COPPER

A PS Audio Publication

Issue 133 • Free Online Magazine

Issue 133 Opening Salvo

Oh, Look!

Oh, Look!

Copper has a new look! So does the rest of the PS Audio website, the result of countless hours of hard work. There's more functionality and easier access to articles, and additional developments will come. There will be some temporary glitches and some tweaks required – like high-end audio systems, magazines sometimes need tweaking too – but overall, we're excited to provide a better and more enjoyable reading experience.

I now hand over the column to our esteemed Larry Schenbeck:

Dear Copper Colleagues and Readers,

Frank has graciously asked if I’d like to share a word or two about my intention to stop writing Too Much Tchaikovsky. So: thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed it – I wrote it for you. If you added comments occasionally, you made my day.

I also wrote the column so I could keep learning, especially about emerging creatives and performers in classical music. Getting the chance to stumble upon something new and nourishing had sustained me in the academic world – it certainly wasn’t the money! – and I was grateful to continue that in Copper. 

So why stop? Because, as they say, there is a season. It has become considerably harder for me to stumble upon truly fresh sounds and then write freshly thereon. Here I am tempted to quote Douglas Adams or Satchel Paige, who both knew how to deliver an exit line. But I’ll just say (since Frank has promised to leave the light on), goodbye for now.

The door is open, Larry, and we can’t thank you enough for your wonderful contributions.

In this issue: Larry Schenbeck delves into the Bach's St John Passion. Ken Sander makes friends with Roye Albrighton of Nektar and beyond. Ray Chelstowski interviews Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones and Sea Level keyboardist extraordinaire Chuck Leavell. Alón Sagee scales the heights of Nepal. Adrian Wu gets even deeper into reel to reel tape. I try some unsuccessful audio experiments. Rudy Radelic gets his Hampster Dance on with Four80East.

Anne E. Johnson appreciates the legendary jazz singer Dinah Washington and one of Canada’s greatest, The Band. John Seetoo visits the storied United Recording Studios. Tom Gibbs looks at reissues from the under-appreciated Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath. J.I. Agnew continues with the biggest move of his life. Cliff Chenfeld recommends some contemporary rock artists. Russ Welton ponders how musical experiences influence gear purchases. Audio Anthropology gives a lot of sound for a nickel, while Peter Xeni undergoes environmental impact, James Whitworth experiences auditory masking and our Parting Shot from Rich Isaacs gets up close and personal.

