Myra Taylor - My Night To Dream

 

Analogue Productions Ultra Tape reel-to-reel reissues!

15 ips, ¼-inch 2-track (½ track) analog tape copy

Transferred directly from the original analog master session tape

Tape transferred using ATR-modified Ampex Tape Machine with flux magnetic heads

Custom slipcase cover - highest quality tape reissue!

From Acoustic Sounds, Inc., the world leader in audiophile music sales, the Analogue Productions Ultra Tape Reel-To-Reel Reissue Series continues!

This title was recorded at Blue Heaven Studios in Salina, Kansas — our in-house recording studio here at Acoustic Sounds, for our APO (Analogue Productions Originals) label. Each Ultra Tape is a 15 ips, ¼-inch analog tape transferred directly from the original master session tape, no mastering. Transferred real-time, using an ATR-modified Ampex Tape Machine with flux magnetic heads, by Matthew Luthans at Blue Heaven Studios. Custom slipcase cover.

At an age, 85 when she recorded this album, Myra Taylor was virtually without musical peer; who could imagine a jazz singer sounding as vibrant, aggressive and progressive as she did in her hit-filled 20s? That's Myra Taylor. Prepare to be amazed.

With My Night To Dream, Taylor brings to the contemporary jazz scene a vivid glimpse of the past. This is the same Myra Taylor who scored chart-busters for Mercury Records in the 1940s. Some of those hits — most notably Spider And The Fly, Take It Easy Greasy and Still Blue Water — are redone here. And to some who are familiar with Myra's career, these takes sound better than the originals. Perhaps this shouldn't be so amazing, but to those who have heard this release so far, it has been.

Returning to the studio after a hiatus of over 50 years, Taylor has reclaimed her music. She also was inspired to write again. The result was Hey There, a coy invitation penned especially for the session. Taylor rounded out the record with a choice selection of jazz and blues standards, including her signature songs, This Is My Night To Dream and I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire.

Taylor's rich tone and resonant delivery are perfectly complimented by the crack band drawn from Kansas City's top players and jazz legends. My Night To Dream was recorded in Salina, Kansas at Blue Heaven Studios, the home of APO Records and just a few hours drive west of Taylor's Kansas City home. As has become the Blue Heaven norm, this recording reflects perfectly why this studio in a converted church has won national acclaim for its astounding acoustics. The natural ambiance only enhances the charisma that is so much a part of a Myra Taylor performance. With a new recording and legions of fans and friends, Taylor is not content to rest on her hard-won laurels. She is busily looking to the future and performing regularly, writing new songs and preparing for her next recording session.

Recently, Taylor bought a new set of luggage and renewed her passport. Smiling broadly, she said, "you'll never get to Paris unless you go to France."

"Beautifully sung and sympathetically played blues and jazz standards like these don't come around too often...Taylor simply couldn't wish for better support both here and with the technical expertise on offer at Chad Kassem's Blue Heaven Studios. This vibrant and lively church acoustic, together with her closely miked voice, has immediacy and plenty of fine detail that radiates throughout all twelve tracks."
Recording = 9/10 Music = 9.5/10
— Reuben Parry, Hi-Fi+, Issue 31, page 134

 

Reel 1

1. Spider And The Fly

2. Take It Easy Greasy

3. Straighten Up And Fly Right

4. Still Blue Water

5. Lady Be Good

6. Sunny Side Of The Street

7. This Is My Night To Dream

Reel 2

1. Hey There

2. Since I Fell For You

3. Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean)

4. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire

5. Trouble

6. Day After Day

7. Black Angels

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