David Manley – More Best Of The Best (180g LP)

Label: Fone Records – LP113 – 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl – AAA 100% Analogue
AAA Pure Analogue Recording , Mastering & Cutting
Club 496 – Only 496 Copies Numbered Limited Edition – Pressed in Germany
This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only, from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head
One-Stage Pressing Process
In autumn 2016, the Italian high-end label Fone released a compilation of recordings from the archive of sound engineer legend and VTL founder David Manley under the title “Best of the Best”. After Manley’s death in 2012 Fone boss Giulio Cesare Ricci had bought numerous master tapes and matrices from its label ViTal, and initially released on CD and finally on vinyl selected recordings in compilation. Following the enthusiastic response to the vinyl version of “Best of the Best,” Ricci is now releasing more footage of the early ’90s from this archive on “More Best Of The Best.”
“Best of the Best” is certainly a more than fitting title for this collection, as David Manley was definitely one of the best in his field. Insiders audiophile music fans worldwide have known this for a long time, or can convince themselves of this at the latest here. Musicians, especially from the jazz field knew it too, because Manley had made in his long time as a sound engineer in the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London before the creation of his own label ViTal with his great work numerous friends in the music world, and So it is not surprising that he always managed to bring well-known jazz musicians to his recording rooms.
The Australian singer Karen Knowles opens the round with a movingly mystical version of “Nature Boy”, originally recorded for her 1992 album “Moonglow”. New York bassist Sekou Bunch’s combo lures Latin-groove on “Night On The Town”, playing the rarely heard solo instrument with the confusing name tenor-bass – an e-bass tuning a fourth higher is. Also from 1992 is the recording of “It Happens Every Day” – originally a Joe sample number, played here by e-guitarist Josh Sklair (probably best known as a companion and producer on late Etta James albums), who shakes a seductive Fusion ballad out of his sleeve. And who can resist the warm alto voice of Vickie Leigh when she sings “Dont Say No Tonight”?
On page two, contrabassist and Grammy Award winner James Leary, who earned his spurs in the Count Basie Orchestra, has a mighty swing with his quartet “Have You Met Miss Jones”. And then Kate McGarry is probably the most famous musician in this compilation: from “Haunted Heart” from her debut album “Easy To Love” you can learn how to sing romantic jazz ballads. Of course, the energetic music of the Band Toolbox should not be missing here either – “Latin Slam” lives up to its title, before finally percussion grandmaster Munyungo Jackson with a five-piece percussion combo and the aptly titled “Drums, Drums, Drums” to Kehraus yet once turned up really.
Whether Latin-Einheizer or gentle swing-ballad, sonically David Manley has captured all these musicians masterfully, the compilation thrilled by an extremely natural, spatial and clear sound that can easily comply with the usual Fone standards. An ornament for every collection! wv

Pure Analogue Recording and Cutting, One-Stage Pressing Process, limited to 496 pieces, pressed by Pallas in Germany on 180 g-Vinyl!