Mussorgsky-Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
Mussorgsky: A Night on Bald Mountain, Suite from Khovanshchina
Borodin: In the Steppes of Central Asia
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin, conductor.
Mobile Fidelity 4004
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Though it’s still early in the high-resolution sweepstakes, there are already several fine versions of Pictures at an Exhibition in the catalog. Edo de Waart’s on Pentatone SACD is outstanding. But Slatkin’s lyrical, fast-moving interpretation has always been one of the most convincing, and the 4.0 recording, by Joanna Nickrenz and Marc Aubort, is one of the best the talented team achieved in St. Louis. Ravel was a master of orchestration, and every detail of his work can be heard in this transparent recording. Sure, the big places have heft and impact as the reflections kick in from the rear channels (the bass drum is especially solid), but it’s the clarity you’ll remember. The filler pieces receive the same loving care as the main program, both from the musicians and the recording team....Rad Bennett

Jane Monheit: Come Dream with Me
Silverline 288219-9
Format: DVD-Audio

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

This was Jane Monheit’s second album, released in 2001 when the singer was only 23. Through her choice of songs and backing musicians, Monheit fashions herself as a jazz singer, when her slightly raspy yet satiny voice actually seems more at home with cabaret or pop -- the most successful track here is a haunting rendition of Joni Mitchell’s "A Case of You." Silverline has subtly remixed the original two-channel recording to the 5.1-channel format. The voice is spread through the front three channels, while the rears carry discreet ambience. The sound is rich, full, and a little "fat," which lessens the intimate impact that high-resolution recording usually imparts. The two-channel tracks provide that intimacy but lessen the sheen....Rad Bennett

Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd: Tango
Groove Note GRV1021-3
Format: Hybrid Stereo SACD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Groove Note has licensed a few more Concord Jazz titles for its growing SACD catalog, including this gem, showcasing guitarist Charlie Byrd with fellow guitarist Laurindo Almeida. Byrd and Almeida switch lead and rhythm roles, each with equal finesse. The repertory ranges from such period classics as "Jalousie" to more modern dance-inspired music: Leroy Anderson’s "Blue Tango" and, from the musical The Pajama Game, "Hernando’s Hideaway." The recording places one guitar slightly left, the other slightly right, drums and bass in the center. The very intimate sound reveals every nuance of these colorful performances....Rad Bennett

David Bowie: Reality
Sony 90752
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Equal parts Scary Monsters and Heroes, Reality marks a comeback for David Bowie, who wasted more than a few brain cells on such side projects as Tin Machine. Every song is solid, harking back to the day when Bowie and producer Tony Visconti were in top form. Trademark vocal flourishes, such as those on "She’ll Drive the Big Car" and "Never Get Old," bring me back to a time when I played "China Girl" and "Ashes to Ashes" for weeks on end. The lyrics lack the bite of Bowie’s early, hungrier days, but musically, he has no problem showing fans that he still has what it takes to spin great songs. The sound quality is pretty good, favoring a smooth, crisp tonality that at times begs for some harmonic weight. A consistent and enjoyable record, Reality saves Bowie from sliding into obscurity. This is the David Bowie I know and love....Anthony Di Marco

Peter Frampton: Frampton Comes Alive!
A&M 000176519
Format: DVD-Audio (two discs)

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

I like Peter Frampton. "Show Me the Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do" are two big favorites of mine. Unfortunately, I was not bowled over by this DVD-Audio release. I listened through the two-disc set several times, straining to experience the magic of multichannel technology. I never did. With the exception of more pronounced crowd noise in the surrounds, there’s little to recommend this DVD-A over the CD -- it was neither exciting nor involving. Frank Zappa’s marvelous Halloween continues to be my reference for a DVD-A remastering of a live 1970s concert. Where the Frampton is anemic and noisy, the Zappa has stunning dynamics and a "you are there" authority. I understand that there’s only so much an engineer can do to compensate for the sins of older recording technologies, but the release on DVD-A of Frampton Comes Alive! is merely an excuse for A&M to further capitalize on the popularity of a top-selling concert. They certainly didn’t release it for its sound quality....Anthony Di Marco

Morgan Heritage: Live in Europe 2003
LC 03396
Format: DVD-Video

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Picture Quality
Overall Enjoyment

A family of musicians, Morgan Heritage follows in the footsteps of such Reggae masters as Bob Marley & The Wailers. The music is very good, the solid beats and inspired melodies anchored by Peter Morgan’s passionate vocals. Like last month’s fantastic Walter Trout DVD-V, much of this concert was recorded at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. Although the images are colorful and nicely saturated, and the video and audio quality are better than the majority of concert videos, it isn’t as good as the Trout disc. What takes it down a notch is the excessive compression and filtering: In most of the long shots, the band looks like globs of undefined color, which tells me that the MPEG compressionist went a little crazy with the low-pass filtering. The sound quality is very good, however; the drums and percussion have a pleasing snap and sheen without being edgy, and the bass and vocals have nice weight and impact....Anthony Di Marco