It’s nice to see compressed file formats getting a comparison every now and then, and even better when it’s in the mainstream press:

Rolling Stone : Alternate Takes: The MP3 Challenge

The author puts a 128kbps MP3 file up against vinyl.  And of course, after listening for a bit, the vinyl version won out.  While it’s no secret to a lot of music listeners and collectors, it might just wake up the rest of the iPod generation to the fact that digitally compressed music isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Carrying thousands of songs around in a single device certainly is convenient, but you do need to make a sacrifice.  At least there is a bright side: you can carry fewer tunes around if you use a lossless format, but in a disk-based system like the iPod, battery life suffers and storage space is not used as efficiently.  Still, to hear the music unaltered is well worth it.  And even if you have the CD equivalent, or better yet a vinyl version at home, you still have something to fall back on.

Even better, read this recent post by Steve Hoffman on his forum, where he compared a vinyl acetate cutting to CD, SACD and a 15ips open reel tape copy of the master tape.   How did the vinyl fare?  Not bad for a 100 year old format!  Steve explains it better than I ever could.  Even having said that, I still hear “something” on CDs that isn’t there on the LP, including a bit of listener fatigue after a few hours, which I never got with vinyl.  I’ll hang onto my records for quite awhile, thank you…

I’d heard about Pandora few times, and recall trying it out a few years ago. I finally decided to register an account and try it out on a more extended basis. So far, I’m liking what I’m hearing. What exactly is Pandora, and why do I recommend it? Read on!

Continue reading Pandora: radio customized for your individual taste →

I was looking forward to listening to this pairing of two long-established jazz artists ever since I heard it announced many months ago.  I’ve only just picked it up recently, and have given it a few spins.  While one can’t fault the talents of George Benson and Al Jarreau separately, the spark just doesn’t happen on this album.  The best song on this one is the remake of Benson’s “Breezin'”, with an added vocal part by Jarreau.  The tables turn on the next track, a remake of Jarreau’s “Mornin'”, albeit in a bland instrumental version.  The remainder of the album really doesn’t fare much better:  it’s well-played, competent music in the airplay-ready $mooth Jazz mold, but hardly has anything to recommend it.  A roster of guest artists attempt to help things along, but nothing ever really ignites.  Even the presence of Sir Paul McCartney could have been a recipe for greatness, but he is lost amidst a trainwreck of wailing female vocals in “Bring It On Home To Me”.  (Give me Sam Cooke’s version with Lou Rawls punctuating the vocal lines in the background.)  A remake of “Summer Breeze” is the only other highlight, one of the few tracks I return to regularly beside “Breezin'”.  I’d have to give this recording merely an average rating, 2-1/2 out of 5 stars as a missed opportunity.

Bebel Gilberto released a new CD back in March called Momento.
I’ve just received a copy of it, and am happy to report that this CD
is every bit as good as its predecessors. I will provide a more
in-depth review of this CD in the coming weeks, but for now, I’m glad
to have given it a listen. The music is similar to her other
offerings, with a mix of traditional acoustic Brazilian music (bossa,
samba, jazz) with a dash of pop and electronica, melding them all
seamlessly. The title track “Memento” I thought was excellent, and
she even takes a new look at the Cole Porter classic “Night and Day”.
Her cooled-out vocals on “Bring Back The Love” are a counterpoint to
the club beat backing it up…and it works. If you liked Bebel’s
first two releases, don’t pass this one up either!