Amid the analog record boom, being so particular about their sound quality, there are many records pursuing the reality and high-quality sound only achievable by analog media. Indescribable texture and warm sound are a bit different from those created by CDs. I’d like to introduce you three albums, which get to the heart of attractiveness, only achievable by analog media. Even though they are more expensive than CDs, these carefully-made records justify the cost. Since the CD version has also been released, it may be interesting to compare the two.

#28 Richard Davis Appeared Right in Front of You

THE BASSIST / RICHARD DAVIS
(KING RECORDS LP KKC-1117/1118)

Susumu Morikawa, the producer of King Records, is also a bassist. “The bass series” are the outstanding plan generated due to Morikawa’s meticulous tastes, and many superb pieces were developed from the end of 90s to 2000s. Among them “THE BASIST” by Richard Davis, the great master of modern bass, was released as a 45rpm analog double LPs. What was most surprising when I listened to it once was the outstanding presence of the bass instrument. It was as if the player showed up right in front of me playing the actual instrument. Davis’s bass tone extends toward the lower pitch endlessly. As the catch phrase of the record says “splattering pine resin, moaning, weltering, creaking, a bow cutting through the air, very heavy pizzicato,” the various aspects of the bass popes up with reality. Especially, I was once again deeply impressed by the sound of bowing bass in <ECCLES SONATA>, which I had been listening to a number of times on CD. When I listened to it on CD, I thought it was the excellent recording, but this vivid sound can be described to have totally different dimension. It seems that even the feeling Davis has toward bass instruments has been communicated to us together with minute nuances.

If you can enjoy “the best sound quality” on CD, I bet you can be “impressed most” by the 45rpm LP# While the technological innovation of high sound quality of CDs was outstanding, I was, whether willing or not, reminded once again that this kind of sound could only be achievable thorough the analog records. It may be interesting to compare listening to the record version with CD version. I feel it is quite rare that the difference between analog and digital appeared so clearly.

#29 Aggressive Mingus Jazz

PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS / THE CHARLIE MINGUS JAZZ WORKSHOP
(ATLANTIC LP WPJR-10031)

A number of masterpieces left in Atlantic Label, which led the era of modern jazz, have been reproduced on analog LP by Warner Music in Japan. “PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS” was lined up together with masterpieces such as John Coltrane’s “GIANT STEPS” and “MY FAVORITE THINGS.” This is one of the classics by Charlie Mingus, who was called “an angry bassist.” He plays not only the bass but also fully shows us his aggressive leadership. Jackie McLean and J.R. Monterose respond to him by emotionally playing two saxophones, and Mal Waldron’s piano full of passion generates rhythmical phrases.

Mingus called his own band “Jazz Workshop” and tried various performances. In addition to the title track, there are other performances sublimated his adventurous spirit into his unique expressive beauty such as <A FOGGY DAY>, which should be called a tone poem. They are all worth listening. In addition to the state-of-the art mastering from the original master, carful cuttings are provided with a special focus on the texture of horn instruments for this analog version. I may be able to say that the lively sax tone and Mingus’s muscular bass tone supersedes the original disk.