Gidon Nunes Vaz Trio - Dream Dancer - The Music of Cole Porter

One hall
One band
One mic
One take
One source

Gidon Nunes Vaz - trumpet / flugelhorn
Davor Stehlik - guitar
Tomek van Leeuwen - double bass


Total time: 49:06

One-Mic Recording
Original recording format DXD352kHz-24bit.
Mastered by an HQ analog chain to PCM768kHz-32bit.
All other formats are converted versions of the original master.


The Music of Cole Porter

“Cole Porter’s music depicts brilliant melodies, harmony, rhythm, and form. Simultaneously, his lyrics exhibit a sense of humorous poetry, featuring wordplay and layers of meaning that invite the listener to discover their own interpretation.

In contrast with the light and joyous side, there is also tremendous melancholy in Porter’s music. This contrast speaks to me. Looking back on a year of sleep deprivation and challenges, the titles on this album somehow reflect the melancholy, challenge, joy and growth of this period. This is what great songs do, they become personal, allowing each composition to resonate uniquely with your emotions and experiences.

So 'Dream Dancer: The Music of Cole Porter' is more than just an album; it's a reflection of life's diverse experiences through music. It's about finding your meaning in these songs and connecting with the stories they tell.

Lately, most of my work has been in larger settings and big bands. This intimate trio setting is the perfect counterbalance. It’s allowing me to explore playing at softer volumes with room for nuances in sound and time."

Gidon Nunes Vaz
"Also for this high resolution recording of this great jazz trio, I chose the technique of recording with only a single stereo microphone. The advantages of the One Microphone approach to recording are obvious; phase coherence, perfect imaging, great sense of depth, and superior realism. Traditional mixing is no longer an option. Instead, we must construct the entire sound stage in real time by meticulously adjusting the distance of each instrument to the microphone. The benefits of this way of working are that the result is completely free of phase errors and the sound is very natural with a wide deep soundstage. Another advantage is that it forces the band being recorded to play!
There is nowhere to hide, no fixing it in the mix. It gives the music a realness that one does not often encounter in these modern A.I. times. All musicians have been struck by the incredible authenticity of the recordings and commented that they never heard their instrument sound so real and lively."

Frans de Rond, Engineer

"Once a musician has achieved mastery of their instrument, absorbed the works of previous masters, and discovered their artistic voice, the ultimate test lies in something seemingly straightforward: fully surrendering to the music at hand and performing only what the music demands. Yet, as any musician will attest, this seemingly simple task is the most formidable challenge of all. With 'Dream Dancer', Gidon, Davor, and Tomek, in my humble opinion, have passed the test with flying colors. Every note they play carries meaning, contributing to constructing the beautiful, intimate and transparent work of art that 'Dream Dancer' represents."

Peter Bjørnild, Producer

Blessings

"I feel blessed to be able to share my passion for this music with the innovative guitarist Davor Stehlik and the groovy bassist Tomek van Leeuwen. Their artistic input combined with the joy and serious fun we have rehearsing and recording is what dreams are made of.
I feel blessed working with the Sound Liaison team; sound engineer extraordinaire Frans de Rond and compassionate producer Peter Bjørnild. They proved crucial in our mission to authentically capture the essence of this music. Their wealth of expertise, experience, and our mutual taste for sound and style were indispensable in shaping the ultimate result.

I feel blessed to have Mara in my life, for sharing love & life, inspiring, listening, helping and confronting, and last but not least for her beautiful artwork.”

Gidon Nunes Vaz

Recording, mixing and mastering by Frans de Rond
Recorded in MCO Studio 2, Hilversum on June 15 & June 22, 2023.
Produced by Peter Bjørnild & Gidon Nunes Vaz

Used equipment:

Microphone - Josephson C700S

Micpre's: Merging Horus
Cables by AudioQuest
Speakers: TAD Compact Evolution One
Poweramp: Moon 760A
Mixing headphones: Hifiman HE1000se / Sennheiser HD800S

Cover design - Mara Jong Kon Chin
Video - Chris Blokhuis

Catalog Number: SL-1066A