Check the new Positive Feedback Online Magazine at http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue1/maltzsacd.htm It features several SACD reviews including Straight, No Chaser.
Chris...I have this one on the way and should be able to give you an opinion in a day or two. If Columbia did as good a job with this as they did with 'Mingus Ah Um' then we'll be in for a great ride. Have you heard this one?
The Mingus Ah Um SACD is also reviewed in the current Positive Feedback SACD review column mentioned above along with some other good ones (like the Willie Nelson "Stardust" SACD and Earth Wind & Fire's "All In All" SACD from Japan).
Thumbs up from me. I also have the JSACD "Solo Monk", which is a more introspective disc, interesting, but in smaller doses. You won't be disappointed in "Straight, No Chaser". The SACD has two previously unreleased tracks to sweeten the deal - a different take of "I Didn't Know About You" and a tune called "Green Chimneys". Engineered for SACD by Mark Wilder. Regards, Geoff
I agree that this title on SACD is defiantly better sounding then the cd release. As for the music itself I am not necessarily sure its a broad representation of his work. Though what is, ha. It is a great album however. Might i recommend Thelonious Himself. It's a really solid album from 1957 that is studio recorded. The songs are just him and a piano except for one track which has master Coltrane on the sax and Wilbur ware on bass. The are a lot of standards with two monk originals on the album. The sound is really nice on the CD xrcd version. I think this is really a solid album of what monk was doing and sounding like in the late 50 when he was playing by himself. At any rate enjoy getting into this artist and his great work. Yes adding that bit about the quirkyness on his playing, he tends to float on some recordings, so that being said he doesn't on the other i recommenced.
I agree. There's better Monk out there - though personally I don't think any of his work is "bad" - and some of it may sound a bit better. But that said, the SACD of SNC is pretty darn good. It's a relatively late (early 60s) recording, so the sound quality is a step up from his indie jazz label output of the 1950s. It's very cleanly recorded, the music swings like mad, and it's the only Monk out so far on domestic SACD. I like this CD very much. It's also (arguably) a bit more accessible than some of his quirkier recordings, so it's not a bad choice for someone listening to Monk for the first time. Ray
Unfortunatley, your sig line wasn't included in the quote. The K in K-mart is for Kresge. IIRC, the chain was founded by Sebastian S. Kresge, who previously founded the Kresge five & dime stores in the Detroit area.
