SH Spotlight I'm asked stuff: Favorite mastering engineer, best BOSTON CD, best TRAVELING WILBURYS CD, etc..

Hi Steve:
You have mentioned in 2004 that the Bob James SACD "Hi-Fi" on Audio Fidelity was mastered from the original dbx-encoded Rudy Van Gelder mixes and it was a nightmare to remaster because you have to look for the right equipment to decode the tapes.
According to Audio Fidelity, it was one of the first choices of Marshall Blonstein for AF SACD release on his audiophile label and Bob James himself was involved in the song selection for the SACD.
Do you have any plan of releasing albums in the same jazz genre as Bob James (pop jazz/jazz- fusion/ cool jazz) for audiophile release in the future on either SACD or audiophile vinyl? Examples of artists in that jazz genre include popular artists such as Deodato, Dave Grusin, Michael Franks, Ahmad Jamal, Earl Klugh, George Benson, David Benoit, Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, Spyro Gyra, Grover Washington, Chuck Mangione, Astrud Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Alphonse Mouzon, Crusaders, Noel Pointer, Weater Report, Gato Barbieri, Flora Purim, etc. I'm sure only a few of them were dbx-encoded.
How about some classical jazz albums such as the popular Claude Bolling works with Jean-Pierre Rampal specially the popular 1975 album called "Suite For Flute and Jazz Piano Trio"?

 

Oooh, I love the Bolling Suite! First ran into him in the film version of Neil Simon's California Suite, then happened upon the LP among a cabinet of promo albums in the back of a radio station nobody ever gave a second thought to (because, well y'know, nobody actually wants to hear those, right? Might as well stick them somewhere until they could make room in the dumpster... ) ...that was my first inkling that the radio business had nothing to do with either music, or the love of same.

 

Steve- I asked about this in a Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus thread but you might have missed it, any reason why the DCC gold Prestige CDs sound quite different from the OJC CDs? Were the latter not flat transfers? If you can't reveal this, that's fine

Now my memory is a bit fuzzier since I didn't write this down, but I seem to recall the DCC sounding more aggressive and "alive" both meant in a good way. I think I felt this about other DCC Prestige CDs compared to OJC like some of the Miles Davis/Coltrane quintet albums.

 

Yes, most definitely prefer the DCC and it's the jazz that are among my favorites among the DCC releases mostly just due to my tastes in music.

 

The Wes Montgomery discs from DCC are one of the "Crown Jewels" of my collection.

 

There are actually lots of audio engineer jobs in the video game and movie industry. But you won't work with old tapes and you won't be able to remaster old albums . I'm doing this for 20+ years now.

 

What shocks me about this is the following: let´s say you call an artist to ask/offer to release their albums in higher quality, with better care/work from what they already have and the artist and the record company agree on this. Is it the same as saying “sure go ahead, what we did and release is no good enough, we didn't care”?

 

Cool! We all like collector´s editions!

 

What is the oldest material you have worked on to restore/master?

 

did you have a hand in cleaning and bringing those up to par?
how does one clean a wax cylinder?

 

Veeeeery carefully.

 

Many thanks for the the thread, Steve Hoffman.
It has been killer-yet-diller.

GZ

 

The 1975 album "Suite For Flute and Jazz Piano" by the French jazz pianist Claude Bolling was a million seller worldwide. In the U.S., the album was also nominated in 1975 for a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. It's the best jazz classical crossover album ever released IMO.

 

Loving this thread! Thanks so much, Mr. Hoffman.

 

Best crossover that really meshes the forms with the playing for my money, goes to the late Patrick "Threshold" Williams, composer of An American Concerto, sadly un-released to this date on CD. Phil Woods and a jazz quartet absolutely infused with the London Symphony Orchestra, conveniently auditionable on the UewTube, insanely affordable on Discogs (starting under 3 bucks!); a spiritual tour of the form since its' first awakingings in the new world, emeshed in the orchestra.


But I digress - carry on!

 

Any pictures of Fang?