Vocalist Louisa Amend and band perform a wide variety of songs, from classic standards to music by Chick Corea, Joni Mitchell and more
Boulder, Colorado, December 11, 2024 – Octave Records’ latest, Louisa Amend Quartet Live at the Muse Performance Space is sure to delight jazz fans and audiophiles alike with its beautifully-recorded songs, captured live in an intimate setting in extraordinary Pure DSD audio quality. The debut album from vocalist Louisa Amend blends Great American Songbook standards like “Time After Time” and “The More I See You” with adventurous choices such as Joni Mitchell’s “Michael from Mountains,” a vocal rendition of “Keith Jarrett’s “Country,” and a Louisa and Tom Amend original, “Labor of Love.”
Louisa Amend Quartet Live at the Muse Performance Space was recorded on location at the Lafayette, Colorado venue and features Louisa with Tom Amend on piano, Gonzalo Teppa playing upright bass, and Braxton Kahn on drums. The album showcases the warm sonic environment of the Muse and the easy, familiar interplay between the musicians with remarkably lifelike sound and presence. The album was recorded by Paul McGowan, with Paul and Tom Amend doing the mixing. Terri McGowan and Jessica Carson assisted in the production duties, and the album was mastered by Gus Skinas. A Geffel UM 930 large capsule condenser mic was used for Louisa’s vocals. Tom’s piano was miced with two AKG C214 condensers, and the drums were captured with two of the same for the overhead mics, along with Beyer Dynamic mics for the snare and kick drum. The album was recorded with Octave Records’ custom-built Pyramix-based 16-channel DSD 256 rig.
Louisa Amend Quartet Live at the Muse Performance Space leads off with a swinging take on the classic “If I Should Lose You,” where all the sonic and musical elements of the album are immediately showcased. Louisa’s singing is sweet and inviting, Tom Amend’s piano has stunning harmonic texture, clarity, and attack, Gonzalo Teppa’s bass occupies a distinct presence in the soundspace and holds down the music with articulation and authority, and Braxton Kahn’s drums span the sonic range from the powerful dynamics of the kick drum and toms to the spaciousness of the cymbals.
Next is “You’re Everything,” written by Chick Corea and lyricist Neville Potter. The band delightfully capture’s the song’s breezy forward motion and lyrical optimism. The quartet shifts into ballad mode with the 1934 jazz standard “My Old Flame,” featuring a superb solo by bassist Gonzalo Teppa and some understated brush work by Braxton Kahn. Joni Mitchell’s “Michael From Mountains” follows, a song that feels like it’s tailor-made for Louisa and the group, from the cascades of Amend’s piano notes to Kahn’s cymbal work, using mallets and sticks to create a variety of airy tones.
Among the many other highlights of the album are the bouncy version of George and Ira Gershwin’s “Soon,” featuring another excellent bass solo by Teppa; the original song “Labor of Love,” which sounds like it could have been written in the 1960s or yesterday and features some exceptionally dynamic drumming; the deep groove of Allen Toussaint’s “With You in Mind”; the relaxed beauty of the bossa nova classic “Dindi”; and a jazz-flavored rendition of “The More I See You.” “Invitation” by Paul Francis Webster and Bronislau Kaper find Louisa and the band navigating through shifts in time and feel, including an extended Braxton Kahn drum solo that is as musical as it is demanding of an audio system’s capabilities. Louisa adds lyrics to Keith Jarrett’s “Country” and Kenny Barron’s “Sunshower,” to transform the songs into something entirely new and compelling. The audience can’t help but applaud during solos and at the end of the songs, which only adds to the feeling of being there with the musicians as they’re playing. At one point someone yells out, “Whooo!” – and in light of the performances and sound quality, it’s easy to hear why.
Louisa Amend Quartet Live at the Muse Performance Space features Octave’s premium gold disc formulation, and the disc is playable on any SACD, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player. It also has a high-resolution DSD layer that is accessible by using any SACD player or a PS Audio SACD transport. In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download, including DSD 512, DSD 256, DSD 128, DSD 64, and DSDDirect Mastered 352.8 kHz/24-bit, 176.2 kHz/24-bit, 88.2 kHz/24-bit, and 44.1 kHz/24-bit PCM. (SRP: $29.)
If you’re a member of the media and would like Louisa Amend Quartet Live at the Muse Performance Space for review, please contact Frank Doris at [email protected] or 631-645-5668.
About PS Audio
Celebrating 50 years of bringing music to life, PS Audio has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in manufacturing innovative, high-value, leading-edge audio products. Located in Boulder, Colorado at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, PS Audio’s staff of talented designers, engineers, production and support people build each product to deliver extraordinary performance and musical satisfaction. The company’s wide range of award-winning products include the all-in-one Sprout100 integrated amplifier, audio components, power regenerators and power conditioners.
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