New Keith Jarrett 24/96 remasters on Qobuz

[firedog]

out of country downloads: Hola and other VPN programs are your friend.

[mkrzych]

On my side I am facing another big problem - which one to choose: My Song or Belonging ;-) Both are superb musically and present the jazz of its highest top quality. Tough decision, since I cannot afford both of them now.

 

On Belonging I like the bass bite and it's more musical than My Song and also has a song which was the initiator for Fagen's Gaucho. My song has Country, which I like so much, but don't like Mandala song… eh ;-)

[Musicophile]

Interesting because that's very different from the MusicScope analysis I posted of My Song and Belonging where the cutoff frequency is close to 70khz.

I think the cutoff frequency is a bit arbitrarily calculated by Musicscope, it's probably not easy for a software to tell where information stops and noise starts.

 

If you look at the shape of the curve, you have very little signal starting from about 24kHz in both cases.

 

In any case, I've only had Musicscope for half a day now, but I just wonder how much information you'll have on ANY analog tape, which is the source of all these remasters. Maybe I'll open another thread on this.

[Musicophile]

On my side I am facing another big problem - which one to choose: My Song or Belonging ;-) Both are superb musically and present the jazz of its highest top quality. Tough decision, since I cannot afford both of them now.

 

On Belonging I like the bass bite and it's more musical than My Song and also has a song which was the initiator for Fagen's Gaucho. My song has Country, which I like so much, but don't like Mandala song… eh ;-)

I'd get one first, see whether you hear a difference to redbook, and then get both!

[mkrzych]

I'd get one first, see whether you hear a difference to redbook, and then get both!

 

I pulled the trigger and bought Belonging from highresaudio.com in 24/96 since my DAC and Macbook does not supports higher resolution and I don't think 24/192 bring anything to the remaster except ultrasonic noise.

 

What to say, because together with my 3yrs old daughter we are out of breath dancing almost the whole album!!! This is AWESOME album (I've barely listened to it many years ago) and was in fact released one year before I was born. Musicality of this recording together with the sonic quality in AWESOME - the last one if you take into account that's recording from 1974. Don't know what ECM did to this recently, but besides some tape hiss the sound is absolutely stunning and involving - we've started dancing like hippies from 70's.

 

Full of dynamic and double bass bites, mixing with Jarrett's vocalisations time to time and his piano passages - highly, highly recommended!

 

Oh, and 21EUR is not so cheap for almost 50 minutes of music, but the impact of the music here is priceless. It made my whole evening already and we've anniversary today with my wife.

[Musicophile]

I pulled the trigger and bought Belonging from highresaudio.com in 24/96 since my DAC and Macbook does not supports higher resolution and I don't think 24/192 bring anything to the remaster except ultrasonic noise.

 

What to say, because together with my 3yrs old daughter we are out of breath dancing almost the whole album!!! This is AWESOME album (I've barely listened to it many years ago) and was in fact released one year before I was born. Musicality of this recording together with the sonic quality in AWESOME - the last one if you take into account that's recording from 1974. Don't know what ECM did to this recently, but besides some tape hiss the sound is absolutely stunning and involving - we've started dancing like hippies from 70's.

 

Full of dynamic and double bass bites, mixing with Jarrett's vocalisations time to time and his piano passages - highly, highly recommended!

 

Oh, and 21EUR is not so cheap for almost 50 minutes of music, but the impact of the music here is priceless. It made my whole evening already and we've anniversary today with my wife.

Nice! Isn't this what Hifi is all about?

 

BTW, I'm listening to the redbook now and am surely hesitating, but will probably wait for the next discount code from Qobuz.

[mkrzych]

Nice! Isn't this what Hifi is all about?

 

Indeed, not all recordings involved me so much, I would say quite few only.

 

BTW, I'm listening to the redbook now and am surely hesitating, but will probably wait for the next discount code from Qobuz.

 

Well, didn't listen to redbook, so I don't know, there is not so much content above 22kHz, but openness and sound is superb. Now I am thinking about two choices: Creations (different kind of the beast) and My Song.

[wdw]

I pulled the trigger and bought Belonging from highresaudio.com in 24/96 since my DAC and Macbook does not supports higher resolution and I don't think 24/192 bring anything to the remaster except ultrasonic noise.

