Patricia Barber Modern Cool 180g VR900-D2 2LP

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"Sonically, one of the best recordings ever made by a Jazz Singer with small acoustic ensemble. " –Downbeat, rated 5 stars

"Smart songs about the way we think and live, not just about the way we love. This is the kind of art we need to be on the lookout for everywhere. The 21st century has started. We can't afford to be left behind." –New York Times

"An Album To Die For." –Stereophile

Patricia Barber's Modern Cool brought her mainstream success, propelled by her classic version of the Doors' "Light My Fire." Touring for this album, Barber played selections from it during her four-night stand at The Jazz Standard in New York. There she was heard by Bruce Lundvall of Blue Note Records, which led to a string of popular Barber recordings for both Premonition and Blue Note, worldwide touring and the unapologetic critical acclaim from which Barber never looked back.

Modern Cool quickly became an audiophile classic both through Jim Anderson's stunningly-detailed, naturalistic recording, and the mastery of Barber's writing and performance!

In our latest collaboration with Barber, this pristine VR900-D2-pressed 180-gram LP, newly re-mastered by Bernie Grundman using David Glasser's original master, faithfully reproduces every dynamic nuance and tonal accuracy of the of the original recording without harshness or sibilance. We then applied the Impex Treatment to the deluxe new package, updating the stylish original design and adding an exclusive heavy-stock booklet with complete lyrics and exclusive session photos from Barber photographer Valerie Booth.

Even if you already own a copy of this modern cool jazz classic, our new LP adds value and never-before-heard sonics worthy of your upgrade.

With my first needle drop on the IMPEX, I almost immediately knew that this was going to be different. The 33 RPM cut did not hold anything back. The astonishingly quiet VR900-V2 vinyl was also a major contributor. The walls of my listening room had now totally disappeared. The clarity and definition of the upper registers of all the musicians and Patricia's voice now popped out of a deep black background. There just seemed to be more air and three dimensional space around each instrument, well beyond the other pressings. Bass was even tighter and with more impact than the SACD, as if that was even possible. The level of attack and newly revealed spacial cues were sometimes startling. All of this was provided with a natural and very organic sweetness and bloom at all frequencies. Without question, IMPEX has hit this one out of the proverbial ball park!

To say I was impressed is an understatement ... The Impex edition of Modern Cool is a work of art on so many levels. The pressing quality and luxurious presentation are exceptional. The sound quality is reference level. If any record could be considered a 'record to die for,' this would be it. Bravo to everyone on the team at Impex for producing what I feel may be the definitive edition of Modern Cool.

Hearing Patricia Barber's Cafe Blue for the first time was an eye-opener; I finally knew what all the hubbub was about. But hearing Modern Cool altered my consciousness, because it was distinctly modern and cool—Patricia Barber definitely didn't take any cues from the Great American Songbook in formulating her approach to jazz. Her cover choices were edgy and bold, often crossing or blurring lines between jazz, pop, and even rock, and her originals were almost otherworldly in ways that confounded my still evolving view of jazz, and especially jazz vocals. Hearing Impex's new LP set has raised my appreciation for this music by an order of magnitude.