Humble Pie: Smokin'
Analogue Productions APP 168 (LP). 1972/2024. The Pie, prods.; Alan O'Duffy, Keith Harwood, Kevin Gray, engs.
Performance ****
Sonics ****½

The ultimate indication that an audiophile reissue is worth paying for lies in its resale value on the secondary markets, especially eBay and Discogs. If there are lots of copies for sale that are open and played, it's usually a sign that folks are disappointed. On the other hand, if a reissue title—and this covers Analogue Productions' 2009 reissue of Humble Pie's Smokin'—routinely fetches upwards of $100 on the secondary market (and sealed copies above $200), it means, first, that the pressing has probably sold out (a good sign) and, second, that it's probably worth the lucre.

In October 2024, AP repressed its much-sought-after 180gm reissue of Smokin', mastered by Kevin Gray from a ½" flat-tape copy of the original master tape. As this review was being written, copies were still available. It comes packaged in a Stoughton Printing tip-on jacket. It's a high-quality product all around.

Hasn’t everyone owned a pair of Triangle speakers? Early in my audio journey, Triangle’s clean, precise, flowing sound won me over. Then the company seemingly disappeared. Well, they’re back, and FLAX 2025 showed them in prime stead, in yet another House of Stereo room.

Joe Parvey of Jacksonville’s House of Stereo and Chris Shaw of Focal Naim America had their sights set on something sleek, a room where listeners could focus on music without lifting a finger, literally and physically. That’s what digital is all about, right?

Jazz and film have long sustained an intimate creative relationship. Jazz is a cinematic art form because it is intuitive, improvisatory, and embedded in the moment. The aural imagery of jazz is perfect for insinuating shifts of mood. No wonder jazz is often used in film scores. No wonder there are so many jazz interpretations of movie themes. The three excellent new albums discussed below are cases in point.

Thomas Kiss (AVLG) and Philip O’Hanlon (On A Higher Note) delivered a startling surprise. Upon entering their room, attendees faced an unsettling ambiguity: fight, flight, or surrender to the experience. Most chose the latter.

Reel Sound Distribution’s Jeff Garshon came fully armed to Tampa, with a Metaxas & Sins system that was both fantastic looking and sounding.

Recently, I found myself in an email correspondence with David Chesky, the musician/composer/entrepreneur behind Chesky Records and HDtracks, which was the world's first hi-rez music-download service. With his brother Norman, David has long run those businesses while engaging with his art. At the time of our correspondence, he was on tour with his jazz trio and busy "writing operas and children's works to keep me out of trouble," as he wrote in an email. Brother Norman, surely, has had much to do with the success of the Chesky ventures—I do not mean to give him short shrift—but it was David I was communicating with, so he is the focus here.

I’ve heard the new Oneiros speaker in three different rooms in New York City and thought I had their sound pegged. I was wrong.

Jeff Joseph's room is the hottest ticket at every show. Securing a seat is a yearly battle, driven by the sheer, undeniable magic of his and Nick Doshi's reel-to-reel system.

In one of Joe Parvey and House of Stereo’s five rooms at FLAX 2025, the Jacksonville, Florida dealer presented horn-loaded speakers and tubed electronics. Be still my beating heart!