Holly Cole Trio - Girl Talk (2013) [DSD64]

In March of 1990, the Holly Cole Trio, Holly Cole (Vocals), Aaron Davis (Piano) and David Piltch (Bass) determined that although they had recorded one small EP together 'Christmas Blues' it was time to record their first full length album. They wanted to preserve the quintessence of their live performance by keeping the parameters of recording of that first full record very close to the live environment that they had come to dominate in Toronto's alternative Queen St west club scene. They enlisted Peter Moore who had just successfully produced the ground breaking 'Trinity Sessions' for the Cowboy Junkies. They found the Stephen Leacock Theatre in Keswick, Ontario and proceeded to record live off the stage in the empty hall, with the band strategically placed around a single Calrec Ambisonic Microphone. All the takes are full takes, no overdubbing. The record was highly successful, became a Gold selling release in Canada and a staple gold standard recording for showing off any piece of audio gear (speakers, amplifiers, microphones, etc.) at Audiophile conferences internationally and set Holly Cole up for a long and successful career.

'The air of intimacy between artist and listener is so great that, if anything, the feeling of being present in the moment is greater here than on the 1996 live album It Happened One Night. On an album recorded 'live in concert,' the ambient noises that occur when a large number of people are gathered in one place can seem discordant or inappropriate when you're listening to the CD in your car or your living room; the atmosphere can exclude rather than include you. Put on this disc, however, and you can imagine that Holly Cole is singing for you alone. It's easy to focus on Cole's emotionally compelling delivery, and at first you can be so mesmerized that you forget that the vocalist is one part of a trio. Listen more carefully, and it becomes apparent that the piano and bass accompaniments are deceptively simple -- that they are, in fact, providing a counterpoint to the sung lyrics that is almost conversational. Suddenly, these simple arrangements feel quite complex. The most entertaining song on the album may well be Cole's interpretation of the traditionally sunny and euphoric 'Downtown.' In her expert hands it moves from near cynicism to a guarded openness that makes this standard seem to have a range of meaning you may never have considered.' (Maya Geryk)

Holly Cole, vocals
Aaron Davis, piano
David Piltch, double bass

Guest Appearances:
John Johnson, saxophone (on “Cruisin”)
John MacLeod, trumpet (on “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”)

The original recording was made on a DAT recorder (state-of-the-art at the time). The 2xHD process used to transform the master into the 176kHz/24bits format, eliminates the digital jitter and bring this wonderful recording to its fullest value with an even better natural sound. A true audiophile gem.

2xHD MASTERING PROCESS: Mastered from the original 96kHz, 24Bits files by Rene Laflamme and Andre Perry at Fidelio Technologies’ mastering lab, using the 2xHD process. A modified high-end dCS Vivaldi clock with silver and gold cables was used to create a very transparent sound.