Kickstarter for Jazz Vinyl - Jerome Sabbagh's The Turn

There's a new Kickstarter project to help talented saxophonist Jerome Kabbagh press his latest recording on vinyl. But not just any vinyl -- he wants Doug Sax and the Mastering Lab to handle this. See, the man has taste. Check it out - this is a project of love not commerce. There is hope for music when an artist is this committed, but only if he can reach a supportive audience. Take a listen.  I've heard the full recording and it's excellent, with strong supporting guitar too. This group is worth knowing.  Now, tell me where you can get a mint, high quality pressing of original jazz on three sides of vinyl for $20.  Less than the price of yet another edition of Kind of Blue, or another Zep reissue...I'm in, give it a shot and you can get to influence what gets released.

CDs still a big player in the Japanese market

Interesting story in the NYT this week. Apparently the market for digital downloads, seen as the media-killer here in the US, is not growing everywhere. In fact, digital downloading is on the decrease in Japan where CDs are still the dominant means of purchasing music.  All sorts of theories are posited here, ranging from the unique Japanese love of collecting to the maturity of the market, with some insiders arguing that the industry must crack the downloading market there if it is to survive. Seems CDs are now seen as the problem not the solution. Oh dear. 

Technics makes an audiophile comback

Well, it must be the season. The new Technics emphasis on sound quality is beautifully illustrated through their new website. Worth a browse for sure even if their tagline:"Never ending pursuit of the definitive sound" reads a little too close to Lexus' pursuit of perfection for my tastes. Maybe it should be the 'derivative' sound they are seeking.