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Joe Pass: Virtuoso 4
Joe Pass, acoustic guitar
Pablo 2640-102 (2 LPs). 1983. Norman Granz, prod.; Dennis Sands, eng. AAA. TT: 82:92

This was the first straight-ahead jazz I ever bought: a gatefold double album of unaccompanied guitar, songs my parents knew called "standards." When I heard Pass's rubato meditation on "Lush Life," I wasn't sure it was jazz. In fact, it was Billy Strayhorn, whose thoroughly modern tonal palette I'd learn all about. But Pass, for me, was also Bebop 101, with the finest chord-melody conception and airtight…

Graham Parker: Heat Treatment
Mercury SRM-1-1117 (LP). 1976. Robert John Lange, prod., eng.; Dave Charles, Pete Kelsey, engs. AAA. TT: 35:41

Heat Treatment is Graham Parker's second and most upbeat album—or, more correctly, the one that comes closest to being upbeat. A friend once described it as "Graham Parker for beginners," a characterization that seems even more apt today, 35 years and 50 or so albums later. It's an engaging mix of up-tempo numbers and ballads, and Parker's edgy singing is served well by the Rumour's backup and Mutt…

Fleetwood Mac: Then Play On: Deluxe Edition
Rhino 8122796443 (CD). 1969/2013. Fleetwood Mac, prods.; Martin Birch, eng. ADD. TT: 69:43

First spotted in the mid-1970s in the girlfriend's parents' living room. I was immediately drawn to the exquisite cover. Turns out it belonged to her musically savvy older sister (who still works for a major record label). Bought a copy when I saw it contained "Oh Well," and quickly fell in love with every track on the album. This is the original bluesy Peter Green Fleetwood Mac, though on this album they stray…

Marina Rosenfeld: P.A./Hard Love
ROOM40 RM452 (LP/CD). 2013. Marina Rosenfeld, prod., eng. DDA/DDD. TT: 32:14

Marina Rosenfeld is an experimental turntablist and sound artist with a special interest in large-scale collaborative works. Her sound installation P.A. combined live and recorded voices, field recordings, and performances by cellist Okkyung Lee. P.A./Hard Love contains recorded elements of the installation and adds original vocals by Jamaican dancehall singer Warrior Queen (Annette Henry), and more cello from Lee, who coaxes from her…

It's no surprise that this all-Wagner CD from the most versatile tenor of the decade has received multiple accolades, including from my colleagues Robert Levine and Richard Lehnert. Released to commemorate the 200th anniversary of…

Ken Shindo, the Japanese audio designer whose electronics, loudspeakers, and accessories have influenced the parallel worlds of tube audio and analog audio, and who is shown above (right) with loudspeaker designer John DeVore, died late last month after a brief illness. He was 74.

A former design engineer for Matsushita, Ken Shindo inherited from his father an interest in recorded music and playback gear. In 1977, after years of devoting his spare hours to learning the sounds of different vacuum tubes and other vintage parts, Shindo-san struck out on…

After I reviewed the Astell&Kern AK100 portable media player in August 2013, rather than return the review sample to A&K, I bought it. Yes, I very much liked what this little gem of a player did—much as I appreciate how much music I can store on my 160GB iPod, it sounds harsh and lacking in detail compared with the AK100. However, one thing the iPod does that the AK100 didn't was support gapless file playback, which is essential for such works as through-composed operas and symphonies, or even albums like Sgt. Pepper…

But the latest excavation from…

The highly regarded Bricasti M1 DAC will be demonstrated along with the Reference Music Servers from Aurender. Visitors are encouraged to bring their favorite recordings on memory sticks, CDs, or LPs. The event runs from 12 to 5:30pm, but there will be two separate, 2.5hr-long demonstrations. Space is limited; registration is strongly recommended.…

Interestingly, more and more audio manufacturers are showing up on Instagram. I follow several, including Meridian, Sonos, Sony, Skullcandy, Cambridge Audio, VPI, and Grado. This week, We Shop American, another account I follow (@weshopamerican), posted a series of images detailing a day in the life of the Brooklyn headphone…