Cafe Blue - Unmastered

Buy it and compare it with the remaster one is a real pleasure.An album to bring with you on an island... of pleasure!Fabulous music with excellent intrepretation! Jazz at his best. One of my best cd ever bought.Since its release in 1994, this album has remained a benchmark for both sonic and musical achievement.There is everything in this album, but above all a pleasurable pleasure.I have even just rediscovered Too rich for my blood with its lyrical song and this intoxicating percussion.Truly, a great masterpiece!

I was told about the "Unmastered" version by an "audiophile" friend that suggested I check it out. I really enjoy this version of a favorite recording. I find that by having less post-processing this version of the recording stands out as a clear winner. I have the HDCD mastering as well as the original and once I heard this one I realized how much artificial echo was added to the recording. This one is just smoother and more pleasing to listen to for my ears. It is easier to pick up the fine details. The mastering is the same on the Redbook and SACD layer so it can be enjoyed by all. I highly recommend it to all Patricia Barber fans.

The so-called "unmastered" SACD is my only version of this classic. While a fan of Patricia Barber, I found that the deeper into got into her releases, the more I prefer the early recordings.On my system, through a Marantz 8004, tubed amplifier and Wharfedale speakers, cold I might add, not warmed up, the music emerges in a very forward reaching holographic soundstage. The piano, conga drums, and especially her voice have a rich and warm timbre . Based on the official release information, the DSD source picked up the room ambience, space and tone, hence a stripped down flat soundboard mix.Seeing as how this cost me under $30, and sounds killer, I can finally scratch the long out of print Mofi SACD version that costs bucka bucks off my list. Ergo the gold CD release that also has skyrocketed since going out of production.Better than this? Maybe the Mofi 45rpm of 2005 vintage, or the Kevin Gray version on vinyl, but to my ears, this release is a solid keeper. Save your money, don't compare it to other versions!

One of if not best recordings of Cafe Blue. A must have!!!!!

Very good and enjoyable recording. I like the variety on the CD and musically it was well defined on my system which will present the content as recorded - good as good and bad as bad.

Highly recommended

It is one of the reference recordings. Here voice sounding so pleasurable ! You must have this CD.

Cafe Blue was recorded at Chicago Recording Company in early 1994 by recording engineer Jim Anderson. It was the first release Patricia Barber recorded for Premonition Records. Recorded in 16/48 kHz on a 32-track Otari machine, the original multi-tracks were then transferred and remixed in 2011 at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. This recording authored for Hybrid SACD by Gus Skinas at the Super Audio Center, Boulder, Colo.Originally recorded and mixed at Chicago Recordings Company, Studio 5, Chicago IL. June 28-30, July 1, 1994.Mastering at Foothill Digital, New York.I have at least 6 releases of this album including First Impression Music FIMCD 010 remastered, HDCD encoded, replicated in 24Karat gold CD 1997 (one of the best sounding CDs) and Mobile Fedelity Sound Lab UDSACD2002 remastered, reissued in hybrid disc SACD/CD (one of the best sounding SACDs! CD version needed little help and after 19 years, I finally, successfully remastered it!) This hybrid disc SACD/CD is un-mastered and of course the original recording was one of the best recording sessions done by Jim Anderson who is known as one of the best recording engineers even though this un-mastered mix has a total of 42 clipped peaks and little distortions along the way but it is still a good, sweet, warm sounding mix! It'd sound much better if it's mastered so I have spent quite some time to master it and this masterpiece has come to life once again with sound stage open up, more laid back, wider, better details and well defined bass! I'd definitely recommend this un-mastered version of Cafe Blue to everyone and for critical audiophiles, I'd recommend the FIM CD010 or MFSL UDSACD2002 or ultimately you can always have entire un-mastered mix professionally, properly mastered and mastering fee starts from 60 bucks to 75 bucks per song! 5 stars previously given but -1 star for 42 clipped peaks and -1 star for distortions!Happy listening!