Look For The Light – Jeff Reed – CD Review
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Plastic – CD
Surface noise: N/A
Dynamic Range: 4+
Stereo Imaging: 4+
Image depth/perspective: 4
Overall frequency response: 4+
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Track List:
- Segment
- Waltz New
- Tricotism
- Paragon
- Conversion
- Look For The Light
- A Look Inside
- Quasimodo
- Your Name Never Came Up
Line Up:
- Acoustic Double Bass – Jeff Reed
- Trumpet – Sean Jones
- Bass Clarinet – Todd Marcus
- Guitar – Jonathan Epley
- Drums – Eric Kennedy
This album was recorded and mixed by Rich Issac at Stages Music Arts, Cockeysville, MD, November 24th, 2019. It was mastered by Randy Leroy at Tonal Park Studio, Takoma Park, MD and released on Stricker Street Records on June 5th, 2020.
Jeff Reed is an acoustic bassist, electric bassist, composer, and educator. This album is a collection of jazz standards and original material with Jeff leading the group.
Generally speaking there was very little electronics system noise as the tracks were faded up. However, on several occasions small changes in the noise floor were heard particularly for track 6 during the opening bass line. I also had to raise my volume level by +2dB to get the listening level to what I usually hear at my MLP. The overall dynamics were good throughout but there is a little room for improvement. The imaging was very good with the kit set well back, the acoustic double bass front and center stage, the bass clarinet right of center, and the trumpet and guitar panned mostly to the left hand speaker except on T9 where the electric guitar is panned right of center just were the clarinet usually appeared. Depth was mediocre with the kit set furthest back, the acoustic double bass placed center in front of the kit with the guitar, trumpet and bass clarinet set generally just behind the bass front line position. Only the kit provided a slightly elevated image with all other instruments appearing at the same height.
Musicianship was extremely enjoyable with few bum or split notes and most entrances and extemporiastion being nice and tight.
The overall sound was clean and open with a short and low level reverb that just managed to fill the performance out and stop it feeling too dry. Clearly Jeffs’ acoustic bass took the main roll on many occasions with breaks and solos on almost every track. I had hoped for an electric bass solo but no such luck. It was clean and well defined with just sufficient finger action and presence to put it into my room, sounding well detailed, very open and natural with absolutely no boominess. No matter how busy the tracks became being clearly and cleanly audible.
The entire kit was well imaged between my speakers with plenty of action. The snare and toms had a surprisingly short ring with the snare having a tight clean snap and providing well detailed brush work and solid rims shots. Cymbals, of which there were several, and hi-hat were well detailed, but lacked just a little in brilliance needing, in my opinion, a little more sparkle. Feeling as they did set just a little too far back on occasions. The kick drum made itself known on many occasions either as part of a break or just background support providing a tight, very damped and solid thud with very little added reverb. Short kit breaks abounded on most track with notable breaks on T1, T7, T8 &T9.
The bass clarinet was warm and mellow with virtually no wind, reed or key noise or action, providing a well focussed open image that on a couple of occasions had sufficient presence to “appear” in my room. Solo breaks being many to include T6 & T7. The trumpet was also surprisingly mellow having very little “brassy” edge, and also providing a warm natural sound. Only achieving sufficient presence during T8 to really feel as if it was in the room with me. The electric guitar rounded the lineup off on the LHS until T9 when it appeared on the RHS. As with the other two instruments it had a warm, full and not too detailed sound with little finger or fret noise.
The recording provided plenty of everything for all listeners with many solos/breaks of every instrument abounding on most tracks, each with some excellent musicianship.
The only real improvement to this recording besides adding a little more dynamic range would be to give the cymbals and hi-hat, well everything, just a little more sparkle.
I love bass, but there again who doesn’t? Acoustic, electronic, synthetic and kick, yes I like lots of it, but it must be clean, tight and well defined. The acoustical bass of Jeff certainly filled my buckets for bass on all fronts. The rest of the quintet were pretty damn good too!
The tracks are all well recorded, providing accomplished performances with many of the tracks having excellent acoustic double bass, trumpet, bass clarinet, guitar and kit solos and breaks. Recommended to those of you, who like me, love the sound of a well ‘hung’ bass instrument.
Playback note: Reviewed using my Denon DBP A100 over Denon Link 3. Speakers; a stereo pair of Genelec 1038’s and four SVS subs.
Disclosure: This CD was provided by Kari-On Productions for my review. No financial compensation was provided.
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