Lyn Stanley had totally raised the bar IMHO in every way possible. Song choices, arrangements, sound and technical merit are the best I have heard in decades in any musical recording. Everything is painstakingly created to totally transport you into a world in which the romance of the song becomes one. She takes a great time period in music and IMHO makes it her own labor of love. It is not hard to become completely immersed in the recording. So intense to me I can listen to it over and over and discover yet another lavish, but not overdone detail that becomes the cornerstone of the best effort I have heard in any recording, The single-step process. WOW doesn’t even describe it. It is kind of like calling a reference standard speaker(pick your holy grail set here) just a radio.....NOT. It is times like this where passion, love for the culture, and sound of that time have became a celebration. This is IMHO her best yet, I can only imagine what the volume 2 will bring. This is a showcase in what is possible. If you haven’t got it...you do NOT know how good your rig can sound. Just sayin.
Jazz LP Review: Lyn Stanley's The Moonlight Sessions Vol.1
I've just played Lyn Stanley's latest jazz vocal, Moonlight Sessions vol.1, on 180g 45 rpm vinyl. It is outstanding from both a musical and sonic perspective. If I had to describe Stanley's musical approach in one word, that word would be intimate. I found myself imagining a smoky after-hours club where I sat nursing a drink and wounded feelings while being consoled by a torch singer who made me believe I was the only person she was singing to - and that she understood. Her intonation is precise, her pitch perfect, and her technique is always appropriate for the emotion she seeks to convey. So far, my favorites include Willow Weep for Me, Moonlight Serenade, My Funny Valentine, How Insensitive, and In the Wee Small Hours. The sonics are spectacular, as you would expect from recording engineer Al Schmitt and mastering engineer Bernie Grundman. But there is another trick up this LP's sleeve: the "one step" pressing process that cuts two generations out of the record making chain. I can see this becoming standard fare at audio show demonstrations, and will be in heavy rotation at my place for the foreseeable future.