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Duke Ellington's Take The "A" Train in DSD 256


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A new DSD 256 Stereo Download worth picking up.

Features Duke Ellington & His Orchestra as well as some solo piano performances by Ellington.

 

Recommended.

 

2XHDST1089.thumb.jpg.57fa45fef5abe333f908d93915dca88c.jpg

 

Quote

"Take the A Train is the vibrant signature composition of Duke Ellington, the most important composer in the history of jazz, also a rare bandleader and pianist who held his large group together for almost 50 years.

 

Ellington used his band as a musical laboratory for his new compositions and shaped his writing specifically to showcase the talents of his band members, many of whom remained with him for long periods. It is quite impossible for one album to capture the full flavor and rich diversity of Duke Ellington’s music and orchestra. The eight tracks here offer a remarkably well-balanced sample of the prolific repertoire – the immortal compositions, the arresting arrangements, the outstanding soloists and, not least, the distinctive solo work of the piano player, Edward Kennedy Ellington, the Duke who became King of Orchestral Jazz.

This is a DSD 256 release, transferred directly from the Analog Master Tapes by Rene LaFlamme at 2xHD Mastering using the Merging Technologies Horus Analog to DSD 256 Converter.  

 

It’s really two albums in one.  The first 6 tracks star Duke Ellington & His Orchestra playing classics including Take The “A” Train, Satin Doll and Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.  Then the album brings you two tracks featuring Duke on Solo Piano performing a Medley including It Don’t Mean A Thing, Solitude, I Got It Bad, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Mood Indigo, Sophisticated Lady and Caravan plus the final track New World A Comin’. Wow!

•    Exclusive Early Release at NativeDSD
•    Available as DSD Download, Not Available on SACD
•    All-In-One packages available at the NativeDSD store:

Download DSD 256 -> DSD 128 and 64 are free of charge
Download DSD 128 -> DSD 64 is free of charge"

 

 

 

https://2xhd.nativedsd.com/albums/2XHDST1089-take-the-a-train

 

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Hi UO,

For some reason the booklet and cover didn't attach in the zip'd folder. You can download them separately from the album page on NativeDSD. 

 

We apologize for the inconvenience. 

 

I'm very interested in your comments about the recording quality of the transfer. We of course only add additional metadata to the files received from 2xHD, and understand the technical limitations of the original tape recording medium . As a comparison, l'd like to offer you a DSD256 stereo download of the new Yarlung Yuko Mabuchi Trio in appreciation for your note. That will contrast the difference between a DSD256 from tape transfer and an actual DSD256 live recording.

 

Just send me a PM here,  or to tom-at-nativedsd.Com with your mailing address. 

 

Thanks, 

Tom 

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What do you mean by "credits in the tags".  The tracks are tagged at my end (and I'm the one doing them).  Please let us know.  BTW, I assumed the booklet and cover.jpeg were earlier missing but not now...please ask Jonas again for the download (or as Tom says get the booklet and cover from the site)

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Hey guys

 

Ted: actually there was some glitch in Roon when I opened the album yesterday for the first time. In the credits tab it shows at least the composers and performes, but it initially showed up empty. For example, in Good Morning mr. Blues there is release information/composers and performers/production. After rebooting Roon, now it shows two fields under Composers and Performers, which is similar to other albums in the series. So I guess my bad for the false alarm - and don't worry I will download the cover and booklet, I just wanted to warn you in case you guys hadn't noticed it yet and before more people would notice (I guess this album will sell like water in a hot summer day). 

 

Tom: whoever gets into this 2xHD series has to understand that eventually not all of the material can be expected to be in pristine condition after 60 years. I confess I got addicted to the series as the recordings are so good. I'd say that Bill Evan's Some Other Time and Another Time along with Spann's Blues Masters vol. 10 are technically perfect to my ears. Simply fantastic, what else can I say? Mack the Knife is one with varying quality tracks (like Ellington's) and few tape artifacts here and there, however (at least most tracks as far as my memory can tell) it's got a very good sound imaging. It does make you feel like Louis is singing live right in front of you with his band behind him - you're not only in the front row, you can even call him Louis and "feel" him coming back and forth. Quite special. I have a few albums more these are probably the most noteworthy ones. I got Ellington's the other day so only had the chance to listen to it once - however the instruments are not quite as vivid and near you as the other albums. The piano and double bass are a tab bit "soft", metals are better. As if in Evans' and Spann's they were playing in a bar with  grand piano and here the band is playing in a big carpeted room with a vertical piano near one of the walls. I am of course exaggerating a bit when putting it into perspective, but in Ellington's the double bass does lack a bit of attack in the pizzicatos (therefore the impression of being in a big, dampened room). Musically, the album is monumental, no questions. 

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I've noted that the tagging for the first two tracks is reversed; i.e., the first track is actually "Satin Doll" and the second is "Take the 'A' Train" - at least in my download.

 

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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46 minutes ago, jhwalker said:

I've noted that the tagging for the first two tracks is reversed; i.e., the first track is actually "Satin Doll" and the second is "Take the 'A' Train" - at least in my download.

