You’ll have to read Phil Schaap’s Wikipedia entry to get the full measure of the man. But it must be noted that he taught jazz at the graduate level at Columbia University and Rutgers University, taught American Studies at Princeton University, and convened graduate-level classes for the Juilliard School’s “Jazz at Lincoln Center” program. During his life’s journey, Phil Schaap acquired seven “Little Gold Gramophones.” (My personal count: Zero.) Three for “Best Album Notes;” three for “Best Historical Recording;” and one for “Best Audio Engineering.” That last one being the 1996 award for Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings. Obviously, this guy knew his stuff.

Mr. Guarducci asked to interview me recently and here's thevideo he posted to his ANA[DIA]LOG YouTube channel that he's kindly sent me so I can post it here as well. You never know how people are going to react nor did I know how many of his large subscriber base (he's based in (Italy) was going to react but so far the comments have mostly been positive over the few days the video's been up on his channel. It's a long interview (he kept it... Read More

Green Bay,Wisconsin, August 2025: The Return of a Legend – London Decca Cartridges Reborn!After a quiet three decades, the near-mythical London Decca cartridges have returned under new ownership, with a seasoned design and manufacturing team. Until recently, the cartridges’ global cult following acquired the limited production examples made available through Presence Audio. But this is not just a comeback for the existing models. Under new guidance, the London Decca... Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—PARAMUS, NJ — Aug.11, 2025 — The sounds of vinyl will once again echo through the halls of the Westfield's Garden State Plaza with the grand opening of The Sharp Notes, a new record store owned and operated by New Jersey-based educator, musician, and music journalist Evan Toth.Located in the heart of Paramus, NJ, The Sharp Notes brings back the golden-era thrill of physical media—reimagined for 21st-century ears. The store specializes in... Read More

THE ZOMBIES, “BRITISH INVASION” PIONEERS, ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF THEIR ALBUM ODESSEY AND ORACLE MONO REMASTERED ON SEPTEMBER 26TH VIA BEECHWOOD PARK RECORDS LISTEN TO THE MONO REMASTERED VERSION OF“THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR” HERE Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees and “British Invasion” pioneers, The Zombies, today announce the release of Odessey & Oracle Mono Remastered on September 26th. The album, the first of four definitive physical reissues from their... Read More

Bill Janovitz's in depth history of The Cars puts the pride of Boston pop under detailed examination

Mapleshade Records was a haven for jazz-loving audiophiles in the 1990s, a label that combined very good music and excellent sound quality in an era when digital—which, in its early days, usually meant lousy sound—was sweeping through the mainstream industry. Mapleshade’s proprietor-engineer, Pierre Sprey, recorded all his albums on analog tape, with austere minimalism: just two microphones (sometimes three), no processing, not even a mixing board. He stacked bricks... Read More

The San Francisco Audiophile Foundation recently invited me to interview John Curl—a true audio designing legend whose decades spanning career includes working for Ampex, Mark Levinson, Parasound, Constellation and many other companies as well as designing a few equally legendary products he self-marketed like the Blowtorch and Vendetta Research preamps. Phono preampfification is a particular Curl speciality.Keeping Mr. Curl on the "straight and narrow" was... Read More

(Press release): Two of the most iconic West Coast jazz recordings return in definitive form: Way Out West by Sonny Rollins and Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section, now available as Ultra High Quality Record (UHQR) editions for pre-order via Analogue Productions. Pressed on 200-gram Clarity Vinyl at Quality Record Pressings and cut at 45 RPM for the highest fidelity possible, these limited editions—each capped at 2,750 numbered copies—are mastered AAA directly from... Read More

Never deemed ‘cool’ in the eyes of the mainstream and scowled by record critics, Canadian trio Rush were the textbook definition of ‘the people’s band.’ Guitarist Alex Lifeson, drummer Neil Peart, and bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee were anomalies amongst contemporaries who praised rock’s lewd and lascivious side. Their body of work explored science fiction, fantasy-driven, and philosophical lyrical realms while adapting to whatever musical climate they were... Read More

Guetersloh, Germany / Charlotte, North Carolina / Cleveland, Ohio – 4. August 2025 – Sonopress, a global leader in media manufacturing, is proud to announce a new partnership with Gotta Groove Records, a highly respected U.S.-based vinyl production company. As part of this collaboration, Gotta Groove Records will offer the innovative EcoRecord, Sonopress’s environmentally friendly LP record solution, to its customers in the United States.

Wilson Audio Specialties introduced the new $28,000 Sabrina V loudspeaker at a July 24th event at Innovative Audio in New York City. Long time Wilson employee--Director of Sales-- and award winning recording engineer Peter McGrath plays the music, only a bit of which is included in this video because what's the point of picking it up with Bluetooth microphones? Industry veteran and new Wilson employee Patrick Butler describes the considerable differences between... Read More

Acoustic Sounds announced today a 75th anniversary Chess Records series, with 6 titles to be rolled out 2 monthly starting October 17th, all cut from original master tapes by Matthew Lutthans and pressed at Quality Record Pressing, housed in archival quality gatefold "Tip on" jackets.

Michael Ochs, music journalist, author, record label publicist and the preeminent music photo archivist of all time, died on July 23, 2025, at his home in Venice Beach, Calif. He was 82 and cause of death from Parkinson’s disease, with which Ochs had been diagnosed five years ago, he was also suffering from COPD, kidney and heart related issues. The younger brother of 60s singer-songwriter Phil Ochs, Michael Ochs created a business of collecting images of musicians... Read More

What self-respecting audiophile’s heart does not gladden at the sight of an LP store? There it was, a sign, black print in gothic script on a yellow background, jutting proudly from the facade, announcing Buch Spieler Records in downtown Montpelier, Vermont, only a few blocks from the gleaming golden dome of the State House. Just boffo.I ventured inside to discover a cornucopia of records, including some fine jazz reissues as well as originals. The prices were fair—10... Read More

(Press release): The Making Of Five Leaves Left, a project nine years in gestation, will be released this Friday, July 25 via Island/UMe. This Nick Drake Estate authorized edition comprises more than 30 previously unheard outtakes from the sessions which gradually became Nick Drake’s debut album, Five Leaves Left, and will be available as 4CD and 4LP boxed sets. The reason for the lack of any previous typical anniversary-related ‘deluxe’ set, was the Estate’s wish... Read More

Tuesday, July, 22nd: Today, Secretly Distribution announces a worldwide distribution deal with Org Music, the Los Angeles-based independent record label that has established itself as a premier destination for both high-quality vinyl reissues and innovative new music. Furthering Org Music’s commitment to preserving essential recordings and championing forward-thinking artists, Secretly Distribution will now handle physical and digital music distribution, digital and... Read More

The introduction most often associated with producer—and champion of unfairly unheard music—Zev Feldman, compares him to an archaeologist: the “Indiana Jones of jazz,” as The New Yorker wrote in 2023. Fittingly, Feldman’s occasional SiriusXM radio show is cleverly titled Jazz Detective. In a reissue landscape often focused on bringing listeners albums they may already own in triplicate, Zev shines his producer’s flashlight into unexplored corners of the archive:... Read More