Iman Spaargaren & Peter Bjørnild - In Essence
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"A truly beautiful aural snapshot of a wonderful musical performance. A real 'you're there' moment."
Jason Methfessel, Absolute Sound
Iman Spaargaren – Saxophone & Clarinet
Peter Bjørnild – Double Bass
Total runtime: 36:25
Iman Spaargaren & Peter Bjørnild – In Essence
| One-Mic Audiophile Recording | Pure DSD 256 Master |
The original high-resolution recording (DSD256) was analog mixed and mastered through an HQ analog stereo chain to a DSD256 master. All other formats are high-quality conversions of this master.
In Essence
'In Essence' is a welcome return to subtlety, depth, and direct communication. This new album from Iman Spaargaren (clarinet & saxophone) and Peter Bjørnild (double bass) was made using just one carefully placed Josephson C700S (3-capsule) stereo microphone. The entire performance was captured live in the room and recorded directly to Pure DSD256. It’s an old-school method in a high-tech frame, a reminder that sometimes the most advanced thing you can do is keep it simple.
In Essence is an intimate, thoughtful exploration of the Great American Songbook, featuring songs like 'My Funny Valentine', 'In a Sentimental Mood', and 'Stolen Moments'. But unlike most modern jazz albums, these are not elaborate reworkings or long improvisations. The duo has chosen to keep each track short, distilled down to its melodic and emotional core. It’s as if the goal wasn’t to impress with complexity, but to offer a clear, focused experience of each tune, each one a small, self-contained meditation, a kind of musical haiku, concise, almost fragile in its clarity, capturing the essence of melody and melodic improvisation. The result is music that doesn’t explain itself, it simply is.
The interplay of clarinet or saxophone and double bass feels like a conversation between friends, sometimes melodic, sometimes contrapuntal, always personal. It’s a modern take on a two-part invention, rooted in swing, blues, and lyricism.
Iman Spaargaren’s tone, whether on clarinet or tenor saxophone, is open, warm, and completely natural, focused on storytelling rather than technical display. His phrasing feels effortless and honest, never forced. His approach comes straight out of the jazz tradition.
In contrast, Peter Bjørnild, whose roots besides jazz and blues include formal classical education, brings a strong architectural sensibility to the music. His lines are melodic, emotionally grounded, and structurally sound, sometimes leading, sometimes anchoring, always listening. The result is a rare equality between voices.
The superb sound quality invites you into the studio, up close, sitting still, noticing, listening: two instruments, the space between them, the breath before each phrase, the resonance of air and wood. In Essence is a quiet, heartfelt reminder of the beauty of musical intimacy.
Frans de Rond on the Recording Process
"Working with Sound Liaison has always been about combining craftsmanship with innovation, and our first Pure DSD recording was a real turning point in our approach to high-resolution audio.
Recording Iman Spaargaren on sax and clarinet, and Peter Bjørnild on double bass, I wanted to explore the full potential of the DSD256 format for audiophile recording. Every detail from mic placement to post-production had to be handled with absolute precision to preserve the raw emotion of the performance.
The Josephson C700S stereo microphone was fed through a Merging Technologies Horus mic preamp directly into a DSD256 signal path. Mastering was done through a high-quality analog chain, and all format versions, DSD512, DSD128, DSD64, are direct conversions from the original DSD256 master.
Monitoring during mixing was done on both Linkwitz LX521 and TAD Compact Evolution One loudspeakers, along with Hifiman HE1000se and Sennheiser HD800S headphones, tools essential for revealing subtle details without coloration.
DSD began as an archival format, but it has become a powerful tool for artistic expression and high-fidelity recording. This project reflects that synergy: pure, transparent sound driven by a minimalist signal path and honest engineering."
– Frans de Rond
Recording Details
- Recorded in Studio 2 (Heuvellaan, Hilversum) on January 16, 2025
- Recording, mixing, and mastering: Frans de Rond
- Producers: Peter Bjørnild & Iman Spaargaren
- Digital mastering: Tom Caulfield
- Cover design: Frans de Rond
- Cover photography: Milan Bjørnild
- Studio photography: Chris Blokhuis
High-End Audio Equipment Used
- Microphone: Josephson C700S – premium stereo condenser mic with three capsules for versatile polar patterns and exceptional clarity.
- Speakers: Linkwitz LX521.4 & TAD Compact Evolution
- Power Amplifier: Moon 760A – clean, dynamic power for monitoring/mastering accuracy.
- ADC (Recording): Merging Horus – transparent, high-res analog-to-digital converter.
- Mastering Headphones: Hifiman HE1000se, Sennheiser HD800S
- Cables & Power Conditioners: AudioQuest – ensuring signal integrity and noise reduction.
- Network Switch: SOtM – jitter-minimizing digital audio switch.
- Double Bass Brass-Slide C-Extension: by Jeppe Mørch Sørensen
Available Now – Exclusive High-Resolution Download
In Essence is available on Sound Liaison in ultra-high-resolution audio formats.
Discover the purity of one-mic recording and the subtle brilliance of Europe’s finest acoustic jazz musicians.
Catalog Number: SL-1078A