Pick Up Review
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Super Duo LiveJun Fukamachi & Akira WadaExcellentVery good album. I like all of their albums and have been listening to them a lot nowadays. I recommend.
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The Moment [Low-priced Reissue]Kenny GGood!Kenny G’s The Moment is an excellent album overall and offers great value at an affordable price. The saxophone has a pleasing tone, and the performances are wonderful. I would have enjoyed it even more if the saxophone had a little more edge and bite to its sound. Still, I’m very happy with this purchase.
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Portrait In Jazz +1 [UHQCD]Bill Evans TrioGood!Bill Evans’s Portrait in Jazz is a famous and well-loved album. I bought this edition because I was curious about the CD’s green coating, and I’m very pleased with the sound quality. The difference compared with my previous CD is not dramatic, but this version sounds a little clearer to my ears. Overall, it is a very enjoyable listen.
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Getz/Gilberto [UHQCD]Stan Getz & Joao GilbertoGood!Getz/Gilberto is a classic album with many excellent digital versions already available. I bought this CD to try the green-coated edition, and overall, it sounds great. There is a slightly veiled quality to the sound, similar to what I hear in other versions. To my ears, this seems to be a characteristic of the original recording. Overall, I’m pleased with this purchase.
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Ella And Louis [UHQCD]Ella Fitzgerald & Louis ArmstrongGood.Ella and Louis is one of my all-time favorite albums. I already own a high-resolution digital version and two different vinyl editions, so I bought this CD out of curiosity about its green coating. I’m extremely pleased with it. Ella’s voice sounds wonderfully full-bodied and smooth, with a beautiful, lustrous quality. Listening to this edition has been a real pleasure, and I’m very satisfied with my purchase.
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Live In Paris [UHQCD]Diana Krallwonderful performancesDiana Krall’s Live in Paris offers excellent sound quality and wonderful performances. Her voice is beautifully captured, with its rich texture and subtle nuances coming through clearly. I’m not sure whether the CD’s green coating makes a difference, but the sound feels especially vivid to me. I’m very happy with this CD.
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Helen Merrill With Strings [SHM-CD]Helen MerrillGood!Helen Merrill with Strings offers good sound quality and wonderful performances. To my ears, this SHM-CD sounds better than a standard CD, though I’m not sure how much of that comes from the SHM-CD format itself. Compared with the high-resolution digital version, it falls a little short. Overall, it is an enjoyable album, and I’m happy with this purchase.
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Point Of Departure [UHQCD] [Limited Release]Andrew HillSpringboardThis classic Blue Note album has received plenty of accolades and for good reason: it contains an all-star lineup and the compositions straddle different streams and transform with each solo.
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Expression [UHQCD]John ColtraneEuphonious expressionAfter exploring the outer orbits of experimentation on albums like Ascension, this meditative album feels grounded, like the calm after a storm. Its pleasures are only enhanced when listened to in the context of Coltrane's oeuvre. Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, and Alice Coltrane: the personnel are spiritual jazz royalty.
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Lifeline [Limited Release]Roy Ayers UbiquityLaidback vibesThis synthy fusion of jazz, funk, and soul finds Roy Ayers' Ubiquity leaning a bit more into soul and laidback vibes.
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Mode For Joe [SHM-CD]Joe HendersonMod ModeJoe Henderson is one of my favourite jazzmen. Sidemen on this album include Lee Morgan, Bobby Hutcherson, and members of the Jazz Messengers. With players like that you know you can expect calibre.
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Come Into Knowledge [Limited Release]RampRoy Ayers Music ProductionThis synthy fusion of jazz, funk, and soul oscillates between funkier, upbeat tracks and spaced-out, soulful tracks that turn the hazy feel of Roy Ayers' Everybody Loves The Sunshine (covered here) up to 11.
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Love Is The Answer [Low-priced Reissue]Lonnie Liston SmithFeel-good musicLonnie Liston Smith is second to none for celestial sounds and positive vibes. While this may not be an essential release like some of his earlier albums with the Cosmic Echoes, fans will not be disappointed.
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Side-Eye III+ (Japanese Original Edition)Pat MethenyAnother great Pat Metheny AlbumI have many Pat Metheny albums. Glad to add this to my collection. Great to have the Japanese edition with the bonus track. Highly recommended.
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Universal Syncopations [UHQCD]Miroslav VitousAn allstar lineupSyncopations is a unique gathering of well vetted musicians who, besides of playing with real mastery, seem to be listening to each other carefully and respectfully. It is a sort of aural democracy: everybody has the chance to say it all and, at the same time, everyone lets the other have his share.
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Ryukyu Rare Groove Crossover - Okinawa Jazz Funk 1964-1984V.A.Three Words: Okinawan Jazz FunkOne of the best compilations I've ever heard. Traditional Okinawan folk melodies performed with jazz/funk instruments. Hearing this for the first time was like discovering a new primary colour. Includes five different arrangements of the ever-enchanting lively "Tanchame", and they all sound wonderful. Most outstanding is the utterly gorgeous three-part "Ryukyu Miyabi", taken from Kiyoshi Yamaya's 1976 album Ryukyu. Pure pentatonic bliss.
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Kulu Se Mama [UHQCD]John ColtraneAlluringI'm thrilled I got my hands on a copy of this gorgeous album, which isn't as readily available as other releases in Coltrane's discography. The high quality sound image and wide dynamic range (the drums!) make this a real treat for the ear. Tones are warm, drums are unreal, and the tunes are alluring and absorbing; the progression of the album from track to track comprises a satisfying, coherent whole. It's been in heavy rotation since it arrived and will be for the foreseeable future. The Coltrane 100 sticker is a neat collectible.
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REJUVENATION [Cardboard Sleeve (mini LP)]PRISMExcellentVery good japanese jazz rock. Sound is very good and nice to enjoy and listen to. I like it a lot and recommend.
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PRISM JAM [Cardboard Sleeve (mini LP)]PRISM(PRISM with friends)ExcellentVery good album and great to listen to. Sound is very good and I recommend to others as well to listen.
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Native DancerWayne ShorterIntended for allWhile a far cry from the phenomenal albums Wayne Shorter released in the 60s, these tracks will worm into your ear and germinate. Though not typically categorized as spiritual jazz, give this a listen if you're a fan of the genre. Solid jade green disc reminiscent of translucent green vinyl.