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#228 Serita’s Black Rose Duo Shakes Your Soul With a Blend of Funk, Rock, Blues and a Whole Lot More by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 Vinyl, A Love Story by Wayne Robins Mar 02, 2026 #228 Thrill Seeker by B. Jan Montana Mar 02, 2026 #228 The Vinyl Beat: Donald Byrd, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Eddie Palmieri and Frank Sinatra by Rudy Radelic Mar 02, 2026 #228 Listening to Prestige: The History of a Vitally Important Jazz Record Label by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 How to Play in a Rock Band, 21: Touring With James Lee Stanley by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 The NAMM 2026 Show: The Music Industry’s Premier Event by John Volanski Mar 02, 2026 #228 The Earliest Stars of Country Music, Part Two by Jeff Weiner Mar 02, 2026 #228 From The Audiophile's Guide: A Brief History of Stereophonic Sound by Paul McGowan Mar 02, 2026 #228 A Bone to Pick With Streaming Audio by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 Blast Off With Bluesman Duke Robillard by Ray Chelstowski Mar 02, 2026 #228 A Visit to the Marten Loudspeaker Factory in Göteborg, Sweden by Ingo Schulz and Sebastian Polcyn Mar 02, 2026 #228 Pure Distortion by Peter Xeni Mar 02, 2026 #228 A Nagra Factory Tour by Markus "Marsu" Manthey Mar 02, 2026 #228 Back to My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 27: Noodge and Ye Shall Receive, Part Two by Ken Kessler Mar 02, 2026 #228 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Mar 02, 2026 #228 90-Degree Stereo by Frank Doris Mar 02, 2026 #228 The Keys to Art by Rich Isaacs Mar 02, 2026 #227 Seth Lewis Gets in the Groove With Take a Look Around: a Tribute to the Meters by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 Passport to Sound: May Anwar’s Audio Learning Experience for Young People by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 Conjectures on Cosmic Consciousness by B. Jan Montana Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Big Takeover Turns 45 by Wayne Robins Feb 02, 2026 #227 Music and Chocolate: On the Sensory Connection by Joe Caplan Feb 02, 2026 #227 Singer/Songwriter Chris Berardo: Getting Wilder All the Time by Ray Chelstowski Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Earliest Stars of Country Music, Part One by Jeff Weiner Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Vinyl Beat Goes Down to Tijuana (By Way of Los Angeles), Part Two by Rudy Radelic Feb 02, 2026 #227 How to Play in a Rock Band, 20: On the Road With Blood, Sweat & Tears’ Guitarist Gabe Cummins by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 From The Audiophile’s Guide: Audio Specs and Measuring by Paul McGowan Feb 02, 2026 #227 Our Brain is Always Listening by Peter Trübner Feb 02, 2026 #227 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Listening Chair: Sleek Style and Sound From the Luxman L3 by Howard Kneller Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society Celebrates Its 32nd Anniversary, Honoring David and Sheryl Lee Wilson and Bernie Grundman by Harris Fogel Feb 02, 2026 #227 Back to My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 26: Half Full – Not Half Empty, Redux by Ken Kessler Feb 02, 2026 #227 That's What Puzzles Us... by Frank Doris Feb 02, 2026 #227 Record-Breaking by Peter Xeni Feb 02, 2026 #227 The Long and Winding Road by B. Jan Montana Feb 02, 2026 #226 JJ Murphy’s Sleep Paralysis is a Genre-Bending Musical Journey Through Jazz, Fusion and More by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Stewardship by Consent by B. Jan Montana Jan 05, 2026 #226 Food, Music, and Sensory Experience: An Interview With Professor Jonathan Zearfoss of the Culinary Institute of America by Joe Caplan Jan 05, 2026 #226 Studio Confidential: A Who’s Who of Recording Engineers Tell Their Stories by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Pilot Radio is Reborn, 50 Years Later: Talking With CEO Barak Epstein by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 The Vinyl Beat Goes Down to Tijuana (By Way of Los Angeles), Part One by Rudy Radelic Jan 05, 2026 #226 Capital Audiofest 2025: Must-See Stereo, Part Two by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 My Morning Jacket’s Carl Broemel and Tyler Ramsey Collaborate on Their Acoustic Guitar Album, Celestun by Ray Chelstowski Jan 05, 2026 #226 The People Who Make Audio Happen: CanJam SoCal 2025, Part Two by Harris Fogel Jan 05, 2026 #226 How to Play in a Rock Band, 19: Touring Can Make You Crazy, Part One by Frank Doris Jan 05, 2026 #226 Linda Ronstadt Goes Bigger by Wayne Robins Jan 05, 2026

Oh, Look!

Oh, Look!

Copper has a new look! So does the rest of the PS Audio website, the result of countless hours of hard work. There's more functionality and easier access to articles, and additional developments will come. There will be some temporary glitches and some tweaks required – like high-end audio systems, magazines sometimes need tweaking too – but overall, we're excited to provide a better and more enjoyable reading experience.

I now hand over the column to our esteemed Larry Schenbeck:

Dear Copper Colleagues and Readers,

Frank has graciously asked if I’d like to share a word or two about my intention to stop writing Too Much Tchaikovsky. So: thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed it – I wrote it for you. If you added comments occasionally, you made my day.

I also wrote the column so I could keep learning, especially about emerging creatives and performers in classical music. Getting the chance to stumble upon something new and nourishing had sustained me in the academic world – it certainly wasn’t the money! – and I was grateful to continue that in Copper. 

So why stop? Because, as they say, there is a season. It has become considerably harder for me to stumble upon truly fresh sounds and then write freshly thereon. Here I am tempted to quote Douglas Adams or Satchel Paige, who both knew how to deliver an exit line. But I’ll just say (since Frank has promised to leave the light on), goodbye for now.

The door is open, Larry, and we can’t thank you enough for your wonderful contributions.

In this issue: Larry Schenbeck delves into the Bach's St John Passion. Ken Sander makes friends with Roye Albrighton of Nektar and beyond. Ray Chelstowski interviews Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones and Sea Level keyboardist extraordinaire Chuck Leavell. Alón Sagee scales the heights of Nepal. Adrian Wu gets even deeper into reel to reel tape. I try some unsuccessful audio experiments. Rudy Radelic gets his Hampster Dance on with Four80East.

Anne E. Johnson appreciates the legendary jazz singer Dinah Washington and one of Canada’s greatest, The Band. John Seetoo visits the storied United Recording Studios. Tom Gibbs looks at reissues from the under-appreciated Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath. J.I. Agnew continues with the biggest move of his life. Cliff Chenfeld recommends some contemporary rock artists. Russ Welton ponders how musical experiences influence gear purchases. Audio Anthropology gives a lot of sound for a nickel, while Peter Xeni undergoes environmental impact, James Whitworth experiences auditory masking and our Parting Shot from Rich Isaacs gets up close and personal.

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