Telarc’s July Super Audio CD release is the long-awaited Big Band Tribute to the songs of Frank Sinatra. The new album entitled Dear Mr. Sinatra is the first album recorded with the Super Audio Center’s 32 Track Sonoma Direct Stream Digital (DSD) Workstation. It features Telarc Jazz Vocalist John Pizzarelli backed by The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
As with most Telarc SACD releases, Dear Mr. Sinatra is a “day and date” release with both the Surround Sound SACD and the CD Audio disc arriving in music stores on the same day. Also in the news today from Telarc is the announcement of some additional Super Audio CD releases due in August and a switch in record store distribution from Telarc’s in-house distribution to the Universal Music Group’s Fontana division.
Dear Mr. Sinatra
John Pizzarelli with The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
SACD Surround Sound/SACD Stereo/CD Audio
(Telarc SACD-63638)
Dear Mr. Sinatra is the latest in a string of Surround Sound Super Audio CDs on the Telarc label by John Pizzarelli. Here Pizzarelli is featured on guitar and vocals in his tribute to Frank Sinatra with backing by the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and his dad – guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.
The Dear Mr. Sinatra album was produced by Robert Woods and recorded, mixed and mastered by Robert Friedrich. The 32 Track Sonoma DSD Workstation, used in the recording, editing and mastering of this album was provided by Gus Skinas at the Super Audio Center in Boulder, Colorado. The SACD was made by Sony DADC at their Terre Haute, Indiana plant.
The Surround Sound SACD tracks on Dear Mr. Sinatra feature fine sonics and a very good Surround Sound mix that compliments the different tempos on the album. Highlights include Track 1 (Ring A Ding Ding) which has a rousing introduction that sets the stage for the big band swing tunes and sonic highlights on the album, Track 7 (Nice “n’ Easy) that starts off with some mellow playing by the band before kicking in to high gear at about 1 minute and 15 seconds in to the song and Track 11 (Last Dance) features a soft piano accompanying Pizarrelli’s vocals and some nicely reproduced sonics throughout. The new SACD is a fine tribute to the music of Frank Sinatra and will join earlier Sinatra Surround Sound SACD tributes on Telarc – Nice ‘N’ Easy by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (Telarc SACD-60532) and Dancing In The Dark by Tierney Sutton (Telarc SACD-63592) in Super Audio CD collections everywhere.
Album Selections
1. Ring-A-Ding Ding
2. You Make Me Feel So Young
3. How About You?
4. If I Had You
5. Witchcraft
6. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
7. Nice ‘n’ Easy
8. Medley: I See Your Face Before Me/ In the Wee Small Hours (of the Morning)
9. Can’t We Be Friends?
10. Yes Sir, That’s My Baby
11. Last Dance
Upcoming Telarc Super Audio CD Releases in August
In August, Telarc is planning to release new Surround Sound Super Audio CDs by singer Ann Hampton Callaway and a classical music SACD featuring Donald Runnicles conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. August will also bring a re-release of Christmas Music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir enitled “A Mormon Tabernacle Christmas”. Here are the SACDs slated for August from Telarc:
Telarc Moves to Fontana/Universal Music Group for SACD Distribution
Also in the news this week is Telarc’s move to Universal Music Group’s Fontana operation for distribution to music stores. Dear Mr. Sinatra is the first Telarc release to be distributed by the Fontana operation of the Universal Music Group. (In the U.S., Fontana handles independent labels such as Concord Jazz, Fantasy, Stax and now Telarc while Universal Music Distribution handles labels owned by Universal Music itself.)
Prior to the change, Telarc has handled its own distribution in the U.S. market to music stores as well as the distribution of the Telarc-owned Heads Up jazz label and their distribution of audiophile label Chesky Records. The change isn’t too surprising given Telarc’s recent purchase by the Concord Music Group which has been distributed by Universal Music for some time in the U.S. And it also explains the sudden jump in the number of active Super Audio CDs in the Universal Music Distribution’s SACD Web Site catalog from the mid 300s to over 530 in recent weeks!
Telarc officials say they are excited about the change and see it bringing their discs to an even wider audience than before. Certainly good news for fans of the label’s artists and music.
Availability
The Surround Sound SACD edition of Dear Mr. Sinatra by John Pizzarelli with The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra is available in music stores including Tower Records as well as the Telarc web site today. It is showing as a pre-order at the Acoustic Sounds web site and should be available at other web sites that carry Super Audio CDs as well in the days ahead.