Are we living in the Golden Age of the Jazz Piano Trio?

[elcorso]

New to this thread, I hope this hasn't been mentioned yet:

 

Tarek Yamani Trio - Ashur (Piano Trio with a tuba instead of a double base)

 

Anne Guus Teerhuis Trio - Tarhouse Tales.

 

Both bands feature the same drummer, btw.

This isn't available on HD Tracks or qobuz as of yet but you can stream it via tidal.

 

Or you can get in MP3 or FLAC at CD Baby as download.

 

Roch

[Musicophile]

First Impression: very weird and dark, but very interesting. Expect a review on my blog tomorrow. And I'm certainly going to buy it when I get back home, so will publish some Musicscope.

Here we go:

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f13-music-downloads-and-streaming/michael-wollny-trio-nachtfahrten-24-96-new-release-act-26071/#post473088

[mkrzych]

Here we go:

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f13-music-downloads-and-streaming/michael-wollny-trio-nachtfahrten-24-96-new-release-act-26071/#post473088

 

Thanks. I have it and what to say. ACT proofed again that their tonemeisters (mastering/recording engineers) are not up to the standard and rather hail to the loudness wars than to good sound quality!!! It could have been nice album when it had been recorded and mastered better. DR11 average, but for me quite unlistenable even the music is quite interesting. Pita! Deleted!

 

To top it off: TPL (True Peak Level) at 0.1 level which means probably clipping anyway. Close miking, flat sound presentation for this kind of music, guys!!!!

[Musicophile]

Sorry you feel that way. Close miked yes, but calling DR11 loudness war is pushing it a bit IMHO. But as always, YMMV.

[mkrzych]

Sorry you feel that way. Close miked yes, but calling DR11 loudness war is pushing it a bit IMHO. But as always, YMMV.

 

Well, try to imaging how it would sound if had been done with better mastering, when the music could breath and not so close miked? It would be completely different album. For me it's pity that done another way, sorry.

[Musicophile]

Well, try to imaging how it would sound if had been done with better mastering, when the music could breath and not so close miked? It would be completely different album. For me it's pity that done another way, sorry.

Agree it could be significantly improved, that said, I'm probably personally more tolerant to average recordings than you.

[Max.I.Mal]

Or you can get in MP3 or FLAC at CD Baby as download.

 

Roch

thanks, I wasn't aware of this site.

[mkrzych]

Agree it could be significantly improved, that said, I'm probably personally more tolerant to average recordings than you.

 

Maybe. It sounds better via speakers of course than cans. ACT has some fine artists, but I alway hesitant to buy their albums because of the sound issues. Shame on them.

[Musicophile]

Maybe. It sounds better via speakers of course than cans. ACT has some fine artists, but I alway hesitant to buy their albums because of the sound issues. Shame on them.

Agree, they could do a better job.

[PAP]

Thanks. I have it and what to say. ACT proofed again that their tonemeisters (mastering/recording engineers) are not up to the standard and rather hail to the loudness wars than to good sound quality!!! It could have been nice album when it had been recorded and mastered better. DR11 average, but for me quite unlistenable even the music is quite interesting. Pita! Deleted!

 

To top it off: TPL (True Peak Level) at 0.1 level which means probably clipping anyway. Close miking, flat sound presentation for this kind of music, guys!!!!

 

Sorry you feel that way. Close miked yes, but calling DR11 loudness war is pushing it a bit IMHO. But as always, YMMV.

Okay, ACT probably does master a bit hotter than some of the others.

But the Sound Liaison album we all seem to agree on is so well recorded is not scoring SO much better.

But probably it is a different mike/recording technigue.

[TABLE=class: table table-bordered table-striped, width: 100%]

[TR]

[TD]Witmer Trio[/TD]

[TD]En Azul [24/96]

i

[/TD]

[TD]2015[/TD]

[TD]

14

[/TD]

[TD]

12

[/TD]

[TD]

16

[/TD]

[TD]lossless[/TD]

[TD]Download[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

When creating the sound stage, we spent a great deal of time getting the balance of the trio as optimal as possible using the ambient microphone stereo pair placed in the ''sweet spot'' in studio 2, before adding the spot microphones.

We wanted to create a sound field that was intimate but also with enough depth to have a visual representation of the instruments.

source;En Azul

[mkrzych]

Okay, ACT probably does master a bit hotter than some of the others.

But the Sound Liaison album we all seem to agree on is so well recorded is not scoring SO much better.

But probably it is a different mike/recording technigue.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21473[/ATTACH] source;En Azul

 

Well, scores are scores, but Michael's album is too much hot mastered. Especially when it comes to the sound balance between the piano and rest of the music - specifically percussion. For me it is almost unlistenable on cans! Sound Liaison' productions are pretty good, but I discovered diligently listening that they have some flaws as well.

[crenca]

Still working my way through this thread ( thanks Musicophile !!!!!). Love my Shai, Edgar, and of course Triosence. I am also enjoying my Anat Fort as well. I am a little disappointed in my Stefano Battaglia - I think it leans too much in that "impressionistic" jazz direction where any real sense of rhythm and melody/harmony seems to get lost (sounding at times a bit incoherent, like a really nice playback of wind chimes).

 

Not sure if anyone has mentioned Emie R Roussel Trio (I only have the album Quantum - warning: she plays an electronic piano and/or synth on a couple of tracks). I also really like Marialy Pacheco's "Introducing", though she is not strictly trio on every track. She has that Afro/Cuban background that really gets your feet tapping. Ahmad Jamal's Saturday Morning album has just been rocking me since I downloaded it last night (again, not strickly trio on every track). Also found Jacky Terrasson on Tidal last night - I will bet downloading his latest soon I think. All these players have a more "traditional" jazz sense of rhythm and speed...

