HiRez Poll Jacintha - THE GIRL FROM BOSSA NOVA [SACD]

[JonUrban]

Please post your comments and observations!

 

[berninahusq]

I didn't know who Jacintha was until I bought this SACD on December 7. I buy almost anything with Bossa Nova Jazz or Jobim on it. This is one of my favorite recordings.

I hate to admit this, but what I usually do with my favorite CDs and Hybrid SACDs is make MP3s of them, copy the MP3s onto a 1 GB SD Card, slap that into my iPAQ PDA with Windows Media Player 9, plug a pair of small amplified computer stereo speakers into the PDA, put it on shuffle play, and listen to music all day in my office at work. Having listened to these at work, I listen to other recordings when I am at home.

This album is one I listen to on my PDA and I had not played the SACD since December until this evening. I think I had to pull out the SACD to do a review on it.@: WOW....what clarity, what definition, what a good dispersion of instruments in the front and surround speakers. What a difference there is from Low Rez MP3 to Hi Rez SACD! This is one of those SACD recordings where you feel you are in an intimate nightclub, dressed in your white cool linen Miami Vice Don Johnson suit and leather sandals, while you sip margaritas and enjoy the music.

In stereo, you think there are only about five to six instruments, but when you hear this in multichannel, you realize that there are more than just two or three percussion instruments, but more like four to six different percussion instruments spread discretely all around you. Even with just a vocal and a piano in Dindi, you are immersed inside the piano as it surrounds you all around. In other songs, I had to look back a few times to see what was in the nightclub room that caused that very slight pleasing rear echo decay from Jacintha’s vocal. I “felt” the acoustic pluck of the double bass strings. I sensed the breathiness of the sax. Yes these, and more, are things you miss when you are not listening to the SACD Hi Rez version. I’ll be listening to the SACD version more often. I give it a very high 9.

 

[bmoura]

I didn't know who Jacintha was until I bought this SACD on December 7. I buy almost anything with Bossa Nova Jazz or Jobim on it. This is one of my favorite recordings.

I hate to admit this, but what I usually do with my favorite CDs and Hybrid SACDs is make MP3s of them, copy the MP3s onto a 1 GB SD Card, slap that into my iPAQ PDA with Windows Media Player 9, plug a pair of small amplified computer stereo speakers into the PDA, put it on shuffle play, and listen to music all day in my office at work. Having listened to these at work, I listen to other recordings when I am at home.

This album is one I listen to on my PDA and I had not played the SACD since December until this evening. I think I had to pull out the SACD to do a review on it.@: WOW....what clarity, what definition, what a good dispersion of instruments in the front and surround speakers. What a difference there is from Low Rez MP3 to Hi Rez SACD! This is one of those SACD recordings where you feel you are in an intimate nightclub, dressed in your white cool linen Miami Vice Don Johnson suit and leather sandals, while you sip margaritas and enjoy the music.

In stereo, you think there are only about five to six instruments, but when you hear this in multichannel, you realize that there are more than just two or three percussion instruments, but more like four to six different percussion instruments spread discretely all around you. Even with just a vocal and a piano in Dindi, you are immersed inside the piano as it surrounds you all around. In other songs, I had to look back a few times to see what was in the nightclub room that caused that very slight pleasing rear echo decay from Jacintha’s vocal. I “felt” the acoustic pluck of the double bass strings. I sensed the breathiness of the sax. Yes these, and more, are things you miss when you are not listening to the SACD Hi Rez version. I’ll be listening to the SACD version more often. I give it a very high 9.

I agree with your comments. The folks at Groove Note make some wonderful SACDs (Ying Tan, Joe Harley, Michael Ross). But this one really is a standout.

As you say the instruments have wonderful detail and sonics and the clarity of Jacintha's voice is excellent. This is easily one of the best Bossa Nova discs I've heard yet. Highly recommended.

 

[Cai Campbell]

I really enjoyed this disc! I like Jacintha and have a few other discs by her, but to be honest I've never been a huge fan. She's got a great voice but there always seemed to be something slightly off with her music. Now I know what was off; there was never a 100% successful marriage between her talents and her selection of material. Until now.

The Bossa Nova genre is perfect for Jacintha! The thing is, although I like Bossa Nova, I've never been a huge fan of the genre. However, the blending of these two elements results in something truly special. I sat down and played this disc from start to finish without intending to. It is simply wonderful.

The recording is fantastic, and the detail is truly exceptional. The surround mix is not aggressive but offers a very nice balance between a discrete and ambient approach, which I feel complements the music and compositions very nicely.

I gave this one a very strong 9. The only thing that kept it from a 10 is that I would have appreciated a slightly more aggressive mix, but that is really nit-picking. If you only own one Jacintha disc, this is the one to get.