High Note Brings Out Two More Stereo SACD Jazz Collections for $9.98

High Note Records in New York continues their Hybrid Stereo SACD “midline” jazz collections with two more entries. The fifth and sixth Super Audio CDs in this series each feature 10 tracks from the High Note Records Jazz Catalog at the bargain list price of just $9.98 each.

As with their earlier Jazz Collection SACDs, both discs are Single Inventory Hybrid Stereo Super Audio CDs. They feature Stereo Super Audio CD and CD Audio versions of the music on each album on each disc and serve as both the CD and SACD release of these albums.

High Note intends this series as a way for music fans and audiophiles to discover their jazz catalog and the continuing release of these discs suggest that the approach is working. Here’s more information on the two new entries in the High Note Jazz Collection SACD series.

Jazz In An R&B Groove, Volume 2
Various Artists
Stereo SACD/Stereo CD

(High Note HCD 6015)

In the second edition of Jazz In An R&B Groove, High Note brings us 10 varied songs from artists including Melvin Sparks, Eric Alexander, Irene Reid, Charles Earland, Ernie Andrews, Joe Chambers, Winard Harper, Jesse Thomas and David “Fathead” Newman. The disc also features some talented jazz artists performing in the backing groups on these tracks including Joey DeFrancesco, Pat Marino, Joe Farnsworth and Charles Otis.

As with the first volume of Jazz In An R&B Groove, Volume 2 was produced by Brad Wrolstad who was also responsible for the album’s art direction and design. Mastering and authoring of the album was done by Allan Tucker at Foothill Digital in New York. The SACD was made by Sony DADC in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Like the first volume in this series, the performances are very good and the sonics are excellent. Jazz fans will want to check this one out.

Album Tracks
1. Pick Up the Pieces – Charles Earland Tribute Band
2. My Girl – Melvin Sparks
3. Where Is the Love – Eric Alexander
4. Your Mind Is on Vacation – Irene Reid
5. Put It Where You Want It – Charles Earland
6. She’s Got the Blues for Sale – Ernie Andrews
7. Tu-Way-Pock-E-Way – Joe Chambers
8. Dat Dere – Winard Harper
9. Ya-Ya – Jesse Thomas
10. Hit the Road Jack – David “Fathead” Newman

Jazz For The Wee Small Hours
Various Artists
Stereo SACD/Stereo CD

(High Note HCD 6016)

Changing gears, Jazz For The Wee Small Hours features love songs performed by a host of Jazz Singers including Gloria Lynne, Freddy Cole, Wesla Whitfield, Etta Jones, Dakota Staton, Everett Greene, Della Griffin, Ernie Andrews, Carole Sloane and Irene Reid. As with the earlier album, this one also features a number of Jazz stars in the bands supporting these singers including Kenny Washington, David “Fathead” Newman, Joe LaBarbara, Norman Simmons, Paul Bollenback and Grady Tate.

The album was produced by Houston Person with mastering and authoring by Allan Tucker at Foothill Digital in New York. The SACD was made by Sony DADC in Terre Haute, Indiana.

It features some nice vocal performances that are very well captured in Super Audio CD Stereo. This is a real buy for jazz fans at only $9.98.

Album Tracks
1. Everything I Have Is Yours – Everett Greene
2. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning – Gloria Lynne
3. This Love of Mine – Freddy Cole
4. Teach Me Tonight – Wesla Whitfield
5. All the Way – Etta Jones
6. You Go to My Head – Della Griffin
7. I Want to Be Loved – Ernie Andrews
8. Too Late Now – Dakota Staton
9. Memories of You – Carol Sloane
10. All My Tomorrows – Irene Reid

Detente In The High Resolution Audio World?
An interesting side note on the High Note SACDs is found on the back of each disc at Tower Records. While High Note was originally distributed by an independent record distributor, we now note that the line has been picked up by one of the major label groups – the Warner, Elektra & Atlantic (WEA) Distributing operation.

So now we have arrived at the day where WEA’s U.S. operation is now selling not only DVD Audio discs, but also Super Audio CDs as well! While WEA has sold SACDs on their own label in Hong Kong in the past, and distributed the Can SACD reissues in Europe, this is a new development. I guess it shows that detente is even possible in the world of high resolution audio.

Availability
The two new High Note Hybrid Stereo SACDs – Jazz In An R&B Groove, Volume 2 and Jazz For The Wee Small Hours – are now available for purchase in music stores including Best Buy and Tower Records. Since these are Single Inventory Stereo SACDs, you’ll find them mixed in with the Stereo CD Jazz Collections at Tower Records and in the Jazz Collections and SACD Sections at Best Buy, depending on how the store in question is filing their SACDs these days.

The High Note Jazz Collection SACDs are also available on several web sites. These web sites include Acoustic Sounds, Elusive Disc, CD Universe and Amazon.Com. They are also available as SACD imports at the Amazon.Ca (Canada), Amazon.co.jp (Japan), Amazon.de (Germany) and Amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom) web sites.