Music and Recording Features

Molto Molto—a New Stereophile Album from Sasha Matson Page 2 The Music & the Musicians

Molto Molto: the Music & the Musicians

Molto Molto—Works for Jazz Orchestra by Sasha Matson Stereophile STPH-023

The Music
Concerto For Piano & Jazz Orchestra (CD Tracks 1–3; LP 1, Sides A & B)
Adam Birnbaum, piano
I: Find the Pocket 7:14
II: Distant & Sweet 7:02
III: Molto Molto 8:44

Capt. Trips 8:12 (CD Track 4; LP 1 Side B)
Steve Cardenas, guitar

Symphony No.3 For Jazz Orchestra (CD Tracks 5–8; LP 2, Sides A & B)
I: Vamp Till Ready 4:52
II: Song Torch 6:32
III: Bossa Alla Calli 5:20
IV: Life Against Death 5:52

The Musicians
Winds: Kurt Bacher, Jay Brandford, Andy Farber, Mark Lopeman, Ted Nash
Trumpets: Summer Camargo, Shawn Edmonds, Bruce Harris, Brandon Lee, Bob Millikan
Trombones: Willie Applewhite, James Burton III, Alan Ferber, Jack Schatz
Tuba: Marcus Rojas
Guitar: Steve Cardenas
Piano: Adam Birnbaum
Bass: Gregg August
Percussion: Mark Sherman
Drums: Charles Goold
Conductor: Sasha Matson

Production
Recorded by Ryan Streber 8/14 & 15, 2021 and 9/13, 2021 at Oktaven Audio, Mount Vernon, New York
Assistant Engineer: Edwin Huet
Editing and Mixing: Nicholas Prout
Digital mastering: John Atkinson
Produced by John Atkinson and Joe Harley
LP mastering: Joe Harley and Kevin Gray/Cohearent Audio
LP plating: Dorin Sauerbier
LP pressing: Record Technology Inc.
Photos: John Atkinson and Edwin Huet
Graphic design: Ian Lascell
Parts and Scores: Subito Music Corporation, www.subitomusic.com
© 2021 Sasha Matson Music Co. BMI—www.sashamatson.com

Available as a CD, a double-LP set, a 24/96 hi-rez download, and on streaming services.

COMMENTS

Ordered the CD today

Submitted by jimtavegia on May 1, 2023 - 7:04am

Looking forward to hearing this. Enjoyed Tight Lines.

Arrived from Amazon today.

Submitted by jimtavegia on May 3, 2023 - 12:18pm

After first listen, the recording is excellent with great clarity and sense of space and the capturing of real instruments. I hope JA gives us the scoop of the recording space and engineering comments like he did on K622. A nearly 60 year old Steinway D sounds very good.

It appears that limited compression was used and no peak limiting. I am guessing a nearly 24 DB of dynamic range which seems unheard of these days.

Re: Arrived from Amazon today

Submitted by John Atkinson on May 3, 2023 - 2:07pm

jimtavegia wrote:
After first listen, the recording is excellent with great clarity and sense of space and the capturing of real instruments. I hope JA gives us the scoop of the recording space and engineering comments like he did on K622.

Glad you appreciate the recording, Jim. I did write an essay on making it. It is appended to this home page at www.stereophile.com/content/molto-molto%E2%80%94-new-stereophile-album-sasha-matson-studio-sessions-mastering, with more photos here.

jimtavegia wrote:
It appears that limited compression was used and no peak limiting. I am guessing a nearly 24 DB of dynamic range which seems unheard of these days.

As I write in that essay, the dynamic range varies between -17 LUFS and -22 LUFS.

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

Thanks for the link

Submitted by jimtavegia on May 4, 2023 - 5:39am

I will be reading it later on Thursday. I just wish more commercial recordings sounded this good. There is no reason for them not to. I also loved the late Al Schmitt's DVD of recording a Big Band. More great teaching tools. Thanks, again.

192?

Submitted by infohou on May 18, 2023 - 8:44am

Hey JA,

Thanks for all your good work.

24/96 is perhaps the sweet spot for digital but why not 192 or even DXD at 384? If the studio was not capable, there should be plenty in your are that can do the higher sampling rates. Many folks have equipment that can playback rates above 96k.

Take it EZ,
Robert
PS: Jim, you should try higher than CD sampling rates.

Rates......

Submitted by Sasha Matson on May 19, 2023 - 1:35pm

Greetings 'infohou'. Thanks for the question - one I have seen from time to time. As I understand it, from talking to my engineers, it is not the playback rates that is the issue. For multi-track recordings, (as opposed to 2-Channel stereo), the higher sampling rates (192, DSD, etc.) create issues for the editing software- 24/96 avoids those problems. Best, Sasha M.