Issue 186

Portable listening fun: an RCA VZP11B record player. Admit it: how many of you owned turntables or record players where the LP was bigger than the platter?

You could get one in either Cadet Blue or Maple Sugar. Yum!

The VZP11B could run on either batteries or AC power. Photos by Howard Kneller, taken at Angry Mom Records, Ithaca, New York.

 It came from the 1969 Lafayette Radio catalog: the ultimate in compact high-fidelity equipment. And who could resist adding the speakers for only $40 more? Thanks to reader John Goodman for sending me the catalog.

 We want to know what that red knob does. Radio and Television News, April 1951.

Howard Kneller’s audiophile adventures are documented on his YouTube channel (The Listening Chair with Howard Kneller) and on Instagram (@howardkneller). His art and photography can also be found on Instagram (@howardkneller.photog). Finally, he posts a bit of everything on Facebook (@howardkneller).

Octave Records offers a richly-varied musical and sonic jazz excursion with its latest Pure DSD release, Bishop’s Lair by the Tom Amend Octet. Keyboardist and composer Tom Amend and his band offer the classic large-group sound of an eight-piece jazz ensemble, combined with post-modern influences. Bishop’s Lair is a musically compelling album of originals and standards, featuring Tom’s Hammond organ, piano, electric keyboard and flute playing.

Tom is accompanied by a top-flight group including Louisa Amend on vocals, Daryl Gott (alto and soprano saxophones), Octave Records’ own Gabriel Mervine (trumpet and fluegelhorn), Drew Zaremba (tenor sax, bass clarinet, flute and piccolo), Zachary Rich (trombone), Will Swindler (baritone sax, flute, alto flute), Alex Heffron (guitars), and Paul Romaine on drums. All the songs were composed by Amend except for “It’s the Little Things” and “September in the Rain.”

Bishop’s Lair was recorded in pure DSD 256 to capture the ‘big” dynamics and musical textures of the octet, with powerful dynamic range, lush instrumental and vocal colors, and a wide, deep soundspace. All the variety and nuance of the instruments can be heard with exceptional resolution and presence, from the deep growl of Tom’s classic Hammond B3/Leslie speaker setup, to the ensemble voicings of the horns, and Alex Heffron’s different guitar sounds that range from deep, mellow jazz tones to all-out overdrive.

The album was recorded and mixed by Jay Elliott in Octave Records’ state-of-the-art DSD facility, with assistance from Tom Amend, Aaron Snyder and Chris Amend, and mastered by Gus Skinas.

Bishop’s Lair features Octave’s premium gold disc formulation, and the disc is playable on any SACD, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player. It also has a high-resolution DSD layer that is accessible by using any SACD player or a PS Audio SACD transport. In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download, including DSD 256, DSD 128, DSD 64, and DSDDirect Mastered 352.8 kHz/24-bit, 176.2 kHz/24-bit, 88.2 kHz/24-bit, and 44.1 kHz/24-bit PCM. (SRP: $19 – $39, depending on format.)

Bishop’s Lair kicks off with the dreamlike flute, guitar, organ and horn interplay of “Yellow Bench,” named for a treasured family memento. The pace picks up with the organ-groove swing of “Mountain Fish,” and the octet delivers a warm accompaniment to Louisa Amend’s inviting take on “It’s the Little Things.” The title track “Bishop’s Lair” blasts out of the gate with a syncopated horn section melody, and stunning, harmonically adventurous soloing by Gabriel Mervine and Alex Heffron, followed by energetic dueling saxophones. Bishop’s Lair travels through a range of tempos and moods, concluding with the swing-meets postmodern fusion of “One Entry,” with a wild octave-fuzz guitar solo, intricate drumming, and a tight, propulsive horn section.

I talked with Tom Amend about the making of Bishop’s Lair.

Frank Doris: So my obvious first question is, how'd the album come about?

Tom Amend: This band formed a while ago, probably 2018. We did a record in 2020. Jessica [Carson] from Octave heard that group and I've done some work for Octave in various other sessions. So Jessica reached out to see if we would be interested in recording a record for Octave.

Some [of the musicians] are real old friends and some are newer friends, but this recording was the first time that the eight of us were all together in that exact lineup.

FD: I don't know if you were going for a certain style or feel, but to me it has elements of that classic Sixties jazz big group kind of playing. And then there are things that you would've never heard 40 or 50 years ago.

TA: You kind of nailed it. I have a lot of influences from all those Sixties Blue Note records, and all the great organists. Gil Evans in terms of the writing, with all of the horn [parts] and all that stuff. But then I love all sorts of different, more modern music. When writing for this band, I try not to really think about of any of that. I just write what I think would be fun; what I think the musicians would have fun playing and what might have some variety on the record too.

FD: What made you decide to be a musician and play keyboard, especially Hammond organ?

TA: Well, my dad is a keyboard player, and so I grew up playing in his band, playing Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker. I got my first organ when I was 15. I got pretty seriously into that when I was in college. Since then, I've just been playing that instrument a lot. I play lot of other instruments as well, but with the organ, you can really direct the flow of traffic.

FD: That's a good way of putting it, because sometimes you're soloing and sometimes you're comping, and sometimes it's something in between.

Did you learn on one of those Farfisa organs, or a Vox Continental or something? I’m dating myself.

TA: A Hammond was my first organ. My pops and I found it on Craigslist and went down and picked it up in Laramie, Wyoming.

The first real organist I heard was Joey DeFrancesco. He’s what really got me hooked and got me wanting to start to check this instrument out. I love all sorts of other organ players. Larry Goldings, Jimmy McGriff, Richard “Groove” Holmes.

FD: Jimmy Smith, I’m sure. Ever hear of Wild Bill Davis?

TA: Oh, he is the best! Yeah. He wrote some arrangements for the Count Basie band too. He's a great arranger.

FD: How did you record Bishop’s Lair?

TA: We all recorded in the same room. Minimal isolation, really, just a little bit of isolation on the drum set. But we all recorded with no headphones, just listening in the room.

FD: It has that ambiance of the early Sixties Columbia and Verve and Blue Note records, so I had guessed that you did it live.

TA: I overdubbed a few piano parts on top of the organ. But 90 percent of the tracking was done all together in the room.

FD: I have to ask every Octave artist this, since Octave is dedicated to good sound. What was it like to record in that kind of environment and hear your playback in such fidelity?

TA: It was a trip, man. (laughs) A real treat. And um, you know, I just had a blast, especially working on the mixes, and working with [engineer] Jay Elliott, It’s crazy to hear, ’cause these are people I play with three, four times a week. So I'm real familiar with their sound and to hear it [in Octave’s studio], it’s so close to being on the stage, but somehow even a little clearer. We had everything miked and then there were a few room mics.

FD: So, you guys play around the Denver area and you play quite a bit. How did the pandemic affect you?

TA: It was weird for a few months when there was nothing was going on, but Denver [still] had a lot of different things going on even through that time. Now, everybody's really working a bunch. I play with Gabriel Mervine a few times a week. There's stuff going on and I'm really grateful for that.

FD: Do you want to talk a little about some of the songs? The first track, “Yellow Bench,” I don't even know how to categorize it. It doesn't sound like jazz. It doesn't sound like a movie soundtrack.

TA: My grandma had an old bench that my wife and I inherited and it was just kind of weathered, so we fixed it up and painted it yellow. It doesn't sound like jazz, or you don't know what to call it, ’cause that's kind of where the sweet spot is for me in a lot of music. I really like things that don't sound like something you've heard before. And of course there's stuff that I write and play all the time that sounds more familiar. But you try and do something that is new to you and hopefully will be new to some other people.

FD: What about that wild solo on “One Entry?” He’s using all that distortion but it fits.

TA: That's Alex Heffron. He’s got all sorts of different influences and grew up learning metal guitar.

FD: So you let him loose for one song. (laughs)

TA: I didn't tell him to do that. The idea with this band is, I want it to be a place where everybody can have their voice and do what they wanna do. I wanted to be surprised by their choices.

FD: Did you have to do a lot of takes?

TA: Most [tracks] were the first or second take. The last record we did, we recorded all in one day, and this one was such a luxury. We had two full days with the band! (laughs)

FD: Anything else you’d like to add?

TA: I just wanted the album to be something where you don't know what's gonna happen on the next track. Having a theatrical, soundtrack kind of vibe, and then [hearing] something straight ahead, and then something more of a soundscape and then grooving or whatever. Try and keep people listening, you know?

FD: Do you write the arrangements?

TA: I do, yep.

FD: There's so much you can do with an octet. At points the album reminds me of the stuff that Oliver Nelson would do. Things like that just have such a big sound to them.

TA: Peter & the Wolf is a Jimmy Smith record [with] Oliver Nelson’s [band]. It was the first Jimmy Smith I ever heard. Tchaikovsky and Jimmy Smith and Oliver Nelson! It’s great.

Some years ago, I purchased some rather expensive pieces of professional studio equipment from a well-known shop in Europe. One of them was handcrafted and the top of the line, manufactured by a company I have a long personal relationship with. This particular model was clearly intended for experienced audio professionals with a budget to suit. This particular manufacturer had a policy of no direct sales, handling all business through a global network of distributors.

As soon as it was installed in the studio I was constructing at the time, the first defect became immediately apparent: The two channels had been internally mixed up, so the left input would be directed to the right output and vice versa. In certain situations, severe distortion would unexpectedly occur, and in addition, the pots making up the multiple controls on the front panel felt and sounded like they were already worn out, on a brand-new unit! Puzzled, I opened it up to see what was going on inside. The circuit had some parts that looked very badly assembled, while other parts had the high level of craftsmanship I was accustomed to whenever I had looked at equipment made by that manufacturer. This all seemed really odd. Something wasn't right!

l then went on to conduct a few measurements and found pretty much everything to be way off, compared against the published specifications. This in itself was surprising, as I had known this manufacturer to be very conservative with their specifications. Their equipment usually far exceeded the published specs.

Due to my personal relationship to that company, I had the full schematics of this unit. I pulled them out to compare and found the badly assembled portions of the circuit to not conform to the schematics I had.

I snapped a few photographs of the internals of the unit and contacted the owner of the company, providing a list of things that didn't work properly. Reading through the e-mail before sending it, I instinctively added a sentence to the end: "This doesn't look like your work. Can you please check the serial number?"

Courtesy of Pixabay.com.

The reply was, "This is not our work!!!! I will call you!" During the telephone call, the evidently distressed owner told me that the serial number showed that this particular unit had been manufactured by them several years earlier and was sold through a different distributor in another country. He asked where I had purchased it from, and I showed him the invoice, which stated that it was sold as a brand-new item by one of their official distributors at the time, but it was a different one than what the manufacturer’s records showed! It arrived in the original packaging, with nothing to indicate that this was not a brand-new unit. Externally, it looked perfect.

It was only upon plugging it in that it became clear that something was amiss.

But how did this unit end up with a different distributor to the one it had originally been sent to from the manufacturer, in a different country, years later? The owner contacted the original distributor to request information regarding what they had done with that unit. They dug out their original invoice, showing that the unit had been sold to a studio local to that distributor, shortly after it had been manufactured and shipped out. The studio was contacted next and this was when things started getting really interesting.

It turned out that the unit had been accidentally damaged during a session and was subsequently sold to a company that specialized in purchasing damaged non-functional audio equipment. As we were to later find out, that company was active all around Europe and purchased damaged audio equipment, with a preference for the more expensive variants. They would then attempt to repair the equipment, often to extremely low standards, and supply the repaired equipment to a network of rogue distributors who would then sell them as new units, at the price of a new unit, entirely behind the back of the original manufacturers. It turned out that this was a lucrative business, with a large network of players spread across many different countries.

An industry investigation later revealed that the particular rogue distributor I had obtained this unit from had also supplied units of questionable origin to several other studios. These units often did not function properly, but the defects were often subtle enough that even many professionals in the industry would mistakenly attribute the flaws to the inherent design of the unit, or inadequate quality control by the manufacturer, tainting the reputation of perfectly legitimate manufacturers.

In some cases, tell-tale evidence had been left behind. On one occasion, a brand-new mixing console was purchased by a recording studio from the same rogue distributor. It had some issues and when it was opened up, it was found to contain the repair note by the technician who had worked on it, listing the damage that had been repaired on this "brand new" unit! That studio simply asked for a refund and returned the console, which was most probably then passed on to the next unsuspecting customer with the note removed.

In another case, the relevant manufacturer was contacted, but advised the customer that the issue should be solved with the distributor directly without their involvement.

However, the manufacturer of the unit I received did not take as kindly to the potential damage to his company's reputation through this operation. What followed was a lawsuit, which resulted in a significant sum paid to the manufacturer as compensation. The distributor was immediately dropped by the company and replaced by another distributor in that country with a much better reputation. I promptly received a replacement unit that worked flawlessly, constructed to the usual very high standards I would expect from this company.

Another famous fictional detective: Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/public domain.

So is it a happy ending, then? Only partly so, I’m afraid. Despite the lawsuit, there is no indication that the rogue network has ceased operations. Even years later, when all of the people involved will be well past their retirement or even expiry date, there will certainly be someone else to take their place.

