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High
Fidelity Review
SACD News Story: |
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JSP Releases Jimmy Witherspoon & Carey Bell Albums in SACD Surround Sound |
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UK based JSP Records continued their release of blues albums in SACD Surround Sound this week with two new albums arriving in U.S. music stores. The new Super Audio CDs are Big Blues by Jimmy Witherspoon and Harpslinger by Carey Bell. The SACDs follow their initial release of James & Lucky Peterson's album If You Can't Fix It in SACD Surround Sound (JSP Records JSP 5100) in March in the U.K. and in June in the U.S. In addition to their first 3 SACD releases, JSP also announced that two more Surround Sound Super Audio CDs which are now available in the U.K. will be arriving in the U.S. in October.
As with their initial SACD release, both albums are part of JSP's "black label album" series and will carry the same list price as the company's main line Stereo CD releases. JSP says these new Super Audio CDs "will form a collection as important for its place in the Blues story as for its innovative sound." Both SACDs are packaged in the familiar Super Jewel Box cases with rounded corners and were pressed by VIVA SACD in Hong Kong.
Big Blues
Jimmy Witherspoon featuring Hal Singer
SACD Surround Sound/SACD Stereo/CD Stereo
(JSP Records JSP 5101)
Jimmy Witherspoon was a well known blues and jazz singer from the mid 1940s until his passing in 1997. During that time he recorded many hits in both the blues and jazz genres. JSP describes this album as featuring Witherspoon "in relaxed Blues mode. A master at the peak of a long and productive career. Saxophone player Hal Singer shares the CD with Witherspoon. He's a worthy companion with Singer's muscular horn blending seamlessly with his old pal's warm vocal tones and the uncommonly tasty combo driving this set."
Big Blues was recorded in June 1981 at The Point Studio in London by producer John Stedman and engineer Alex Burak. The Super Audio CD edition features a new stereo mix and a new 5.1 Surround Sound SACD mix done "from the original session tapes" by Martin Atkinson at M.A.R.S. in England. The 5.1 mix features Witherspoon's vocals in the Center channel with the band being featured in both the front and surround channels, very much following JSP's practice of using immersive Surround Sound on their SACD releases. While this is a Surround Sound mix taken from master tapes over 20 years old, the sonics are very nice and it will be a real treat for fans of Jimmy Witherspoon.
Album Performers
Jimmy Witherspoon - Vocals
Hal Singer - Tenor Sax & Vocals
Peter King - Alto Sax
Mike Carr - Organ, Bass Pedals, Electric Piano & Piano
Jim Mullen - Guitar
Harold Smith - Drums
Album Tracks
1. You Got Me Running
2. Whiskey Drinking Woman
3. Once There Lived A Fool
4. Just A Dream
5. Lotus Blossom
6. Big Boss Man
7. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
8. That's The One
9. Let's Think Awhile
10. Swing On It
11. The Point
12. The Snow Was Falling
Harpslinger
Carey Bell featuring Lurrie Bell
SACD Surround Sound/SACD Stereo/CD Stereo
(JSP Records JSP 5102)
Harpslinger features the father and son team of Carey Bell and Lurrie Bell. JSP Records says that Carey Bell is "arguably the finest harmonica player currently active" and notes that "if you want a blues harp man of depth, creativity and tone then Carey Bell is the first call you're going to make." His son Lurrie Bell plays guitar and provides vocals on the album. JSP says that Lurrie is "a guitarist of genuine emotional power."
The album is composed of two different recording sessions and two different bands. Tracks 1 thru 9 features Carey Bell on harmonica and vocals backed by a trio of musicians. On tracks 10 thru 13, the album features Lurrie Bell on guitar and vocals with Carey Bell moving to the band as one of six musicians backing his son.
The Super Audio CD edition features a new stereo mix and a new 5.1 Surround Sound SACD mix done "from the original session tapes" by Martin Atkinson at M.A.R.S. in England. The Harpslinger liner notes talk about the two recording sessions and note the differences in approaches in mixing the new Surround Sound SACD. Tracks 1 thru 9 have a more intimate feel since there are fewer musicians performing, but the remix engineer is still able to create a nice Surround Sound performance on the songs. The final four songs are said to have a more standard Surround Sound mix in the liner notes. I found both approaches to be effective and the album is very well done - both musically and sonically. Again the approach in the Surround Sound mix is immersive vs. ambient, but it serves the performances well.
Album Tracks
1. What My Mama Told Me
2. Pretty Baby
3. Blues With A Feeling
4. 85%
5. Sweet Little Woman
6. It's So Easy to Love You
7. Strange Woman
8. Last Night
9. Blues With A Feeling (Alternative take)
10. I'm Your 44
11. Going Back To Louisiana
12. Everybody Wants To Win
13. I'm Your 44 (Alternative Take)
Availability
The new Super Audio CDs by Jimmy Witherspoon and Carey Bell are now available at Tower Records and Fry's Electronics as well as web sites that carry SACDs including Elusive Disc and Music Direct.
2 More JSP Blues Surround Sound SACDs On The Way
Next up from JSP Records are two more Blues Surround Sound SACDs. These SACDs were released in the U.K. in July and are due out in the U.S. market in October. The upcoming SACDs from JSP Records will be:
Lowell Fulson - Think Twice Before You Speak (JSP Records JSP 5103)
Buddy Guy - DJ Play My Blues (JSP Records JSP 5104)
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| Big Blues by Jimmy Witherspoon (JSP Records JSP 5101) and Harpslinger by Carey Bell (JSP Records JSP 5102) |
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Text
written 07/08/04 by
Brian Moura (HFR). |
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