INSPIRATION #14

December 30, 2019

As mentioned in my post “Update December 2019”, I haven’t had much time to myself lately. I haven’t been to any concerts in quite a while and there hasn’t been much time to seriously listen to music at home either.

I have however upgraded my sound system by getting a new amplifier, floorstanding speakers and better cables so it’s been inspiring to play records at home anyway with improved sound, even when I can’t really focus on the music.

Trying my new set up out and experimenting with the positioning of my new speakers, I’ve been listening to albums that I know quite well. Using those as a reference has helped me in comparing different options.

The “downside” of having a better system is that the difference between a good sounding recording and a less good one becomes more clear. Using some albums that I consider to be good sounding as references has reminded me of that aspect and makes me appreciate that part of the production process even more. Some of the CD’s that I’ve been listening to are:

Tomasz Stanko New York Quartet: Wisława (ECM)
John Scofield: Grace Under Pressure (Blue Note)
Bobo Stenson Trio: War Orphans (ECM)
Peter Erskine Trio: As It Is / Time Being / You Never Know (ECM)
Miles Davis: Bitches Brew from “The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions” (Columbia/Legacy)
Jacob Young: Evening Falls (ECM)
Joni Mitchell: Travelogue (Nonesuch)

The last concert I saw was Ralph Towner playing solo guitar at Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen on May 3rd, 2019. That was something truly special and an evening I will never forget.