Increasingly, the concept of pride in one's craft is fading. I have heard stories of craftsmen who can make such faithful imitations of expensive-brand products that they even succeed in fooling the original manufacturer into issuing certificates of authenticity for them! I am certain that a craftsman of such skill would be capable of introducing their own, unique product, showcasing their talent and building up their own brand that they could be proud of. But in our status-oriented world, many are irreparably convinced that there is only demand for the already-established brand names. However, even these had to start somewhere, before becoming established.

I personally find it a waste of talent to direct one's efforts in illegally imitating someone else’s products. There is nothing to be proud about in that game. If you produce a mediocre imitation, or a badly-done repair, it just forever places you in the mediocrity hall of shame. If you succeed in making the perfect imitation, then you are undermining yourself, wasting your time doing something you will never be remembered for.

I have enormous admiration for cultures where craftsmanship is valued more than brand names, and where diversity in quality products is encouraged and supported by the market. It is only under these circumstances that we will be able to unlock the full potential of our workforce and let our creativity and inventiveness lead us into a brighter future.

As for the audio equipment world, if you were ever wondering why some manufacturers insist that all new units are registered with them, with the serial number, date and place of purchase and the details of the owner all held on record, perhaps this story will assist in shedding some light on the murkier corners of what can happen if you don’t. If in doubt about the authenticity of something you have purchased, I would encourage you to investigate. Companies that maintain a more personal relationship with their customers have an advantage here.

It is a strange world we live in and building trust is as important as it ever was.

Header image: Doc Watson and Sherlock Holmes, illustration from "The Greek Interpreter," which appeared in The Strand magazine in September 1893. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Sidney Paget, cropped to fit format.

Copper has an exchange program with FIDELITY magazine (and others), where we share articles between publications. Here we are honored to present an article from FIDELITY about a tour of the Wilson Audio factory.

Hamburg-based distributor Audio Reference invited us to a meeting with Daryl Wilson and Dan D'Agostino in December. This is the first part of our journey through the "Wild West" of the USA.

At the beginning of our trip was a rather sleepy group of journalists. Coming from different directions, all participants met in Amsterdam at about 7 o'clock in the morning. A big Delta Airlines plane then took us to Salt Lake City, from where it was only a short drive to Provo in the south. The "little town" sometimes gets lost on maps next to the significantly larger State Capitol, Salt Lake City. With a metropolitan population of 670,000, however, Provo is not exactly a tiny hamlet. And with a mean altitude of 1387 meters above sea level, frosty temperatures are all but guaranteed in December.

There are mountains, too – and not too few of them!

The first official appointment followed the next morning at the Wilson Audio (WA) corporate complex. Daryl Wilson, son of company founder Dave A. Wilson, who passed away in 2018, did not miss the opportunity to personally receive the visitors and, after a brief run-down of the schedule, guide them through the spacious factory halls. Besides Wilson himself, we were also joined by brand ambassador Peter McGrath, who had travelled here from Florida. He didn't want to miss the opportunity to finally welcome visitors to the manufactory again after such a long time.

X-Material and the Likes

We have already reported several times about what is quite likely the most important American loudspeaker manufacturer and told the story of the company from different angles. You'll find the most important articles linked below. As is well known, the beginnings of Wilson Audio can be traced back to 1974. And, ironically, not with a loudspeaker, but rather turntable. Since the birth of WAMM in 1976 at the latest, though, the brand name has been firmly linked to the term "high-end": Dave Wilson was not only uncompromising in the processing of his unique works of art, he was also among the first (and most consistent) developers to think about aspects such as acoustic timing.

X and V and K and…Sales manager Trent Workman explains the properties of all the varieties of composite material.

Nevertheless, barely 10 minutes after our arrival, Daryl was able to close one first educational gap (of mine): Until now, I had assumed that the mysterious "material" of the Wilson speakers was a specific variety of artificial stone. But I was wrong: Under pseudonyms such as K-, X- or V-material, the manufacturer processes several composite materials based on phenolic resin that differ noticeably in weight, density and thus also in their properties and resonance behavior. Sales manager Trent Workman illustrated this to us with a few material samples that sounded noticeably different when knocked on.

Exclusivity shows in the details: Even the grille frames are made of the resin compound, as Workman explains. The material waste when producing these is downright absurd.

Precious Stuff

The real secret is to use the right materials in the right places. The "softer" X and V variants, for example, are suitable as damping material and vibration absorbers. The extremely hard K material, on the other hand, is the first choice for internal bracing or bass cabinets. There are no set-in-stone rules, however, since the behavior of the panels changes with their size and the recipe of one loudspeaker cannot be transferred to another without further ado. Decades of experience make it easier to work with the materials; whenever a new variant comes onto the market, it is at least tried out. And one piece of information on the side, which was also new to me: Even the support frames of the fabric-covered speaker covers at Wilson Audio are made of the precious material.

Daryl Wilson holding a raw slab. You can already see that this one is going to be a carrier piece for a midrange/treble unit.

In one of the countless aisles, we discover a whole stack of freshly delivered slabs, which Daryl took as an opportunity to explain the prices of his speakers, which can be exclusive indeed. Even the smaller of the massive slabs cost the company over $500 to purchase. Even simply constructed speakers like the comparatively tiny TuneTot require six of them. Despite computer-controlled cutting of the material, the waste is enormous. And so is the processing effort. As our tour continued, we stopped in the milling and assembly hall. Here, two huge machines are incessantly busy shaping the composite. Their diamond-hardened milling heads have a maximum service life of two hours with the unruly material. After that, they can be sharpened by a service provider and, after another two hours of use, they finally go into the recycling bin - we were able to examine a few drums of used milling cutters right in the hall.

“I am the standard” – and this Alexia V means it: one of the hallways is lined with type samples of various loudspeaker heavyweights. When in doubt, the employees can take measurements here to make sure everything is to spec.

Daryl Wilson uses the aforementioned type samples to show us how proverbially “rough and ready” the WA enclosures look straight after assembly. At least the excess glue has been sanded down.

Milling And Gluing

In the immediate vicinity of the machine park, two employees were busy transforming the cut panels into the bass enclosure of an Alexia V. The speakers are completely glued. This is precisely where the manufacturing process of a Wilson Audio speaker changes from CNC precision work to a manufactured product: The two employees meticulously checked the result of each individual gluing, placing marks here and there for the coming processing steps. No sooner had they finished the bass cabinet than they signed the component at designated positions inside. Each individual production step is documented and noted on the speaker. From the first assembly to the final polish, quite a few signatures come together...

Making of a legend: Every Wilson Audio loudspeaker begins its life on one of these CNC machines.

A plethora of bits allows for a wide range of routing jobs. They all have one thing in common though…

…after two hours of hard work…

…it’s "off to the bin." Every single one of these diamond-coated bits costs several hundred dollars. 

 
The next stop we made was the preparation for the paint shop. In this special sanding room, the still comparatively rough cabinets are brought into shape and smoothed. A whole team of employees removes protruding edges and glue residue. Since the inaccuracies can vary greatly, they have a sometimes obscure park of sanding machines and jigs at their disposal for this purpose, which they use to prepare the raw bodies for paint application.

This is what the end result looks like. The different colors of the pieces represent the various material formulations.

You can hardly tell this by looking at the picture, but these two employees are buff like top-level athletes. The material is nearly as dense as natural stone, and the enclosure panels of an Alexia V are pretty damn big. 

A closer look at Wilson’s mechanized glue gun…

… and here is the still-unsmoothed result.

Bringing Color To The Game

Wilson Audio is notorious for its outstanding finishes, and we can now see why: each component of the speakers - most speakers, after all, consist of several segments - is primed, sanded, painted, sanded, painted again, sanded, and so on. Finally, the segments are polished, where they are again given a deep, high gloss finish in several steps. Several weeks of work go into the newer effect paint variants in particular, as the paints have to rest again and again for days - in some cases even weeks - to cure. A particular challenge was to construct the building complex in such a way that the dusty sanding shop and the painting area interlock directly without interfering with each other. This is made possible by a separate annex with high-performance ventilation systems and an air-conditioned rest area where the coatings can cure in perfect peace.

After the assembly, it’s off to the sanding chamber, where the excess glue is removed and the cabinet shape perfected.

In a loudspeaker of this class, everything needs to be spot-on. The enclosure gets the same treatment inside and out.

Surfaces being polished until smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Stating that the work at the sanding shop is a huge mess is putting it mildly.

Directly after this area, we were introduced to the final assembly, where we could for the first time lay our eyes on drivers and electronics. Half a dozen employees were busy making cables. Wilson Audio produces all the internal wiring itself. This is the only way to ensure that all connections achieve the required quality. The same applies to the components of the complex (and sometimes huge) crossovers. In order to become more independent from the selection and quality of suppliers, the company recently acquired its own capacitor production. The production takes place in some adventurously complicated-looking machines. The wound coils are then sealed with various glazes and vibration damped.

Next stop, the paint shop. Daryl Wilson apologized for this sight: the protective foil hadn’t been replaced in three days.

The first primer coat is nearly completely removed by hand. Its only purpose is to fill in any minute irregularities in the surface.

It’s only after a second coat of primer (and subsequent sanding, of course) that color is brought into the game. In this case a vibrant red.

Still a bit pale around the nose: The lacquer takes days to cure – the peeps at Wilson Audio aren’t fans of artificially accelerating this process. Additional layers eventually provide for the desired saturation and depth. Meanwhile…

 … you guessed it: bout after bout of sanding and polishing.

Final inspection: Can you spot any imperfections here? We certainly can’t – much unlike the WA pros with their highly trained eyes. For this particular cabinet it’s (almost) back to square one.

In-House Development

At the end of our tour, we took a short trip to the development department. In a small "infernal chamber" we experienced the effort Wilson Audio puts into its drivers. Some bass drivers were undergoing endurance tests, others were just being prepared for this procedure. To my surprise, I also spotted some driver variants that Wilson Audio does not (yet?) use in its speakers. Obviously everything is tried out. We got to know a particularly cute detail just a few rooms away: WA owns several 3D printers that are used for "prototyping". Tiny to medium-sized speaker studies can be found everywhere in the development: models of the Sasha DAW, dinky Alexias, filigree versions of the XVX and so on.

Intriguing insights into the capacitor production: Wilson Audio wanted to become less-dependent on suppliers in addition to demanding access to parts of extraordinary quality. After the winding process, the capacitors are meticulously sealed, thus “pacifying” them to a standard way above what you’ll usually find in the industry.

The winding process is done on this mind-boggling machine. Can you spot the metal film of which the cap is made?

Dinky: miniature Wilson Audio speakers.

Also, drivers that aren’t to be found on any Wilson Audio speaker. The R&D department gives every part a shot.

Jokes that only audio engineers understand are, of course, a staple.

During our visit, Audio Reference CEO Mansour Mamaghani (r.) pointed a design flaw in the rock solid wooden cases out to Daryl Wilson. Don’t be fooled by his stern look though: The flaw was anything but serious. Obviously, Daryl Wilson is set to correct it anyway.

Over Coke, water and salad, we then had the opportunity for some small talk. Daryl told us about the challenges of the Covid period, which his company had mastered satisfactorily. In contrast to many other companies in the vicinity, Wilson Audio did not have to lay off any employees. He said that in-house component production in particular proved its worth during this time, as it reduced dependence on supply chains.

His father left him a healthy company with both feet firmly planted in the hi-fi industry. He himself (Daryl had been involved in all developments for over twenty years) has the traditional series well under control. Above all, however, the approaching anniversary makes him pensive - in 2024 WA will turn 50 years old. It is a huge challenge to make Wilson Audio fit for the coming decades. And the hi-fi market is currently undergoing a profound change, which makes the planning of future products considerably more difficult...

Daryl Wilson in what must be the most playful CEO’s office we’ve ever seen. The book in front of him is actually his laptop.

There’s plenty of model aircraft like this legendary Bell X-1 flown by Chuck Yeager…

…and the listening is done over Nagra equipment.

Daryl Wilson Presents the WAMM

The rest of the day, however, was once more dedicated to the company tradition. Daryl Wilson invited us to his parents' house, where we met his mother Sheryl Wilson. The Wilson's living room is still the best place to experience the mighty WAMM Master Chronosonic. After all, the colossus was developed within these four walls. Over the next few hours, the speakers with their two subwoofers gave us an impression of true elemental forces. Peter McGrath demonstrated some of his own recordings to us, which conveyed a glorious live atmosphere and showcased the sheer limitless soundstage of the WAMM. Daryl then revealed to us that the homely room was constructed to the specifications of a recording studio. Although the room appears rectilinear, there are no parallel walls, he said. Invisible absorbers are built into the ceiling.

For scale: Daryl Wilson next to the original WAMM, the company’s first loudspeaker from 1976.

And here he’s standing next to the WAMM Master Chronosonic, the latest incarnation of the top-of-the-range model.

Finally, there was time for a family picture. From left to right: Daryl Wilson, Sheryl Wilson plus Natalie and Mansour Mamaghani of German Wilson Audio distributor Audio Reference. 

The next morning, the journey continued to our next stop. But what we experienced at Dan D'Agostino is a story of its own...

All images courtesy of Carsten Barnbeck.

Sometimes, things just line up. Taken at the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in Mimbres, New Mexico.

