Nice recording with persistant flaws
Great music and very nice spacious overall recording with a very nice sound stage and details in the voicing of the various instruments. I have this as a CD and as a higher quality digital file, so I knew what it could deliver via an LP. I specifically wanted the LP to enjoy a richer sound, especially since I had just gotten a new phono pre amp I wanted to try. The LP does deliver the instrumental dynamics and aforementioned resolution really well. The individual instruments are nicely resolved in a spacious soundstage. Unfortunately, the pressing quality control is lacking. The first LP I received had two flaws in the form of brief, but clearly quite bothersome distorted segments in the first song of side 1, plus a sharp, single groove hard crackle in song 2. I returned it and JPC as always was great and prompt about replacing it. The second one still has a flaw in the first song again (think it's at the same place), but it is more brief and less pronounced, so I decided to live with it, as I really like the album. It is unfortunate, however, that so many LPs nowadays (here a 180 gr) are just poorly pressed and lack quality control. I have mass market LPs from the 70s that are in better shape and show zero flaws.Think it's the cashing in by companies and too few good LP presses that are causing this. Who knows, but it's annoying. ECM is another company that has gotten really bad too.
