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Nat 'King' Cole - St. Louis Blues


Label:

Analogue Productions

Genre:

Jazz

Product No.:
CAPP 993 SA
UPC: 753088099366
Availability:
Back Ordered
Category:

Hybrid 3-Channel Stereo SACD



Hybrid 3-Channel Stereo SACD  
(Not Eligible for Additional Discount)

$35.00

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Also available on:
45 RPM Vinyl Record



Click Here to See Photos from the Nat "King" Cole Mastering Session

Read Michael Fremer's Essay on the Nat King Cole Mastering Efforts


Included with this deluxe reissue is a 1,600-word essay by Jordan Taylor about the album.

All tracks playable as Three-Channel, Stereo and Mono on SACD layer and playable as Stereo and Mono on the CD layer.

Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle.

Analogue Productions' Blue Note and Nat "King" Cole Reissues WIN A Positive Feedback 2010 Brutus Award!

"...if you haven't picked up every one of the Blue Note and Nat King Cole reissues from Chad Kassem and company at Acoustic Sounds, you're really missing out!" - David W. Robinson, Positive Feedback, Issue 52

This has been a totally no-expenses-spared project. Using the original three-track work tapes from Capitol's vaults, mastering engineers Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman along with DSD specialist Gus Skinas bring you an entirely incomparable SACD experience. In addition to the stereo mixes, this SACD includes a three-track transfer for multichannel playback and the original mono mix taken from separate microphone feeds, mixing consoles and tape machines at the original sessions. In order to master from the three-track masters, AcousTech had to be outfitted for three-channel playback. That meant Kevin Gray had to find a third identical monitoring channel chain (including mixing board, amplifier and speaker) as well as a three-track playback headstack and also a three-track preview head for the vinyl cutting system.  It was a massive assignment. We've spent a fortune to include these extra bells and whistles and to make this a truly historic reissue.

An influential figure in the early 20th century development of blues and popular music as a music scholar and the composer of numerous popular songs, William Christopher Handy has often been called "the Father of the Blues." When two of the finest and most popular of mid-20th century musical figures, jazz and popular music icon Nat "King" Cole and style setting arranger extraordinare Nelson Riddle, undertook an album dedicated to the music of W.C. Handy, the results were at once a worthy tribute and transformative. Particularly smooth vocals by Nat King Cole were aptly backed by resourceful orchestrations from Nelson Riddle. From the landmark laments of "St. Louis Blues" and the loving appreciation of "Morning Star" on through to the colloquial rag of "Joe Turner's Blues," the varied facets of Handy's songs were given a lastingly freshened interpretation. Along with the contemporary Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy (also available here at Acoustic Sounds), this album is considered by many to be the best anthology of the music of W.C. Handy.

St. Louis Blues was recorded in monaural and 3-channel stereophonic versions. Using the original first generation full-track mono and 3-track session tapes from Capitol's vaults and custom headstacks, console and monitoring chain installed at AcousTech specially for these releases, mastering engineers Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman along with DSD specialist Gus Skinas bring you an entirely incomparable SACD experience.

For this deluxe hybrid SACD, both mono and stereo versions are available in standard resolution on the CD layer and in high resolution on the DSD stereo layer, while the stereo versions are also available in high resolution 3-channel sound on the DSD multi-channel layer. Both mono and stereo versions feature the opening "Overture/Hesitating Blues" medley restored to its original full length. In addition a 1,600-word essay by Jordan Taylor about the album is included. No expense was spared to make this the ultimate digital version of this album and a historic reissue.

Originally released in 1958.

Read some glowing praise for the quality of these SACD reissues here:

http://puresuperaudio.blogspot.com/2010/05/nat-king-cole-sacd-project-launch.html 

 

 



1. Overture, complete restored (introducing “Love Theme” and “Hesitation Blues”)
2. Harlem Blues
3. Chantez Les Bas
4. Friendless Blues
5. Stay
6. Joe Turner’s Blues
7. Beale Street Blues
8. Careless Love
9. Morning Star
10. Memphis Blues
11. Yellow Dog Blues
12. St. Louis Blues

Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 1 person(s) rated this product.

perhaps his greatest album

posted on 02/02/2010
5 Stars
This is a pre-release review. I know that Steve Hoffman & his associates have done an outstanding job when it comes to the quality of the sound. How do I know? Because Hoffman's previous NKC releases are the best out there.

Anyway, I'm just going to say a few words about the album itself. I'm a huge Nat King Cole fan, but I think this is probably my favorite of all of his albums. It's an amazing mixture of songs written by one of the fathers of the blues (WC Handy), fantastic orchestration by Nelson Riddle, and wonderful vocals by NKC. It's an amazing album from start to finish. It's kind of his Sgt. Peppers, if that makes any sense. For some reason this album is not as famous as some of the others, but it's just as good. If you like Nat King Cole at all you'll be doing yourself a favor by ordering this album.


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