HiRez Poll Pizzarelli, John - DEAR MR. SINATRA [SACD]

[JonUrban]

Please post your thoughts and comments if you get this new SACD from Telarc.

 

[Felix E. Martinez]

One of the best discs of 2006. Incredible sonics and dynamic range. Fave track - "Witchcraft." Play that one loud as a beautiful example of dynamic range in a a hi-res format. The 441/16 audio on the CD - while very, very good, doesn't hold a candle to the hi-res surround. The 5.1 mix really does a great job in opening up the band around the listener, while keeping Pizzarelli and his guitar anchored in the front. The stereo mix sounds claustrophobic in comparison.

Pizzarelli told me that with the exception of one track, all the vocals were done live with the band. The 32-track native DSD recording is a stunner.

 

[JonUrban]

Is this the guy that sings the "Foxwoods Song"???

 

[JonUrban]

Felix is right, this one "sounds" great. I did a 'spot listen' to a few tracks so I'm not voting yet, but the fidelity is amazing. I cranked up "Witchcraft" on Felix's suggestion, and was marveling at the detail in the base, when I was blown out of my seat by a brass barrage! Holy crap!!

On short listens, it took a bit of mental adjustment to deal with John Pizzarelli's vocals, as my "brain" was expecting Sinatra himself, that's how good these orchestral charts are. John has a fine voice and covers the tunes quite well, however his voice does not have the raw POWER that Frank had, but then again, not many do.

If you grew up in the '60s (like me), more than likely your parents started you on a diet of Sinatra at a very early age, so these tunes are somewhere in your head. I know as I have gotten older, I appreciate them much more than I did when I was 16, or even 26.

If you like the standards, then this is a fine presentation from Telarc. As I said, I have to listen more to get the "Surround" score. At first listen it was not a dramatic mix, but I will listen closer for that next.

I got this one for around $15 from buy.com, and it was well worth it. With the lack of surround music these days, thankfully Telarc is still with us.

Support them if you are so inclined!

 

[bmoura]

Felix is right, this one "sounds" great. I did a 'spot listen' to a few tracks so I'm not voting yet, but the fidelity is amazing. I cranked up "Witchcraft" on Felix's suggestion, and was marveling at the detail in the base, when I was blown out of my seat by a brass barrage! Holy crap!!

On short listens, it took a bit of mental adjustment to deal with John Pizzarelli's vocals, as my "brain" was expecting Sinatra himself, that's how good these orchestral charts are. John has a fine voice and covers the tunes quite well, however his voice does not have the raw POWER that Frank had, but then again, not many do.

If you grew up in the '60s (like me), more than likely your parents started you on a diet of Sinatra at a very early age, so these tunes are somewhere in your head. I know as I have gotten older, I appreciate them much more than I did when I was 16, or even 26.

If you like the standards, then this is a fine presentation from Telarc. As I said, I have to listen more to get the "Surround" score. At first listen it was not a dramatic mix, but I will listen closer for that next.

I got this one for around $15 from buy.com, and it was well worth it. With the lack of surround music these days, thankfully Telarc is still with us.

Support them if you are so inclined!

Funny that you mention "Witchcraft". Gus Skinas over at the Super Audio Center in Boulder is using that very track in Surround Sound SACD to wow customers about the capabilities of the 32 Track Sonoma! It is a rouser, as you say.

And I'll say that some of the other tracks on the SACD are treats as well. Starting off slow and subtle and then really cranking things up. This Surround Sound SACD is a lot of fun. Thumbs up !

 

[elmer]

An excellent big band recording - very reminiscent of those great Sinatra/Basie charts. A very wide soundstage. The dynamics are really impressive as demonstrated by "Witchcraft." The rears are used to good effect without being obvious. Pizzarelli has a pleasant voice and swings quite well - however he simply pales in comparison to Sinatra - all in all, a very cool and worthwhile addition to my surround library

 

[bmoura]

An excellent big band recording - very reminiscent of those great Sinatra/Basie charts. A very wide soundstage. The dynamics are really impressive as demonstrated by "Witchcraft." The rears are used to good effect without being obvious. Pizzarelli has a pleasant voice and swings quite well - however he simply pales in comparison to Sinatra - all in all, a very cool and worthwhile addition to my surround library

Sinatra is represented on Stereo SACD by a cut from the Sopranos Soundtrack (Columbia C2S 85453) as well as two other tribute albums on Telarc - Nice N Easy, an instrumental album by Erich Kunzel & the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (Telarc SACD-60532) and Dancing In The Dark, a jazz reinterpretation of Sinatra Standards by Tierney Sutton (Telarc SACD-63592).