http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HRDA2011
Unfortunately, although it has been released in various hi-res formats, including SACD and DVD-A, it is frustratingly hard to come by. The DVD features one side with a 24/96 'HDCD' recording (whatever that is), and one side with a 24/192 DVD-A version. I prefer the 24/192, ripped to HD, but I haven't heard the SACD yet.
Brown was one of the all-time great acoustic bass players in the Jazz world, and Soular Energy encapsulates the very essence of his talent. It also features another jazz great, pianist Gene Harris, who once labored in relative obscurity until Brown convinced him to join him on tour. And don't forget, it was Ray Brown who, arguably, introduced Montreal's Oscar Peterson to the jazz world.
When a casual listener drops by and asks to hear some "Jazz", I will invariably cue up "Cry Me A River" from this recording, and usually the listener is pretty much spellbound by the end of the tune. High-end sales people take note!!!
The recording is one of those that has the capacity to draw you totally into the performance, and if you are lucky enough to be able to hear it through Light Harmonic's incredible Da Vinci DAC, it does so in a way that - in my experience - only Vinyl has ever managed before. And all that without the aid of "recreational assistance", if I may put it that way....
Highly, highly recommended.
