BLOG: The Fav Album Of…. – Meier Audio

In this weekly series of articles you will discover what are the business insider’s favorite albums and tracks. We have contacted a broad selection of industry experts and each Wednesday you can discover one of those guy’s favorite albums and why this is so. Check out our previous “Favorite album of” articles here: https://www.headfonia.com/category/fav-album-of/

This week’s honor goes to Jan Meier of Meier Audio (Germany). We have reviewed his awesome gear on Headfonia already and I’m still looking forward to reviewing his upgraded FF units as they sound even better:

 

meier-logo

Meier Quickstep: https://www.headfonia.com/review-meier-audio-corda-quickstep-impressive/

Meier Corda Classic / Daccord: https://www.headfonia.com/meier-audio-daccord-corda-classic/

 

Who am I:

I’m a 54 years old Dutchman, living a Germany, who runs a small one-man business specializing in headphones and headphone amplifiers. Apart from selling headphones from some of the major brands in the business I carry amplifiers from my own brand CORDA, that are designed and developed in house.

The Band :        

The late Russian pianist Sjvatoslav Richter. An extremely versatile pianist who always tried to serve the composer and the music with the highest level of integrity. No flashy appearance but a somewhat shy personality who convinced by his music. I play the piano myself (spoiled myself with a new concert grand recently) and whenever I study a new piece in more detail and compare to recordings of various professional pianists I nearly always find Richter’s the most natural and most convincing. I had the luck to hear him in a live concert twice and especially the second concert was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

The Album:    

There are many but although I mostly listen to classical music my favourite choice for the readers of Headfonia is a Jazz recording: Christy Baron “I Thought About You”

A beautiful and sensual voice, some excellent accompanists and a very natural recording. This Chesky Records disc is simply sublime. (Unfortunately her later recordings from the same label have a more commercial sound).

Christy Baron’s debut album, I Thought About You, features surprising takes on pop and jazz standards. Christy’s rich vocals are given room to swing in the space of pianist Cliff Korman’s sparse yet intricate arrangements. The combination of an adventurous piano trio and Christy’s inviting harmonies reinvent the notion of the standard. Listen to the pairing of Dave Finck’s bass and Christy’s silken tones on “Summer Soft” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and you will agree that this isn’t your usual vocal album. Chesky

The Song:

Try “Ain’t no Sunshine“. In this she is just accompanied by a single contrabas. Every note is shaped and given it’s own color, also by the bassist. A very intimate experience. But there are many other great tracks on this CD.

Listening preference

Since I listen a lot to classical music vinyl no longer is an option. Due to the high dynamic dynamic range of most classical recordings the limitations of this medium are too obvious. Unfortunately my ears don’t have a built-in noise filter. So digital it is. And as I do have a large CD-collection this is the medium of choice.

I never listen on-the-go and never have background music running. When listening to music I lay down on my bed, put on a headphone and want to immerse. As headphones a HE-560 or HD800S (with Cardas-cable) are used, connected of course to a CORDA-setup (only the best! 🙂 ).

Discover

If you want to check out Jan’s favorite album, you can do so here:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMR2JNimgHI&list=PLTQH7RwrbX7LCMXQ362hQEfXDgXTu0mlc

TIDAL: tidal.com/album/45221986

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1Qtur1UGZsEp4vKTm4ZvIr

Qobuz: Not available

Enjoy!

Thank you Jan for being on the series and for giving us a little insight in what you like to listen to. If you have suggestions of who we should feature in this article series, let us know in the comments!

Up to next week…

5/5 - (13 votes)
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Lieven is living in Europe and he's the leader of the gang. He's running Headfonia as a side project next to his full time day job in Digital Marketing & Consultancy. He's a big fan of tube amps and custom inear monitors and has published hundreds of product reviews over the years.

1 Comment

  • Reply June 16, 2020

    peter apperup

    I like that chesky recording too. Another label that has taken that approach to a whole new level is the little Amsterdam based label Sound Liaison. Their One microphone recordings are superb? I don’t know of any label having a better fidelity at the moment. With music that is very enjoyable. With Jazz and blues singer Carmen Gomes’ among the standout musicians on the label.

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