Groove Note - GRV150-1 - 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl - AAA 100% Analogue
Tube Cuting System by Bernie Grundman - Pressed at RTI
AAA 100% Analogue This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only, from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head
"Jaw-Dropping Sound." - HiFi+
"The sound quality of this album is truly reference quality ...a must purchase!" - thehighnote.
"The sound quality of this album is truly reference quality ...a must purchase!" "The recording is exemplary high resolution with excellent instrumental detail." "Ms. Fernandez does not disappoint." As for the sonics, you can figure that one out yourself: Ocean Way, recorded by Michael C. Ross to analog tape, mixed to analog tape and mastered to 45rpm vinyl from the 30 IPS 1/4" master tape by Bernie Grundman. Sound 11/10 Music 10/10 Michael Fremer Analogue Planet
Michael Ross recorded the music to 30ips 1/4" tape, and the all-analog pedigree is evident. The sound is smooth, dynamic and big, with massive weight and oes so well. Use Me is demo material in either format, but if your analog rig is up to digging everything out of the groove, you won't hear a better-sounding record this year or next - Audiobeat
Groove Note Records is proud to announce the release of Vanessa Fernandez's album Use Me. This album of audiophile quality covers of soul and R&B classics from the '70s and '80s was done in an "unplugged" style with acoustic instruments and arrangements used on all of the tracks. Vocals are tremendously dynamic (no compression or limiting used), with superb presence and detail for all other instruments including the drum set.
Resolution is of the highest order and this is an LP that rewards for both musical performance and outstanding audio quality.
The album introduces and throws the spotlight on the fantastic voice of Singaporean vocalist Vanessa Fernandez. The song selection includes tunes by Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Earth Wind & Fire, Bill Withers, Al Green and others.
Top musicians playing on the album include the great bassist Lee Sklar (Phil Collins, Rita Coolidge, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Lyle Lovett), acoustic guitars Tim Pierce (Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Roger Waters, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton), electric piano Jim Cox (Willie Nelson, BB King, Aaron Neville, Ringo Starr, Lyle Lovett), drums Victor Indrizzo (Macy Grey, Marianne Faithfull, Meatloaf, Emmylou Harris), percussion Rafael Padillo (Julio Iglesias, Celine Dion, Pavarotti, Gloria Estefan), and harmonica Stanley Behrens (Willie Dixon, Canned Heat, Ruth Brown).
This is a great group of top LA musicians backing superlative performances by a great new singer!!!
Test Pressings of the album were demo-ed extensively at the Munich High End Show as well as at THE Show in Newport Beach and reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
There are many records and labels who declare themselves to be of "audiophile quality". Groove Note records all of their albums at the best studios in Hollywood (Oceanway, Record One, Cello, Sunset Sound) using a top Grammy nominated recording engineer, Michael C. Ross. All of our albums are recorded 100% analogue and the production masters are also mixed by 100% analogue by MC Ross.
Engineer Michael Ross recorded the music to 30ips 1/4" tape, and the all-analog pedigree is evident. The sound is smooth, dynamic and big, with massive weight and presence. I listened first to the SACD, thinking that it would be hard to improve upon, but the RTI-pressed 45rpm LPs offered even greater resolution and naturalness, neither to the detriment of everything the SACD does so well. Use Me is demo material in either format, but if your analog rig is up to digging everything out of the groove, you won't hear a better-sounding record this year or next. - Audiobeat
All albums are cut by one of the greatest mastering engineers in the world, Bernie Grundman, on an all analogue tube cutting system using all upgraded and modified vintage Sculley cutting lathes. All LPs plated and pressed by RTI on 180g audiophile vinyl.
45rpm Double LP
Plated and Pressed at RTI
Cut by Bernie Grundman on all analogue tube cutting system using all upgraded and modified vintage Sculley cutting lathes
Mastered direcly from the original 30 ips 1/4 inch analogue master
Musicians:
Vanessa Fernandez, vocals
Tim Pierce, guitars
Leland Sklar, electric bass
Victor Indrizzo, drums
Rafael Padilla, percussion
Jim Cox, keyboards
Stanley Behrens, harmonica
Selections:
LP 1 - Side A:
1. I Just Wanna Be With You
2. Be Thankful For What You Got
3. Distant Lover
LP 1 - Side B:
1. Hard Times
2. That Loving Feeling
3. Simply Beautiful
LP 2 - Side C:
1. Use Me
2. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
3. Cool Cat
LP 2 - Side D:
1. Here But I'm Gone
2. Be Thankful For What You Got (Alternate Mix)
Debut album from Vanessa Fernandez to be released by Groove Note in the Fall of 2014. What a refreshing breath of R&B air; to hear a Singaporean singer cover Curtis Mayfield & Marvin Gaye. What a wonderful change from the usual jazz singers covering the American Songbooks. Curtis Mayfield has long been denied the credit he deserved as one of the truly brilliant American songwriters of the last century. Here is a state-of-the-art recording, covering some of the classics from the R&B genre, sung by a wonderful singer.
Ying Tan from Groove Note (creator of this record) brought in the lacquer on Friday morning of the Newport Show 2014 and played this record in many rooms over the duration of the show. For those unfamiliar with lacquers, acetate is another name for a lacquer, a lacquer is a disc of aluminum coating with a layer of celluloid material. A lacquer looks familiar to a pressed record but they are heavier and do not bend like vinyl does. They also have a distinct smell which is the lacquer coating itself. A lacquer can give you a limited, finite number of plays when treated correctly; however, using needles made for scratching will wear the grooves in more quickly. Also, adding weight to your tonearm will wear in the grooves more quickly. Lacquers come in two grades: Reference & Master.
Ying returned on Sunday afternoon of T.H.E. Show and presented me the lacquer as a gift, saying that even though we had the most inexpensive turntable (Luxman PD-171 $6,400) that he had auditioned, he was astonished with the sound quality & the emotional impact.
The sound quality of this album is truly reference quality. Look for it in the Fall, a must purchase!