Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Hi-resolution versions of the albums Pat Metheny recorded for the ECM label are being made available online.
(Photo: Rolf Frison)Guitarist Pat Metheny forged a singular and instantly recognizable sound during his relationship with the ECM label.
Hi-resolution versions of his albums for the label—like American Garage, which featured late keyboardist Lyle Mays, and Bright Size Life—were made available Friday on digital platforms for the first time.
“The main premise in digitizing the Pat Metheny tapes was not to change the sound of the recordings, but to realize them in the original form, in the best possible quality,” ECM mastering engineer Christoph Stickel said in a note to press.
“The work was based on the original, analog stereo master tapes. The masters are in very good condition and can be played without problems,” he continued. “All tapes were played by a Studer A820, which was meticulously calibrated to the respective tape. The analog signal was digitized in 96kHz/24-bit, which covers the complete spectrum of the original bands. In each case, a decision was made between a PrismSound ADA-8XR, an Antelope Eclipse Mastering AD and a Mythek Brooklyn ADC, depending on which one suited the respective recording best. No denoising and no other restoration affecting the sound was carried out.”
The music is slated to be available on Acoustic Sounds (download), Amazon (streaming), Apple Music (download and streaming), HDtracks (download), Prostudiomaster (download), Qobuz (download and streaming) and Tidal (MQA Master streaming). DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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New Orleans Trad Jazz Camp
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Blindfold Test proctor Ted Panken, left, with the Grammy-winning Nicole Zuraitis.
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After earning the 2024 Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy for her seventh album, How Love Begins (La Reserve), comprising 12…
