Lyn Stanley – Potions [From the 50’s] (Hybrid SACD)

Lyn Stanley Potions (From The 50’s) on Hybrid SACD

A former USA amateur ballroom dance Pro/Am champion who was discovered by world-class jazz legend, pianist Paul Smith, best known as Ella Fitzgerald’s accompanist/conductor, Lyn Stanley’s unique voice has been described as “beautiful, rich in low tones,” with “phrasing and storytelling that makes her music very personal.” Her dancing background adds a special feel few artists can deliver and she became an instant international success with her critically acclaimed 2013 debut standards album, Lost In Romance.

Armed with more audio knowledge than most singers, Stanley takes the ultimate leap into analog recording with her new album Potions and its 1950s theme – an era when analog was king. The album was helmed by world renowned jazz pianist/composer and producer Kenny Werner and features arrangements from Werner, Bill Cunliffe, Mike Lang, Steve Rawlins and Tamir Hendelman. Returning to the elements that made her first album so successful she again enlists Al Schmitt, this time as both the recording and mixing engineer along with Bernie Grundman for mastering the album.

The end result, the stunning Potions (From the 50s), is a brilliant collection of classic songs written in the 1950s and drawn from a broad palette of jazz, popular hits, blues, country, R&B and doo-wop (and one very special Gershwin classic in a bonus track). Some are delivered in a similar context to the originals, others are uniquely conceived in unexpected fashion, but all of them are pure Lyn Stanley – captivating, imaginative and singular.

The album contains 15 tracks – 12 of the tracks are pure analog from musicians through vocals, mixing and mastering. Two of the 15 tracks were original musician and vocal recordings in ProTools (PCM-192/32bit). This high level is considered to be comparable to analog to some engineers and not many vocalists utilize this higher level of recording due to its sensitivity. One of the 15 tracks is a hybrid of musician and vocal tracks using 24 track analog tape and ProTools PCM (192/32bit).Every song on the album was mixed in and mastered in analog tape.

The album is initially to be released onn vinyl as a 180g 45RPM 2LP-set. It will be pressed by Record Technology Incorporated who began the platting process of the initial mastered lacquers within two hours of their completion by Bernie Grundman. The album will also be produced as a Hybrid SACD by Sony DADC’s plant in Austria. But all the technological resources at hand cannot produce great music without great artistry. And that quality is in abundance on this remarkable recording, with remarkable musicianship, brilliant arrangements and inspired concepts for every song – a perfect recipe for a thoroughly enchanting album.

The major credit must go to Ms. Stanley’s radiant vocal artistry. Her flawless intonation and sumptuous warmth combine with a full bodied resonance throughout her extensive range. Her lyrics – precisely enunciated, perfectly phrased and vividly rhythmic – tell her stories not only through the words, but in the emotional content with which she sings them, and with a grace and sensuality that coats every syllable she sings with a fluidity that is simply mesmerizing.

1.  Lullaby Of Birdland

2.  Cry Me A River

3.  Fly Me To The Moon

4.  Hey There

5.  I’m Walkin’

6.  You Don’t Know Me

7.  In The Still Of The Night

8.  The Thrill Is Gone

9.  A Summer Place

10. Love Potion #9

11. Teach Me Tonight

12. After The Lights Go Down

13. Misty

14. The Party’s Over

15. The Man I Love (bonus track)