Album of the Evening

[REShaman]

Hello everyone. First post by way of introduction. Enjoying the forum very much. Discovering the many possibilities from various topics and an abundance of posts and information.

Tonight, after a hard day, my wife and I both received massages accompanied by HDtrack Hi-Res downloads of Krause and Plant's Raising Sand and Paul's McCartney, Dr. John's Right Place Right Time and finally Elton's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. Massage for us is therapeutic and restorative. With Hi-Res accompaniment, it's especially great.

Reading all of the forum member's takes on the software of choice thread(s) and discovering the difference that makes the difference (discerning which program is perceived as the best or better and the criteria for such conclusion), I started with Pure Music with a little phone help from Rob being so new. Followed by Decibel, very straight forward and enjoyable. Yesterday, I bought Amarra v2.2 and so far find its quality highly enjoyable. The best so far. Sorry for the OT parts of my first post.

Best to all,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Our President was in town and driving into NYC tonight to pick up my wife at our office required me to spend as much time traveling 4 blocks in mid-Manhattan as it took to arrive from the suburbs. Our return to our home was swifter. On our return, we landed on Three Guitars with Larry Coryell, Badi Assad and John Abercrombie (HDtracks 24/96). An effective antidote to traffic jams and traffic route priorities for a President which makes traveling a nightmare soothed by the healing properties of three guitars.

It's about that time. Sweet dreams, all.

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

My wife was back on the massage table tonight and I DJ for her which keeps the massage therapist glued to the table as she truly enjoys the music as she works on my wife. Jun Fukamachi At Steinway (Take 2) DXD CD, followed by HDtrack download Easy Living Ella accompanied by the great Joe Pass. Bridge Over Troubled Water for a night cap. I purchased dBPoweramp after conveniently forgetting it was a Windows program. Also purchased XLD and converted the Simon/Garfunkel CD to AIFF easily. Read the threads here first, hoping the quality is equal to dBPoweramp as I do not care to boot up Win7 via VMWare often, the program never gets the CD/DVD writer(s) easily to work as in Snow Leopard. Also downloaded Fidelia basic/advanced to compare, finding it quite acceptable, but notice I make my way back to Amarra and PM.

Notice different recordings/files sound better played through one program or another and appreciate having the selection available. Wonder if that is the experience of others.

Listening/playing more music than I ever have these days. Everyone in the room notices the change in music delivery and SQ with extreme delight.

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Three Guitars, Larry Coryell, Badi Assad, John Abercrombie who play together for the first time in the wonderful acoustic setting of New York's St. Peter's Church, circa 2005. Chesky Records download from HDtracks.

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key of Life. The echo in my mind lingers hours later before the decay sets in, and I finally stop hearing his music and lyrics. What's not to love? Al Di Meola's Flesh on Flesh. John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (so underrated, Hartman that is). Lastly: Newly re-released, The Nat King Cole Story (2 discs).

Doesn't get any better.

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

The Persuasions, A Capella Dreams, HDtracks;

Emmet Cohen: In The Element, CDBaby.com

Next, dream time, really!

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Gary Burton and Chic Corea, The ECM Recordings 1972-79, Crystal Silence, Duet, In Concert 1, In Concert 2.

Excellent quality and SQ.

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Eric Dolphy Out There HDtrack download enormous sound stage magnificent instruments creating counter point jazz with wood and metal. Emmet Cohen, a 20 year old prodigy jazz pianist In The Element. Finally mesmerizing Ahmad Jamal disc1 Argo Sessions. His technique and musicianship transcends. It doesn't get any better isn't enough praise.

Best,

Richard

 

 

[REShaman]

Holly Cole's Holly Cole. Voice, aside, the SQ of the HDtracks download is superb. Ahmad Jamal Trio's Argo Sessions continues to satisfy beyond description. Dr. John's Right Place Right Time is the right stuff. Computer audio has brought a new and impressive level of listening and enjoyment into my life. I've started transferring my whole collection highly motivated by the outcome that awaits and getting there is just as good.

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Joe Pass, The Complete Pacific Jazz Joe Pass Quartet Sessions, Disc1: Exquisite!

Wesla Whitfield, September Songs: Music of Wilder Weill & Warren

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Ahmad Jamal, The Complete Ahmad Jamal Trio Argo Sessions Disc 6. Simply impeccable technique and musicality. Exquisite!

