tapes, with the exception of two titles, as noted, cut from the digital masters, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal in Germany.

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