Not so long ago, businesses lived and died by the price tag, that sticker affixed to an item served as a contract between the customer and purveyor. But what if price tags were mere suggestions? What if clothes at your local department store fluctuated by week, day, and even by the hour, or the corner diner charged more for a burger on Saturdays and even tacked on fees for that cozy booth by the window? It would be a scandal because consumers have relied on transparent pricing for over 150 years.

Quakers are credited with the first price tag, which was a way of ensuring fairness and equality – everyone paid the same price for the same item. John Wanamaker of Philadelphia, founder of one of the first department stores in America, instituted the systematic use of price tags to end haggling by sales clerks. Store price tags were also a way of honoring the customer, their money, and ensuring return business. But the marketplace has changed, and we have become accustomed to ever-changing prices whenever we shop online, especially for concert tickets. 

Today, buying tickets is like a hostage situation at an auction house, but in the 1980s, when I went to shows, tickets cost between $10 and $30. Supply and demand was a tangible concept that could be judged by arena capacity and the number of people lining the sidewalk to buy tickets. Although purchasing tickets took some effort, it was generally on the first-come, first-served business model, with fans and scalpers alike queuing up for hours before the box office opened. 

Waiting in line was fine for teenagers, but those with regular day jobs could visit one of the many Ticketron counters for a small fee split between the venue and fan. People with no other options had to buy expensive tickets from brokers, so we all welcomed the evolution in convenience when Ticketmaster started offering phone sales and, eventually, online purchasing. Ticketmaster became the favorite platform because it returned a portion of the customer fees to the venue. By the turn of the century, Ticketmaster was already selling billions of dollars in tickets, and ever-increasing fees were a powerful incentive to do business with the ticketing giant.

Courtesy of Pexels.com/Wendy Wei.

Newer online platforms make it possible for everyone everywhere to buy and resell with just a few keystrokes. It sounds remarkably democratic and fair, but the original face value of tickets – the price tags – have now been replaced by surge pricing (politely known as “dynamic pricing”), legal scalping, and fees that range a wide swath starting at around 15 percent of the final ticket price. For example, tickets for the high-demand Beyoncé show at MetLife Stadium range from a stage-side VIP seat for $3,757 plus $561 in fees, to the cheapest non-reseller option, an official Platinum ticket (one that is set aside by the artist and sold at market value), which commands $711 plus $110 in fees for a seat on the 200 Level. The cheapest resale ticket at the farthest reaches of the stadium is $299, including $50 in fees.

Contrast those prices with the upcoming Misfits show at New Jersey's Prudential Center, with floor access for $309 and the cheapest seat in the last row at $67, fees included. Seats in the middle section range from $150 – $300, which seems entirely reasonable compared to Beyoncé, but for old-school punk rockers weaned on seeing bands in sweaty basements for a few bucks, these prices are still excessive and exploitive. 

If you're like me and prefer sitting on the aisle, you are often required to buy a minimum of two seats. Whether you want it or not, the empty seat is your problem. You can sell that extra ticket through a reseller for a potentially healthy profit, which seems like a lucrative option at first, but more fees await for a ticket that might not sell if demand wanes. The venue doesn't care because they've already made their money, but hundreds, maybe thousands, of ticket holders are flooding the open market with inflated prices and creating artificial scarcity. 

In the meantime, concert-goers have been convinced that they’re just sharing the increased financial burden of putting on live shows. Justifications cite high costs of wages, travel, and gear, but rarely do we get an accounting of the profits to bands, promoters, arenas, and ticket sellers. Fans appreciate that musicians have all but lost their revenue due to streaming and need to recoup more money from touring, merch, and meet and greet experiences.

Personally, I want rock stars to be rich and luxuriant in shiny new Rolls Royces and leather pants. Still, I shouldn't have to fill the pockets of ticket middlemen who leave concertgoers scrounging for fewer face-value tickets that haven't been gobbled up by reseller bots, or Platinum tickets and "hold back" tickets given to band members, affiliates, promoters, record labels, assorted VIPs, and anyone else involved in mounting the show. Unsurprisingly, hold-backs have become another revenue stream, as well-situated tickets are funneled onto the resale market where they're priced to the highest level the market will bear.

However, the resellers are only part of the problem. When a single, global, multi-billion dollar company manages acts, owns multiple venues, and operates the biggest ticket platform in the world, fans and bands are trapped in the same system. Even if a band wanted to circumvent Ticketmaster, they risk being relegated to the least-desirable venues in out-of-the-way locations. Ultimately, fans pay the price.

Now young people need to rely on their parents to pay for concerts with A-level stars. I'm willing to bet that few teenagers are seeing major acts on a regular basis. The paycheck from my part-time job in high school was enough to pay for all my shows. I attended concerts nearly every month and saw new bands on a whim – Metallica, Stevie Ray Vaughn, U2, and John Mellencamp, to name a few. A single Taylor Swift or Harry Styles ticket could have funded my entire concert-going career.

The current marketplace also sidelines many lifelong fans who have supported artists and the music industry for decades. For the last chance to snag a decent seat at a classic rock show, they’re expected to drain their retirement accounts. At the moment, a pair of Bruce Springsteen floor tickets at the Prudential Center cost $5,100, plus $1,175.95 in fees, with optional cancellation insurance for $470.70, for a grand total of $6,746.65 for a night out. As our editor, Frank Doris, noted, "You might as well buy new stereo equipment."

Bruce Springsteen at the Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington, February 2023. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Dharmabumstead.

How can this unbridled system be fixed, short of government intervention? One answer: bring back the price tag. Allow the band, venue, and promoter to preset a range of fixed prices and make tickets completely non-transferable, unless it's through an official face-value ticket exchange program. Then, reduce the number of hold-backs and sell unclaimed ones exclusively through the venue at face value. Bands could still profit from premium seats, the venue and promoters get their cuts, and fans get fair access to more affordable seats. This solution does not necessarily halt dynamic pricing but it essentially shuts down the hyper-inflated resale market and provides a more accurate picture of the real demand. Nevertheless, with millions of lobbying dollars, the existing structure will not change any time soon – there’s just too much money flowing.

If you're still going to concerts, here are a few tips for getting the best deals:

• Buy directly from the venue's on-site box office as soon as tickets go on sale.
• Join the band's fan club and look for a presale code.
• Attend a show by a popular band in a smaller market.
• Ask your credit card company if they offer a ticket program.
• Buy a ticket on the day of the show or, better yet, wait till show time when desperate resellers are dumping tickets.

My last tip: plan your show schedule carefully if you're on a budget. As much as I want to see the Misfits, The Cure, and Depeche Mode, I can't afford all three, especially if dynamic pricing is a factor.

At this point in my life, I'm more likely to skip shows than attend them. I've seen most of my favorite bands, and I'm not keen on spending hundreds of dollars to see new ones, or geriatric retreads of nostalgia acts. Indeed, my absence from the show will be inconsequential, but my wife, once an avid concert-goer, is not going either, and our friends are attending one A-list concert per year. Our refusal to participate in fees, greed, and price gouging will certainly become consequential if more people follow this trend. Then there will be no more concerts, let alone profits. Just a little something for the industry to consider.

Header image courtesy of Pixabay/PublicDomainPictures.

You might have seen the term “Chi-Fi” lately. It’s a mashup of "Chinese" and "high-fidelity,” and I suggest that the term can refer to bargain-priced, often tube-based electronics from China that often sound very good, as well as established brands like HIFIMAN, FiiO, Cayin and others.

From the technology hub of Shenzhen, China, here is xDuoo’s TA-30 headphone amplifier/DAC ($709). It sports a host of features, including an ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chipset, a beefy 3,000 mW headphone amplifier, Bluetooth functionality, the ability to process up to DSD512, and a host of digital filters for those who like to adjust their DAC’s output. Bonus points to those who can see my image three times in the photos.

Stay tuned for a video review of the TA-30 on my YouTube channel. Thanks to Santa Clara, California retailer Apos Audio for providing the review sample.

The xDuoo TA-30 is a hybrid tube/solid-state headphone amp and DAC with flexible listening options.

The rear panel offers connections to accommodate a variety of digital sources.

The elegant design highlights the presence of the 523P rectifier and ECC82 signal tubes.

The TA-30 also offers Bluetooth connectivity.

Howard Kneller’s audiophile adventures are documented on his YouTube channel (The Listening Chair with Howard Kneller) and on Instagram (@howardkneller). His art and photography can also be found on Instagram (@howardkneller.photog). Finally, he posts a bit of everything on Facebook (@howardkneller).

Australian guitarist Luke Stamenkovich has been hard at work lately. If the in-demand axe-wielder isn’t in the studio contributing sessions to other artists’ recordings, he can be found on stage playing hits to undulating audiences across the globe.

Most recently, the 29-year-old guitarist has undertaken a striking reworking of Steve Stevens' classic cut, "Atomic Playboys," which features Todd Kerns (Slash, Myles Kennedy) on vocals and bass. Stamenkovich adds new energy to the song with his cutting yet sweet tone, nimble fretwork, and seething vibrato.

Sure, there are many great guitarists out there, especially in today’s world of YouTube influencer stardom, and to be sure, you've heard many of them. Still, Luke Stamenkovich is a shining example of the deep underbelly of incredible musical talent available for us to enjoy. If you're looking for your next rock guitar hero, give Luke's music a try. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

We talked with Luke Stamenkovich to recount his origins on guitar, his creative process and a whole lot more.

Andrew Daly: What first inspired you to pick up the guitar?

Luke Stamenkovich: I remember being around five years old, and my dad would always have the KISS Unplugged and Keep the Faith: an Evening with Bon Jovi videos playing. I would watch those concerts on repeat as a kid. At age six, I asked my dad if I could learn guitar; the rest is history. I haven't put it down since.

AD: Who were your primary influences?

LS: My primary influences would have to be Steve Stevens [who has played with Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, Vince Neil and others – Ed.], Joe Satriani, Nuno Bettencourt, and Steve Lukather. It's so hard to name just a few; I'd even have to say Kee Marcello from [the band] Europe as well. I remember watching an instructional DVD where he explained constructing a solo to have the perfect amount of melodic value combined with shred. I still use that method today when recording or improvising.

AD: Who influences you the most today?

LS: I'm drawing influences from so many different styles and artists these days, but lately, I'm listening to a lot of George Benson and Cory Wong. There's definitely some Cory Wong influence in my guitar playing now. I've always been big on making sure my rhythm guitar is solid, and it's something I work on more than soloing, to be honest. You can solo all you want, but if you can't play rhythm guitar, then it's going to be hard to get hired for work. (laughs)

AD: What new music are you working on?

LS: My new single came out in March 2023, a cover of Steve Stevens's “Atomic Playboys.” Other than that, my gig schedule is quite intense, so it's going to be hard getting back in the studio. Never say never, though; I always seem to find a way. I have quite a few sessions for other artists [coming up], though those will be released later this year.

AD: How has your approach to the guitar changed since your earlier years?

LS: When I first started playing guitar, learned all my favorite riffs and solos note for note, trying to play them as close to the original as I could. I never really dived into the "why" those notes are played or the theory behind them. Having to learn 30 to 40 songs a week for multiple shows, I focused on just learning all the parts. Now though, I am always looking into the theory side and looking into why that guitarist chose to play a specific part [the way they did] or why a melody works so well against the chord progression in the song.

AD: What would you say makes your newest music your best yet?

LS: I feel like “Atomic Playboys” really pushed me to my limits. Firstly, trying to stay true to the original recording, then being able to play that fast and have each note articulated perfectly, while having the same attack Stevens had to make certain notes have more attitude, was incredibly difficult.

If we go back to my previous EP, Chasing Dreams, I really pushed my arranging skills on those songs. Having to work out orchestral parts and horn lines was quite challenging. I was lucky to have producer Mason Vellios, who is well-versed in arranging, to help me out when I wasn't sure [what to do musically]. Most of the time, those melodies you hear the strings or horns playing were originally [written] on guitar, but I always knew they weren't going to be guitar lines. It was a great learning experience.

AD: Which of your songs mean the most to you?

LS: The song that has the strongest meaning to me would have to be "Memories." I wrote [it] for my grandparents. The song was a way that I could sum up all the emotions I couldn't express after losing them both, so I got them out through my guitar playing. I always have chills and tears when I listen to [it] or play it live.

AD: Describe how you achieve your tone and vibrato. Do you feel vibrato is as important as it's made out to be as a calling card for guitar players?

LS: My signature tone comes from the way I articulate each note or chord I play, the attitude, emotion, and feeling behind every note I play on guitar, instead of [something like] an amp or EQ setting I might have. The way I approach songs, whether someone else's or my own, is quite personal, and I feel like it is for other players too. There is that personal touch that you can't teach; it just comes out naturally in that moment.

As for vibrato, I am huge on that and feel like I'm always working to better it or try different types. I worked on this for quite a while with my mentor Joshua Ray Gooch, he really taught me how important it is to control your vibrato and make sure it fits with the song, as well as [learning] some different kinds like the Eric Clapton vibrato, which took me forever to get. I think I'm still trying to get that one.

 Luke Stamenkovich.

AD: Tell me about your guitars.

LS: I have three main electric guitars for gigs and sessions. I have a Fender American Ultra Stratocaster, a Gibson Les Paul Custom, and then my Mike Campbell Signature Duesenberg. All three of those guitars give me so much versatility in tones, which is what I always look for and need. One week I could be playing a rock gig, and the next might be funk or country, so it's handy having guitars that can cut a few styles. Additionally, I have a Tommy Emmanuel Maton for when I need to use an acoustic guitar.

