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I purchased my first 4 Mapleshade recordings a couple of weeks ago. I like the fact that their goal is to get the listener as close to the musicians as possible (minimal cable lengths, no mixing boards, no studio fluff). Are there any other labels out there with the same goals/criteria?Also, I enjoy up-tempo jazz and blues, both vocal and instrumental. Any recommendations from the Mapleshade catalog I should consider? Slow, "whispy" jazz puts me to sleep. TIA...
Follow Ups:
I've heard samples of various releases that they will have, one was DX Biscuit a Blues/R&B band, the others were of Jonathan Pugh and Don Lanphere (look him up in the All Music Guide to Jazz). Lanphere played with Bird, Diz, Woody Herman's Herd, and with Fats.The selections that I heard certainly won't put you to sleep!
...check out Fat Possum Records if you like real gritty blues. I like what their style of CD recording has to say much of the time - live and virile acoustics that manage to be very descriptive of the cruder environments that artists like Junior Kimbrough have lived and wailed in. In these cases, an "excess" of reverb and other sonic hallmarks actually add to the feeling of spontaneity and authenticity. Check them out.
John Marks Records. Very nice.Poinz
nt
Just received their catalogue today. I'm interested. But can't get their mp3 files to play on my computer. Rather, I go to the website, download the mp3 file (the only option) and then RealPlayer cannot find the file.Anyone had a similar experience and/or know of a solution?
Incidentally, I tried the suggestion on the website. Didn't work.
I assume you're using Windows. If you've already downloaded clips to your computer, try opening the files with Windows Media Player. Incidentally, the clips can be downloaded or streamed.check this page for more info:
http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/main/faqs_mp3.html#4
Get the C-Nuts cd, "Blitzkrieg Bop and Other Jazz Mutations", catalog #07752 (page 10 in my catalog). Fun stuff. The percussion on "Shock the Monkey" is fantastic. Sounds like the guy is in the back of your room.
Page 9 in my catalog. Looks interesting.
...the superb 24-bit CD recordings of Prof. Johnson (HDCD compatible) on the Reference Recordings label. Whatever recording philosophy the Professor is using, it sure works like dynamite on large-scale orchestral recordings. MY opinion: These recordings are unsurpassed for the display of the spatial effects and dynamics of a large orchestra, rivalled only sometimes by the LSO Live label CD's (discussed on this forum a little ways down). I have tried only the Minnesota Orchestra Showcase CD (Eiji Oue, conductor) so far, but this "sampler" CD has me convinced! The quality of the performances seem to be very good also. I wanna order more...
nt
...if you like the "close-miked" style of recording that Mapleshade champions. I have several of their blues releases including works by Drink Small, Blue Rider Trio. I have vocal works by Kendra Shank and Monica Worth, and all of the classical CD's featuring the works of Douglas Allanbrook (and son). There is not a single CD I've tried that does not astound in every respect. All I can say is that I want to buy more - and at only $9.60 per CD when you buy 4 or more, I most definitely will! Every Mapleshade product I've tried, including those in the "Tweaks and Wires" catalog are first rate values all of the way.
Available from www.cadencebuilding.com. This is the recording arm of Cadence magazine. Much of this ever growing catalog is pretty "out" jazz but if you're interested in sonics, it's the best label around. I enjoy the music immensely as well. Check the website and if you have any questions about how any of them sound, you can see if that disc has a sound byte or email me. I own them all. Once I heard my first few, I spent a few years picking up the rest. They're that good.
I would have to wholeheartedly disagree--to my ears they don't sound much like what I hear in a live club. From what I've read, CIMP's Spirit Room is akin to Bob Rusch's living room (he actually sits on a couch in the room listening to the performances), which is obviously much smaller than most jazz clubs. I have no doubt they are faithful to that environment, but with CIMP's minimalist techniques and lack of post production, there is simply no way to make these sound like a normal sized club because they aren't recorded in a venue that is anywhere near that size. While the phrase "it sounds like the musicians are performing in my living room" gets bandied about often times in audiophile circles, I think it really does apply to the CIMP recordings, as that is the acoustical environment they are recorded in. But I wouldn't confuse that with what an ensemble sounds like when playing in an average sized club. And for many listeners therein lies the problem--a jazz trio/quartet/quintet/whatever playing full bore in a small room just doesn't sound all that good to most people, especially when their reference point is a larger jazz club. Forget all the audiophile lingo like instrumental decay, bloom, air, etc. (which these recordings don't have); on most of these it's tough to follow the interplay among the musicians when you can't hear what half of them are doing half the time, particularly the drummers & bassists. I am acquainted with a few musicians that have recorded in the Spirit Room, and they say it takes time to figure out how to play correctly since it is such a different environment. This correlates to my own listening experience of CIMP discs, which is that the more recordings an artist has under his belt at the Spirit Room, the more they seem to be able to coax a cohesive and balanced sound out of the place. I prefer Mapleshade's sonic presentation in the few discs I've heard as compared to CIMP's, but IMHO the music isn't nearly as good. But to each their own--I know a few people who find the sound quality of CIMP to be refreshing, but the majority think they sound amateurish. But I do really like the musical content in CIMP's catalog--it is certainly one of the finest independent American jazz labels around.
