Listening

I'm always conflicted when I hear a new piece of audio gear for the first time. Anticipation and excitement are tempered by a desire to offer impartial ears and hope that I can aptly describe what I'm hearing. And I know not to form judgements too quickly before equipment has received the warm-up (burn-in) time recommended by the manufacturer. Still, I could not pretend that what I heard with the No.1.a – right out of the box – was special. The first disc I played was Glass Hammer's If, the most recent release from the Chattanooga-based progressive rock band. Everything, from Fred Schendel's new and old-school keyboard sounds to the metallic thump and ring of Steve Babb's Rickenbacker bass, was presented with a studio-like crispness and accuracy that gave the music a sense of “being born,” as if listening to the aural equivalent of watching a series of time-lapse photos of a tree growing from seed to seedling to maturity. There was nothing cold or clinical about the No.1.a; rather, its sound has a warmth that's ear-friendly without mellowing the music or turning it mushy. I would describe it as slightly “tubey” but in the best sense of it and more like a hybrid (tube/transistor) amp than straight up solid state.

Miles Davis' recordings of the early to mid-1970s are among the most challenging and exploratory of the innovative trumpeter's career. The compositions on the 1975 live account, Agharta, are a witch's brew of dark, heavy and explosive forays into the outer limits of electric music. Davis takes a relative side-seat to his supporting cast, and the results are mind- and ear-blowing. Guitarists Pete Cosey's and Reggie Lucas' six-string manipulations alternately sound like the cries of ravens, glass shattering and volcanos erupting; saxophonist Sonny Fortune's astringent lines careen over the driving rhythms of drummer Al Foster and percussionist Mtume. This is dense and intense music that can quickly go from interesting to uncomfortable, played through the wrong system. The Aaron not only captured the fiery beauty and sizzle of the performances, but distilled each musician's part into a focused sonic image within the overall bloom of the tune proper. Dynamics, tone and tempo shimmered in a gorgeous blooming fury, without brittleness or blending into a colorless cacophony.

Comments

Add New | Search

Write comment
Name:
Email:
Website:
Title:
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

---

Like this article? Bookmark and share with any of the sites below.