On July 25, New York State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer announced that Sony BMG Entertainment had agreed to "stop making payments and providing expensive gifts to radio stations and their employees in return for 'airplay' for the company's songs."
Michael Brecker, the legendary tenor saxophonist, has been a staple in the recording scene for more than 30 years now—we were first bowled over by his work on drummer Billy Cobham's 1974 album <I>Crosswinds</I>, although we could have just as easily mentioned hundreds of titles where he supported other musicians as a first-tier studio player. Along with his brother, trumpeter Randy Brecker, he co-led the Brecker Brothers band in the 1970s and, since 1987, has released intelligent, challenging records as a headliner, including our favorite, 2001's <I>The Nearness of You: The Ballad Book</I> (Verve 549705 CD).
Several <A HREF="http://cgi.stereophile.com/cgi-bin/showoldvotes.cgi">recent surveys</A> on the <I>Stereophile</I> website have uncovered a surprising trend among audiophiles: Many of you are heading online to both used- and new-product vendors to make equipment purchases that have traditionally been made at specialty audio retailers.
Once again, audiophiles can help themselves and help others at the same time by participating in The Cable Company's 10th annual "Summer Against Hunger" campaign. <A HREF="http://www.fatwyre.com/">The Cable Company</A> and a wide cross-section of its vendors (listed below) have set up a program in which up to 10% of The Cable Company's August sales are donated to <A HREF="http://www.careusa.org/">CARE</A> and the <A HREF="http://www.theirc.org/">International Rescue Committee</A>, with contributions to be used to assist the worldwide disaster relief efforts of those humanitarian organizations. This year, the situation is more critical than ever.
If there is one thing I've learned in almost 28 years (ouch) of audio writing, it's that audience reaction is fickle. Sometimes readers will swallow the most contentious pronouncements without indigestion, only to choke on throwaway lines you've invested with little importance. It just goes to confirm that human communication involves senders and receivers, and they aren't always in synchrony.
At the last few audio shows, whenever I heard a pair of the big Cary CAD-1610-SEs, I fair licked my chops. The two-tiered monoblock looked positively stunning in black and polished aluminum, exotic tubes bristling from the top "floor" of its two-story edifice. The Cary always induced pelvic tilt in me—you know, when your lizard brain takes over and tube lust is in the air.
Scratch an audiophile and, chances are, you'll find a closet Wilson Audio fan. The <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/477">Wilson WATT/Puppy</A> would probably make almost anyone's list of the most significant high-end loudspeaker designs. David Wilson first built his reputation with the custom-built WAMM loudspeaker—a monumental piece invariably included with products like the Infinity IRS, Genesis I, and Apogee Grand when the world's most awesome loudspeakers are discussed. But it was the WATT, followed by the WATT/Puppy—the latter now <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/920">several generations improved</A> over the original design—that really put the company on the high-end audio map.
The ongoing reissues of Mercury Living Presence and RCA Living Stereo recordings, have been the signal successes of the SACD format. Despite having been recorded in only (!) three channels, these releases have given us very good justifications for going beyond two-channel stereo to get as unrestricted a hearing as possible of live performances.
Two recent Soapboxes suggested that classical music is dying. Some correspondents argued that it is stronger than ever. What percentage of your music collection and/or listening time is given over to classical music?
President George W. Bush has created a new senior level position, aimed at combating the global counterfeiting and piracy of American intellectual property—a category that encompasses everything from copies of Hollywood films to faked auto parts. The new IP czar will be Chris Israel, currently deputy chief of staff for Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.