nc wrote:


Michael Laprarie wrote:

And speaking of LP's, I don't believe anyone mentioned the three albums
that
Harry James did in the late 70's as direct-to-disc recordings for Sheffield
Labs. "King James Version" is my pick of the bunch, although "Comin' From
a
Good Place" and "Still Harry After All These Years" also have some choice
cuts. These were recorded live straight to the laquer disc with very
little
in the audio chain, and the "you are there" presence is stunning. I
believe
they used only a single stereo microphone for the band, with some minimal
spot mics in the rhythm section. Again, these were re-released on CD some
years ago, sourced from analog backup tapes. But if you want the real
thing, find the LP's.

Agreed. "I've Got the Music in Me" with Thelma Houston was another
excellent direct-to-disc.


Agreed. All of the above mentioned, on direct-to-disc LPs, have excellent
sound. In general, it's hard to find better sonics than those produced on
Sheffield's jazz offerings.


I *really* cranked up her rendition of
"Don't Misunderstand." Charlie Byrd also had an excellent disc,

If it's the one I'm thinking of, the direct-to-disc version is on Crystal
Clear, another major manufacturer of direct-to-disc LPs very comparable to
Sheffield's. Some of theirs are recorded at 45 rpm (including the Byrd LP), so
the sides are not too long, but the sound is pretty spectacular, as is the
artistry. There is also another Charlie Byrd analogue recording called the
"Guitar Artistry of Charlie Byrd" available as a 180G reissue on the Analogue
Productions label which is excellent.

But, of all the somewhat spectacular jazz LPs available, one of the best IMHO,
and worth the search (and price, unfortunately, unless you're lucky) is the M&K
album "For Duke" by Bill Berry and the all stars - a direct to disc offering
that has more of that "in the room" quality than most that I've heard.

I can't comment on the CD sound of any of these, but presuming they've been
issued on that format as well, it's probably worth considering if digital is
your only option.





IIRC.
Dave Grusin, too (which was a disappointment artistically.)

--
Better than hearing "Lady Day", or checking in at Monterey...









Bruce J. Richman