Audiophile Vinyl

Al Di Meola
Elegant Gypsy
Impex IMP6062 (180g vinyl)

On one of those rare occasions when a jazz album crossed over to the mainstream, guitarist Di Meola’s second solo, from 1977, established him as a front rank performer. Thirty albums later, it still dazzles, the guest list alone enough to ensure it was something special: Paco de Lucía on acoustic guitar, Jan Hammer and Barry Miles on keyboards, Steve Gadd and Lenny White on drums. Its mélange of styles appealed to rock, jazz and Latin audiences, Di Meola making reference to The Kinks and Leslie West, while ‘Race With The Devil On Spanish Highway’ features shredding worthy of any current metal hero. Impex has improved on the original packaging, adding a new note from Di Meola. KK

Sound Quality: 95%

Joe Bataan
Riot!
Fania CR00815 (180g vinyl)

Devotees of the myriad flavours of Hispanic music – embracing the whole of Central and S. America, and the Caribbean – have been well-served by the reissuing of the Fania catalogue, but this may be the best introduction if new to the genre, and you need something accessible. Singer/pianist Bataan, born in NYC of a Filipino father and African-American mother, represents
a perfect fusion which has earned him the title of the ‘King of Latin Soul’. And ‘soul’
is the operative term here, this stunning 1968 album being a stew of mambo, salsa, doo-wop, rock, jazz and R&B, seasoned with Latin rhythms and sung in English and Spanish. And the horn section? Killer! KK

Sound Quality: 85%

Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Mobile Fidelity MFSV 1-523 (180g SuperVinyl; mono)

This is not the first time MoFi has released Dylan’s 1962 debut in mono, and CBS included it in 2010’s 9CD box set, The Original Mono Recordings, so if you are a Dylan fan you probably already have a copy. If you’re a newcomer to the Zim, again a topical artist thanks to the hit biopic A Complete Unknown, this is made for you. Though not a success at the time, Bob Dylan is now recognised as a masterpiece, thanks to its mix of traditional tracks and
a couple of early original compositions. This is pure ‘folkie’ Dylan, just him playing guitar and harmonica, so the stereo version doesn’t exactly add a lot. As this pressing is a honey, you can buy with confidence. KK

Sound Quality: 90%

Stevie Wonder
The Definitive Collection
Motown/Universal Music 00602475152729 (two LPs)

With 21 cuts covering a career dating back to 1962, this will incur the wrath of those whose favourites are missing. The move
to vinyl is a truncation of the 38-track CD from 2002, but whoever made the choices handled it deftly: I am hard-pressed to name personal preferences which aren’t included. It starts with ‘Fingertips – Pt 2’, along the way giving us ‘Superstition’, ‘Sir Duke’, ‘Higher Ground’ – I could go on but you don’t need more to realise this is the work of a genius. The packaging, too, is noteworthy, the inner sleeves featuring album artwork from the releases which provided the tracks. A fine starting point if you don’t already own a Wonder best-of. KK

Sound Quality: 85%