Lou Donaldson - LD+3

'Featured as one of the 'Records to Die For' in the February 2011 issue of Stereophile!

The Definitive Versions of Blue Note are on XRCD24... Listen & Compare!

The Three Sounds were a very popular group in the late 1950s/early '60s and for good reason. Pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy always knew how to lay down an irresistible groove. They infused every song they played with a heavy dose of the blues and could outswing any combo while never being stingy with the soul. The same could be said for altoist Lou Donaldson. Influenced by Charlie Parker but a bluesier player, Donaldson in the 1950s held his own on sessions with Clifford Brown, Thelonious Monk and Jimmy Smith while gaining a strong following with his series of Blue Note recordings. LD + 3 is a very special recording from 1959 featuring Donaldson and the Three Sounds really inspiring and pushing each other. Starting with a passionate version of "Three Little Words," they dig into such bop classics as "Just Friends" and "Confirmation," playing with plenty of heat. The mixture of bebop fury with soul makes this a true Blue Note milestone.

"When I listened to the Audio Wave XRCD release of [AWMXR0008] Lee Morgan - Tomcat I was awestruck. My conclusion was that rather than comparing digital to analog, a more logical conclusion was that the entire digital vs. analog debate becomes irrelevant when listening to a recording that is so far superior to anything that has come before it. My analog setup costs six times what my digital one does, but given the same Blue Note title on LP or XRCD I'd choose the XRCD each time. I question the motive of any writer who claims that there is an LP re-issue that equals the sound you all are achieving."

"I recently purchased three more Audio Wave Blue Note titles and the sound on each of them is really stunning. The clarity (without any brightness), dynamics, instrumental timbres and subtlety that I hear in these performances is amazing. You can really hear the emotion and intent of the performers in a way I have not experienced with my Blue Note records before, be it an original pressing, RVG remaster or one of the 45 rpm re- issues from other labels. When playing [AWMXR0010] Horace Silver- Cape Verdean Blues over the weekend, my mom (who was visiting from out of town) and daughter actually came in the room and started dancing around. Its magic on a silver disc."

"I hope you will have the opportunity to visit other back catalogs or more Blue Note titles with wizard Alan Yoshida at the helm. I have a new appreciation for the importance of mastering. Thanks for the great music." - Steven Frost, Elusive Disc Customer

"Soul Station exemplifies the suave, flowing melodicism and erotic rhythmic subtlety that made Mobley unique. With a rhythm section for the ages behind him, Mobley delivers profundities of soul and swing now gone from planet Earth. This Audio Wave reissue uses JVC's XRCD24 mastering and manufacturing technologies and gets you closest to Blue Note's master tapes." - Thomas Conrad, Stereophile Magazine, Records To Die For, February 2011, Vol. 34, No. 2, pg. 77

"My good friend Joel, a Blue Note Vinyl subscriber, ordered the Blue Note XRCD24 Hank Mobley "Soul Station" from Elusive for delivery to me as a gift. I had not previously made the connection between you [Elusive Disc] and this Blue Note reissue project until reading the liner notes of my new Mobley XRCD24. I am compelled to say, actually quote Billy Crystal who once said, "Just Mahvulous Dawling, Just Mahvulous". The sound is shockingly good. Congratulations on producing something so absolutely stunning and enjoyable." - Doug O., actual Elusive Disc customer

"I recommend these highly. If you want the best digital versions of these great Blue Note albums, grab these. In my opinion they are the best that have ever been done and probably the best that ever will be. They can't stay in print forever so don't delay!" - Steve Hoffman, Mastering Engineer

"Blue Note has never sounded this good on CD before - these are the first digital Blue Notes that come close to the sound of vinyl. And the packaging is outstanding. I love the high quality glossy covers, and the insert booklets are the first effort I've seen to fit high quality photography into such a small package. Keep up the good work!" - Dennis Davis, Hi-Fi+

"Astute listeners know that the very first Blue Note CD issues are sonically superior to the more recent RVG remasters. Well, these XRCD24s absolutely crush them both, displaying high-frequency air, midrange presence, and bottom-end definition and weight missing on earlier CDs and many LPs as well." - Mark Mickelson, TheAudioBeat.com Click Here to read the entire review!

"Compared to the 45 r.p.m. vinyl, the LPs still have a slight edge in smoothness and liquidity, but thanks to the XRCD process and the care that was taken transferring these albums directly from the original analog masters, these CD's have to be approaching the limit of what the compact disc is capable of resolving. Instrument timbre is stunningly real, and the amount of air and decay present on these recordings will make the uninitiated swear that there is a record playing on a turntable somewhere. I've never heard this music sound this good in any digital format." - Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio

"The quality is next to none and as far the sound goes they are absolutely beautifully recorded, the timing is perfect and the clarity of the instruments is spot on, I will treasure these CDs. I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the collection." - Victor A., actual Elusive Disc customer

"The sound is absolutely stunning and natural and represents digital at its best. The space around instruments and decay times are reminiscent of live acoustic performances. The mini-hardcover book format packaging is exceptional with great photography and legible liner notes. Truly well done and keep them coming." - Roger B., actual Elusive Disc customer

"a well done XRCD... It's a sound that comes about as close to analog excellence as we've heard from any digital format" - Wayne Garcia, TAS Issue 203, June/July 2010 pg. 120-123

"These discs are open, dynamically free, tonally natural... the bass is textured, melodic, and explosive when a drummer lets loose." - Wayne Garcia, TAS Issue 203, June/July 2010 pg. 120-123

"...they may not quite equal the breathtaking sonics of the vinyl discs in transparency, immediacy, and ultimate dynamic pop, they come very close. So close, in fact... I was prepared to get up and flip the LP to Side Two—except I wasn't listening to an LP but to a Yoshida-mastered XRCD." - Wayne Garcia, TAS Issue 203, June/July 2010 pg. 120-123

Protect your Audio Wave Music/Blue Note XRCD24 Collection!

The Japanese Top Sealing Resealable CD Outer Sleeves are also Recommended! Also featuring a 3-Mil Thick Mylar that keeps out dirt and dust and protects from nicks and scratches, this Top Sealing Sleeve features a Looser Fit for easier jacket removal and Top Sealing Strip creating a seam down the spine.

Features:

• Mastered and produced by Alan Yoshida and Joe Harley from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note 2-Track Analog Tapes!

• Highest Quality Analog-to-Digital transfers from tape to CD.

• Deluxe Packaging with Hi-Resolution Black & White Session Photos by Francis Wolff.

• Includes Original Album Liner Notes

• XRCD24 is Compatible with ALL CD PLAYERS!

Musicians:

Lou Donaldson, alto saxophone

Gene Harris, piano

Andrew Simpkins, bass

Bill Dowdy, drums

1. Three Little Words

2. Smooth Groove

3. Just Friends

4. Blue Moon

5. Jump Up

6. Don't Take Your Love From Me

7. Confirmation