Listen to Bliss

[Chris Sommovigo]

Yesterday my tech, Rich, and I visited a client of our in Los Angeles. He's an avid collector, especially of Jazz, and every time we visit him he gives us a treat. In this case, the treat was listening to a lacquer cut from the master tape of Horace Silver's "Cape Verdean Blues."

I've never in my life heard something so clean and pure and present and dynamic and full of life come out of a home stereo system, and I've been doing this a little while. I've heard the best pressings, the finest SACDs, even 1/4" reel-to-reel - nothing I've head has yet equalled the authenticity and immediacy and supreme noiselessness of that record. Rich and I sat there dumbfounded.

I don't know how many plays he has left in that lacquer, but however many are still there ... he should savor every millisecond. It was better than amazing. It was overwhelming.

RICH O'NEIL STANDING IN FRONT OF THE CLIENT'S RECORD COLLECTION (one part of it)

[Alexander]

What is it about the physical properties of a lacquer that make them so amazing to listen to?

[Alan B. Cook]

I remember Michael Fremer mentioning in a review a couple of years that he had a lacquer. For whatever reason I think it was of a The Who album.

[Alexander]

Mmm... walls o' vinyl and obscure pressings of Blue Note jazz. I hope the guy climbs those shelves to get to the top instead of using a ladder.

Not fair!