Great performance and recording but why such a poor transfer
JJ | Santa Clara | 11/02/2008
(1 out of 5 stars)
"This is the remaster by RVG, 24 bit transfer reissue produced by Michael Cuscuna I have been comparing to my friend's 1987 transfer by Ron McMaster also produced by Michael Cuscuna.
Apart from the fact that the remaster is much louder and compressed, I was staggered at the difference. Stanley Turrentine's sax is so important to many tracks and drives the rhythm as much as the rhythm section itself but it has lost much of its exquisite contrasting soft/hard expressive qualities, almost like it's been added on top in the new version. Everyone seems to be playing in isolation and the drums are so much louder in the mix I can't believe this was all done with only a 2 track master, that is quite an achievement. Even the organ has lost much of it's "watery" quality. There's just no space left, most of the exquisite pauses are missing, dynamics and much of the texture are all gone. To make everything worse the noise floor even sounds way higher."
Swinging Organ grooves
S J Buck | Kent, UK | 12/06/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Heres the fabulous Jimmy Smith playing Hammond B3 and driving a top notch band along. The title track is drenched in the blues, and after the theme statement Smith plays a superb two and half minutes solo. Then of course there is Kenny Burrell on Guitar and Stanley Turrentine on Tenor Sax who are no slouches themselves.
On "When I grow too old to dream" Jimmy Smith lets Turrentine take the first solo and after a subtle start to his Sax solo he builds up quite a head of steam. After a short Smith solo Turrentine is back for more with another solo. Its that sort of album. I'm guessing that they were having great fun in the studio when they recorded this. The rest of the album maintains the same high standard of the first two tracks.
The album was recorded in 1960 and of course has another of those classic Blue Note album covers. The original sleeve notes by Ira Gitler give plenty of background information on the album including how the album cover came about. A great recording."
Magnificent
M. M. Slagter | Barranquila, Colombia | 04/29/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nice, groovy and warm collection of music. It goes with almost every occasion. I've heard this album a few years ago and liked instantly, I really don't know why I haven't bought it sooner. For me this is cocktail jazz, the kind of music you listen to when you're through the first couple of hours of a nice evening, and the drinks are just beginnig to kick. Five stars."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1