News

The German MPS label has just released five excellent jazz albums originally released in the early 1970s under the supervision of noted German audio journalist and record producer Dirk Sommer. All have been mastered AAA from the original master tapes by mastering engineer Christoph Stickel, who was responsible for the Oscar Peterson box set Exclusively For My Friends.

In addition to the pictured Montreux Alexander are these four:

Baden Powell Images on Guitar
Joe Henderson, Chick Corea, Ron Carter, Billy Higgins Mirror
Freddie Hubbard The Hub of Hubbard
The Oscar Peterson Trio Walking the Line

I singled out the Monty Alexander record because I have an older Speakers Corner reissue that sounds spectacular and is equally so musically, recorded June 10, 1976 at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The Kingston, Jamaica born pianist is still active. I can also recommend guitarist Baden Powell's Images on Guitar, because I have an original I bought when it first was released, but looking at who plays on the others, there's probably not a less than excellent record among the five.

Expect full reviews of all of them shortly. Each includes a full sized image of the master tape and all are beautifully pressed on 180g vinyl but not sure if at Pallas or Optimal (or somewhere else?).

American distribution is via Naxos.