AD: Do you prefer vintage guitars or new ones?

LS: I love both vintage and new guitars. I haven't found a vintage guitar I really want just yet, but I will continue my searches next time I'm in L.A. I feel like I play differently on vintage gear, and I have no idea why. (laughs)

AD: Is there one guitar that means the most to you?

LS: My Mike Campbell Duesenberg has a lot of meaning; I got that on my first trip to L.A. when I went to study at Musicians Institute in Hollywood. That was my first trip out of Australia on my own. It was a real shock moving from small-town Perth, Western Australia, to the big city of Los Angeles, so getting that guitar got me through some tough times and provided comfort.

AD: What combination of amps or modelers and pedals re you using?

LS: Depending on the gig, I have both options available [amps and modelers]. My “A” rig is a Kemper Profiler [a modeler/preamp that creates and stores profiles of different amplifier sounds – Ed.] which I love because I can have presets and tempos set for gigs. The game changer for me was not having to do the “pedal dance” [of constantly stepping on different effects pedals] anymore, which is great for those bigger gigs where you want to jump around and really engage with the crowd. It's definitely not exactly like a valve [tube] amp, but to be honest, it's close enough.

My “B” rig consists of my pedal board, and either my Supro Statesman amp or whatever backline amp is provided for shows. I run a Line 6 HX Stomp for my reverbs and delays, then I have two J. Rockett Overdrive pedals, the Blue Note and the Dude. Those overdrives are really amp-friendly, so I normally don't have any trouble with using different amps. I always run the amp clean and use the overdrives for my drive and solo tones.

Other than that, I have an Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 boost and a Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah [on a] small fly rig, and I still get all the tones I want, which are great.

AD: Are there any guitars, amps, or pickups that you don't like?

LS: I don't think there are any guitars or amps I don't like; I feel like each amp or guitar serves a certain style or genre.

AD: Does having to conform to current trends alter your style or technique at all?

LS: I don't feel like trends alter my style or technique. I'm normally on my own guitar journey and will learn and play what I want. Social media can be hard, though, as “shred” guitar videos [featuring virtuoso, highly technical playing] will normally get more views and likes [compared to] a melodic solo or just playing a cool rhythm guitar part.

My social media will cycle through all of those [kinds of things]. I recently did a video of the rhythm guitar line in "These Summer Nights" by Richard Marx; I absolutely love the verse guitars. I post and play what I love and was feeling like playing at the time, and hopefully, people like it. (laughs)

To stay inspired, I'm always listening to all genres of music, from pop and metal to recently jazz, because of my [recent] studies at Berklee School of Music, which have been awesome. I love to put myself out of my comfort zone. There's been times I've gotten up with rockabilly or country bands in town and just jammed with them at the gig. It's terrifying when it's not in my comfort style of playing, but every time I do that, I feel like I've gained years' worth of knowledge.

One other thing is [to] learn different instrument melodies or rhythms on guitar. I love learning saxophone or bass lines. I'm a huge Dirty Loops fan, and I always try some of Henrik [Ostergaard’s] bass lines on guitar.

AD: Does being referred to as a shredder bother you?

LS: Being referred to as a shredder doesn't really bother me. I remember doing gigs in pubs back when I was 15 or 16, and the crowd would refer to me as “the shredder kid.” I find it funny, though, as a lot of the time, I'll be doing melodic solos with just a hint of shred. There are definitely better guitar shredders out there, so I guess I'm honored to be grouped in with them.

I guess I would classify myself as a versatile and reliable guitarist. First and foremost, I'm always pushing myself to do the best job I possibly can for whoever calls me for a gig or session.

AD: What does the future hold?

LS: I might look at doing another headline show here in Perth, but I'm definitely looking to get into more of the touring session scene. It's always been a dream of mine to tour with an artist and especially the USA, so I'm working towards that, and we will see what the universe has in store for me.

Images courtesy of Luke Stamenkovich.

I once bought two hefty speakers at a yard sale and stuffed them into the backseat of my four-door Mazda. It was like loading R2D2 into an X-wing fighter – twice. The seller had lost all the paperwork, and this was in the early days of the internet when looking up specs was a lost cause, but the two behemoths only cost me $50, so away I went.

I lugged the speakers up the stairs to my study and attached them to what passed for my stereo, which was made up of cast-offs, hand-me-downs, donations from concerned friends, and other flotsam and jetsam. Then I placed on the turntable my pristine copy of Sticky Fingers (the dealer at the street fair with the cardboard boxes bursting with LPs had described it as “gemstone mint”) and dropped the needle.

“Hmm,” I said after a few minutes. “I thought all this junk would sound better.”

My friend, if you’re an audio idiot, as I clearly am, and if you’re looking for a respectable stereo system, not something you hauled home from a garbage scow, then here is your first tip. Find a stereo store that’s been around for a while and that has many testimonials to their good work. Call them and tell them what you want and what your budget is. Don’t just show up – make an appointment to use their listening room. The staff will set up a trial system for you. Imagine: gleaming new components, all with their original boxes and packing material, all designed to work together and to accept upgrades. The salespeople will gladly explain how to connect and disconnect everything instead of you wasting time guessing what to do with your mongrel Craigslist purchases.

But what do you tell them? Ask yourself this: What format do you primarily listen to? Your primary interest – streaming, vinyl, CDs, or whatever might be invented between the time I finish writing this and you begin reading it – will determine what audiophiles call “the source.” In my case, I primarily listen to CDs. Therefore, the source of my music should be a CD player. This is the most important choice you will make and where you should spend the bulk of your budget.

My last tip is a simple one. Don’t hesitate to ask for other components. On the day I first heard the gear that would become my dream stereo, I was listening in a room that was longer and wider than the one I have at home. The speakers the staff chose for me were superb, but they were too much for my space. They could’ve sterilized me and everyone on my end of the block. The speakers also took up more room than I wanted to give up. So I asked for the next size down. The salesman replaced the demo system’s speakers with a less-powerful pair from the same model line. I could hear the difference; these smaller speakers were not quite as good, but if they weren’t really superb, they were still really close. Sold.

A cozy, well-designed listening room is key to a good demo experience. Read on to see where Steven got his stereo groove on.

I am writing this while listening to my new system, which does everything I could ask it to do, doesn’t occupy too much space in my office, and doesn’t disturb my wife or our dogs, unless I decide to turn Coltrane to 11. And the next time I drop by a yard sale where somebody has decided to dump an amp or a sound bar or a turntable with a Slayer sticker on it, I will cruise to the next sale. They might have CDs there.

Bonus tip: When you try out your new system, bring some samples of your music. I brought six CDs of various genres, each with a strong first track. I had enough to think about without wondering which track I should play on each album. I just popped each CD in and let it go.

In case you’re wondering: I purchased a Marantz CD6007 CD player, a Marantz PM6007 integrated amp, and Wharfedale Diamond 12.0 speakers. (The next size up was the Diamond 14.0.) I owe it all to the gentlemen at Hawthorne Stereo in Seattle, Washington. Thanks to you guys, I rock.

The store offers a wide selection of new and used gear.

Header image: Hawthorne Stereo, courtesy of Steven Bryan Bieler.

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), located in Phoenix, Arizona, features 350 exhibits with instruments from around the globe. It is considered to be the foremost musical instrument museum in the world. I wrote about it in previous Copper articles in Issue 168 and Issue 169.

For the last six years, I have been a volunteer giving tours to adults and school groups at the museum. In addition to participating in MIM’s museum guide training and certification process, docents gain further knowledge from interactions with the museum’s curators. Also, my involvement at MIM has inspired me to do additional research into various aspects of music.

Five of the MIM’s 10 main galleries are geography-oriented for the following regions:

• US/Canada
• Europe
• Africa/Middle East
• Asia/Oceania
• Latin America

In Issue 169 I took you into some of my favorite exhibits in those galleries. I continue that discussion and visit some others here, and conclude with a look at an exhibit in the museum’s Artists Gallery.

Entrance to the Artist Gallery at the MIM. Courtesy of the Musical Instrument Museum.

The US and Canada: Jazz Evolution

The Musical Instrument Museum has a large exhibit dedicated to the jazz genre, which is divided into four areas. In Issue 169, I covered one of these, Early Jazz, from Buddy Bolden in New Orleans in the 1890s to Jelly Roll Morton and his prolific career which began shortly thereafter. A major influence on jazz in the 1920s was Louis Armstrong, who made two important contributions to the genre. Prior to Armstrong, most of the improvisation in jazz was done by the group as a whole. He was the first one to make extensive use of solo improvisation. Also, Armstrong “loosened up” the music; he made it swing.

Louis Armstrong. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/public domain.

The next area in MIM’s jazz exhibit focuses on swing music and the big band era. Big bands began to emerge in the 1910s but didn’t reach their peak until the mid-1930s, and dominated jazz until the end of World War II. Duke Ellington had a profound impact on the big band era and more generally on our musical heritage. He was a bandleader and piano player for over 50 years and wrote or collaborated in over 1,000 compositions. Some of his songs are standards: “Sophisticated Lady,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “Prelude to a Kiss,” “Mood Indigo,” and “Solitude,” among many others.

Another section of the exhibit explores the smaller ensembles that emerged after World War II. This began with bebop, a style developed by a younger generation of jazz artists who put unprecedented focus on musicianship. A major characteristic of big band music is danceability, resulting in relatively slower tempos. Bebop is usually fast-paced, which makes additional demands on the skills of the artist. Again, musicianship is very much on display with bebop music. Two of the artists who were at the forefront of the development of bebop were alto sax player Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.

Miles Davis and his trumpet playing contributed to the bebop era but he is not viewed to be a major contributor to the form. However, he later assembled a nonet of musicians with the intention of giving jazz a more relaxed tempo and a lighter ambience. He incorporated elements of classical music into jazz and initiated the cool jazz era with an album titled Birth of the Cool. Davis later collaborated with legendary tenor sax player John Coltrane and pianist Bill Evans to create what many believe to be the definitive cool jazz music.

In the mid-1950s, a trend developed away from cool jazz and more in line with the sound and tempo of bebop. This was hard bop, and Art Blakey and his group, the Jazz Messengers, are often credited with fathering this style of music. Since then, jazz has been combined with rock and roll and other genres of music under the banner of jazz fusion. My introduction to jazz was Miles Davis’ jazz fusion album Bitches Brew, released in 1970.

The US and Canada: Bluegrass

Bluegrass music originated in the Appalachian mountains of the US and has its roots in the English, Scottish, and Irish music brought to this country by the settlers of that region. There are also country, blues, jazz, and gospel influences. The genre’s name is derived from a group called The Blue Grass Boys, led by Bill Monroe. Accordingly, Monroe is viewed to be the “Father of Bluegrass.” A traditional bluegrass band consists of all-acoustic stringed instruments: fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. Monroe provided the vocals and played the mandolin for The Blue Grass Boys. Their recordings of 28 songs for Columbia Records in the late 1940s serve as a defining statement for the genre. “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and “Molly and Tenbrooks” are iconic Monroe-written songs that were included in that session. Legendary banjo player Earl Scruggs and guitarist Lester Flatt were important early members of Monroe’s band.

I had the opportunity to exchange a few words and shake hands with Bill Monroe in the 1990s. The Blue Grass Boys were performing at a supper club in upstate New York. There was a warm up band and Monroe made an appearance between acts, circulating through the audience. He was old and somewhat frail by then (he died in 1996 at the age of 85) and another mandolin player was included in the group. Monroe narrated and played a couple of songs but left most of the session to the other mandolinist. I will never forget the stage persona of his group, all wearing dark blue three-piece pinstriped suits, ties, and big white Stetsons!

Europe: The Symphony Orchestra

The earliest instance of a symphony orchestra is often credited to the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi for the performance of his opera, L’Orfeo, in 1607. Early symphony orchestras were smaller than those today, typically 30 to 40 instruments. The composer credited with creating the forerunner to the modern symphony was Allessandro Scarlatti, who founded the Neapolitan School in the latter part of the 17th century. Joseph Haydn wrote 108 symphonies and is viewed to be the father of the symphony.

Today the number of instruments in a symphony orchestra varies, typically in the range of 75 to 100 instruments. These are divided into four main groups:

• Strings: violin, viola, cello, bass, and harp
• Woodwinds: flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon
• Brass: trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba
• Percussion: timpani, xylophone, cymbals, and piano

The actual instruments in a specific orchestra may vary from what’s shown above. An instrument group may be subdivided into sections and each has a principal player, responsible for leading the group/section and playing solos.

MIM has adopted the Sachs-Hornbostel system for categorizing musical instruments. All music is based upon vibrations and the essential premise of this system is to ignore what causes vibrations and base categories solely on what vibrates within the instrument to create music. Accordingly, “percussion” is not a category here since that term is focused on what causes vibrations, not what vibrates. These are the categories of the Sachs-Hornbostel system:

• Chordophones: strings (e.g., violins)
• Aerophones: air (e.g.,. trumpets)
• Membranophones: skin (e.g., bongos)
• Idiophones: whole instrument (e.g., cymbals)
• Electrophones: electronics (e.g., synthesizers)

An additional instrument type is the corpophone where the human body is used to make music. An example here is hand clapping.

