Reference Recordings has been busy reissuing a few things from their catalog plus items on their new sub-label Fresh! This one is most unusual in that it originally was issued back in 1985 as a 45 rpm audiophile LP - with a different title...I have the 45 rpm original and carefully A/B’d it with this new CD reissue, which was properly decoded for HDCD on my Oppo player. I was surprised to find the sonics almost totally identical between the two, with perhaps just a tiny shade more richness in the piano tone at 45 rpm if you switch back and forth repeatedly to compare. The careful re-mastering plus the use of HDCD must be responsible for this superb reissue...
...The tunes of Pied Piper are lyrical, impressionistic, meditative, and classical in nature. They abound in lovely melodies, and some do swing a little. The added track of Debussy’s unaccompanied Syrinx fits into the mix beautifully; the spellbinding flute selection was the theme of a popular TV nature series many years ago. The recording quality is just superb, and though Garson’s tunes are all of a piece, there is plenty of variety, making it a fine program for listening all the way thru.
Read the entire review at Audaud.com
Labels: Audiophile audition, Jim Walker, Mike Garson, Pied Piper, Reference Recordings, Reference Recordings Jazz, Review