Recording of the Month

Recording of October 1980: Growing Up In Hollywood Town

Margaret Graham | Aug 1, 2017 | First Published: Oct 1, 1980

Lincoln Hayorga and Amanda McBroom: Growing Up In Hollywood Town
Lincoln Hayorga and Amanda McBroom
Sheffield LAB-13 (LP).

This is a gorgeous recording. And would you believe, it's multi-miked? Sheffield's first since 1975, according to the notes. Ms. McBroom has that purity of intonation that once distinguished Julie Andrews' voice. This, plus a predominantly-string backup orchestra delivers a rich, warm sound. Each of the songs here is a gem in its own right, and the collaboration of McBroom and Mayorga creates moments here that are magical. My favorite is the song entitled "Amanda," with its frontier flavor and unadorned lyrics, followed by Mayorga's'waltz, "Wistful Lady."

The multi-miking does some odd things to the depth and perspectives, but the performances on this record are so disarmingly captivating that it is hard to care about the recording. I don't know how they do it, but Sheffield is getting the most natural high end on their recent recordings that I have ever heard from discs. It is so smooth, airy and open that it is impossible to characterize. It's just there, as it is in live music.

This is one "audiophile record" with the kind of musical justification that will make listening to it an enduring pleasure. Top of-the-Pile, of course.—Margaret Graham