VA - Blue Coast Collection 3 (2018) [DSD256]

In Blue Coast Collection 3, Cookie Marenco has again shown her peerless ability to go cherry picking amongst her deep reservoir of great music, exquisitely recorded, and assemble a sampler that you’ll want to revisit often. This is another chance for the pure enjoyment of having Cookie as your guide and these artists as the all-star attractions on the tour.

“Johnny Colorado” is a clever walk through a limited relationship to a depiction of an ideal one. Meghan Andrews sings it wistfully, as it deserves in this clean and skillful performance with only guitar accompaniment.

The familiar story in “You Were Always On My Mind” gets a beautiful reading from Jenna Mammina’s exquisite expression, skillful phrasing and sure dynamics.

“Shenandoah” is a song so compelling that playwright Eugene O’Neill’s first description of the song states that more than any other it "holds in it the brooding rhythm of the sea." In Alex de Grassi’s performance, we hear a confident and powerful performance with the depth, textures and sonic layers of a double strung guitar over a gently surging drone figure.

Blue Coast Collection 3 was recorded with the proprietary recording technique called E.S.E. (Extended Sound Environment), developed in the early 2000’s by legendary recording engineers Cookie Marenco and Jean-Claude Reynaud. E.S.E recordings go directly to DSD or analog tape while musicians perform live in the studio without the use of headphones or overdubs. Hand-made cables, modified preamps and carefully chosen microphones are also part of the recording requirements. Most importantly, the musicians are in the same room, positioning themselves to hear each other without headphones. You will find E.S.E recordings only on the Blue Coast Records label.