GRANDGOOD

ESP-Disk is about to release a new DVD-Audio album by New Orlean’s jazz legend Ellis Marsalis which has been recorded in 5.1 stereo surround sound using Sonature technology. You can buy it before it hits most retailers by going to the ESP store – DVD-r disc, hand numbered, full packaging by ESP! I haven’t gone out and purchased a DVD-audio player (yet), or 5.1 surround sound system for that matter, but I’ve had the opportunity to hear the difference between the highest quality CD (but still over 20+ year old technology) recording of certain selections of Sun Ra, Patty Waters, and a few other ESP artists vs. a proper DVD-Audio stereo surround sound system using Sonature technology and the difference was amazing and obvious. I gladly sat through a lengthy presentation of this innovation in sound quality by Stollman himself in ESP headquarters and as someone who generally doesnt mind badly recorded music, I was genuinely impressed. With the right set up, which in this case included 5 speakers (I think), in a medium sized living room, you could stand anywhere in the room and the sound remained consistent. I could hear the detail in every instrument of Sun Ra’s Arkestra and I finally heard an official version of Astro Black for the first time (before that I listened to an Mp3 of the same song about 100 times) . I can only imagine what other albums would sound like in Sonature or any 5.1 surround sound even. Rhino, ESP, and others are doing interesting things….