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Dafnis Prieto's Expanded Horizons and the Totem Kin Play Tower Powered Speaker System
August 2022
Vintage hi-fi components may be having a moment, but design-conscious dwellers of contemporary homes likely prefer a sound source that matches the aesthetic of their Miele steam oven and Minotti seating system. If your chic downtown apartment is more sleek finishes than the period wood of my 130-year-old abode, the super-clean look of the Totem Kin Play Tower stereo speaker system ($2250 per system in US or Canadian dollars) will likely appeal to you. My review sample was in the company’s Satin Black finish, and with the grilles removed, the two 5″ soft-dome woofers on each speaker gleamed. Each speaker also has a 1″ soft-dome tweeter.
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Tyshawn Sorey Trio: "Mesmerism"
August 2022
Yeros7 Music 0195269159801
Format: 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV download
Musical Performance
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In an era where digital advertising, social media opinions, and all sorts of other “content” vie for our attention, the ability to disrupt has become a sought-after skill in the 21st century. Composer and multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey is a master of disruption.
The iFi Audio Zen One Signature and Go Bar Open the Door to Charles Lloyd’s "Chapel"
Note: for the full suite of measurements on the iFi Audio Zen One Signature from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
Note: for the full suite of measurements on the iFi Audio Go Bar from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
July 2022
At 84, reed player Charles Lloyd has expressed himself in a wide variety of settings over his long career, and has always found an audience, whatever his role: Eric Dolphy’s replacement in Chico Hamilton’s popular band; the trendsetting leader of his own group in the ’60s, with youngsters Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette; godfather of the Big Sur musical tribe, which included members of the Beach Boys; or as one of several saxophonists who have been viewed as the successor to John Coltrane. Coursing through everything he has done—and a large factor in how he has maintained his audience all these years—has been a sense of quiet spirituality.
Delaney & Bonnie, Curated
July 2022
The history of rock music is filled with musicians who were one-hit wonders, or whose career was somewhat brief but had a lasting impact. The Velvet Underground’s recording life was a mere four years, but inspired countless other bands. Of course, two of the original members, Lou Reed and John Cale, went on to have long careers in music. Music journalist Lester Bangs’s essay “Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung” makes a convincing argument that Count Five’s lone hit, “Psychotic Reaction,” was more influential than the entire recorded output of some bands.
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Miles Davis: "Miles Davis Live—What It Is: Montreal 7/7/83"
July 2022
Columbia Records / Legacy Recordings 19439955761
Format: 2 LPs
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As everyone knows, life seldom deals you a second hand. Snooze, lose, and all that.
Battling Anxiety with Arcade Fire and the Rotel A12MKII Integrated Amplifier-DAC
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
June 2022
As much as I love listening to music, I love the stories associated with the creation of music even more. Whether it’s the heartbreaking irony of seminal jazz trumpeter Buddy Bolden suffering a mental collapse just before the dawn of sound recording or the unlikely second act of Tina Turner—it’s the humanity that gets you.
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I Am: "Beyond"
June 2022
Division 81 Records
Format: 24-bit/96kHz FLAC download
Musical Performance
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Overall Enjoyment
The late ’80s and early ’90s witnessed a resurrection of sorts for the improvisational musical genre generally lumped under the problematic title “free jazz.” Granted, that term is a bit less confusing than “energy music,” “fire music,” or worst of all, the overgeneralized “avant-garde”—terms favored in the 1960s, when John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, and Archie Shepp blew long and hard—but the “free jazz” sobriquet does little to encapsulate the music made by artists like Charles Gayle, David S. Ware, and Ivo Perelman.
Up Close with Percussionist Ches Smith through Ollo Audio S4R 1.1 Recording Headphones
May 2022
I have a friend in New York City who shares my audiophile leanings and many of my musical tastes, and we frequently exchange thoughts on recordings I review here. However, as an apartment dweller, my friend keeps his amplifier turned down low, limiting how deeply he can delve into them. He relies on headphones for most of his listening.
Adventures in Vinyl
May 2022
Let’s talk about vinyl.
I’ll begin by saying that you can call them records or LPs (which stands for “long player” or “long-playing”), but never “vinyls.” Vinyl is what’s used to make LPs, and vinyl as a general description for records that are pressed out of that material is fine. I’ve been buying records for more than 50 years, but I’ve never called them “vinyls.” I collect vinyl, but I have 4000 LPs. Or maybe 5000. . . .
Trombone Shorty: "Lifted"
May 2022
Blue Note Records B003456902
Format: CD
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In the late 2000s, not long before Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews began landing gigs at the White House and on late-night network TV shows, I worked twice with the New Orleans musician at the Ottawa Jazz Festival, where I was the media resource. The first time Andrews appeared there, he was an unknown support act; the following year, he headlined. Both times, he put on astounding live shows that were equal parts Crescent City parade music and guitar-powered Southern rock.
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In Memory of Rad Bennett
April 2022
Rad Bennett, a writer for the SoundStage! Network for the better part of two decades, passed away in Harper’s Ferry, VA, on March 10, 2022. A versatile reviewer, Rad covered movies, music, and equipment. He was the kind of writer who could take a $79 Bluetooth speaker through its paces and craft an article from it that was both compelling and accurate—a rare skill in this industry. Rad’s main focus, though, was entertainment—Rad was an expert on classic films and classical music, and wrote authoritatively on both. His many writings can be found on multiple sites throughout the SoundStage! Network.
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JBL Flip 6 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
April 2022
The model-designation number of the Flip 6 tells us that this popular speaker has been around for quite a while. And this time, it appears that JBL is turning over new models fairly rapidly, as I just reviewed the Flip 5 last August. At first glance, this new version looks much like the previous one, but there are in fact quite a few differences and upgrades. At $129.95 (all prices USD), the Flip 6 is still a bargain, even when you consider that the price of the Flip 5 has been reduced to $109.95. Is the Flip 6 worth the extra $20? I think so, but a lot depends on the needs of the buyer.
Re-evaluating ZZ Top’s "Rio Grande Mud" through Monitor Audio Bronze 100 Bookshelf Speakers
Note: for the full suite of measurements for the Monitor Audio Bronze 100 loudspeaker performed in the anechoic chamber at Canada’s National Research Council, click this link.
April 2020
As revolutionary as the popular music of the 1960s was, some things didn’t change. When that decade ended, artists were still expected to be from somewhere rather than remaining regionally based.
Various Artists: "Black Lives: From Generation to Generation"
April 2022
Jammin’ Colors 73374
Format: CD
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Miles Davis was a firm believer that music is colorless. Despite having been an outspoken champion and defender of Black artists and their creative output, the trumpeter recognized that music transcends the petty political stances and systemic racism dominating life in Western democracies.