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Frank sings Only The Lonely with gorgeous arrangements by Nelson Riddle. I have been listening to this album (CD and I have the album) since before college (1959). Somehow it gets better.

 

Nancy LaMott (left the planet age 43) sings Come Rain Or Shine.

 

Nelson Freire Chopin études...wonderful technique and musicality.

 

Good to be alive and listen to all the genius with a click...My new Mac Mini and Promise Pegasus 12TB arrive on Friday. Guess what I'll be doing.

 

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Frank sings Nice 'N' Easy nicely.

Holly Cole sings Waits songs Temptation & great arrangements.

 

As Chris states: "...enjoying this wonderful hobby". Music is medicine.

 

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Nancy LaMott, Ask Me Again, produced after her death. Gone, and still vital.

Herbie Hancock, Possibilities, arrangements to die 4.

David Sanborn, Time Again, ignored him until this outing. Well done.

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Hilary Kole: Haunted Heart

MJQ: Django.

Miles: Some Day My Prince Will Come.

 

I used to date a girl whose brownstone apartment in NYC was contiguous with Paroah Sanders' apartment on the upper Westside only 4 blocks from where Miles lived. I used to visit her just to hear him play scales. That's a long time ago. This thread is reminding me of live listening I'll never forget. (Hmmm how about that for a thread?)

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Sting's Sacred Love; I have both the DVD version and the CD version and now the HDtracks download version which is quite enjoyable.

Joni's Both Sides Now; I have all versions and the HDtracks version is also excellent.

Stone's Let It Bleed; all versions and the HDtracks is excellent.

 

Slowly archiving my music collection. Computer audio (with or without integer mode) on my system is so easy and so thoroughly satisfying.

Sweet dreams all,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Speaking of breath taking beauty: AKIKO SUWANAI SIBELIUS & WALTON: VIOLIN CONCERTOS SHM SACD;Akiko Suwanai, violin City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sakari Oramo, conductor.

 

Played it on my HT system while the Promise Pegasus (10 hours) initialized itself. I don't think there's a way to rip a SHM-SACD disc to convert to a computer audio file. Is there?

 

This recording is exquisite.

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

David Zinman & Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich: Mahler Symphonies 1-10. Pick one. They're Mahler than others.

 

Kurt Elling: Nightmoves. To quote Austin Powers: "yeah, baby..."

Sweet dreams,

Richard

 

 

[REShaman]

David Zinman, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich: Mahler Symphonie No. 9.

Deeply moving.

Best,

Richard

 

 

[REShaman]

Aaron Neville: Warm Your Heart (XRCD2)

Mandy Patinkin: Mandy Patinkin,

Milt Jackson: Reverence & Compassion

 

So Good and good night,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Kurt Elling: Dedicated To You one of the songs performed by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman for whom Elling's dedication is intended.

Next, the SHM-SACD version of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. If only there was a method for ripping SACD/SHM-SACD into computer files.

For a night cap: Abbey Road, The Beatles in stereo. Here comes the sun!

Literally...

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

The Modern Jazz Quartet, The Complete Atlantic Studio Recordings Of The Modern Jazz Quartet 1956-64, Disc 1. Mesmerizing artistry and technique.

 

Nancy Wilson, The Great American Songbook, Disc 1. Gorgeous style and phrasing, versatile voicing, a true songstress.

 

Best,

Richard

 

 

[REShaman]

The Beatles Rubber Soul mono & stereo. My wife wanted to know why I played it twice. I forgot was my only reply.

Ahmad Jamal Trio The complete Argo Sessions Disc 4, some in the audience actually carries on a conversation with one another in the background and the waiters make noise.

The Doobie Brothers dobie do Toulouse Street is alright with me.

Best,

Richard

 

[REShaman]

Bonnie Raitt, Nick Of Time (extracted from DVD-A using DVDAE, OSX version - very buggy).

Frank at Sinatra At The Sands also extracted with DVDAE to 24/192.

Leon Russell, Leon Russell DVD-A and would not lend itself to being extracted with DVDAE. Don't understand what's in the way (copy protection?).

 

DVDAE not ready for prime time, but it works (7 out of 8 DVD-As).

 

Best,

Richard

 

 

[REShaman]

Little Richard double album by MoFi with energy to spare.

Best,

Richard