Do you have a long-term plan for listening to compact discs? Are you considering burning your discs to a music server and selling off your enormous collection? (That’s me.) Are you considering keeping your collection […]
This new recording of Symphony No. 9 in D Minor from Anton Bruckner is interesting to me on several levels. First of all, it comes from the Zoho Music label, which I associate with jazz–South […]
I can confidently state that I have more experience with Italian-made high-end audio loudspeakers than any other audio writer. That’s why I decided to review the Rosso Fiorentino Pienza Series 2 two-way monitors. Yes, that’s […]
One of the reasons I love small jazz piano ensembles so much is that one group can sound so different from another group, even when playing the same standards. I’m not talking about mere improvisation, […]
We have a running joke in the PTA War Room about the “big” DAC from Ideon Audio, which is rumored to be going to Dave McNair for review. Apparently it weighs over 1600 pounds, more […]
I’ll admit that some off my holiday reviews of music for non-holiday people have gotten strange–trust me, I wisely passed on some of the more adventurous music in the review pile because I didn’t want […]
As we’re barreling full-speed into the New Year, I had a thought. If I’m going to include Fred Hersch in my holiday listening choices, I should probably point out that he’s a perfect New Years’ […]
The latest album from Miguel Espinoza Flamenco Fusion, Veneta, might be a harbinger of things to come in 2022. As soon as we got through the bulk of the holidays I sensed something in the […]
Here’s an intriguing coincidence. I just finished the review of Anna Koroleva’s Antigravity yesterday, and today I went to the next piece of music on the review schedule, Feel Again from Elena Maque. These two […]
Saxophone player Anna Koroleva just sent me her new album, Antigravity, straight from Russia. This was probably my favorite part of covering contemporary jazz in 2021, this influx of recordings that have come from places […]
Deciding the Product of the Year Award for 2021 Last year was the first year we awarded a PTA Product of the Year. Last year’s winner–the Vimberg Amea loudspeakers from Germany—was chosen by me, Marc […]
Deciding the Best Value of the Year Award for 2021 As we finish out our year-end award season, I noticed that many of the same products that were considered for Product of the Year for […]
Carole King & James Taylor’s Live at the Troubadour was recorded back in 2007. I’ve seen James Taylor perform live only once, during a Bridge School Benefit concert from just a few years before. It […]
Boomslang from Portland-based saxophonist Rich Halley has provided a soundtrack of sorts to this point in the holiday, where the pressure and the last minute planning and the things that don’t quite work out the […]
“Award-winning jazz vocalist Alexis Cole may be the most talented singer to ever hold a top-secret military clearance,” the liner notes say, and I have to admit that got my attention. But Sky Blossom from […]
You’re in a very swanky bar in a very swanky hotel and you’re having drinks with friends. This is a new place, one you’ve heard much about, and every cubic foot of this place makes […]
Sometimes I think that our North Carolina crew has all the fun. They visit each other, hear all the cool gear that’s been coming in for review, swap back and forth, and I’m over here […]
It seems I’ve taken the challenge to talk about music for the holidays, but perhaps it’s all about the approach. The secret, I think, is to talk about music I want to hear during the […]
I saw this Jacqueline Kerrod CD in the review pile and I though oh, harp improvisations! I like the harp. I have plenty of harp recordings that I use as demo tracks. I adore Joanna […]
I barely made it through another year of holiday jazz releases, and I have to admit I skated a little because I only talked about one release from Jeff Hamilton as if that’s the only […]
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