A Record That Tells You How Great Your System Can Sound...

and how blah most recordings are....

Scandinavians playing Dixieland/trad jazz is not my idea of a great musical treat—I don't care how well it's recorded and that's why though I've got a copy of the audiophile classic Jazz at the Pawn Shop and concede that it is among the greatest sounding jazz recordings ever, I can't remember that last time I listened to it.

This record from Swing' Gate is something else, though it too treads in trad jazz land, because its leader, pianist Andreas Sobczyk (who is German despite his Polish-sounding name) is a fan of the genre as well as of Kansas City and New Orleans jazz and players like Jelly Roll Morton, Count Basie, Meade Lux Lewis and others. You get the picture.

The septet of Sobczyk on piano, Andreas Dombert, guitar, Stephan Holstein, clarinet, alto and tenor sax, Malo Mazurié, trumpet, Karol Hodas, bass, Peter Müller, drums and Denise Gordon, vocals performs nimbly throughout greased by skillfully devised and often surprising arrangements of even the most stale of chestnuts like "Darktown Strutter's Ball" and the like, all infused with Sobczyk's obvious deep knowledge of the various musical forms.

Almost as a defensive/offense move to assure listeners that the group and its leader is musically literate beyond the old school stuff, the set begins with a cooking cover of Sonny Clark's "Soul Struttin'" that even fans of the original will find more than credible.

Since this music is available streaming, if you're curious I'd start with the group's cover of Al Jolson's "Avalon" another moldy oldie. Dombert's Ray Crawford-like guitar work will immediately impress and note the harmonic interplay between sax and muted trumpet, as well as the Caribbean influenced rhythmic tilt. They make it interesting and of course the recording to two track Studer C37 is stupendously great: warm, intimate, three-dimensional—and all set against blackest of black backgrounds.

But let's backtrack to the Swingin' Gate label and founder Robert Merker. Some say the Swiss have a not particularly well-developed sense of humor but Merker has one. On the label's website he asks and answers the question:

"Who, please, is, Swingin' Gate Records?

Swingin’ Gates is me, Robert Merker. And who am I? A question that my shrink still cannot answer – after 23 years with 3 sessions per week, 3312 in total. I did the math, counting 52 weeks per year minus 4 for vacations and whatnot. Anyway, I am what common folks would call an audiophile. I think this is a misnomer. I definitely prefer being labeled as a vinylophile music lover. (That also sounds a bit less nerdy than audiophile.)

Anyway, it was never my intention to produce a record. (All I wanted was sit, watch and listen at a recording session.)

Then, I didn’t want to have the recording mastered.

Then I only wanted a lacquer to play on my turntable.

Then, I did not want my own record label—I just wanted to get rid of the 1000 LPs that were pressed of Soulful Journey.

Then I definitely did not want to produce a second LP; the first one was plenty enough. And I certainly did not want a website where I have to present myself and explain my idea.

But as Forrest Gump said so wisely: Life is like a box of chocolate. You never know what you're going to get. So be prepared for everything. It could be your own record label."

Swiss citizen Merker is a vinyl fanatic who, before semi-retiring made his living elsewhere and decided, like so many others, to chance losing some of it in the record business. To that end he founded the label and brought the group into Powerplay Studios in Switzerland to record this album live to two-track tape. The limited edition record is a "One-Step" and as you'll read at the above hyperlink every record sold is put through the AFI flattener/relaxer. You can even order a 1:1 tape copy should R2R tape be your passion.

Sonically and musically this is at the top of the audiophile record charts, but musically it's above "audiophile record" grade. That's why I say it's guaranteed to demonstrate to you just how great your system can sound and how mediocre so many records sound. Plus I think you'll actually play it for musical enjoyment (you can access it on Qobuz as a 16/44 file). Were I running a room at AXPONA or FLAX or CAP or SW Audiofest I'd be playing this one. I'll bring it to AXPONA. Only available through the Swingin' Gate website (for 80CHF). Volume II recorded during the same sessions is there as well for 50CHF.