 

What to say, because together with my 3yrs old daughter we are out of breath dancing almost the whole album!!! This is AWESOME album (I've barely listened to it many years ago) and was in fact released one year before I was born. Musicality of this recording together with the sonic quality in AWESOME - the last one if you take into account that's recording from 1974. Don't know what ECM did to this recently, but besides some tape hiss the sound is absolutely stunning and involving - we've started dancing like hippies from 70's.

 

Full of dynamic and double bass bites, mixing with Jarrett's vocalisations time to time and his piano passages - highly, highly recommended!

 

Oh, and 21EUR is not so cheap for almost 50 minutes of music, but the impact of the music here is priceless. It made my whole evening already and we've anniversary today with my wife.

 

Really great to read the joy expressed in your post...sound like you had fun....this album is truly great, IMHO.

The second cut " Blossom" has a totally spiritual cast to it...inspired and then other songs sound operatic in scale and then tragi-comic.

Best

WDW

[wdw]

Nice! Isn't this what Hifi is all about?

 

BTW, I'm listening to the redbook now and am surely hesitating, but will probably wait for the next discount code from Qobuz.

Brief listen between RD and the download last night but not for too long...did hear the typical volume incease which seems to accompany high rez downloads but also a larger sweeter stage and more robust base attack and contrast....will have more time in the coming days to listen further in. Recommended to any if this is on a short list of favourites...now only if they'd re-issue At the Blue Note

[AnotherSpin]

What to say, because together with my 3yrs old daughter we are out of breath dancing almost the whole album!!! This is AWESOME album (I've barely listened to it many years ago) and was in fact released one year before I was born. Musicality of this recording together with the sonic quality in AWESOME - the last one if you take into account that's recording from 1974. Don't know what ECM did to this recently, but besides some tape hiss the sound is absolutely stunning and involving - we've started dancing like hippies from 70's.

 

 

Wow! I glad it makes you so happy!...))

If I would be pressed to choose, I would pick My Song first... It was one of first jazz purchases in my student days, and to get Jarrett's LP in USSR was a real adventure...))) Now, when I listen it (not often) I get transported in time almost physically. What a beautiful soundtrack to the memories of youth. Belonging is also very fine recording. I think both are the best from Scandinavian Quartet, and I would add Personal Mountain too.

[mkrzych]

Wow! I glad it makes you so happy!...))

If I would be pressed to choose, I would pick My Song first... It was one of first jazz purchases in my student days, and to get Jarrett's LP in USSR was a real adventure...))) Now, when I listen it (not often) I get transported in time almost physically. What a beautiful soundtrack to the memories of youth. Belonging is also very fine recording. I think both are the best from Scandinavian Quartet, and I would add Personal Mountain too.

 

I am not in LPs, but I can imagine how difficult was to get it in USSR that time, since we have similar issues here in Poland I guess. Music is a very important thing and can transport you to many different places or memories, that's the thing about and that's why I am saying the same to my daughter even she doesn't understand it yet. My parents did not inject it to me, but I was sensitive enough to take it automatically, going through many different genres in the past and finally together with my age landing slowly on classical, jazz and old rock goodies.

[AnotherSpin]

I am not in LPs

Oh, I was not clear in previous post - I do not listen LPs anymore for long period of time, it was old experience from 70s-90s...))) Now I have many Jarrett's recordings in both CDs and digital files. Funny, but Poland was understand back then as much more advanced country in its possibilities to access music. I remember we cherished copies of Polish "Jazz Forum" square-shaped magazine (someone was bringing it from Poland) with lot of info about jazz musicians, affiliated with ECM in particular. Yes, sometimes we were only reading about music and dreaming one day to hear it....)))

[CatManDo]

ECM LPs were a main reason why I got a turntable again 10 years ago. I travel to Munich a lot, where it was possible to find lots of mint ECM LPs in second hand stores at very low prices.

 

When it comes to their analogue recordings, I find that the CDs (which were mastered in the late 80's) have a rather distant and lifeless sound. The original LPs sound more natural and dynamic. With their early digital recordings, the difference between CDs and LPs is very small on the other hand.

 

That's why I'm looking forward to these remasters. I hope they better capture the sound of the tapes.

[Musicophile]

ECM LPs were a main reason why I got a turntable again 10 years ago. I travel to Munich a lot, where it was possible to find lots of mint ECM LPs in second hand stores at very low prices.

 

When it comes to their analogue recordings, I find that the CDs (which were mastered in the late 80's) have a rather distant and lifeless sound. The original LPs sound more natural and dynamic. With their early digital recordings, the difference between CDs and LPs is very small on the other hand.

