Enoch Light: Big Band Bossa Nova: The New Beat From Brazil (1962) Command Records RS33-844 MONO Vinyl Transfer

The legendary audiophile, record producer and band leader Enoch Light released this Bossa Nova-influenced big band record on his very own Command Records in 1962. Light had built a reputation as one of the first true audiophiles in the era of recorded music by going to extreme lengths to achieve what he would later call "total sound", an attempt to replicate the experience of actually listening to music live in person. He used cutting edge studio technology and top of the line microphones, and was one of the first producers to explore the possibilities, and limitations, of stereo sound.

This album found Light, who was in his 50s at this point in his life, dabbling in Bossa Nova, while still keeping true to his Big-Band roots at the same time. The result is a fun, bold and brassy record, perfect for hot summer evening drives. The songs, a mix of traditional Brazilian jazz tunes and Light originals, are performed superbly by Command Record's staff musicians, the Command All-Stars. The blasting trumpets are crystal clear along side the thick sax lines and the crisp guitar playing of Tony Mattola. The rhythm section stands out in particular though, with the All-Stars using all the slappy, echoey percussive tools they could get their hands on.

The sound quality of the recordings is obviously fantastic. But the mix of this record I'm presenting here is the rare mono edition of record, which was printed in smaller numbers than the stereo mix due to Light's desire to show off his proficiency at mixing sound in the newly developed stereo format. And while Light was certainly a pioneer in the field of stereo recording, he often mixed things so hard left and right that it makes for a sometimes clumsy listening experience, especially on headphones. This mix proves Enoch's productions sounded just as fantastic in a mono mix as it did in stereo. The thing that stands out the most to me about the mono mix, this sucker is one LOUD record. But despite the volume, the clarity remains intact, a very impressive feat, especially for the era in which this was recorded. A very satisfying, and fun, listen. Highly recommended for fans of the Exotica and Space Age Pop music genre's.

Ripped by EAC's .WAV editor and converted in to 320vbr .mp3 with dbpoweramp using LAME 3.97.
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-Casey