Jay McShann
What A Wonderful World

By Steven R. Rochlin
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CD Stock Number: GRV2005-2
Vinyl Stock Number: GRV1005-1

http://www.groovenote.com

  Sometimes ya just get lucky. One day this package arrived at my doorstep. Was it yet another 24-bit DAC of questionable quality? Maybe more glorious cables? Maybe the new Hasselblad, Ferrari or Patek Philippe catalog? Upon opening it i soon discovered something even better! What did my eyes see but great music on both vinyl and CD from the folks at Groove Note. As Stimpy would say "Oh joy! Rapture!"

One of the titles in the box was Jay McShann What A Wonderful World" on both vinyl and gold CD. Not just ordinary vinyl mind you, but that 180 grams smells soooo good variety. To make life, vinylly speaking, even more joyous is this being a two album set! While most of the music is on the first album which is playable at the normal 33 1/2 speed, the second vinyl album is totally 45rpm with repeats of the songs "Gee Baby Aint I Good To You" and What A Wonderful World" on one side while an extra bonus song "Until The Real Thing Comes Along" is on the other! This is just too good to be true. So off i went running to my handy dandy Nitty Gritty for a quick record cleaning and then the music.

Songs like "What A Wonderful World" filled my humble abode with a blues and jazz legend. Like the great David Honeyboy Edwards reviewed previously, Jay McShann has such great depth to his character that you can easily hear it as he sings. The recording quality on this album is also extraordinary thanks to the great Joe Harley, Ying Tan and Sebastian Koh. These three guys are deep music lovers and also died-in-the-wool audiophiles. Back to the music...

i'll pass on giving a track by track review and simply state this is a must-have for any music lover who values jazz, the blues and desires only the best in sound quality. Both the CD and vinyl are amazing, with the vinyl getting the final nod for the ultimate of resolution and musical realism. When the music is this good, no amount of words i can say here really matters. Stop what you are doing and buy this album now!

Below is the track listing:

1. Piney Brown Blues
2. Cherry Red
3. Blue Monday
4. Just For You
5. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
6. Crazy Legs & Friday Strut
7. Rain Is Such A Lonesome Sound
8. Land Of Dreams
9. Lonely Boy Blues
10. Hot Biscuits
11. What A Wonderful World

Enjoyment: 100

Sound Quality: 90/CD  95/vinyl