MIM has an exhibit featuring a three-dimensional model of an actual symphony orchestra, consisting of approximately 60 percent strings (chordophones), 30 percent woodwinds/brass (aerophones), and 10 percent percussion (membranophones/idiophones/piano). It should be noted that a symphony orchestra classifies a piano as a percussion instrument because hammers strike the strings to make them vibrate. With the Sachs-Hornbostel model, a piano is a string instrument because strings vibrate to create the music.

It is clear that the most important symphony orchestra instrument type is the chordophone. Not coincidentally, the same is true for rock and roll and country music bands. Putting aside singing (where our vocal cords vibrate), chordophones are the dominant instruments in Western culture. The second most important instrument type in a symphony orchestra is aerophones, which are also the dominant instrument type in most jazz bands, where saxophones, trumpets, et al. usually take center stage. In Western culture, we love our chordophones and aerophones.

The same is not true for other cultures. As examples, there are areas in Africa where membranophones are the primary instrument type. In Indonesia, idiophones in the form of gongs and xylophones dominate their gamelan ensembles.

Africa and Middle East: Iraq, The Cradle of Civilization

While war and political unrest have dominated its recent history, Iraq has a rich musical tradition and has spawned some of the most profound musical innovations in the history of our world. Sumer, the oldest known civilization, was part of Mesopotamia in an area that is now south/central Iraq. Cuneiform, the oldest language known to mankind (even older than hieroglyphics!) was invented by Sumerians. While the history of music goes back tens of thousands of years, the earliest known musical transcription is a Cuneiform clay tablet that was found in Iraq. This is a portion of a song from 4,000 years ago. (The oldest complete song is a hymn, also immortalized on a Cuneiform clay tablet found in nearby Syria and dating back 3,600 years.)

Cuneiform tablet containing the Hurrian Hymn to Nikkai, the oldest surviving substantially complete work of notated music in the world, according to Wikipedia. Courtesy of Wikipedia/public domain.

For hundreds of years, Baghdad was an important center for Arabian classical music. This is complex music influenced by Kurdish, Persian, Turkish, and Indian cultures. This form of music is called al-maqam al-Iraqi. The intended effect on the audience is tarab, where the soul is transported to exaltation. There is considerable vocal and instrumental improvisation in maqam. The instruments typically used are the joza, a four-string bowed instrument that can be viewed as an early version of the violin, the oud, a plucked lute with 11 or 13 strings, the santur, a zither containing 92 strings, the ney, an end-blown flute, the daf, a frame drum, and the tabla, a pair of drums similar in shape to bongos.

The aforementioned oud originated in Iraq about 4,000 years ago. Most experts agree that the oud had a profound impact on the history of musical instruments. Via the Silk Road network of trading routes and other means, the oud traveled to distant places and, along the way, was modified in accordance with local cultural and musical traditions. As an example, when it got to Western Europe, the oud had evolved into the lute. There’s an interesting theory that the name “lute” was derived from the oud. In French, “l” means “the” and the theory goes that l’oud (i.e. the oud) ultimately became lute. With that in mind, the oud is viewed to be the origin of most of the plucked stringed instruments in the world today: guitar, banjo, mandolin, et al. The oud is still an extremely popular instrument throughout the Middle East.

There is a widespread belief in the Arab world that the person who invented the ud was Lamech (from the bible), a fifth-generation direct descendant of Cain. The story goes that his son had passed away and Lamech decided to hang the body from a tree. After a while, the shape of the skeletal remains inspired him to invent an instrument of similar shape, the oud. (Ugh!)

A discussion of musical traditions in Iraq is not complete without mention of the Kurds. There are approximately 30 million Kurds living in an area with no national boundaries. When the Ottoman Empire was disbanded after World War I, the region indigenous to the Kurdish people was divided among Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. Accordingly, the Kurds have a cultural identity but no physical borders. Music is a key element in keeping the Kurdish identity strong.

Asia and Oceania: Sitars

The sitar is the dominant instrument in Hindustani music. While the sitar continues to evolve, most experts agree that the modern instrument emerged in the 18th century towards the end of the Mogul empire. The evolution to that point is hotly debated. There is general agreement that the Persian “setar” was a forerunner to the sitar. The similarity in the names of those two instruments is a proof point of sorts. It is debated whether the Indian veena was also an element in the genesis of the sitar. A counter-argument to a veena/sitar relationship is that the veena belongs to the chordophone’s zither family whereas the sitar is a lute.

A 17th century sitar. Courtesy of Picryl.com/public domain.

The modern sitar typically has 18 to 21 strings. These fall into three categories: 

• 5 – 7 playable strings: These are strung over the frets.
• 1 – 2 drone strings: These run next to the frets.
• 11 – 13 sympathetic strings: These run under the frets.

The playable and drone strings are plucked by the sitarist. The sympathetic strings are much thinner and run very close to the neck of the instrument. They are typically never touched by the sitarist; their vibrations are induced by the vibrations of the playable and drone strings.

These are some of the elements that give the sitar its unique sound:

• A combination of playable (fretted) and drone (non-fretted) strings.
• Sympathetic strings.
• Curved frets.
• A curved bridge.
• An optional second resonator attached to the neck of the instrument.

Another important characteristic of the sitar is its physical beauty. When I bring museum guests to the India exhibit, I often point out that many of these instruments can be viewed as physical works of art and could rightfully be shown in an art museum irrespective of the music that they produce. It is an elegant instrument, with a deep, pear-shaped gourd body and a long wooden neck. Sitars are often decorated with floral or grape carvings and inlays with colored and black floral or arabesque patterns.

The sitar was little known in the Western world until the Beatles went to India to study with the virtuoso, Ravi Shankar. (Many people don’t know that Ravi Shankar is Norah Jones’ father.)

The recently-departed David Crosby had introduced Beatle George Harrison to Shankar’s music and that led to the trip to India. Harrison applied the education he got from Shankar to classic Beatles songs such as “Norwegian Wood” and “Within You Without You.” That led to other rock groups using the sitar. The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones played the sitar on “Paint It Black.” Traffic’s Dave Mason played it on “Paper Sun.” The sitar can also be heard extensively on Donovan’s album Sunshine Superman.

Latin America: Cuba

Many years ago, I discovered Wendo Kolosoy, “Father of Congolese Rumba,” and still listen to his music on occasion. I had thought at that time that the rumba originated in Africa and later found its way to Cuba and elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. In the six years I have been volunteering at MIM I have learned a great deal about music, including the fact that the rumba originated in the African slave community in Cuba and ultimately found its way to the rest of the world. While the Spanish who controlled Cuba suppressed the free expression of music developed in the Cuban slave community, the rumba began to emerge with the abolition of slavery in the 19th century. It was introduced into the Congo in the 1930s via radio broadcasts of Cuban music. Congolese rumba is more akin to a related Cuban style called son than it is to Cuban rumba.

One of the school tours that we offer at MIM is the Ensembles Tour, where the unifying theme is music groups. I like to start that tour at our Cuban Dance Bands exhibit by defining the word “ensemble.” That word comes from French where it means “together.” I typically have the class watch a video of a Cuban music group on a stage in a large square with people dancing and others watching, clapping, or otherwise moving to the music. My essential point is that there are multiple things happening “together.” First, there are the musicians, then add the dancers, and finally add the others enjoying the moment.

Cuba has an incredibly rich and varied musical tradition and “together” is a critical element. Street musicians abound in Cuban cities and people can be seen literally dancing in the streets. Others can be seen clapping or otherwise moving to the music. In Havana, street musicians are actually licensed and many have permanent locations where they perform. Elements of social interaction, public celebration, inclusiveness, and resourcefulness are on full display. Music is ubiquitous in Cuba. Live music can be found nightly in a myriad of bars, cafes, restaurants, and clubs.

“Together” is an important element in another Cuban music style, the conga. While the rumba can be characterized as something akin to a neighborhood party, the conga is more a festive carnival procession. Who hasn’t participated in a conga line where your hands are holding the waist of whoever is in front of you and somebody is doing the same to you from behind? What a great together experience! The essential movement of a conga line is simple. 1, 2, 3, kick with one leg. 1, 2, 3, kick with the other leg. Lucille Ball’s husband, Desi Arnaz, is often credited with bringing the conga to the US. Bandleader Xavier Cugat also helped to popularize it.

Back to my Ensembles Tour, I like to discuss with students that Cuban music is a product of various cultures coming “together.” Unfortunately, this does not include the indigenous Cuban population who were all but eradicated via conquest and oppression by the Spanish and, also, the new diseases that were brought into Cuba by Europeans. It is estimated that only about 500 indigenous Cubans remained and that just a vestige of those cultures continues to exist on the island. The primary influences on Cuban music are, of course, African and Spanish, with the Spanish guitar being a key element of the latter. French ballroom dancing was an important influence in Cuba’s elegant danzón music. As Cuban music has continued to evolve, influences from the US, Jamaica, and other Caribbean countries have emerged.

Many people are surprised that the Chinese have made important contributions to Cuban music. As slavery began to subside in the 19th century, the Spanish had a dire need for cheap labor to work the sugar plantations and brought over 100,000 Chinese indentured servants to the island to work next to the remaining slaves. These people brought their music with them. MIM has on display an instrument called the corneta china, i.e., Chinese cornet. A couple of years ago, I conducted a tour for a Cuban-American cultural group from Miami and every one of them was familiar with the corneta china. Cultures coming together to create some of the world’s best music!

Back in the US: Woodstock

There are people who will tell you that anyone who claims to remember being at Woodstock probably wasn’t! Well, I was there and I (mostly) remember it. It is fairly well known that the 1969 Woodstock festival did not take place in Woodstock. There were some issues as the date neared and it was moved to Bethel, New York, about 60 miles from Woodstock. The road to the festival was one lane in each direction and had never encountered the level of traffic generated by the approximately half-million people who attended Woodstock. Due to the very slow going, we parked by the side of the road about two miles from the festival and walked the rest of the way. It was a hot, muggy summer day (foretelling the torrential rain that was to come) and there were local people selling water from their front yards.

The first night was folk night and we got to see Richie Havens, Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie, and Joan Baez. I had gotten to know and was a big fan of Richie Havens from my days as a regular at the Cafe Au Go Go in NY’s Greenwich Village, where Havens was the house folk singer. He and I had engaged in a couple of brief conversations and I saw him perform many times. I was thrilled that “my buddy,” Richie Havens, was chosen to be the opening performer at the Woodstock festival.

Well, it rained that night. It came down in buckets. We brought sleeping bags but no tent and were going to sleep under the stars. However, when your sleeping bag gets soaked…so we very reluctantly decided to go home. I was devastated that I wouldn’t get to see the Grateful Dead, Ten Years After, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and so many other incredible groups. We hiked to our car, drove off, and didn’t get very far before it was gridlock. There were still loads of people coming in and we weren’t the only ones leaving. At around 2:30 a.m., I shut the engine (the car was still on the road!) and we went to sleep. Around 6 a.m. there was a tap on the window. It was the police. They had cleared the road and we could leave.

MIM’s Woodstock exhibit features instruments and artifacts from Santana, Joan Baez, John Sebastian, and members of the Who and Creedence Clearwater Revival. There are also videos depicting Santana, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, the Who, and Jefferson Airplane. It should be noted that the museum cannot arbitrarily exhibit an artist. Cooperation with the artist or whoever owns the rights to the artist is required.

From the MIM's Woodstock exhibit. Courtesy of the Musical Instrument Museum.

The Musical Instrument Museum is rated on TripAdvisor as the number one attraction in the Phoenix area and one of the top museums in the United States. Having had the opportunity to volunteer and give tours these last six years, the museum has become a second home for me. I find myself regularly reminding myself how fortunate I am that I get to hang out at MIM.

Header image courtesy of the Musical Instrument Museum.

“A One, and a Two (Part Two)” continues the exploration started in Issue 184 of pieces that are often overlooked because the usual suspects (large orchestral works, string orchestras, vocal music, small instrumental ensembles) are routinely scheduled to fill concert programs. Compositions for only one or two instruments are more than just “miniatures”: They can be every bit as engaging as larger works,  even if they are typically performed as encores or in spaces other than the usual venues. 

Eugène Ysaÿe'/Six Sonatas for Solo Violin/“Sonata No. 3 (Ballade)”/James Ehnes, violin (Video) Any assortment of classical music that lists works for a single instrument has to include one of the most famous pieces in string literature, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, completed in 1720 but not published until 50 years later. Although violinists usually perform with other musicians in chamber and orchestral combinations, Bach’s six Sonatas and Partitas are significant because they set a new standard for how a solo violin can be used to play separate voices as well as combinations of melodic lines. Composers had written pieces for unaccompanied violin before, but none were as challenging as Bach’s compositions. The Sonatas and Partitas form an essential part of the violin repertoire: they are performed frequently and there are many LPs and CDs to choose from, recorded by a wide variety of artists playing either modern or period instruments. [1]

Solo instrumental music declined during the 19^th century (see Brahms and Jolivet, below) but during the 20^th century, composers once again began writing music for a single violin. Some of these new works used Bach’s composition as a guide and were similar to it in terms of structure and compositional technique. In light of this, instead of using Bach’s composition here as an example of solo violin music, I'm recommending a 20^th century work by Belgian violinist/composer Eugène Ysaÿe since it’s directly related to the Sonatas and isn't as well-known or as accessible to the average concertgoer.

Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas for Solo Violin were intended to imitate Bach's Sonatas and Partitas. Like Bach, Ysaÿe wanted his works to capture modern techniques as well as the musical style of his time. As you’ll see on the video, these solo sonatas – again, like Bach's Sonatas – are very demanding. Each sonata was dedicated to a prominent violinist of that era: The third sonata of 1923 recommended here was dedicated to composer and violinist George Enescu, regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history. 

This performance is a winner. Ehnes creates musical fireworks onstage while the (mostly) well-behaved musicians in the orchestra can be seen in the background enjoying the solo performance. However, notice that some members of the orchestra need to brush up on the rules of proper orchestra etiquette. (Yes, there is such a thing.) Orchestras have sets of rules to ensure good deportment during a concert, although the rules of stage etiquette vary from one orchestra to another. [2] According to The New York Times “From dress to choreographed movements and the courtly interplay between conductor and musicians, the classical music stage is rich in etiquette and sometimes hijinks that are not always obvious to the audience. Chronicling this tradition goes back to Hector Berlioz and his classic ‘Evenings With an Orchestra,’ a collection of essays dissecting the world of 19th-century orchestras and musical culture.” [3]

Rules of orchestral etiquette usually include the following:

• You should only applaud with the audience when you are impressed by what you’ve just heard, or as a sign of enjoyment and approval.
• If you want to show your enjoyment adhere to any of the following traditions: lightly shuffle your feet, wave your bow back and forth (a tradition that started in the late 18^th century), or tap your bow on your music stand – but not if you're concerned about damaging your bow.
• Follow the dress code even if you think you can't be seen: no flip flops, shorts, or tank tops, and keep your shoes on.
• You can tap your toes but don't tap your feet; don't react in any way if you make a mistake; don't talk, make faces, or keep your phone on; don't conduct from your seat, talk to each other, or cross your legs on stage; and never look bored, even if you are.
• Keep in mind that orchestras are scent-free zones. Always.

But I digress. Ehnes’ world-class performance, captured in video during an unidentified concert (or dress rehearsal?) at an unidentified venue, can be found here:

Enigma: Works for Solo Viola/Fritz Kreisler/“Recitativo und Scherzo-Caprice”/Dana Zemtsov, viola (Channel CCS SA 35714 SACD) Fritz Kreisler is generally remembered as a writer of dazzling salon music for the violin. He only wrote two pieces for solo violin, and the “Recitativo und Scherzo-Caprice” is not only dramatic but more technically demanding than Kreisler's familiar encore pieces. It was also composed as a response to Ysaÿe who had dedicated his fourth solo sonata to him. Although originally composed for the violin, this version for viola has been transposed down a fifth by Zemtsov's teacher Michael Kugel, giving the work a darker and more dramatic character. [4] It's unusual and a pleasure to have a disc devoted entirely to solo viola music; it's an even greater pleasure to have the talented Dana Zemtsov playing these works. As for the music, Zemtsov says:

“I must warn the listener, here one will scarcely find lyrical melodies and hear-warming beauty with which music is so often associated. Instead, there will be tales of war, perplexed wanderings through obscured labyrinths, intense cries of despair, sour tears of sorrow, maybe at places an ironic grin.”

Johannes Brahms/Clarinet Sonatas and Trio/“Clarinet Sonata No. 2, II”/Martin Fröst, clarinet (BIS 1353 SACD) If you're a fan of 19^th century Romantic music, you already know listening to Brahms is a treat. The unusual instrumentation here – written for a clarinet instead of one of the usual chamber music suspects – makes this piece especially interesting.

Brahms' four clarinet pieces (the “Clarinet Sonata No. 2” was one of his last chamber music compositions) are now considered among the most outstanding contributions to clarinet literature. Brahms wrote them for Richard Mühlfeld and, in a letter to his friend Clara Schumann, Brahms said “Nobody can play the clarinet better than Mr. Mühlfeld...you have no idea quite what a remarkable clarinetist Mühlfeld is. He is the finest wind player that I know...” (March 17, 1891) Brahms’ contribution to the clarinet repertory provoked a resurgence of interest in the instrument. Even though the technical and expressive capabilities of the clarinet had made it one of the Romantic period’s favorite instruments, the clarinet had experienced a significant decline during the second half of the 19^th century while the violin's popularity increased.

If you're looking for a wonderful movement from a great classical work (even if it does include the ubiquitous piano), here it is:

The Spirit of 176/Antonio Carlos Jobim/“Triste”/George Shearing and Hank Jones, pianos (Concord 1009-6 SACD) In 1988, two of the world’s greatest jazz pianists teamed up using two pianos to improvise music based on standards, and managed to record all 176 keys at the right time. The results are very different from the two-piano improvisation featured in Part One of “A One, and a Two...” (Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes playing Lyle Mays' “Chorino”): still swinging with Shearing and Jones, but in a more relaxed manner. Writing about this recording, well-known historian and jazz critic Nat Hentoff said:

“I asked George what makes Hank distinctive – what sets him apart. ‘His very, very special touch and his special form of relaxation. For instance, he'll play a triplet, and it takes its time, but the tempo won't suffer....’ I asked Hank Jones what sets George Shearing apart. This was Hank’s answer: ‘For me, it's George's exquisite touch. And his relaxed way of playing. He also gets great definition in articulating his ideas. He's a composite of everything it takes to be a great musician.’

Clearly, these are two exceptionally compatible musicians. And being able to anticipate each other – both in choice of notes and also in turns of mood – they make these duets into a remarkable illumination of the art of mutual improvising. It should be noted that in terms of solos, Hank Jones in predominantly on the right channel of the stereo image and George Shearing in on the left.

[As] George Shearing says about [Hank], ‘His personality shows in his playing. He never gets ruffled.’ But there is such depth of lyricism in that seeming calm that Hank makes everything he plays take on subtly unexpected dimensions. And George, too, gets inside the song and makes it glow. The two together – as you can hear in this set – make for a flow of gentle astonishments.”

 Watch it here at 27'12" (or go to Track 8 under “Read More”) 

French Works for Clarinet and Piano/Francis Poulenc/“Clarinet Sonata FP 184: I.”/Sabine Meyer Meisenberg, clarinet and Oleg Maisenberg, piano (EMI 3 79787 2 CD) Poulenc's “Clarinet Sonata” was written as a memorial for composer Arthur Honegger, Poulenc's one-time colleague in the group called “Les Six.”[5] Although they were friends, Poulenc thought Honegger’s music was too heavy, and Honegger thought Poulenc's music was too light. During the decade prior to Honegger's death the two composers did develop a better appreciation for each other’s music. The first movement of the “Sonata” seems to reflect that progress: the opening few moments are as raucous as anything Honegger wrote, followed by Poulenc's typical flow of melodies that clearly reveal his style.

Sonatines pour flûte and piano/André Jolivet/ “Cinq Incantations No. III”/Philippe Bernold, flute with Alexandre Tharaud, piano (HMA/Harmonia Mundi 1951710 CD)[6] 19^th century composers rarely wrote for flutes as a soloist due to the predominance of the piano and string quartet in chamber music, as well as the development of the orchestra in both the symphonic and operatic fields. Changes in the evolution of the tonal system during the 20th century inspired composers to write for more restricted forces and different types of ensembles. Since French composers especially liked flute music, they explored new approaches to the instrument. For example, the use of repetition in “Cinq Incantations III” (“repeat this passage at least three times” and "this passage may be repeated several times" are written in the score) reinforces the chant-like character and metrical nature of the music.

Claude Debussy/“Syrinx”/Emmanuel Pahud, flute (Warner/EMI Classics Cubus Film/Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Video) “Syrinx,” composed as part of the incidental music for the play Psyché by Gabriel Mourey, was originally called “Flûte de Pan.” Its second title refers to the amorous pursuit of the nymph Syrinx by the god Pan, in which Pan falls in love with Syrinx. However, Syrinx does not return the love: she turns herself into a water reed and hides in the marshes. Pan decides to cut reeds to make his instrumental pipes but, by doing so, accidentally kills his love.

“Syrinx” is considered a landmark in music history and may be the most performed, recorded, analyzed, and debated flute piece ever written.[7] It has played a pivotal role in the development of early 20th century solo flute music, and was the first unaccompanied piece written for the modern flute. It’s an indispensable part of any flutist's repertoire partly because, like Cinq Incantations, it gives  performers room for interpretation (some historians believe that “Syrinx” was first written without bar lines or breath marks).   

[1] The solo Cello Suites (written sometime between 1717-23) are considered to be another of Bach’s greatest musical achievements and need to be mentioned along with the violin solos. The Suites have been performed and recorded by many renowned cellists, been transcribed for numerous other instruments, and are some of the most frequently performed solo compositions ever written for cello. They are among the most technically demanding and emotionally intense pieces in the Baroque repertoire and, like the Violin Sonatas and Partitas, employ a wide range of complex playing techniques.

[2] Orchestra members usually have a separate set of rules to follow during rehearsals as well. And concertgoers, although they probably aren't aware of it, have rules to follow, too.

[3] Daniel J. Wakin, “Cracking the Secret Orchestral Codes,” Feb. 13, 2005, The New York Times.

[4] Kugel is a Ukrainian virtuoso who has helped build the viola repertoire by adding many of his own transcriptions and compositions.

[5] In 1920 the critic Henri Collet grouped Poulenc with five other young French composers, calling them “Les Six”( Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Georges Auric, Germaine Tailleferre, and Louis Durey). Although they reacted in the same way to the emotionalism of 19th-century Romantic music and the impressionism of Claude Debussy, they were in fact united by friendship more than by aesthetic ideals.

[6] The original issue, Sonatines..., appears on YouTube. The CD information given here is from the reissue titled La flûte Soliste au XXe Siècle.

[7] Price, Kirsten Jan. “Debussy's Syrinx: mystery, myth, and a manuscript,” Flutist Quarterly, fall 2008.

Header image: George Shearing Quintet, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Hugo van Gelderen/Anefo/public domain.

Keys – keyboards, and their players – play a big part in CTI’s many recordings, both as sidemen and as musicians featured on their own CTI or Kudu albums. Here, we will take a look at a few of the keyboardists on these labels.

One mainstay of the jazz radio station I listened to in my teens was “Westchester Lady,” written and performed by Bob James on his CTI album Three.

On a groovier note, Hammond B3 organist Johnny “Hammond” Smith (billed here as Johnny Hammond) was among the hat trick of organ-playing Smiths that Creed Taylor would feature as a producer. (He had recorded with Jimmy Smith during his tenure at Verve Records.) This is the title track from Hammond’s first album for Kudu, Breakout.

The other organ-playing Smith on Kudu Records was Hammond organist Lonnie Smith. “Mama Wailer” is the title track to his lone Kudu album, yet it features Smith making a rare appearance on clavinet throughout the song.

From the 1970 Montreux Jazz Festival, pianist Bill Evans is featured here with his then-current trio featuring Eddie Gomez and Marty Morell on his composition “Peri’s Scope.” Evans had recorded a few albums with Creed Taylor at Verve, but only had this single live album, Montreux II, among CTI’s releases.

Pianist Roland Hanna had performed on a small number of CTI albums, but had one album under his name: Gershwin Carmichael Cats, the title effectively summing up the contents of the record. Here is the Hoagy Carmichael-penned “Stardust.”

Not to be confused with others bearing his name, David Matthews was prominent as an arranger on many CTI albums, as well as composing for film and television. His lone album, Dune, featured movie-oriented themes, including a couple from Star Wars, and this theme from Silent Running.

Antonio Carlos Jobim played both guitar and keyboards, and he is featured here on the Ary Barroso song “Brazil” from his Stone Flower album.

Finally, one of CTI’s biggest commercial successes was Eumir Deodato’s hit single “Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)” from his album Prelude. On the follow-up album Deodato 2, the album opens with “Super Strut,” featuring Deodato’s keyboards and arrangement along with the usual CTI gang backing him (Billy Cobham, John Tropea, Hubert Laws, and others), and Stanley Clarke handles the fluid bass lines.

Our next installment will feature some of the “top brass” at CTI.

Early February I was sitting around, surfing the net, and happened to come across a Facebook post from a group I belong to, SACD, DVD-A, & Blu-ray Audio Audiophiles. This particular post had several contributors debating the merits of SACD player internal DACs in terms of sound quality, a subject that I’m really quite interested in. I have a Yamaha BD-A1060 BD/SACD/DVD-A player that I currently have set up in my new analog room at the new house. I mostly use it to compare the sound of recent LP reissues with their SACD counterparts, if they exist. That said, I’ve generally been perfectly happy with the sound quality of the Yamaha player’s internal DAC, but since I started delving deeply into the ripping of SACDs a while back, I couldn’t help but wonder if there might be some room (within my limited budget) for improvement.

Anyway, back to the Facebook post; as I continued to read some of the responses, one of them included a link to a YouTube video, Play your SACDs through your outboard DAC! I expected that this video would present information about using an outboard device like a GeerFab Audio D.BOB (digital breakout box), or maybe just offer information on ripping SACDs to your music server. And while SACD ripping really works for both stereo and multichannel rips, it’s not exactly a walk in the park, and requires fairly massive storage capabilities for your music server. So imagine my surprise in finding that the video was actually about a Chinese-made HDMI-to-I2S converter device! This product apparently strips the converted signal of its copy protection, and presents native DSD to any DAC with an I2S input. It’s apparently also capable of sending both stereo and multichannel signals (for those with the capability).