[Nikhil]

crenca,

 

Among the very best in the list that Musicophile shared are Mirabessi and Tingvall Trio.

Their albums have the most playtime in my setup when looking at jazz trios.

 

Regards.

[crenca]

crenca,

 

Among the very best in the list that Musicophile shared are Mirabessi and Tingvall Trio.

Their albums have the most playtime in my setup when looking at jazz trios.

 

Regards.

 

Nikhil, I should have mentioned I have been streaming both Mirabassi and Tingvall thru Tidal, and am enjoying them immensely also. Do either of them have a high-res download out there somewhere - I am trying to stick to my "no more CDs" pledge. Shai is not high res but I downloaded him anyways because I am a screaming manly girly fan...

[Nikhil]

Nikhil, I should have mentioned I have been streaming both Mirabassi and Tingvall thru Tidal, and am enjoying them immensely also. Do either of them have a high-res download out there somewhere - I am trying to stick to my "no more CDs" pledge. Shai is not high res but I downloaded him anyways because I am a screaming manly girly fan...

 

 

Tingvall Trio, Tingvall Trio: Beat in High-Resolution Audio - ProStudioMasters

This is the only hi res (24/96) version I could find

 

Tingvall Trio - Télécharger et écouter les albums.

Almost all are available in 16/44.1 only.

 

Giovanni Mirabassi - Télécharger et écouter les albums.

Again only one album is available in hires audio

[Musicophile]

Tingvall Trio, Tingvall Trio: Beat in High-Resolution Audio - ProStudioMasters

This is the only hi res (24/96) version I could find

 

Tingvall Trio - Télécharger et écouter les albums.

Almost all are available in 16/44.1 only.

 

Giovanni Mirabassi - Télécharger et écouter les albums.

Again only one album is available in hires audio

Agree, and Mirabassi's solo album Adelante is nice but not essential.

[Musicophile]

A long overdue review of my favorite Tord Gustavsen album, The Ground, just published:

 

Tord Gustavsen Trio: The Ground – Atmospheric Trio Jazz from Norway | musicophilesblog – From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms

[ElverGun]

Found a new one...

 

 

[ElverGun]

I've been enjoying these albums for the past few days.

 

 

 

 

[Musicophile]

I've been enjoying these albums for the past few days.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21749[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21750[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21751[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21752[/ATTACH]

Thanks for sharing, only new the Amatos, the others are new to me.

[PAP]

Okay, ACT probably does master a bit hotter than some of the others.

But the Sound Liaison album we all seem to agree on is so well recorded is not scoring SO much better.

But probably it is a different mike/recording technique.

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21473[/ATTACH] source; En Azul

 

 

Well, scores are scores, but Michael's album is too much hot mastered. Especially when it comes to the sound balance between the piano and rest of the music - specifically percussion. For me it is almost unlistenable on cans! Sound Liaison' productions are pretty good, but I discovered diligently listening that they have some flaws as well.

 

I am big fan of the Sound Stage of the Sound Liaison recordings and how they manage to let the piano sound so natural on their piano recordings.

I can only speculate but I think that their use of a central room stereo mike, just as in classical recordings, is what sets them apart from the rest.

When creating the sound stage, we spent a great deal of time getting the balance of the trio as optimal as possible using the ambient microphone stereo pair placed in the ''sweet spot'' in studio 2, before adding the spot microphones.

We wanted to create a sound field that was intimate but also with enough depth to have a visual representation of the instruments.

In a sense we adopted the same philosophy as Cajan Witmer in his arrangements, we wanted the melodic part of each instrument to stand out but not overshadow the whole, thus the paino and the drums have been given a position in the sound field, not spread out Left to Right as are more common in commercial recordings.

The benefit with this approach is that you can actually see the trio in front of you between the speakers, standing left to right, instead of the more common, commercial radio friendly approach, with the instruments piled on top of each other.

In a sense we are old fashioned, maybe we listened to too many old jazz recordings, but on the other hand........

 

''The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician. Things like old folks singing in the moonlight in the back yard on a hot night or something said long ago."

(Louis Armstrong)

liner notes; http://www.soundliaison.com/Act is more ''modern'' I guess, lots of microphones.

Maybe if comparing ''En Azul'' with ''Impromptu'' the Bass sound is a little bit less up-front but I think that has to do with the player as well as making room for the drums which I find very well recorded as well. But what flaws did you find?

[video=youtube;UA3UOWPg3-k]

And ''Impromptu'' is a Bass recording inasmuch as the Bassist is mentioned before the pianist.

Just listen to that opening statement. He is in charge.

[Boris75]

 

Now to the actual top 10 list, I suppose nobody would disagree that Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and Oscar Peterson belong in any TopX list of piano trios.

+1.

Beyond that, it becomes more personal.

 

In this context, a name that immediately springs to mind, at least mine, is Brad Mehldau.

[PAP]

 

Now to the actual top 10 list, I suppose nobody would disagree that Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and Oscar Peterson belong in any TopX list of piano trios.

 

 

and AHMAD JAMAL Trio........... very important for Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett and Oscar was a big fan.

 

And Brad Mehldau trios use of dynamics is also leading straight back to Ahmad.

 

[video=youtube;Ev-3kIXlEGA]

[mkrzych]

Quite nice performance and good redbook live sound!

 

 

Tales From The Unexpected - Live At Theater Gütersloh | Enrico Pieranunzi – Télécharger et écouter l'album

[mkrzych]

Another gem, very modern, but there is something in this music. Listen yourself. Legit 24/96 recording.

 

 

The Sixth Jump | Benoît Delbecq Trio – Télécharger et écouter l'album