LATEST ADDITIONS

Ahmet Ertegun, the Turkish immigrant who founded Atlantic Records in 1947 with Herb Abramson and turned it into one of the most influential labels in the world with his older brother Nesuhi, has died at the age of 83. An Atlantic Records spokesman said his death was the result of a brain injury sustained in a fall backstage at a Rolling Stones concert on October 29.

In any category of product or service, there is a gold standard—one company that epitomizes the best in its field of endeavor. Consider the Rolex watch, the Ferrari sports car, the Steinway piano, the Dunhill pipe. All of these artisanal manufacturers have spent decades, even centuries, earning their names' cachet with their histories of consistent excellence. While high-end audio boasts no names with a 60-year pedigree, such as Ferrari's—much less Steinway & Sons' +150 years—there is one firm whose storied past stretches back to the very emergence of the concept of high-end audio itself: Audio Research Corporation.

JERRY LEE LEWIS: Last Man Standing
Shangri-La Entertainment 2006. (CD) Steve Bing, Jimmy Rip, prods. No eng listed. AAD? TT: 66:45
Performance ****
Sonics ****