Anyway, the video’s author talks about how well this box works, and that it only costs around $50 – 65 USD, depending on who you purchase it from (eBay is the most common provider). Reading the comments below the video, people rave about how this thing effortlessly supplies the DSD signal to any DAC – and how amazing the sound quality is compared to that from your disc player’s internal DAC. How I’ve never heard of this device before now, I have no idea!

The video’s author also includes a link to another YouTube video, How to send high-res audio from a Blu-ray/SACD/DVD player to a DAC via HDMI, which is the one in which he got the information about the HDMI-to-I2S converter in the first place. The video discusses three ways to stream native DSD to an outboard DAC. One is by using an OPPO-player specific mod, the second concerns a digital audio extractor, and the third is the HDMI-to-I2S converter we’re discussing here. Most of the comments following the video discuss the OPPO mod and the audio extractor.

As I noted above, my current system has the Yamaha universal player setup in my analog room, but I also still have the Gustard X16 DAC just sitting around, unused. It happens to be conveniently equipped with a more current DAC chipset than the Yamaha player, and it has an I2S output – making it a perfect candidate for a serious upgrade to my SACD playback. I also happen to have a couple of pretty decent AudioQuest HDMI cables lying about, so other than the converter, I was basically ready to go.

When you do a web search for “HDMI-to-I2S converter,” you generally get dozens of options for a nameless converter that usually retails for between $50 and $65. They all appear to be identical, with none listing a manufacturer or brand name – except one, which appears on Ali Express (that link has already expired; I’ll explain later), is labeled under the brand name TZT, and retails for $52.31. Never having ordered anything from Ali Express, I bookmarked that listing, then chose one from eBay ($52.99) and also bookmarked it.

The device’s appearance and specs on both listings were identical. Having had mostly positive results with eBay, I pulled the trigger, and after adding the device to my cart was immediately greeted by the information that I was only purchasing the board –getting a fully-assembled device was an additional $10. I backed out of the order, then clicked on the Ali Express link; I had to create an account, and the assembled device was the $52.31 price, delivered from China. I figured that they both shipped from China, and were absolutely identical, so why not go with the less-expensive one? I pulled the trigger and placed my order. However, at the time China was completely shut down for the Lunar New Year, so it took forever for the device to arrive. I can’t even begin to express my excitement to potentially be able to hear the output from my SACDs through a much better DAC in native DSD!

Setup and listening results with the TZT HDMI to i2S converter

I basically had everything ready to go for when the TZT converter arrived; I even had a linear power supply available to power it (the TZT came with no power source). After making the connections, I chose an SACD, placed it in the Yamaha’s tray, and pressed the play button. And was greeted by complete silence.

The player was playing the disc, but no sound was emerging from the system, so I confirmed that all the cable connections were intact – still nothing. At this point, I pulled up an online manual for the Yamaha player to confirm the output settings for DSD – which were cryptic, at best. The TZT converter has a pass-through HDMI connection, so I hooked up a monitor I keep in a closet (for exactly this kind of purpose) to the Yamaha player to look at the possible DSD output settings.

I started making what I thought were counterintuitive choices in the output settings to try and get the DSD signal to pass through to the TZT converter. After a couple of hours (!) of trying every conceivable combination of settings, I finally got sound – but it wasn’t the sound I was hoping for! I had almost perfect sound emerging from the right channel, but heard only static from the left channel. I spent about another two hours checking the cable connections and the Yamaha player’s output settings – everything I could possibly do to try and get sound out of the left channel – all to no avail. It appeared that I had gotten a bum unit from Ali Express.

The TZT converter may not be compatible with my particular system setup.

At this point, I reached out to them to try and get a replacement unit. Over the course of several days of increasingly ridiculous e-mail exchanges, I learned that Ali Express is mainly just a clearinghouse for resellers. You’re not really dealing with a company that fully supports everything they sell; they just act as an intermediary for the seller. After going through several rounds of “What seems to be the problem?” and “Send us photos of the defect,” and then dealing with a semi-functional website that wouldn't completely allow me to engage with the seller, I gave up and filed a complaint with my credit card company. I’m still waiting for a resolution, but I might be out the $50, and after this experience, I’ll never do this again — lesson learned.

New Information and a Disturbing E-mail from Dalibor Kasac at Euphony Audio

A day after filing the complaint, two things happened. First, I stumbled across a forum with entries regarding the implementation of the TZT converter, and apparently, it will only work perfectly with certain players. And less than perfectly with everything else –and the converter is likely using DoP (DSD over PCM) to make the conversion from HDMI to I2S. Bummer! The second thing was that I got an email from Dalibor Kasac of Euphony Audio (manufacturer of my streaming setup), telling me about a discovery that the guys at Euphony had just made. Apparently, if you’re using a delta/sigma DAC that employs ESS SABRE PRO chipsets, and are listening to anything in the DSD realm from DSD 64 through DSD 256, the output isn't actually native DSD.

In the aftermath of the 2020 Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) fire that destroyed their Japanese factory, all delta/sigma DACs have been produced using ESS SABRE PRO chipsets instead of the AKM chips that were becoming all the rage with Asian manufacturers. It took three days to extinguish that fire, but AKM rebuilt, and just released their newest chips last fall, including the flagship AK4499EX DAC chips that will replay DSD natively at all rates! Dalibor was contacting me to tell me that Euphony had gotten a couple of the new Topping E70 Velvet DACs that incorporate the new chips, and the sound quality was beyond spectacular. If I could possibly get one, by all means, I should do so – he guaranteed I’d be just as astonished by the results as they have been. 

I found Dalibor’s information about the ESS SABRE PRO chips’ DSD conversion to be incredulous, so I started looking at white papers on the ESS website for all their current top-line chips – and the information is clearly there. Their chipsets all convert DSD via DoP throughout the range from DSD 64 to DSD 256, and only the very highest DSD rate is replayed as native DSD with no conversion. That’s even true of their newest flagship chip, the ESS ES9039PRO, which allows for up to DSD 1024 natively – my current DAC, the Gustard X26Pro, has a pair of ESS ES9038PRO chips with the same limitations. As it turns out DoP isn't the problem – it's still technically native DSD – the problem has to do more with how ESS PRO chips process DSD files. And apparently, this is old news, and has been bounced around the audio internet for almost eight years! I can’t begin to tell you how that information shocked me – I think I had a more intense reaction to that revelation than some of the analog guys probably did during the big Mobile Fidelity controversy last year! 

Of course, there are tons of audio professionals and audiophiles who will tell you that bits are bits, and digital is only 1s and 0s, and that none of this could possibly have any impact on sound quality, regardless of how native DSD is processed by a particular DAC's chips. Dalibor tells me they’ve been testing this premise for years now, and after listening to the latest AKM chips with the Topping E70 Velvet DAC, there's definitely a difference. Here’s the good news: after jumping through multiple hoops, I obtained a review sample of the Topping E70 Velvet DAC, which just showed up yesterday. Cold out of the box, the sound quality is superb, and I’ll share more about the experience next time.

 The new Topping E70 Velvet DAC is in the house!

Until then, happy listening!

Please note: this article has been updated with a correction/deletion of a previously-included statement.

Header image courtesy of Tom Gibbs.

In Part One of this series (Issue 183), I discussed the history of the of the vacuum tube. Since it all started with the development of the diode, we might as well start our deeper exploration of vacuum tube audio with this tube type.

The diode has a simple job to do. It only allows an electric current to be conducted in one direction. It is therefore useful for turning an alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC), and this type of device is called a rectifier. However, this same feat can be easily accomplished with a solid-state rectifier. Vacuum tube rectifiers require an extra power source, and have a much higher voltage drop than solid-state diodes. They are therefore much less energy efficient.

Early tube rectifiers were not all vacuum tubes. There were low-voltage rectifiers filled with argon called Tungar (a General Electric trademark) bulbs, that were used in battery chargers. Before the era when most homes were connected to the electric grid, many households relied on batteries to run their radio sets. There were commercial businesses that recharged batteries for private homes. These Tungar bulbs were very inefficient, with voltage drops that were often higher than the voltage they supplied. There were also rectifiers that were filled with mercury vapor, mainly used for high voltage, high current applications, which no doubt must have caused at least a few cases of poisoning. These mercury vapor rectifiers had the tendency to back-arc, destroying the equipment they powered.

After AC mains power became common in the 1920s, high-voltage rectifiers were needed to power radio sets. The giant defense contractor Raytheon started life as a manufacturer of expensive rectifiers for radios. The most common rectifier of the era was the UX-280, which remained in production for more than 50 years. There was no standard mounting base for rectifiers in those days, but many devices had a 4-pin base and were interchangeable.

The vacuum tube rectifiers that remain in use today all have the octal (8-pin) base, and were first developed by RCA, which held the license for this design. The early types were based on the UX-280, with a 5-volt filament. The first to appear on an octal base was the 5Z4, with subsequent development of the 5U4, 5U4G and 5U4GB, which is still in common use today in audio equipment and some guitar amps. The 5R4GY was developed to handle a higher voltage, and a ruggedized version, the 5R4WGB (nicknamed the “potato masher’) can still be easily found since it was the mainstay in Vietnam War-era military equipment.

5U4G rectifier tube. Courtesy of Adrian Wu.

 5R4WGB rectifier tube. Courtesy of Adrian Wu.

Another 5U4 variant is the 274B made by Western Electric. Even though they have essentially the same electrical characteristics, the 274B sells at many times the price (around US $1,500 for new old stock) of the 5U4 nowadays.

Up to this point, the tube rectifiers mentioned above all have directly-heated cathodes. By the early 1930s, almost all rectifiers were full-wave, meaning each contained two anodes to rectify both phases of the AC cycle, and were typically used with a center-tapped transformer. Indirectly-heated rectifiers also started to appear at this point. These have the advantage of slow warm up, which means a delay in supplying the high tension (HT) voltage to allow the other tubes to warm up first. If the HT is applied before the cathode is warm enough to supply electrons, the cathode could be damaged by a process called cathode stripping.

With the American manufacturers standardizing rectifiers to using the octal base and 5V heaters, European manufacturers followed and basically just produced their own versions of American designs. The most common rectifiers found in vintage British tube hi-fi gear include the GZ30 (5Z4 equivalent), GZ31 (5U4), GZ32 (5V4), GZ33, and GZ37. The popular GZ34 (5AR4) was developed to fit into low-profile equipment, thanks to its short envelope. It acquired its name because it was intended to work with the EL34 power tube, frequently found in guitar amps and DIY amplifier kits of the era. It was first introduced by Philips with a metal base, and later made by Mullard on a Bakelite base. Marconi-Osram (M-OV) also produced their own version of American tubes such as the U50 (5Z4), U52 (like the 5U4, but indirectly heated) and U77 (GZ34).

  A CV378 tube, equivalent to a GZ37. Courtesy of Adrian Wu.

There were many reasons why vacuum-tube rectifiers were rapidly replaced by silicon diodes. By the 1960s, most vacuum tubes had 6.3V (or 12.6V) heaters, but rectifiers still used 5V heaters, for no better reason than a lack of desire to introduce new products that were not backward-compatible. That meant equipment needed to have both a 5V and a 6.3V heater supply, adding to the cost. Silicon diodes were much cheaper, did not require a power supply, and had a much lower voltage drop. They could also tolerate much higher filter capacitance.

Having been made obsolete more than 50 years ago, these tubes have been given a new lease on life in recent years when a number of manufacturers of tube audio equipment started designing new products that use tube rectification. I am even aware of transistor amplifiers (from Lamm Industries to name one example) that make use of tube rectification! What accounts for this development?

There is no doubt a bit of nostalgia and hype surrounding the use of tube rectifiers. They do have some advantages over silicon diodes. Early silicon diodes had slow recovery; when a diode ceases to conduct forward current, it actually conducts reverse current for a short time. This reverse current ceases abruptly, and the resulting current spike can inject noise into the power supply. Depending on the design of the power supply, these spikes can significantly affect the sound quality of the amplifier. However, this effect can be eliminated by the use of Schottky diodes, which have negligible reverse current, or by using soft recovery diodes. Another advantage of tube rectifiers is their slow start up, which, as noted, protects the other tubes. Tube equipment that employs solid-state rectification should therefore have a delayed HT power supply to allow the heaters to warm up first. Solid-state diodes, on the other hand, have far lower voltage drop and resistance, which is advantageous in class A/B circuits where the load current varies with the signal. [Some guitar players like amps with tube rectifiers because they “sag” (the supply voltage drops) when pushed hard, giving the amps a more “compressed” response and a “softer” feel. – Ed.]

Some audiophiles like to substitute different tube rectifiers, claiming that some sound superior than others. Be aware that even though all the "modern" tube rectifiers have the same pin-out configuration, they might not be interchangeable. Make sure at the very least that the tube has at least the peak voltage and current ratings of the tube it substitutes, can withstand the same amount of filter capacitance, and does not draw a significantly higher heater current. The difference in sound quality is usually due to the different voltage drop, especially if the power transformer is undersized (a common problem for consumer products, even so-called high-end products) for cost reasons. A lower supply voltage means a lower load current, which reduces transformer saturation and hence distortion at the expense of a lower power output. The difference in output resistance between rectifiers should not matter if the power supply is well-designed with adequate filter capacitance, but it is not always the case.

