Eric Bibb – Rainbow People (SACD hibrid multicanal)

When Eric Bibb recorded his first album in Sweden, no one could have guessed what a magnificent artist Jan-Eric Persson had discovered. Indeed, Bibb’s debut album “Rainbow People” is an impressive testament to the musical abilities of the then 26-year-old pioneer of “world music” – long before the term for this genre was even introduced. On the other hand, this album also stands for the incredible sound quality that the then still relatively young label Opus 3 Records was able to achieve with reduced but technically high-quality means and a concept that remains clear to this day. So it’s hardly surprising that “Rainbow People” became one of the most successful titles in the label’s early discography. After tough negotiations with Eric Bibb’s current management, the release has now been completely remastered and edited in Opus 3’s own mastering studio and is available as an SACD. The result is once again overwhelming: the liveliness, imaging, sound fidelity, and incomparable naturalness are simply striking and are undoubtedly among the best that music enthusiasts and audiophiles in this world can hear.

„This is something for the sound aesthete: Eric Bibb’s debut on Opus 3, recorded in early June 1977. And reissued almost 23 years later. To this day, bluesman Eric Bibb continues to release his work on Opus 3, and the collaboration with Jan-Eric Persson seems to be a source of great joy for both of them. Even in 1977, the AKG C-24 tube stereo microphone captured an extraordinarily direct and authentic sound; the nine tracks sound incredibly intimate, natural, and pleasant. At this point, we must praise the work of small specialist labels such as Opus 3; without their efforts, this type of recording would probably no longer exist today.” (Holger Barske, LP 3/2010).

The outstanding Multichannel Hybrid SACD from Opus 3 Records includes a booklet with detailed information on the recording technology and microphones used.

MUSICIANS:

Eric Bibb: guitar, vocals / Ed Epstein: soprano sax (track 1 & 7) / Peter Sahlin: upright bass (1 & 9), 2nd guitar (7) / Felix Peyeira: arpa topical (1) / Rudy Smith: alto pans / Melvyn Price: tuba (3) / Steve Glickstein: 2nd guitar (4) / Hillary Ash-Roy: flute (5) / Cyndee Peters: lead vocals (6), 3rd voice (6), guitar (9) / Lena Strömberg: alto sax / Staffan Larsson: violin / Michael Larsson: viola / Mats Rondin: cello (7) / Björn Hamrin: harmonica (8)

Opus 3 is an independent Swedish music label dedicated to recording timeless acoustic music such as jazz, blues, folk and classical. Founded in late 1976 by sound engineer Jan-Eric Persson, the label has made it its mission to reproduce voices and instruments as naturally as possible. To achieve this, Opus 3 selects recording environments with good natural. The label’s recording techniques were developed specifically for acoustic music and were originally based on the use of tube gear and “Blumlein” miking. In 2001, Opus 3 switched to digital eight-track technology and later to 16 channels – in the brand-new mixing and mastering studio designed and set up by Sweden’s leading acoustic engineer Lennart Nilsson to mark the label’s 30th anniversary. Apart from a few digital intermediate steps all processing is still done exclusively analog.

We recommend the use of „L’Art du Son” CD/DVD conditioner for even more sonic improvement.

Lista pieselor

1. Catalina Estimada

2. Lonesome Child Blues

3. Look Over Yonder

4. Candy Man

5. Sunday School

6. Lead Me, Guide Me

7. Encuentro En La Estación

8. Going Home

9. Rainbow People