Impex US レコード& CD

Review: American songwriter and composer Patricia Barber's marked her breakthrough with Modern Cool, an album driven by her captivating take on The Doors' 'Light My Fire.' Her performance of the album at The Jazz Standard caught the attention of Blue Note's Bruce Lundvall and lead to a celebrated run of releases and international acclaim. Modern Cool became an audiophile favourite thanks to Jim Anderson's meticulous recording and Barber's sharp songwriting and artistry, and it still sounds super here as reissued by Impex on VR900-D2-pressed 180-gram vinyl. It's the perfect way to enjoy a real jazz classic.

Review: Matador is something of a forgotten masterpiece that gets a deserving deluxe treatment here with an all-analogue reissue on nice and heavy 180 gram vinyl. Released back in 1963 by passionate jazz players, trumpeter Kenny Dorham and alto talent Jackie McLean, the energetic album also features spirited performances from Bobby Timmons on piano, and the locked-in rhythm section of Teddy Smith on bass and J.C. Moses on drums. There is frenetic interplay between all, with loose and swinging keys and real spontaneity resulting in hugely expressive and energetic sounds. Remarkably, the whole album was recorded in just one day in 1962 and brims with rawness and realness.

Review: Jascha Heifetz's profound connection with the tumultuous ocean mirrors the intensity and subtleties of his renowned violin sound. He shows that on this nice heavyweight 180-gram album which, meticulously crafted, revisits Heifetz's career milestones with crisp attacks, imaginative phrasings, and mellifluous sustains. The repertoire juxtaposes iconic pieces from different eras and showcases Heifetz's discerning taste in all its glory. From Vitali's Baroque masterpiece to Faure's Romantic opus and Castelnuovo-Tedesco's modern tone poem, each piece complements the other seamlessly. Cut by Bernie Grundman and preserved without digital intervention, this LP encapsulates Heifetz's timeless artistry in a lovely package by Impex Records.

Review: Upon his death in 1996, many within the jazz community heaped fulsome praise on Shoji Yokouchi. To this day, he remains one of Japan's finest jazz guitarists; a dexterous and inventive guitarist capable of playing immaculate, blues-inspired solos on both electric and acoustic guitars. Proof of his skills is provided by this reissue of Greensleeves, an album he recorded in 1978 alongside his regular "Trio" and organist Yuri Tashiro. Musically, the album offers an attractive blend of jazz-funk, "trad" and fusion tracks laden with impeccable solos from both Yokouchi and Tashiro. The best combination of the two players' styles can be found on "Misty", a fine blend of undulating fairground organ flourishes and evocative Spanish guitar.

Review: Legendary American singer Barbra Streisand has an almost endless list of accolades and almost as many great records. Live At The Bon Soir is one that has never been officially released before and now in celebration of its 50th anniversary, it gets one on nice heavyweight vinyl and four sides. It was recorded when Barbra was just 20 years old and had recently signed a deal with Columbia Records. She performed it at the Greenwich Village night club and the songs she chose actually got recorded again in the studio and gave rise to The Barbra Streisand Album.