A $1,500 Western Electric 274B might be better made than a $30 RCA 5U4 and hence will last longer, but I can assure you that any perceived improvement in sound quality is a figment of your imagination. The magnitude of the placebo effect is positively correlated with cost, which is why many audiophile components cost such ridiculous sums of money. Some Russian and Chinese tube manufacturers now make rectifier tubes, but these can be plagued by reliability problems. Personally, I would not use tube rectification if I were to design a new piece of equipment, and I would leave the dwindling stock of new old stock tubes to the vintage audio collectors (myself included).

Header image: vacuum tubes in a McIntosh MC240 amplifier. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Sebastian Nizan.

At the age of 50, bassist Christian McBride already has eight Grammy Awards and over 300 album credits. It helps that he got an early start. He was playing in top-level jazz circles by the time he was in his late teens.

Although McBride was surrounded by music while growing up in Philadelphia, jazz was not the obvious path for him to take. His father was an R&B bassist, so Christian naturally took up electric bass first. It was his uncle, avant-garde jazz bassist Howard Cooper, who first put jazz in front of McBride’s young ears. Being a musical sponge, McBride not only started playing upright bass, but also envisioned connections between the various genres he was learning to play. That fluidity of style is one of his great strengths as a musician.

His many early influences included classical music, which he studied with Neil Courtney, double-bassist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. But jazz was McBride’s central focus, and he took every opportunity to play in jam sessions and masterclasses. He was still a student at the High School for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia when trumpeter and jazz educator Wynton Marsalis invited him to sit in with his band. Soon McBride had competing scholarship offers for college. He chose Juilliard, although his career took off so spectacularly that he didn’t stay there long.

Within his first couple of years in New York, McBride was hired to play with a litany of jazz greats, including saxophonist Bobby Watson, trumpeter Wallace Roney, saxophonist Benny Green, and pianist James Williams. By the early 1990s, already having a lot of experience in the studio as a sideman, McBride was ready to launch a solo recording career. Not many bassists can pull that off, but McBride’s musicianship, training, connections, and imaginative approach to multiple genres have sustained and exalted him through the decades.

Enjoy these eight great tracks by Christian McBride.

1. Track: “Blood Count”
   Album: Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn
   Label: Verve
   Year: 1992

Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn is a solo album by saxophonist Joe Henderson, for which Henderson won a Grammy Award. On bass is a 19-year-old Christian McBride. Wynton Marsalis is on trumpet.

This recording celebrates the work of one of the most important ingredients in Duke Ellington’s success: Ellington and Strayhorn worked closely together for decades, often without Strayhorn getting the credit he was due. An already great album becomes even better for including both well-loved hits like “Take the A Train” and lesser-known Strayhorn compositions like “Blood Count,” a heartbreaking, dissonant melody so named because the composer was at the end of his life, dying of cancer. McBride’s contribution is subtle but essential, and wise beyond his years.

2. Track: “Splanky”
   Album: Gettin’ to It
   Label: Verve
   Year: 1995

Gettin’ to It was McBride’s first solo album. Such a young player, let alone a bassist, would normally have been a hard sell for a top label like Verve, but McBride was already well known to them for his many studio gigs as a sideman. In fact, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and saxophonist Joshua Redman, two of the musicians McBride had played for previously, return the favor as sidemen on this debut.

The tune “Splanky” was written by trumpeter Neil Hefti for the Count Basie Orchestra. Serious bass fans will appreciate this arrangement, which features not only McBride, but also Ray Brown and Milt Hinton on that instrument.

3. Track: “Open Sesame”
   Album: A Family Affair
   Label: Verve
   Year: 1998

It took courage for McBride to put out an R&B album only three albums into his solo jazz career. But he was, as Shakespeare would say, to the manner born. The title A Family Affair refers not only to the Sly and the Family Stone song included on its track list, but also to the fact that McBride’s dad was an R&B bassist.

Produced for Verve by George Duke, known for his work in jazz fusion with Jean-Luc Ponty, this was the start of a several-year trend for McBride of exploring beyond the world of jazz. He followed this with the pop album SciFi.

Kool & the Gang’s “Open Sesame” has an especially nice arrangement, shimmering with the keyboards of Charles Craig, Tim Warfield on tenor saxophone, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. McBride has such a light, lithe touch that the huge difference in range between himself and the other instruments seems insignificant. 

4. Track: “Starbeam”
   Album: Kind of Brown
   Label: Mack Avenue
   Year: 2009

After many years with Verve, and following a six-year hiatus from the studio to concentrate on performing with the Christian McBride Band, McBride switched to Mack Avenue Records. The jazz label based out of Grosse Point, Michigan was 10 years old at the time and actively seeking bigger names to add to its roster. Kind of Brown, its title alluding the Miles Davis masterwork Kind of Blue, was McBride’s first project for Mack. It also happened to be the studio debut for his new band, Inside Straight.

McBride wrote “Starbeam,” featuring a gentle syncopation with a Latin flavor. Steve Wilson is on tenor sax, and Warren Wolf’s fluid vibraphone work pulls the group’s sound together. McBride stays in the background, a sensitive engine.

5. Track: “When I Fall in Love”
   Album: The Good Feeling
   Label: Mack Avenue
   Year: 2011

McBride’s next musical adventure was to try his hand at leading a big band. Like everything else he had put his hand to, it seemed to come naturally to him. His first recording with the Christian McBride Big Band, The Good Feeling, landed him his first of eight Grammy Awards. He arranged the album’s 11 tracks himself and composed six of them.

Among the covers is the 1952 standard “When I Fall in Love.” The arrangement opens with McBride bowing the famous tune, a hint that this will be something special. The sensuous vocals are by Melissa Walker.

6. Track: “Down by the Riverside”
   Album: Live at the Village Vanguard
   Label: Mack Avenue
   Year: 2015

Despite the success of his big band, McBride did not turn his back on small-group jazz. With the Christian McBride Trio, he won another Grammy for Live at the Village Vanguard, the first of two albums he has released with that title. Joining him in the trio are Christian Sands on piano and Ulysses Owens on drums.

Well-produced live albums by jazz masters are always a treat, and this is no exception. With humor and joy, the three men tackle the African American spiritual “Down by the Riverside,” building it up until it becomes almost orchestral.

7. Track: “Sightseeing”
   Album: Christian McBride’s New Jawn
   Label: Mack Avenue
   Year: 2018

According to Oxford Languages, “jawn” is Philadelphia-area slang for “a thing, place, person, or event that one need not or cannot give a specific name to.” In this case, Christian McBride’s New Jawn is a collection of great tunes, written by himself and his three collaborators, trumpeter Josh Evans, saxophonist Marcus Strickland, and drummer Nasheet Waits.

The one exception is “Sightseeing,” by the innovative saxophonist Wayne Shorter (who died in March 2023). Notice that there’s no piano, which is rare for a jazz quartet. The result is a raw intensity perfect for this frantic, angular tune.

8. Track: “Ms. Angelou”
   Album: Live at the Village Vanguard
   Label: Mack Avenue
   Year: 2021

McBride worked again with his band Inside Straight for this second album called Live at the Village Vanguard. The group has played a three-night gig at the Vanguard every year since 2007 (except during the COVID lockdown). This album was recorded in 2014, although it wasn’t released until 2021.

One of the album’s gems is “Ms. Angelou,” a tribute to Maya Angelou written in 1993 by saxophonist Steve Wilson from the band for his own Steve Wilson Quintet. As McBride puts it in his introduction, the portrait captures the poet’s dignity. 

Header image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Brian Callahan.

Gioachino Rossini (1792 – 1868) is universally and rightly celebrated for his dozens of operas. But not everything Rossini wrote required massive forces; several recent recordings act as a guide to his works for small ensembles.

Most of these chamber pieces were written after 1830, when Rossini’s career underwent a sea change that kept him permanently out of the theater. That situation resulted from the accumulated effects of both governmental meddling and the stress and grief brought on by a series of family tragedies. Given how popular Rossini’s operas were when he “retired,” his absence came to be known as the Rossinian Silence. But he was not at all silent, rather writing a fair amount of smaller-scale works, not to mention his glorious sacred music, including the much-performed Stabat Mater.

Rossini’s chamber music output may not be as extravagant as the operas or as stirring as the oratorios, but it’s well worth exploring.

Of course, this master of writing for the voice composed some solo songs with piano accompaniment. Although Rossini was Italian, the texts are in French, largely because he was living in Paris during the second half of his life. Many of the French songs are included on Ariettes à l’anciennes, a recording for the Klarthe label by Melody Louledjian, with piano accompaniment by Giulio Zappa.

It's more accurate to call most of these songs duets between voice and piano. Indeed, in the liner notes, Zappa describes Rossini’s piano writing as sometimes “overabundant and uncomfortable” for the pianist. But Zappa has a confident handle on the tricky keyboard parts, never letting them overshadow Louledjian’s rich, resonant voice. Needless to say, the vocal line in each song is a perfectly controlled dramatic gem. In “L’âme délaissée” (The Abandoned Soul), for example, Louledjian embraces the composer’s musical intent as naturally as speaking. She is helped by Rossini’s willingness to stretch the conventions of song form to suit the rhythms and changing emotions of the words.

A skilled keyboard player himself, Rossini seems to have been determined to create music for that instrument, even if what he wrote lay awkwardly under other pianists’ hands. In his later years, he wrote several volumes of short pieces for solo piano, many of them published under the title Péchés de vieillesse, or Sins of Old Age. Swedish pianist Helge Antoni undertakes nine of these works on his CD Rossini – Piano Music on the Etcetera label.

Rossini had no illusions about cutting a fresh course for piano music. These are conventional miniatures in the early Romantic style, often borrowing well-known forms like the barcarolle and the waltz. The album opens with his “Siberian Dance,” a nod to the Russian folk music trickling into Paris thanks to the frequent travel between that city and St. Petersburg. Pianist Antoni attacks each phrase as if he’s doing the deep knee bends of a Cossack dance himself.

In an entirely different emotional sphere are the “Marches et Réminiscences pour mon dernier voyage” (Marches and Memories for My Last Trip). This music has moments of beautiful melody, but mainly it’s strange and often percussive, yet intriguing. Each brief section seems to tell a story, like paragraphs in a diary; we’re privileged to travel in Rossini’s pocket as he sees the sights. Some are mysterious, some stirring or sentimental, some witty. Antoni is a trustworthy and detailed tour guide. If you listen long enough, you’ll hear a short quote from the William Tell overture!

Not all of Rossini’s chamber works were written in his dotage. He composed his String Sonatas when he was only 12 years old. The instrumentation is two violins, cello, and double bass, a classic case of writing for whoever is around to play one’s music. Agostino Triossi, one of young Rossini’s closest friends (and presumably tall for his age) was the bassist. The composer himself played the second violin parts, and two other school friends were on first violin and cello. Later, Rossini would claim to be horrified by his childish efforts, but they are pleasant little pieces that give a fascinating insight into the early musical years of one of history’s most famous composers.

In a recent recording on Brilliant Classics, four Italian musicians – Francesco Manara (violin), Daniele Pascoletti (violin), Massimo Polidori (cello) and Francesco Siragusa (double bass) – bring this vestige of Rossini’s childhood to life. With poignant expression and a finely-tuned ensemble, the players show the works in their best-possible light. While little Gioachino might not have quite been a Mozart-level prodigy, he was a spectacularly talented 12-year-old with a genuine ear for the interplay of instruments within the same family.

httpv://open.spotify.com/track/2oV5qqh8DqSIaGMaPYtAkr?si=d182407fcd964dac

While at the height of his success as an opera composer, Rossini took the time to compose a delightful Duet for Cello and Double Bass in D major. It’s worth hearing if only for the unusual combination of timbres of those two low instruments. Polidori and Siragusa have included it with the Sonatas, and it’s a gift that they did so. 

The three-movement work opens with a hilariously bickering Allegro in which the cello and bass chase and mimic each other, occasionally settling down for a few phrases before getting snarky with each other again.

https://open.spotify.com/track/6YFyThbQ0Js2VcXmT2mpWd?si=35cab7f255b540cd

In 1828, when Rossini was 34, a new version of the four of the six String Sonatas was published, this time arranged for flute, violin, viola, and cello. It is not known whether Rossini himself did the arrangement, but he likely approved it, since it was from one of his usual publishers. Tactus recently released them as Quartetti per flauto e archi, featuring flutist Nicola Guidetti, violinist Demetrio Comuzzi, violist Alessandro Simoncini, and cellist Luca Simoncini.

The altered instrumentation changes the pieces to the point where they’re barely recognizable. The balance has shifted, turning the spotlight on the flute as soloist in a way that is not true for the first violin in the original version. The result is an addition to the repertoire of flashy 19^th-century flute music that one can imagine would appeal to young artists on the lookout for something light but challenging to play. Guidetti is certainly up to the feat, taking a relaxed, sprightly approach to the virtuosic runs required of his instrument. These are far from chamber-music masterpieces, but they are fun musical baubles, very much of their time, and have their place in the repertoire.

Header image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/public domain.