Mike Marshall: Gator
Strut (SACD/Mobile Fidelity Discovery Series)
Music: A- PCM
CD sound: B DSD 2.0 Stereo: A- DSD multi-channel N/A
In the mood for something a bit unique, random, diverse,
spontaneous, and interesting? If so,
then check out Mobile Fidelity’s first entry to their SACD Discovery Series:
Mike Marshall’s Gator Strut with
Darol Anger and featuring artists like David Grisman on mandolin, Bela Fleck on
banjo, and Tony Rice on guitar. This
landmark recording from 1984 rises out of the deep into Mobile Fidelity’s hands
for the SACD format in Hybrid DSD Stereo.
The all-star group travels around music history ranging
from classical composers like Ravel and Bach to Jazz masters like Coltrane and
Thelonious Monk. They even stop in pop
land on one of my all-time favorite Beatles numbers like Because. There are other
songs here specifically written by Marshall, who plays mandolin, mandocello,
guitar and sometimes violin, while in most cases Darol Anger is on violin or
low violin. There are some other
talented artists involved as well such as Bob Wasserman on bass, Mike
Wollenberg on guitar, Barbara Higbie on synthesizer, Jerry Douglas on dobro,
and Todd Philips on bass. With a stack
of individuals like this, a vast accompaniment of instruments, and a unique
selects of material, this particular recording is unlike any other out there.
Because it is such a rare recording, it is such an
important title for Mobile Fidelity to have in their catalog of growing
SACD’s.
Track Listing:
Dance of
the Planktons
We Three
Gator
Strut
Chief
Sitting in the Rain
“Assez
Vif-tres Rythme” From Ravel’s String Quartet in F
Giant
Hornpipe
Because
Scotch
& Swing
Bach’s
Partita #3 in E for Solo Violin
Ybor
City
‘Roung
Midnight
Wake Up
We Three
(reprise)
This is precisely the type of SACD to have if you want to
demonstrate the clarity and overall superb details that you get with the format
with various types of instruments and styles.
Here each instrument can be distinctly identified and each track seems
to incorporate a different type of sound by integrating the instruments in
various ways, whether the song has a mix of guitar, violin, mandolin or piano,
the arrangements change based on the style with different textures being pieces
together and featuring different instruments at different times. In essence, it’s almost like listening to a
jam band just getting together playing through favorites and featuring their
various talents throughout. This is one
fun listen that never bores or keep from surprise.
Since this is a hybrid SACD you are able to listen to
either the DSD Stereo layer or the PCM CD layer. The differences are exactly what one would expect such as a
cleaner, tighter, less compressed, and more fidelity shining through on the DSD
layer versus the muddier CD layer. Both
seem quite clean, but you can pick up on more nuances and dynamics in the SACD
layer, especially instruments that are buried further inside the mix, such as a
background piano or guitar sound. Both
are from the original master, which focused primarily on being a strong,
simplified, and straightforward type of recording that has been handled very
well in crossing over in formats. The
stereo mixes are not interested in impressing with some of the things that
multi-channel offers, but keeps it plain and simple with a powerful sound that
no matter how loud you turn this up, you can’t get the sound to distort one
bit! This title was as enjoyable as
Mobile Fidelity’s Bela Fleck SACD Drive,
which also utilized the Hybrid DSD options.
Mobile Fidelities Discovery Series is dedicated to their
same level of commitment and strive for excellence, while featuring more unique
artists and collections that retails for a slightly smaller fraction of the
cost of their normal SACD’s. Discovery
Mike Marshall’s Gator Strut and you
won’t be disappointed with the repertoire or the performance of this SACD, the
only complaints you will have is that more material like this needs to be
available.
- Nate Goss
