Sullivan Fortner is best known as singer Cécile McLorin Salvant’s main pianist, but he was dazzling New York jazz aficionados for a few years before that gig materialized, and, like Salvant, he keeps getting better—more imaginative, more ambitious, more open to taking big risks. His latest, Solo Game (Artwork Records), is two very different albums in a single two-CD set. The first, Solo, is an acoustic-piano solo session, covering a wide array of jazz and pop... Read More

It's few and far between for a song by an unknown artist with no label distribution to premiere on television. When “Jar of Hearts” premiered on "So You Think You Can Dance" in June 2010, the stars aligned for Christina Perri. The Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter penned the song amidst a breakup with a former flame, longing to piece together what was no longer salvageable. Its hook-heavy arrangement and universal lyrical sentiment struck a chord in... Read More

It's that time of year when we take a moment to consider what's been going on in our corner of the world. In this particular corner of the audiophile and music-loving world, that means classical music. A lot has happened in 2023, and Tracking Angle takes a moment to consider what it all means for the present and future of recorded classical music. The biggest development of the year has to have been the arrival of the Deutsche Grammophon Original Source Series of stunning AAA vinyl reissues. These go from strength to strength, bringing in new listeners to classical music. Plus we have some suggestions for Xmas gifts - some obvious, some less so. All things considered, there's rarely been a better time for both the novice classical listener and the seasoned collector. Deck the Halls Indeed!

And here we have it: the most pathetic vinyl reissue of the year. It’s not the worst, but it’s the most pathetic because of how great it almost was. Like the recent Swordfishtrombones reissue, this edition of Tom Waits’ excellent 1992 album Bone Machine subjects an excellent remaster to a painfully mediocre lacquer cut. It really makes you wonder if anyone’s actually listening to these test pressings, or considering the vinyl market’s long-term viability.Earlier this... Read More

This year's CAF differed from past shows I’ve attended in Rockville, Md. Not the show itself, but my impressions. I think it was my 4th CAF. That’s not as many visits as some reviewers and audiophiles, but enough for the show to take on a mission for me. I’ve always enjoyed this show; the 2023 edition was my favorite.In previous CAFs (calves?), even as I knew intellectually most systems are in poor-sounding hotel rooms, I don’t think I sufficiently factored that... Read More

In the SL-1200GR2 review I said I'd produce this video so you could hear the Seto-Hori Remodel and the turntable, so here it is. Plus the video shows the incredible packaging. It even sounds good on computer speakers. I'm not sure who will spend $4000 on a cartridge and put it in a $2199 turntable but this demonstrates that the 'table can do the job on most any cartridge you choose to use with it and produce excellent sound.You can read more about it on... Read More

The Beach Boys returned at the start of a new decade with a surpising burst of stunning creativity. Original release August 31 1970. I love this album. Looking back now I think I know why. It all had to do with timing.

One of Alt Rock's premier guitarists delves into his 40-plus year career

Record Store Day - Black Friday Edition - is here and this year ORG Music has two interesting releases in store for listeners. The first release finds David Grisman & Jerry Garcia taking an interlude into jazzy territory on the reissue of So What on a two-disc vinyl set. The album - recorded in the early 90s, but released in 1998 - has never seen a vinyl release until now. The second release ORG offers is Creative Improvisation Ensemble by Marion Brown & Leo... Read More

The holiday season is here, though finding gifts for picky vinyl obsessives can be difficult. To help, we’ve compiled a list of records, gear, and accessories that demonstrate why yes, you do carefully listen to your loved one’s rants about fancy reissues and record cleaning supplies. Without further ado, here’s the 2023 Tracking Angle Holiday Gift Guide, independently selected by Michael Fremer and Malachi Lui based on personal opinions and experiences with each... Read More

Can you name an audio product that for more than fifty years has been manufactured and sold unchanged? Technics iconic SL-1200 isn’t one of them. Yes, today’s SL-1200 turntable series looks like the original SL-1200 introduced back in 1972 but looks can be deceiving. Nonetheless, YouTube comments confirm that many SL-1200 enthusiasts continue to believe that what they bought in 1972 is equal to or better than what Technics produces today, partly because most current... Read More

Many a western themed orchestral work ("western" as in cowboys), as well as probably some "eat beef" television commercial music keyed off of Antonín Dvořák's bold Symphony No. 9 (originally called Symphony No. 5 but not getting into that here). The Czech composer began writing it shortly after arriving in New York City on September 26th, 1892, but the set's annotator Alexander Moore makes clear that while the symphony is from the new... Read More

You now have a choice of two AAA reissues of The Yes Album, which happens to be my favorite Yes album. Yes, I'm making this one personal. The Yes Album lineup with Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Tony Kaye, and Bill Bruford plus the then newly added Steve Howe was an epic assemblage of great musicians and that album still packs a sonic and musical punch. It's going to be released as part of the Analogue Productions Atlantic 75th anniversary series as a single... Read More

Manufactured in Ann Arbor, Michigan in "small batches" to assure "the very highest level of quality control" the new Allen Perkins designed MoFi MasterDeck turntable packs high tech construction concepts and a rich feature set sure to attract vinyl fans desiring more than just a basic platter spinner but who don't want to invest five figures in new turntable.Design features include a three-phase brushless DC motor housed in an isolated... Read More

Don't mean to be a buzz kill but "Greatest Hits" compilations, though seemingly extremely attractive, always promise more than they actually deliver. Almost like assembled favorite scenes from a movie that can't begin to satisfy as does the actual movie, songs taken out of the historical context of the albums on which they originally appeared add up to less, not more, no matter how skillfully they are assembled—even if the recording artist is The... Read More