No problem there. Until now, I must have found only the "few" people that believe the CIMP discs to be revelatory both sonically and musically. And the musicians I've spoken with that have played there rave about the fact that their sound has finally been faithfully captured (which follows what they write in the liner notes, BTW) and that, once "the sound" is ironed out prior to recording, they are free to play and not worry about the sound.I own about a dozen or so Mapleshade recordings and while I felt they were a cut above the standard recordings, they were not in the same league as CIMP by a long shot. But, hey, preferences are what they are, no? To argue a preference is futile and pointless. So whatever we listen to, the main point is to enjoy!
I agree with you D. I have most of the MS catalog, but the to my ears the CIMP stuff sounds better.
I bought the Bobby Battle MS disc and, to my ears, the cymbals are hissy. Never heard anything like that with CIMP. OTOH, the MS catalog is generally well done, just not up to CIMP standards. It's still worth recommending and their Raphe Malik and Michael Carvin discs are among my favorites.
You are absolutely 100% correct on every aspects.
I don't think we should promote CIMP as a source for audiophile recordings, but let support them for the fantastic music they
promote.
"I don't think we should promote CIMP as a source for audiophile recordings"If by "we" you mean yourself and applejack, I agree. If by "we" you mean anyone, I disagree! I certainly don't understand your stance on CIMP (nor your stance on Hat Art - Hatology might be properly called an audiophile label but sister Hat Art? I think even Werner and Pia would be surprised - but pleased!) but I certainly have no issue with YOU promoting or not what you please.
CIMP is indeed an audiophile label, regardless of your (or my) opinion on the subject and I will continue to promote it as the best I've heard. I recommend it to anyone with a love of adventurous music who also love excellent live sound.
I have a somewhat opposing view of CIMP. You obviously have more of their cds then me; I only have a handful, and I'm not sold on their recording philosophy. The do release some very good music.
It may sound facetious, but I think CIMPs idea of a good sound is cramming 3[or more] guys with instruments in a 10x15 room and turning on the the tape recorder. That's about it.
As I mentioned below, I can't argue with what you hear. But live music is my barometer.As for cramming guys in a room and turning on the tape recorder... well, I guess the opposite would be adding artificial reverb and futzing with the sound so that it is more pleasing. I want real music created in real space, just like live music. CIMP records it the same way that it's played so that we can recreate the live event in our own home. That's what's important to me. No other label has consistently captured this. It takes some time getting used to because I think we're all used to hearing more studio processing. Once you get it, it's the reference for all other labels.
--I want real music created in real space, just like live music. CIMP records it the same way that it's played so that we can recreate the live event in our own home. That's what's important to me. No other label has consistently captured this.Try Hat Art.
"Try Hat Art."You're kidding, right? I've got about 50-60 Hat Art discs and while the music is generally excellent, the sonics range from pretty mediocre to very good. No comparison to the CIMP catalog which is usually excellent. But it does give me an idea of what you value in the sonic presentation. Guess we disagree there, which is fine.
Lol. Judging by what we think is good sound, I'd say we "totally and unequivocally" disagree.:)))
One thing for certain they don't have the space to fit a piano
in the room. I have about 20 CIMP's and I would say that about 25%
of them are good recordings, otherwise nothing special!
But they are the only label that to my ears captured what I hear in the clubs in NYC.Some folks have complained that the bass is "mixed" too low or something of that nature. Well, that's the way the bass player plays! I use live music as a barometer of recordings. Granted, a recording is something else again but my goal in the audiophile part of music collecting is to get the sound as close to live as possible. CIMP nails it, time after time. Trust me; they are ALL good recordings. They may not fit with what is important to you but they are all excellent at recreating the live space.
Music without a piano is OK for a while.
The bass is definetely a problem with CIMP, maybe it is the room accoustic.
As far as sounding like being in a NY jazz club, does any NY club
have really good accoustics?
This is another debatable point, I agree with Dmitry Hat Art, Hat Hut
are doing a much better job if you are into this kind of music.
Just check the Lee Konitz, Don Friedman, Attila Zoller disc called
"Thingin" is is recorded live in a Swiss jazz club and compare it to
any CIMP recording!!
For "being in a club" recording also check M. Pettruciani/Eddie Louiss
"Conference de presse" recorded at "Le petit journal Montparnasse"
in Paris and tell me in which club you rather be!
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