Blue Chamber Quartet First Impressions Hybrid Stereo SACD

TAS Audiophile Demo Disc!
TAS Rated 4.5/5 Music, 5/5 Sonics in the January 2008 Issue of The Absolute Sound!
The Blue Chamber Quartet with their vibraphone, piano, harp and double bass create a unique sound covering Sergei Prokofiev as well as Astor Piazzolla and Chick Corea. An album consisting of a mixture of classical music and the improvisation characteristic of jazz. 4 extraordinary soloists with a really breathtaking performance!
"Sonically, producer Gunther Pauler captures the exquisite tonal colors in a natural way full of vitality and dynamic energy. The multichannel recording presents the ensemble in an intimate setting, placing listeners two rows back from center stage." - Chris Martens, TAS January 2008
Stockfisch Records not only has been releasing artists from the European and American guitar scene, the 70's Folk revival and has paid special attention to the singer/songwriter scene, but is always interested in special projects outside the "Mainstream". These productions have a high artistic standard and are challenging from a sound engineer's view. Thus Stockfisch released such awarded and critically acclaimed SACDs like "Sinistre" with piano virtuoso Péter Tóth from Hungary, "surrounded by horns" featuring the American saxophone quartet "The Tiptons" or the recordings of the Dutch early-baroque specialists "The Spirit of Gambo".
Four musicians with successful solo and ensemble careers in the field of the classical music decide in the fall of 2005 to present a concert far off the beaten path of a typical concert program. The concert is intended to reflect the tastes of the individual members of the ensemble, and showcase the joy they feel in playing their instruments. Piano, harp, vibraphone and double bass combine classical roots with elements of jazz into an excitingly different new sound.
The Blue Chamber Quartet blue notes and chamber music of the 20th century melt into a highly virtuoso and varied mixture. The traditional mixes with the unknown - familiar sounds blend with the exotic. The Blue Chamber Quartet takes the listener on a journey of discovery through a surprising world of seemingly familiar works. The four musicians prove once again, that it is possible to combine classical music with jazz, because the have found the right bridge between the two genres.
Piano, harp, vibraphone and double bass create a sound impression far beyond the formal strictness of classical music and the improvisation characteristic of jazz. It goes full circle from quiet moments of contemplation to rhythmically driving, minimalist musical patterns. A sound impression covering Sergei Prokofiev and Astor Piazzolla as well as Chick Corea.

Features:

• Super Audio CD
• SACD Multi-Channel SACD Layer
• SACD Stereo SACD Layer
• This Hybrid SACD contains a 'Red Book' Stereo CD Layer which is playable on most conventional CD Players!

Musicians:

• Julia Bartha, piano
• Angelika Siman, harp
• Thomas Schindl, vibraphone
• Holger Michalski, double bass

Selections:

Sergei Prokofiev
1. Toccata
Chick Corea
2. Children´s Song 19
3. Children´s Song 12
4. Children´s Song 16
5. Children´s Song 17
6. Children´s Song 18
Astor Piazzolla
7. Tanti anni prima
Jens Schliecker / Nils Rohwer
8. Music 4-4
Monika Stadler
9. Goodbye My Love
Astor Piazzolla
10. Kicho
Richard Michael
11. Jazzsuite - Intro-Latin
12. Jazzsuite - Blues
13. Jazzsuite - Boogie
Jens Schliecker / Nils Rohwer
14. Hinter dem Fenster
Chick Corea
15. La Fiesta

Total playing time, 54: 37