Charles Mingus’ format as a deeply spiritual, playfully inventive and stylistically uninhibited composer, bassist and bandleader is very much in evidence on Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Recordings, an 8 LP (or 7 CD) box set of his late-era recordings for the label. 

Tracking Angle went live on September 12th, 2022 with a "welcome" post that ever since has been pinned to the top of the home page. It's now retired to its correct timeline position. So much has happened this past year, I do know where to begin: with a grateful thank you to our readers/subscribers, a large percentage of whom made the switch to Tracking Angle. And of course we are continually welcoming new reader/subscribers. Reader comments here are always informed and most often add useful information. It's a community I'm proud to be part of as I think are all of our readers.

NEW YORK, NY – September 13, 2023: As part of Atlantic Records’ 75th   Anniversary celebration, the label – in conjunction with Rhino Entertainment – has launched an extensive year-long vinyl series featuring 90 releases spanning the entire history of the company, from its earliest days until the present. The series encompasses iconic and acclaimed albums across virtually every popular musical genre, including special editions and many that have never been on vinyl. The unprecedented series has been curated by Atlantic Records Chairman & CEO Craig Kallman, who – in addition to his role as the label’s chief executive – is one of the world’s foremost audiophiles, with a personal vinyl collection now numbering over two million LPs.

Bluegrass is enjoying one of its cyclical surges of artistry and audience, with Molly Tuttle in the vanguard. She and Billy Strings have become the first ascendant acoustic guitar stars in years, while carving out band identities as distinct and transformative as Alison Krauss and Union Station in the 90s or J.D. Crowe and the New South in the 70s. She’s won numerous bluegrass awards and a Grammy before age 30. In a golden time, Tuttle is a golden girl from the Golden State with her second album in 16 months, aptly titled City of Gold. 

In celebration of the Golden Anniversary of the iconic Marvin Gaye album Let's Get It On, Motown/UMe released a digitally a revised and expanded Let's Get It On: Deluxe Edition on August 25, 2023, three days before the album's original release date in 1973 fifty years prior. Featuring a trove of 33 bonus tracks, 18 of them previously unreleased, the Prince of Soul's creative explorations continued to unfold with the production of this pivotal release. Collectively, the bonus material leans into the story of Gaye's multi-layered personal struggles during the album's creation. “Comprised of tracks recorded during an intense six months of sessions in Los Angeles in '73, this newly the album's original eight songs alongside unheard mixes and material from all the sessions along the way, in addition to a trove of funky and fascinating instrumental tracks - and unreleased versions of the ballad recordings Marvin returned to time and again.

Located at 3138 Fillmore Street, The Matrix was the hub of the “San Francisco sound” in the late 1960s. The pizza parlor turned nightclubs was spearheaded by the members of Jefferson Airplane in 1965, who became the default house band. Whether it was Big Brother and the Holding Company, Steve Miller Band, or Quicksilver Messenger Service, spectators that attended shows at the Matrix witnessed Bay Area bands in a loose environment that was a far cry from Bill Graham’s grandiose Fillmore West.

How Low Can You Go? I’m not talking about quality per se, but quality at a reasonably low price. At $3,200 a pair, the new speaker from Canadian audio electronics stalwart Simaudio is an exceptionally impressive listen at any price. I had a hint at this when I heard a pair at the 2022 Montreal Audio Fest. The Simaudio room was not a tiny hotel room but a medium to large-sized exhibit space on the lower level. It was paired with the Ace, a Simaudio integrated amp/streamer of about 50 high-current watts per side. This simple system, for around $7,000, played recordings in a way that made me want to sit down and listen—and I did just that. 

Here are notes on a selection from my favorite books on the history of recording technology, the history of the record business, and the interactions between recording technology, the record business, and the art of music. One example of what I mean by all that is, in the late 1920s, piezoelectric “crystal” microphones supplanted carbon microphones for radio broadcasting. Crystal microphones had a better signal-to-noise ratio than carbon microphones. Therefore, the... Read More

Technics just unveiled its "next gen" direct drive turntable, the SL-1200GR2 (silver) and the SL01210GR2 (black). According to the press release, the new turntable "...features a revolutionary new drive control technique for smooth, accurate rotational stability and a new power supply for an exceptionally low noise floor. "The newly upgraded turntable is equipped with standout audio and design features, including: · A new Delta-Sigma-Drive and a... Read More

Darcy James Argue has evolved over the past 15 years, into one of our era’s great big-band composers and leaders, second only to Maria Schneider and, increasingly, a force worth taking on the same level of seriousness. His 4th and latest album, Dynamic Maximum Tension—his first in six years and his debut on the Nonesuch label—is his best to date: a work of stunning versatility and complexity, but thoroughly accessible, borderline passionate, for all its intricate maneuvers.

This press release lists prices in Euros only so not sure if this launch is simultaneously in Europe and the USA but it's newsworthy nonetheless. At Munich High End 2023 Pro-Ject Audio Systems launched an extensive "EVO" line of new tonearms in both standard and premium versions that occupied a rather large sized wall. This photo shows only some of the arms on that wall.Pro-Ject EVO arms at Munich High End 2023The lineup includes 9",10" and... Read More

Los Angeles, CA (September 6, 2023) – Craft Recordings’ acclaimed Small Batch vinyl series returns with an audiophile pressing of Thelonious Monk’s Brilliant Corners. A landmark title in the pianist’s celebrated catalog, the 1957 album not only introduces several Monk originals, but also features an all-star line-up of talent, including Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and Paul Chambers. Shipping September 8th and limited to just 4,000 copies worldwide, Brilliant Corners can... Read More

As listeners and reissue labels contextualize new age music in the broader history of ambient music, probably the biggest resurgence has been that of Laraaji, the zither master who’s worked with Brian Eno, Haruomi Hosono, and Bill Laswell, and who also leads laughter meditation workshops. Now, Numero Group presents Segue To Infinity, a recently released 4LP box set encompassing his first LP, 1978’s Celestial Vibration, and three discs of recently discovered recordings from the same time.

Originally released September 21, 1993 and recorded by Steve Albini, In Utero was Nirvana's first #1 debut on the Billboard 200 and went on to 6x platinum certification in the United States. The 30th anniversary release will be issued October, 27th, 2023 in a variety of formats including include a limited-edition 8LP Super Deluxe box set, 5CD Super Deluxe box set, 1 LP + 10” edition, 2CD Deluxe edition, and a Digital Super Deluxe edition. (Interestingly,... Read More

(This review originally appeared in Issue 5/6, Winter 1995/96. A 25th Anniversary double vinyl LP issued by Omnivore with new liner notes and three previously unissued outtakes is currently available—see clickthrough at page bottom).When I was a child, I had a middle-aged second cousin Sophie who lived in far away California. She came to visit one cold New York winter in the late 1950s, bearing crates of tissue wrapped oranges, and jellies and jams from a place with a... Read More

(This review originally appeared in Issue 7, Spring 1996.)It is at once comforting and depressing to hear a band of (relative) youngsters writing and performing songs, most of which could easily be dropped into a cassette tape compilation from the early 70s and segue way so smoothly you’d never know they were new. Since I choose comfort over depression every time, I’m enjoying the hell out of this set of alternative shitkicker music which gracefully slips and slides... Read More