Dutch Margriet Sjoerdsma and her band came to the market with an album inspired by the wonderful musical material of the singer Eva Cassidy. I find the title "A Tribute To Eva Cassidy" very well chosen. This clearly delineates the intention of this production: It should not be about a vocal competition or something similar, but about the own contribution or a tribute to the artist Eva Cassidy, who died much too early from cancer. Her brother Dan Cassidy can be heard on violin on some of the songs. This gives this production a family character, freely according to the motto: "There is a part of Eva". I think that's a great idea.
Of course, Eva Cassidy has set the bar very high with her evocative and distinct vocals. However, Margriet Sjoerdsma also leads confidently through the songbook with her gorgeous voice. In some titles the singers are very similar, so that I can hardly tell them apart at first. However, after repeated intensive listening, I realize that each of the two vocal artists manages to give the music her own nuance. It's the little things that impress me. On a couple of tracks, Margriet Sjoerdsma grows beyond herself and breaks away from the "tribute." Her vocals connect even more with the instruments, such as the guitar played by Arie Storm on "San Francisco Bay Blues." Through this intimate interpretation, the magical moments of this recording are condensed. Cord Heineking on bass, Arie Strom on guitar and dobro, and Dan Cassidy on violin form a very pleasant playing acoustic band. The four deliver a well-rounded musical picture that was very well recorded and mixed. The tape was mastered by Fritz de With (STS Analog) using his "MW Coding Process". The dubbing was done at STS ANALOG in the Netherlands from a THORENS "TM 1600" to a PHILIPS "N4522". The demands of audiophile listeners are met. I find the selection and order of the nine songs on the tape to be very well balanced. A few of them have a dreamy character, others follow more of an energetic approach.
For a sound carrier comparison I had the vinyl edition sent to me. In principle, the vinyl cannot compete with the tape; however, since Günter Kürten went to PAULER ACOUSTICS in Northeim with his new tape machine THORENS "TM 1600" and there Günter Pauler himself laid hands on his Neumann DMM cutting machine during the direct transfer, the copper foil was cut with every conceivable experience and accuracy. The pressing of the 45 vinyl was done at the OPTIMAL company in Röbel. So all the best ingredients. With the tape as well as the record the production-technical upper limit is reached. My TELEFUNKEN "M15" plays this tape with the right portion of energy. It is a celebration of sound, when the two magnetic tracks are converted without any ado into electrical signals and made directly available to the HiFi chain. Conclusion: Start the device, lean back and indulge in pure acoustic and musical pleasure.
If you want to buy the perfect complement with really many songs, I can recommend the record box "Nightbird" by Eva Cassidy. This 45 rpm version with 7 LPs represents Eva Cassidy's musical legacy in top analog quality.
Album: Margriet Sjoerdsma - A Tribute to Eva Cassidy
Album: STS Analog - T6111197
Playing time: 34 min
Specifications: half track ¼“, stereo, RTM LPR35, 1 metal reel, CCIR, 320 nWb/m, 38 cm/s
For decades of the last century, tape technology was the only way to record music. After the advent of digital technology, the medium of tape became very quiet in the 1990s. Fortunately, some studios held on to the technology during this time and continued to produce in analog. For some years now, tape has been celebrating its comeback. Master tapes from the 1940s to the 1990s are still available in large numbers in the archives and are often so well preserved that they can either be copied directly or are available again in their best sonic form after remastering.
Many tape recorders could be saved over the decades and are available in best condition after maintenance. New manufacturers are on the market with machines. Some companies produce accessories such as tape reels, adapters and devices that allow connection to a modern stereo system. There are also brand new tapes for sale.
Master tape copies allow you to hear the uncompressed music signal exactly as the studio produced it. From the tape, you hear two true stereo channels directly, so they don't have to be generated from a digital data stream or from the groove of a record. Master tape copies are the pinnacle of music listening.
The look and feel of tapes make a valuable contribution to the music experience, and of course it's also about revering the technology from the past. It's great to hear the rich sounds of operating the buttons on the tape recorder and watch the spinning reels. Many publishers package the tape reels lavishly and include special photos, booklets or other material with them.
By Claus Müller - audiotapereview.com