 

The labels metadata, sent to us via our excel script process, has stain doll as track 2, as does every site I’ve looked it up on.  Are you saying your download shows it as track one, or you think it should be track one?

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On 29/10/2017 at 8:51 PM, Ralf11 said:

Has anyone compare this for SQ vs. a CD?

 

Hi Ralf, I don't have Ellington in particular on CD. It does sound very good, however once you get hooked in this series it's difficult to accept anything else. I've got some remastered Louis Armstrong in Hi-Res (can't remember the album name) and Mac the Knife from 2xHD, and the latter is simply spectacular in comparison. It is not the same recording, but the albums are truly great. Even if Ellington is not the sharpest sounding in the series it is still miles ahead of any jazz CD I've listened to (jazz CDs typically sound boring to my ears).

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On 10/29/2017 at 2:57 PM, ted_b said:

The labels metadata, sent to us via our excel script process, has stain doll as track 2, as does every site I’ve looked it up on.  Are you saying your download shows it as track one, or you think it should be track one?

 

My track 1 is named "01_Take-the-A-Train_2xHD--Storyville-Records_2XHDST1089_2ch128" and track 2 is "02_Take-the-A-Train_2xHD--Storyville-Records_2XHDST1089_2ch128", so no help there ;) 

 

The file labeled "01_ . . ." is clearly "Satin Doll" - just listen to it ;)

The file labeled "02_ . . . " is "Take the 'A' Train"

 

My download only shows readable metadata on tracks 3 - 6, tracks 1-2 and 7-8 simply shows file names :/  I had to add the tagging myself.

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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34 minutes ago, unbalanced output said:

@jhwalker I've downloaded only the 64 and 256 copies and they're fine :) probably messed up only in the 128 version then?

 

No, just downloaded the DSD64 file and same issue - although the tagging shows up in each track now, tracks 1 and 2 are still reversed; i.e., track "01_..." is tagged "Take the 'A' Train", but it's actually "Satin Doll"; track "02_..." is tagged "Satin Doll", but it's actually "Take the 'A' Train".

 

Just checked on the HDTracks site, and Track 1 is "Take the 'A' Train" and Track 2 is "Satin Doll" (at least on the previews - didn't buy the download).  Same on NativeDSD - the previews are right, it's the downloads that are borked.

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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3 minutes ago, ted_b said:

I checked all my versions (all DSD versions) and they are fine.  Weird.

 

A train.png

 

That's exactly how mine shows up in my applications (either Audirvana or Roon).  But track 01 is DEFINITELY "Satin Doll", and track 02 is definitely "Take the 'A' Train".

 

So you're saying if you play track number 1, you actually hear the familiar, upbeat "Take the 'A' Train" and NOT the laid back, much slower "Satin Doll"?

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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6 minutes ago, jhwalker said:

 

That's exactly how mine shows up in my applications (either Audirvana or Roon).  But track 01 is DEFINITELY "Satin Doll", and track 02 is definitely "Take the 'A' Train".

 

So you're saying if you play track number 1, you actually hear the familiar, upbeat "Take the 'A' Train" and NOT the laid back, much slower "Satin Doll"?

 

Note:  I just downloaded the DSD256 version - it's correct.  It's only the DSD64 and DSD128 that are incorrect.

 

So I'll just use the DSD256 version going forward.  Maybe NativeDSD can update the DSD64 and DSD128 download packages.

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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Yes, A Train is playing as track one, and tagged that way!  Satin Doll plays as track 2, and tagged that way.  I'm worried you retagged them and now they are backwards for you.

 

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Just now, unbalanced output said:

Lol you're right... DSD256 version is correct, but DSD64 is messed up. Shows up correctly correctly in Roon, but file number 1 is indeed Satin Doll and 2 is Take the A train. 

 

Thanks, was afraid I was going mad ;)

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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Cool. I just got my DAC properly configured for DSD256, and am downloading this one plus Mac the Knife now.

 

I'm in the USA and paid with PayPal to avoid a credit card foreign transaction fee.

 

Re the Recommended Playback Software doc, I am able to use foobar2000 to play DSD256.

 

Re the DAC/player survey during account setup, mine is not yet listed there: the Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital.

 

Everyone wants to date my avatar.

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2 minutes ago, ted_b said:

I'm dl'ing the tracks from 64 and 128.  I will make it right (label sent us tracks with track numbers already filled, so we missed it on the qc I guess).  Thanks!

 

By the way - it sounds just wonderful :)  Really enjoying these 2xHD releases - most of them are gems.

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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8 minutes ago, left channel said:

 

Downloading the cover was easy enough, but I can't find the booklet there. Can you point us to it?

 

The PDF Booklet link is right under the cover art of the album.

Click on "Download Booklet" (see image below) and you should be able to access it on your computer.

 

59fba0ae78956_DownloadBooklet.thumb.png.9025728219c78999a2c92fa8decda775.png

 

https://2xhd.nativedsd.com/albums/2XHDST1089-take-the-a-train

https://dsd-files.s3.amazonaws.com/2xHD/2XHDST1089/2XHDST1089/2XHDST1089.pdf

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