 

That's why I'm looking forward to these remasters. I hope they better capture the sound of the tapes.

Are you considering buying any of these? I'd very much like to hear your impression, given your experience here. As said before, with a sample of 1 so far I'm very happy.

[AnotherSpin]

ECM LPs were a main reason why I got a turntable again 10 years ago. I travel to Munich a lot, where it was possible to find lots of mint ECM LPs in second hand stores at very low prices.

 

When it comes to their analogue recordings, I find that the CDs (which were mastered in the late 80's) have a rather distant and lifeless sound. The original LPs sound more natural and dynamic.

 

This is very close to my impressions. I had a lot of ECM LPs in late 70s and 80s (I speak about hundreds, big part of the whole catalogue in those years). When I started listen to the same music on CDs in 90s, it was the biggest disappointment ever. Some music I was never able to listen again, such as Nice Guys and Full Force from Art Ensemble Of Chicago.

[mkrzych]

I couldn't resist and just bought 24/96 files from highresaudio.com and the transfer is STUNNING! Would be very nice to get the details how they actually did it for My Song and Belonging albums, because the sound is absolutely amazing. Here are graphs for My Song and Country songs. Bits usage was around 18-19 bits, cutoff I would not say is right on the graphs, but the musical content was pulsing up around 25-30kHz. Take a look also on Integrated Laudness and CREST parameters - true master I'd say and put in shame lot of current releases I think.

 

 

[Jud]

Beautiful to read Krzysztof's post about dancing with his daughter.

 

About access to music in Eastern Europe decades ago, there's a wonderful and funny story collection I have by a Czech (IIRC) writer named Josef Skvorecky entitled The Bass Saxophone, which is all about that.

[mkrzych]

Beautiful to read Krzysztof's post about dancing with his daughter.

 

Thanks, you know what, don't know what happened, but it was just THAT moment, that we've just came up and started dancing, really, me and 3yrs little girl. That's why I said 21EUR is priceless for that moment. Anyway, stunning remasters and My Song is also amazing. Would be nice if ECM could share with us the story how they actually achieved this.

[firedog]

Anyone ever come up with provenance info about the Jarrett ECM analog recordings being offerred in 24/192? Are they upsampled 24/96 or actual 24/192 transcriptions?

[mkrzych]

Anyone ever come up with provenance info about the Jarrett ECM analog recordings being offerred in 24/192? Are they upsampled 24/96 or actual 24/192 transcriptions?

 

Well, ECM has not responded yet, but I think they never did 24/192. Maybe this is their new idea and they've tried it, but I am not sure. I picked up 24/96, less ultrasonic noise and don't think 24/192 bring anything to the sound since it's been recorded analogue.

[Musicophile]

Anyone ever come up with provenance info about the Jarrett ECM analog recordings being offerred in 24/192? Are they upsampled 24/96 or actual 24/192 transcriptions?

If you look at my graphs published above from the Standards vol. 2 in 24/192 I personally see no sign of upsampling. And the remaster sounds really nice.

 

That said, I got the 192khz as it was the same price as the 96, and I agree with Krzysztof that the difference between 96 and 192 is probably insignificant.

[Holowlegs]

I pulled the trigger and bought Belonging from highresaudio.com in 24/96 since my DAC and Macbook does not supports higher resolution and I don't think 24/192 bring anything to the remaster except ultrasonic noise.

 

What to say, because together with my 3yrs old daughter we are out of breath dancing almost the whole album!!! This is AWESOME album (I've barely listened to it many years ago) and was in fact released one year before I was born. Musicality of this recording together with the sonic quality in AWESOME - the last one if you take into account that's recording from 1974. Don't know what ECM did to this recently, but besides some tape hiss the sound is absolutely stunning and involving - we've started dancing like hippies from 70's.

 

Full of dynamic and double bass bites, mixing with Jarrett's vocalisations time to time and his piano passages - highly, highly recommended!

 

Oh, and 21EUR is not so cheap for almost 50 minutes of music, but the impact of the music here is priceless. It made my whole evening already and we've anniversary today with my wife.

 

Bit off topic, I don't even know the music, but great post and well worth the 21 Euros for that time with your daughter.

 

Cheers Frank

[AnotherSpin]

Keith Jarrett is 70 today

[mkrzych]

Bit off topic, I don't even know the music, but great post and well worth the 21 Euros for that time with your daughter.

 

Cheers Frank

 

Thanks. Try yourself.

[Musicophile]

Keith Jarrett is 70 today

Happy Birthday!