Mobile Fidelity Plans New Patricia Barber and Surround SACDs

Mobile Fidelity has announced the next two SACDs in its series of well known albums that are remastered for SACD. Included in the new releases will be a fourth Mobile Fidelity SACD by jazz singer Patricia Barber and a second Surround Sound SACD from the Vox Surround Sound catalog of the 1970′s. Also announced was a change in the release date for the initial Surround Sound SACD release from Mobile Fidelity.

Patricia Barber’s Companion Album on SACD
The first three Hybrid Stereo SACDs issued by the new Mobile Fidelity label were from popular jazz singer Patricia Barber. All three have been praised for their sonics and performances.

In light of their success with the first three Barber SACDs, Mobile Fidelity has announced that it will be releasing a new Hybrid Stereo SACD edition of Barber’s album entitled Companion. Companion was recorded live in July 1999 at Chicago’s Green Mill. The original album on the Premonition/Blue Note label has 9 selections on it.

For the upcoming SACD edition, Mobile Fidelity has gone back to the original live session master tapes and is planning to issue an SACD with all 9 selections plus «several bonus tracks» to be selected in consultation with the artist. The SACD will also feature new album liner notes by well known audio writer Michael Fremer.

According to Mobile Fidelity, the tracks they’ve heard from these sessions so far are «gems» and they are looking forward to the release of this upcoming SACD. Current plans are for the Companion SACD to be available on October 21st. The SACD catalog number will be UDSACD 2023.

A Second Surround SACD Planned
At the recent Home Entertainment 2003 (HE 2003) show in San Francisco, Mobile Fidelity provided a sneak preview of their first Surround Sound SACD release. During the preview, they mentioned that the label had acquired rights to additional titles in the Vox Classical Series of 1970′s 4 Channel recordings.

Capitalizing on those rights, Mobile Fidelity has announced that the next album in their new Surround SACD series will be Prokofiev’s Ivan the Terrible performed by Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony. Prior to this upcoming Hybrid Multichannel SACD release, the Slatkin performance of Ivan the Terrible was only available as part of a larger, multi-disc collection.

According to Mobile Fidelity

«This historic Vox recording of Leonard Slatkin conducting the Saint Louis Symphony is a bold, stellar recording featuring brilliant orchestral effects and stunning choral work. The full sonic spectrum of this recording masterpiece is finally unveiled as four channels of stunning detail, life like imaging, and in-depth ambient information that enables listeners to experience producers Marc Aubort and Joanna Nichrenz’s original sonic intention for the first time. This Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc UHR SACD features 4.0 surround sound.»

 

Mobile Fidelity plans to release the Surround Sound SACD of Ivan the Terrible on October 7th. The catalog number of this SACD will be UDSACD 4003.

First Surround SACD Delayed
Speaking of Mobile Fidelity’s Surround SACD series, I should mention that their initial Surround SACD of Ravel’s Bolero and Assorted Orchestral Works has been delayed. The release date of this Hybrid Multichannel SACD has been moved back from August 26th to September 23rd. From what I heard of the Surround Master Tapes for this SACD, the wait should be worth it.
Prokofiev’s Ivan the Terrible by Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony (Mobile Fidelity UDSACD 4003)